- erynnmangum@gmail.com

An Interview with Jenness Walker and a GIVEAWAY!

Hope you guys are enjoying this little series! I love learning the people behind the stories. And remembering what my writing used to be like in the olden days before I had a fifteen-month-old splashing in my toilets. I feel like I’m hosting a mini-Hallmark channel on this blog.

The Way I Used to Be – The Erynn Mangum Story.

Anyways.

Today, I get to introduce you to my friend, Jenness Walker. Jenness has a way cool story about how she got published and I’m excited that y’all get to meet her!

We’ll start with the all-important question. Favorite kind of cheesecake?

Cheesecake Factory’s 30th anniversary cheesecake!

Cheesecake Factory. Good answer. We are still friends. So, tell us a little bit about how you got started writing.

My first memory about writing is from 1st grade, where we had a class contest to see who could write and illustrate the best story. I remember thinking I was a shoo-in for the winner. (Um…I wasn’t.) So I don’t know if I’d been coming up with stories before then or if that was the beginning, but I’ve been writing ever since.

Another important one, so take a deep breath. Chocolate Chip or Oatmeal Raisin cookie?

Is that a real question? 🙂 Chocolate Chip. Of course.

Again, we’re still friends. 🙂 Any new books coming out or in the process of coming out?

I’m involved (with my coauthor Tracy Bowen) with the Bloomfield series, which is a series written by various authors and is being published by B&H. I believe the first book in the series is coming out next year. The stories all take place in the quirky small town of Bloomfield. So far it’s been a lot of fun!

What is your least favorite part of writing?

Serious rewrites. 🙂 Sometimes it’s very hard for me to rethink plot elements or scenes when they’re already written. Maybe because the story becomes so real to me, that what’s written is history, you know? You can’t change the facts. 🙂 So sometimes it takes some time beating my head against the wall to be able to get past that block.

Tell us a little about the genre you write in. Why did you pick that route?

I actually write in a few different genres. I do contemporary romance/romantic comedy with Tracy. I went that route with her because humor is something she excels at, and I needed help in that area. I mean, I thought I was funny, but… 🙂 That’s the voice that works for us as a team, and we have a lot of fun with it. It’s also a nice switch-up from my other stuff.

On my own I write romantic suspense, probably because that is the majority of what I read growing up. I’m also currently working on kind of a darker women’s fiction. I’m not certain I picked that particular route. I think it just appeared before me and said, “You’re supposed to write this story. Deal with it.”

So, I think it’s great that you are getting to write in two different genres. I think people often assume that writers can only write ONE way and that’s their branding for the rest of their lives. What’s your favorite part of writing?

It’s a tie between the very beginning—the exciting new idea and the brainstorming that follows—and the last few chapters with the rush toward the end. Both can be exhilarating.

Totally agree. My two favorite words are “the” and “end.” So, what’s your favorite character you’ve ever written?

To make answering this one a little easier, I’m going to limit this to characters from my completed manuscripts. 🙂 And that would have to be Jake. He’s the hero in the first (as of yet unpublished) romantic suspense I wrote. And rewrote. And wrote again. I guess I love him best because we spent so much time together. And because he’s one of those wounded but devastatingly sweet and heartbreakingly handsome heroes that many of us swoon over. 🙂 (Jason, if you’re reading this, don’t worry—I love you more.)

Ha! Love that. The “completed manuscripts.” Ain’t that the truth. I’ve got a couple buried in my hard drive. Got any advice for prospective authors?

The obvious things are to read and to join writers’ organizations and find a good critique group/partner. So instead of expounding on the virtues of those things, I’ll repeat something I heard from a recent workshop. Allen Arnold reminded us that we are to have no idols. We’re not to bow down to the story. “The calling should be more important than any one particular book. Your story is the fruit of the calling but should not become the focus.”

So, pre-published authors, remember why you’re writing and Who you’re writing for. Keep working toward the goal, but don’t be afraid to move on to a different story to continue to grow into the writer He wants you to be.

Perfectly said! Ok. You’ve got one minute to grab whatever you can at Target and money is no object. What do you buy?

Furniture! I heart furniture, even though I don’t have anywhere to put it. (No, seriously. My house is full, so I loan furniture to friends instead of getting rid of the surplus.) And Target has some great chairs…oh, and a desk I really like…and—wait. Do I have to carry them myself? This could be tricky…

Thank you, Jenness!! 🙂

Jenness has been WAY generous and offered to give away Bliss to one of you!! All you’ve got to do is leave a comment below. Don’t forget that every comment left during these two weeks is also entered to win the Old Navy gift card!

Also don’t forget that it’s one comment per person, please. 😉

Today’s comment question: Two hours to do whatever you want to do – where will you go, who will you see and what will you do?
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43 thoughts on “An Interview with Jenness Walker and a GIVEAWAY!”

  4. I think I would have to take a trip to Disney World with my family. Of course, this would also be on a day that it wasn't crowded at all, so that we could enjoy the rides without wasting our time in long lines. 🙂

  5. I would go to a movie that I am really excited about seeing and have been waiting and waiting for it to come out. I'd spend 2 hours being totally engrossed in some kind of romantic comedy 🙂

  7. I've visited all the places in Houston, so I would love to go to DC Cupcakes or another cupcake place featured on TLC.

    laureprincess12 at gmail dot com

  8. Go to disney world or another amusement park, with my family, and I will ride the tower of terror, rockin roller coaster, the toy story ride, and many others. 🙂

  9. I will go to my pool with my sister and niece and nephew. Then we will eat delicious chocolate-y snacks or go to Yogurtland or Organ Stop Pizza and a bookstore. I think I used up more than 2 hours.

  10. Two hours to myself: I am going to make an appointment at my favorite Veda Salon and get a massage. No cost–because I have a gift certificate that I need to use!!
    Loved the interview with Jenness. She's an amazing writer. I read her book Double Take and jumped out of my chair when someone walked into the room — I was that caught up in the suspense!

  12. Two hours to do whatever I want to do? Well, that would include meeting up with my bestest friend in the whole wide world whom I haven't seen in over a year and then watching all of the Harry Potter movies one after the other…except that one alone would go over the allotted two hours… 🙁 that saddens me. Maybe we'll just go to Starbucks and talk about everything that's gone on in our lives since we last saw each other over a nice VENTI pumpkin spice latte. Yes, please.

  16. I don't know! I would most likely go to the closest chocolate factory (about half an hour away in the hills) with my best friend, just to eat all the free samples (they have bowls full!) and then eat lunch at the cafe there (to balance the sweetness of all the chocolate).

  17. I would get in my car with my brothers (one if is college, the other still in high school) and roll the windows down and blare the music loud and drive around our hometown joking and laughing. I used to drive my brother who is now in college to football practice when we were both in high school. Poor kid, I always made sure we pulled up to the field with Celine Dion blasting. But hey, my brother will make a great husband to some lucky girl because he now has a great appreciation for Celine!

  19. Two hours to myself?! I cannot remember the last time that happened. It sounds like heaven! I'd probably go to my favorite bookstore, order something hot to drink, and peruse the shelves or look at a magazine. Ahhhhh. 🙂

  23. If this is in reality – I would go get a massage and then meet you for coffee WITHOUT Nathan and Hayley Grace… if it was dreamworld – I would probably lie on a beach by myself with a GOOD BOOK!!!!!! 🙂

  26. I would chose to stay home with my little sister, drink homemade mochas and eat dark chocolate and watch a couple episodes of Gilmore Girls. We hardly ever get any time to spend just the two of us, so this would be amazing!

  27. two hours to spend with my sisters and my nieces and nephews. hold my newest nephew real tight. i would really love to do that without having to travel 600 hundred miles, or them having to travel that far!!!!
    sarahwoll at hotmail dot com

  28. I would go shopping and to dinner with my mother. My mom is one of my best friends, but we are always so bus we rarely get any free time to do stuff together.

  29. I'm not really sure. Maybe I'd go to Africa, for a 2 hour missing trip (I've always wanted to do missions there). Or maybe I'd go see the Eiffel Tower. Maybe I'd visit a Christian speaker that I love. I don't know what I'd do, but whatever it is, it would definitely be with my parents and siblings, and hopefully a little chocolate;)

    -Madison Akins

  32. I would go to an amusement park with my best friends. We haven't seen each other in months because we go to different universities, and I miss those girlies so much!

  33. I would pick up my aunt and cousins and go to dinner with them!! They are some of my favorite people, yet I don't get to see them enough!!

    nmoon73 at gmail dot com

  35. Being in college right now, I would go home to my family. It wouldn't really matter what we did, but two hours with my family during the craziness of midterms would be fantastic!

  36. In this season of my life – (6 small children, homeschooling, super busy), a NAP!! Or maybe a good book, some chocolate & cheesecake & coffee… hmm…

  37. These days, the grocery store is a treat if I'm alone, but let me go beyond that reality for a moment. . . Target (for a Target fix, of course), or the library (to peruse and make choices at leisure for more then 1.3 minutes after which I normally am back in the children's area).

  39. I would probably pick something simple, like going horseback riding, then curling up beside the fireplace with a book and a gigantic cup of hot chocolate.

  40. I would probably pick something simple, like going horseback riding, then curling up beside the fireplace with a book and a gigantic cup of hot chocolate.

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