Today, Love Lines from God welcomes author and writer, Jennifer Hallmark.
Jennifer, tell us when you decided to become a writer? In other words,
what made you actually sit down and write something?
Jennifer: Seems
like I’ve been writing since elementary school. But in 2006, after years of occasional
dabbling, I took a writing class and joined a local writing group. I was
suddenly accountable to someone and my career began.
Every writer is eventually asked this question, but where
do your ideas come from?
Jennifer: Ideas
are truly everywhere, but the idea for my first published novel, Jessie’s
Hope, came from a writing prompt with three phrases I had to use:
wedding dress designer, faded coveralls, and dusty baseball cap. Writing
prompts are so important to me for ideas that in 2012 my friends, Betty
Thomason Owens and Christina Rich, joined me in starting a blog for writers now
called Inspired Prompt.
Why do you write what you do?
Jennifer: I write
Southern fiction because it comes completely natural to me. I’ve lived most of
my life in rural Alabama in farming country, and I love the freedom and
artistic expression of fiction. I blog because I enjoy the challenge of
organizing and writing articles. It feeds the analytical side of me.
What is the hardest thing about the creative process of
writing?
Jennifer: For me,
it’s finding uninterrupted time to lose myself in my work. I can write articles
anywhere, but fiction requires more concentration for me.
If you’re a Christian, what are the challenges you
believe Christian writers face now and in the future?
Jennifer: I
believe the challenge is being sensitive during a day and time that is becoming
more worldly and resistant to preaching of any kind. In the future, the
challenge could easily be harsher persecution of people trying to spread the
gospel including writers.
If you would, please tell us what was the hardest thing
about writing your last book? How long does it typically take you to finish
your books?
Jennifer: Wow.
It’s hard to say. My first two books, Jessie’s
Hope and a fantasy book I’m still editing took me years because I was
penning the words while learning to write for the industry. I am now editing a
sequel to Jessie’s Hope,
and it probably took me eighteen months. I’m getting faster all the time.
Name your three biggest frustrations about the writing
business.
- Time between selling a book to a traditional publisher and seeing it in print.
- The distance I have to drive to writer’s conferences.
- The number of scams and people who offer services and overcharge or underdeliver.
On the flip side, what excites you the most about the
creative process?
Jennifer: I love
when I get in the flow, and the words come faster than I can put them on paper.
There’s nothing like finding the right word or phrase to complete a thought.
When someone reads words I write and it touches their heart, it is so
gratifying.
What are you reading at the moment, and who are a few of
your favorite authors and why?
Jennifer: I am
binge reading Agatha Christie mysteries at the moment from the online library.
My granddaughter wanted me to read Wonder, so I just finished and loved it.
For non-fiction, I’m reading The Broken
Way by Ann Voskamp. As far as favorite authors, I love James L. Rubart, Eva
Marie Everson, and Alice Wisler. I read tons of books from the Golden Age of
Detective Fiction: Christie, Allingham, Sayers, Marsh, and others.
Jennifer, can you give us the buy links for Jessie’s
Hope?
Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas- https://www.shoplpc.com/product/jessies-hope/
Bio:
Jennifer
Hallmark writes
Southern fiction and her website, Alabama-Inspired Fiction, and the group blog,
Inspired Prompt, she co-founded, focus on her books, love of the South, and
helping writers. She has published 200+ internet articles and interviews as
well as short stories in several magazines. She has also co-authored three book
compilations.
Jennifer sold her first novel to Firefly Southern fiction (an imprint of Lighthouse
Publishing of the Carolinas), and it was released in June, 2019. She also
signed with Cyle Young of the Hartline Literary Agency. Jennifer sends out
a monthly newsletter, which you can subscribe to here.
Jennifer and her husband, Danny, have spent their married
life in Alabama and have a basset hound, Max. When she isn't babysitting or
gardening, you can find her at her desk writing fiction or working on one of
her two blogs. She also loves reading detective fiction from the Golden
Age and viewing movies like LOTR or Star Wars. Sometimes you can
even catch her watching American Ninja Warrior.
You can follow Jennifer at the following sites:
Jennifer is a great encourager and a great author. Her new story "Jessie's Hope" is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Melissa!
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