Monday, May 6, 2013

Interview with Jansina


Jansina! 


Jansina, welcome to Homeschool Authors! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Thank you for having me! I was homeschooled until college, and earned a BA in English Literature & Writing. I love to see characters come alive on the page, whether in my own writing or others'. I'm currently rewriting my third novel, and running an editing and publishing company, Rivershore Books (www.rivershorebooks.com). When not enjoying the written word, I spend my time Irish dancing, playing board games, and experimenting with various crafts.

What is your favorite memory of your homeschool years?
In general, I loved the flexibility it gave me. I could work ahead (or, sometimes, get behind), and I could spend more time on the subjects I enjoyed most. A specific memory, though, is one of the field trips we went on. Our homeschool group visited a 1900s one-room schoolhouse and spent the day being taught as they would have been--wood stove, outhouse, and all.

What caused you to start writing? 
When I was younger, I would tell stories verbally--usually things that had happened to friends of mine (or, more often, fictional characters from books, movies, or Adventures in Odyssey). It was a natural progression to writing after that.

What inspired Shrouded Jewels?
 It's a modern retelling of a Bible story (1 Samuel 18), but it was first inspired by the CD for the musical King David. I haven't seen the actual musical, but the songs focus some on the romance between David and his first wife, Michal. I wanted to explore that further.

What is Shrouded Jewels about?
It follows the friendship and romance of Davey Blake and Mical Benson. Mical's father is guarded, so Davey's invitation to the Benson's home is evidence of his good character, but Mical isn't convinced that his motivations are innocent. The book delves into the motivations and challenges Davey and Mical meet on their journey to trust and faith.

Who will enjoy this story?
The target audience is teens and young adults who enjoy realistic fiction and romance.

You are working to reach teens with your stories. Why Teens?
When I was growing up, and especially as a teen, I was constantly reading. Mostly, I stuck with the classics. I found most modern fiction lacking in the moral department, and didn't know of many contemporary Christian authors. While I still love the classics, I saw a gap and wanted to help fill it. I'm thrilled that others are doing the same now!

If you could give one piece of advice to your teen-self, what would it be?
Spend time writing the difficult parts. For me, that's the endings. Although I spent much of my free time writing, I was 19 before I completed a full-length novel. The more you write [insert your personal challenge here], the easier they become.

How does your faith affect your writing?
I strive to keep my faith at the center of all I do, and especially in what I write. My goal with my stories is to both entertain and inspire, so my faith in God is a backdrop to everything I write--whether it's mentioned directly or not.

Do you have any final thoughts?
One of the questions I'm asked most often is how many books I've sold. That information isn't a secret, but the question bothers me because it's not the reason I write. I write because I feel called to--and because not writing is difficult. Writing, and seeing my books in print, is the passion God gave me. Whatever happens after that point is up to Him. No matter what passion God has given you, pursue it with your whole heart--for Him, and for you. It's worth it.

Jansina is forgiving away three digital copies of her book Shrouded Jewels! Enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

7 comments:

  1. Oh, Shrouded Jewels sounds very intriguing! I'm not a huge fan of romance, or contemporary, but when you add in David ... I'm curious!

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  2. I saw your books Forgotten Memories and Shrouded Jewels on Amazon. What are you planning to publish next?

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  3. Shrouded Jewel's sounds like a very good book. Congratulations on publishing, Jansina!

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  4. Sarah--Thank you for interviewing me! :)

    Kenda--Thanks!

    C.A.--At the moment I'm working on the sequel to Shrouded Jewels, which I'm calling As Fairydust Settles. I'm straying a bit from the Bible story with this one, but still trying to keep connections.

    GodsPianist--Thank you!

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  5. Hope to read this soon!

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  6. Oh, I'm supposed to ask you a question... Um... *tries to think of something she hasn't asked her already*... Um... What your favorite time of the day to write?

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  7. Thanks, Emily! Hmm...either very late at night (as in, the border between night and morning), or mid-afternoon. :)

    Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway--and congrats to Chelise, Perry, and Emily!

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