Jennifer Wylie was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. In a cosmic twist of fate she dislikes the snow and cold.
Before settling down to raise a family, she attained a BA from Queens University and worked in retail and sales.
Thanks to her mother she acquired a love of books at an early age and began writing in public school. She constantly has stories floating around in her head, and finds it amazing most people don’t. Jennifer writes various forms of fantasy, both novels and short stories. Sweet light is her debut novel to be published in 2011.
Jennifer resides in rural Ontario, Canada with her husband, two boys, Australian shepherd a flock of birds and a disagreeable amount of wildlife.
I asked Jennifer some questions:
Why don’t you begin by sharing a little about yourself.
I'm a stay at home mom of two darling boys. When I'm not reading or writing (or editing) I putter about with various crafts. Otherwise I try to to be Supermom and keep my chaotic house in some semblance of order. I suppose I should also note I live in Ontario, Canada. Yes we get a lot of snow. I dislike snow. :P
How long have you been writing?
I started writing in public school, but really got into it in high school. It was just something I wanted to do, needed to do. I have so many stories in my head and they need to come out. I did go to university and got a degree, however things happen, as they tend to do, and I ended up being a Mom rather than finding a career. I wouldn't change that for the world. I didn't write for a number of years when the kids were little but once they were a bit older, and my brain started functioning again, the need to write came back. Writing is something I can do from home, so I certainly lucked out there. :)
How did you pick the genre you write in?
I grew up reading fantasy and science fiction from a very early age. I had barely reached my teens before my mother had me reading Pern books. So far I don't think I have the technical savvy to write sci-fi, so all of my stories are some type of fantasy.
Do you plot or do you write by the seat of your pants?
Plot? That word sounds familiar... :) I don't write things out, or do story boards. I will imagine scenes in my head, like a movie, until they are perfect, and then write them down. Occasionally near the end of a book I will jot down a sentence or two of notes, mostly to make sure I don't forget to tie up lose ends.
Why did you pick the publisher that ultimately published your work?
I had read about Echelon Press online and found them interesting. I started following them on Twitter and had some nice tweets with Karen there and also in a comments section on another's blog. I checked out the publishers website, and also the books they'd published so far and thought they would be a great publisher for me. I have been very pleased with everything!
Can you to tell us about your current writing projects?
I recently finished a young adult fantasy book which has been submitted to my publishers. I'm currently working on a sequel to it. I'm also puttering at a few other books and short stories. I sometimes almost wish my mind would stop coming up with ideas for a while so I could get caught up. :) My second short story to be published in March is currently in edits, so that has been keeping me busy as well.
What is the hardest part of writing fantasy fiction?
The hardest part is stopping. There are so many things which can happen it is easy for a book to go on forever. I often have trouble finding an ending, even when I am planning a sequel. Many of my books have turned into a series, at least in the planning stages.
What kind of research have you done for your stories?
If I need to research I do so with the most wonderful Google. I rarely research in advance, but do it as I go. Since my books are all in worlds of my creations there often isn't very much I actually do have to research.
What advice would you give beginning writers?
Always keep writing. You can always improve, and practice helps this. Not only do you need to know how to write, but to edit. Research editing online, make sure you are using correct grammar and punctuation, be wary of being repetitive in your word use. If you can find readers or editors to go over your work then use them. Fresh eyes are always helpful.
If you are searching for a publisher I definitely recommend you create a web presence. Most either require this or it is an added bonus. Have a website, twitter, facebook, blog. Even if you aren't published yet you can gain followers over time. It is also an excellent way to meet authors, agents and publishers.
Who has inspired you as an author?
I don't really have any inspirations. I've just always loved reading and writing and it just comes to me. I have too many favorite authors to count, and too many supportive loved ones and friends to mention. :) I'm a lucky girl I guess.
What’s next for you?
Editing, editing, writing, editing... My next short story, The Forgotten Echo will be released March 1, and my fantasy novel Sweet Light in May, both through Echelon Press. I've a number of shorts and another book also submitted, and am writing away whenever I have the time on new work. I'm currently looking into getting a clone so I have time to mop the floors.
Jennifer is the author of Jump, her debut short story.
Blurb:
If you were told to jump off of a bridge would you?
Perhaps it would depend on who was doing the asking. Our heroine has spunk and a sense of humor, however suffers from an extreme case of inappropriate clothing. When things take a turn from dangerous to worse what will she do when fantasy becomes reality? Warning: May include hot leather clad men, singing and demons.
Jump is available at :
OmniLit http://www.omnilit.com/product-jump-493574-234.html
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Jump-ebook/dp/B004FPYT4O
Barnes & Noble http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/product.aspx?ean=9781590807354
Reviews:
Take heed of that warning above! This is a fast and hot short by an awesome writer who knows how to keep us enthralled. From the very first sentence I was holding my breath, trying to figure out how this girl got herself in this particular situation. This is a review, so I won’t give away any details, but I think my favorite part (other than the hot guys) was how Ms. Wylie brought the whole scene together; wrapping up the end to match the beginning, bringing the story full circle with non-stop action. I felt close to the MC. If I were in her position I wouldn’t handle it as well as she did though, but I loved how she not only handled it, but did so with humor, keeping me entertained. This is a wonderful short story by a promising writer. Jennifer has a book coming out soon, Sweet Light, you can see my interview with here, so you should ‘jump’ on the opportunity to read her first published piece! Jump also reached #3 on the publishers best sellers list within the first week!
Review by Trisha Wolfe, short story author
This is one of the best short stories I've read in a long time. It has drama, it has intrigue, it is absolutely hilarious. Jen Wylie has a great voice and a sense of humor she's not afraid to use.
You won't want to miss this one. I mean it. If you do you have no one to blame but yourself because I told you.
Review by Karen Syed, author, publisher
What a great little short story!
Told in female first person, this story takes you on unexpected twists where I got pulled in wondering where the author would take me next.
I enjoyed the internal dialogue as it gave me insight into the characters motivations. She had humor in the face of adversity and even with all odds against her, she manages, in a most unique way to not only deal with what is happening to her, but triumph on a level that I would have never expected.
A fun, cute, but also dangerous read.
I'd definitely like to see more from this author!
Review by Daryl Sedore, author of Paranormal Precognitions
Links for Jennifer:
My website: www.jenniferwylie.ca
My blog: http://jlwylie.wordpress.com/
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