Interview with author Jennifer Brown

By Chris Stokum, Sarah Schiavoni, and Elizabeth Milo

We recently spoke with Jennifer Brown, author of the forthcoming In Jen’s Words: Facing the Issues and founder of Authors for Humanity.

WNW: What motivated you to begin writing suspense novels?       
Brown: I love the edge that suspense novels have. I love to create twists the reader never sees coming. I grew up loving mysteries and then became drawn to suspense for that very aspect.

WNW: How have your experiences working on newspapers affected your later work?  
Brown:  I actually wrote short fiction pieces with recurring characters for my high school paper, which I had fun doing, so that was a definite influence. Also, working with deadlines taught me responsibility. My newspaper experience is useful when I am writing about a fictional newspaper or other issues surrounding the media and reporting. I received great support from my advisors and editor of “The Generation Gap” at Springfield News-Sun that I have also carried with me throughout the years. That kind of mentoring makes a huge difference when you are sending out queries and trying to establish yourself as a published author.

WNW: Is In Jen’s Words: Facing the Issues aimed at a different audience than your journalistic writings were?
Brown: In Jen's Words is aimed at mature readers of suspense. One of the publishers I submitted it to and who also turned it down suggested it would be suited for young adults, an audience I hadn't originally considered. When I write fiction, I normally think of an audience from teens to the elderly. Students, teachers, parents and the general public read my articles when I did newspaper reporting, and I feel confident the same audience will be drawn to my book.

WNW: What do you hope to accomplish by addressing such weighty issues as rape, mental illness, incarceration, etc.?  
Brown:  I want to engage the reader in a gripping story of a family on the edge. These issues are realities of society which lots of readers can relate to. The most interesting thing about writing a story with a  main character suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder is how many different storylines can develop. I think it will be very interesting to see what Jen encounters as she discovers what her other personality has done in the past.

WNW: You and your main character have the same name—is this meant to reflect any similarities between your personalities?  
Brown: I first developed the Barnes siblings in another unpublished storyline over ten years ago. Jennifer was originally based on myself, and even though the first storyline went nowhere, I fell in love with the characters and didn't think about changing any names as I began writing a new storyline. I didn't even originally decide Jennifer was going to have different personalities--it just came up one day during a good flow. Now, the only similarity between me and Jennifer Barnes is the fact we are both writers.

WNW: You frequently switch between storylines in your novel—what approach did you take to map out these storylines?  
Brown: Switching storylines is something I think I first picked up from watching soaps. I would envision what I was writing as if it were on the screen being acted out before me. Switching storylines is also a good idea because all of the characters are not always together at once. It lets the reader know what is going on with everyone while building suspense at the same time.

WNW: What authors have inspired your work?  
Brown:  I love reading Linwood Barclay novels. If Mary Higgins Clark is the queen of suspense, Barclay’'s the king. Harlan Coben, Wendi Corsi Staub, and Lisa Jackson also grace my personal bookshelf.

WNW: What has been your experience working with a small publisher?  
Brown:  Author/publisher communications seem to happen on a more personal level than in big houses. For the first time in my writing career, I think I was fully impressed by the cover made for my book by a publisher. Every big publishing house had its start as a small one, and I feel proud to be part of the small group of authors I share a spot with on their list.

WNW: Where do you look for inspiration when you can't find it?  
Brown:  I have been writing long enough to know inspiration is best when it comes to you, not when you force it. Sometimes the only thing you can do in a case of writer’s block is walk away and do something else. In time, it will come.

WNW: Tell us more about Authors for Humanity.  
Brown:  I came up with the idea for Authors for Humanity this past spring after gathering together my own short story with other authors' submissions for a book whose proceeds would go toward Haiti . After raising over 25 dollars, there were a few people asking why we couldn't help out with causes here in the U.S. So I set up a site, along with a Facebook page and Twitter page, to begin gathering more submissions and ideas for books to go toward other causes. You can check out more at the site www.freeweb.com/authorsforhumanity.

To learn more about Jennifer Brown and her book, set to be released on October 15th by Shadowline Press, visit her website.