Jennifer R. Jensen was born, raised, and currently resides in Michigan. She has been married for nine years and has two sons. She has worked for the same company for 12 years, with varying positions—all of which have given her wonderfully unique experiences. But while her passion for a job well done is thoroughly intact, her real passion lies in writing.
She will be publishing the first book in her “Version of Me” series, titled “The Vice,” on May 1st, 2021. She has already written the second and third books in the series and is currently working on the fourth (and most likely final-for that series). She also has one other book in the works, which will be a stand-alone.
Pre-orders will be posted soon, but you can find information on her books on her Instagram account: @jjensenbooks & her website: https://jenniferjensenbooks.com/
What sets your books apart from all others?
It is hard to say since I have not officially published yet, but my beta readers did have a hard time being able to think of a book similar to mine. My books (or at least my “Versions of Me” series) deal with hard topics that I feel are very important to talk about. I think that it is important to talk about issues that we face as humans, and I wanted to give a sort of platform to them, or at the very least, a conversation starter. Mental health is a big part of my series, and I think it is important to portray it correctly, as there is still such heavy stigma around the conversation or topic. I hope to touch on big talking points in all of my books while also bringing the romance, fun, drama, etc., of real life.
Who is your target market, who should be reading your books?
My target market is anyone who is looking for an inside look into real life. Because not all of us live the life that my main character does, however, all of us may know someone who does or struggles with similar issues. While my genre is labeled women’s fiction, I do hope that men are just as interested in my books. I think that it would give them a unique perspective on the female experience (once again-at least for my “Version of Me” series). The entire series is written from the point of view of Harper Jones—a 28-year-old female.
What advice do you have to offer in support of other authors?
Being so new, I don’t know if I have been around long enough to give advice within the author industry. However, to any writer, I would say, don’t stop writing—don’t stop dreaming. I took a long break from writing, which I don’t regret because my life was wonderful. But I forgot how alive I feel when immersed in my writing—the adrenaline rush that I get when simply moving only my fingers.
What is your genre of choice and why?
Women’s fiction is currently my genre, but my stand-alone book is suspense. I don’t plan on limiting myself to a specific genre, as I plan on writing what comes to me. As of right now, that is probably women’s fiction and suspense. But I am always open to whatever idea pops into my head.
How’d you come about the discovery of your writing talent, gift, or ability?
I absolutely loved writing as a child. In elementary school, it was short stories. In jr. high, it was poems and song lyrics. In high school and college, it was actual books (ones that I may revisit for ideas later). My teachers were always very impressed by my writing (never by my grammar—my editor would agree). But despite my many red marks for lack of commas or misspelled words, I always received A’s on my papers.
Is writing for you synonymous with living and breathing, or just something you do as a hobby, and how so and why?
Well, at this point, it is a hobby, by the fact that I have a full-time job and family in which I donate much of my time. However, it is synonymous with living and breathing in the sense that it flows so naturally. I have had writer’s block a whole two times in the past year. And in both of those times, I simply shut down my computer, picked up a pen, and wrote side stories to my books until the scene’s flowed again. Now, I have no idea if writing will always come this easy. It may just be that I’ve held these particular stories in for some time, and they are ready to be let out, but I hope that it always flows this way. It makes it fun.
What do you feel we need to hear or read more of, that is rare today in a book?
It is hard to say what is rare today in a book because I may have just not found the books that have it. But I feel that there are certain tropes that (while popular and well-liked) aren’t always realistic. I think real life is hard sometimes. I think real life can be messy. I want to show that in my books. I am not against a happily ever after, by any means; I just think it’s important to show that things don’t always just work out. Or maybe they do work out, just not in the way that one may expect.
Indie/Self-Published Author and/or Traditionally Published? What do you favor more and why?
When I first got back into writing, I was all about getting my books in the hands of publishers. But the main thing that it came down to, for me, was creative control. As I said above, tropes are popular. Popular sells. Publishers want to sell. And while, yes, authors want to sell their books as well, for me, I wouldn’t be happy with my books if I couldn’t do anything with them that I felt wasn’t natural to my characters. Reading-wise, I was all about the big books for a long time, mainly because I didn’t know about the beautiful world of Indie authors. And now that I have been introduced to it, I am in awe of the people and content I see every day. It is amazing (and tiresome) how much work goes into being an Indie author. So every month, I read an indie author’s book, and I do my best to share the content, like the content, etc., on my social media pages, of Indie Authors.
How is your writing controversial, profound, or mind-boggling, or how would you describe it?
My writing will probably be controversial due to its content (I have listed content warnings for my books on the webpage and also in the books). Reading them does bring about spoilers, but I think that with talking about topics that can be traumatic, that it is important to give warnings to those who may not be able to handle some of the subject matter. I want my books to inspire conversations. I want them to be relatable. But under no circumstance do I want them to cause anyone any real pain.
What do you hope to accomplish with your literary creation? What change or enlightenment do you want to bring about in your reader, if any?
As I said before, I hope to accomplish being able to start a conversation with my books. I hope for people to see things from a different perspective. It is actually kind of funny because when I started writing my series, I had a very different perspective on things, and now I find myself arguing the other side of things. I feel like I have lived in my main character’s brain (because she had lived in mine). But she has made me grow as a person because I was able to share in her struggle. And in writing it, I felt her pain and her sadness. I know there are people out there who have had similar circumstances, and I know real people have felt that very real pain. So I think that anytime you can shed light on tough topics and make people understand, then it’s important to share.
What’s the most memorable criticism you received regarding your literary works, and how did this remark transform you as a writer or influence your writing, if at all?
I have not been in the industry long. But, the most memorable criticism I have received has been from my editor. When I first started writing my book, I had zero direction and knowledge of even how to write (more than putting words on paper)—and it showed. But I was given a referral to a woman that a co-worker had met years before, and when I say that she has been the best thing for my writing, I am not kidding. I told her to be honest. I’ve never been one for sugar coating. I need honesty so that I can improve. She was honest and so incredibly helpful. She literally stopped editing my book and gave me big pointers. She could have just edited my grammar and collected her money. But she didn’t. She took the time to type up a long email and explain to me what was great and what was—not so great. And my writing is so much better because of her.
