Author Interview: Jennifer Hurst

Today's interview is with Jennifer Hurst, author of Fall.

Bio: Jennifer grew up in a traveling family. As the oldest of 8 children, she spent most of her childhood in the South Pacific playing in the ocean and going barefoot to school. She graduated with a B.S. in Technology Management at Utah Valley University and worked in the construction industry for 12 years. Jennifer worked her way up from drafter to project manager before retiring to pursue her lifelong passion for writing and art. She lives in Utah with her three sons, a toe nibbling, snuggly Boxer named Tanu, and a deranged siamese cat called Horatio (who also loves to walk up and down on the piano keyboard in the middle of the night).



Jennifer Walker: Where can we find out more about you and buy your book?


Jennifer Hurst: Interested readers can find me at jenniferhurst.com. Fall is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Sony Ebooks, Smashwords and other places where ebooks are sold.



Jennifer Walker: Tell us about your book.


Jennifer Hurst: Fall is about a headstrong, impulsive young woman, Julia Dayle, (JD for short) who is given the chance to prove herself as a project manager for a conversion project. Her grandfather owns the construction company she works for and she is determined to prove to him she has what it takes to run his company when he retires. Little does she realize what she is getting into when the actual work begins on the site. There are twists and turns to the plot that not even the most attentive readers will figure out (I secretly enjoy surprising people). There is a paranormal aspect to the story, and this involves demons, angels and, well, I won’t say. That’ll ruin the surprise.


Jennifer Walker: Where did you get the idea for the story?


Jennifer Hurst: Like a lot of writers, I got the idea for this story from a series of dreams I had. Fortunately, none of them made it into the final cut of the book.


Jennifer Walker: What is your greatest writing challenge?


Jennifer Hurst: Staying focused. Often while I'm working on one story, I'll get an idea for another and I have to start on it right away before I lose the feel of it.


Jennifer Walker: What other projects do you have coming up?


Jennifer Hurst: An action/adventure YA called Muddy, a Sci-Fi graphic novel for tweens based on a computer game called Zening, a Chic Lit Fantasy based on Scotlands Pict people, an action/adventure for tween boys about a family of Monster Hunters, and of course, the sequel to Fall.


Jennifer Walker: What is your writing process like--do you outline first or just start writing, etc.?


Jennifer Hurst: I used to be very organized and detailed. I'd have every chapter outlined and scenes described in detail, but once I got to writing it, I'd find myself in a tug-of-war with the characters over who got to tell the story and how. Finally, I just gave up and let them have their say. It's a win-win situation as I'm not stressing about what goes where and the characters get to tell it their way.


Jennifer Walker: What have you done to develop your writing craft?


Jennifer Hurst: I write constantly. In my journal, notes to my kids, in my head, etc. I carry around a notebook and when words won't come, I use doodles to capture the feel of the stories I want to write.


Jennifer Walker: What was the hardest part: writing the book, getting it published, or marketing it? Why?


Jennifer Hurst: Marketing it. I like it - but its more time consuming than writing the book. I'd rather be writing.


Jennifer Walker: Tell us a little about your non-writing life. Family? Pets? Hobbies?


Jennifer Hurst: I have three boys, who are the centers of my universe. They keep things lively and interesting and help me to keep my priorities straight. My hobbies involve my children. I write to entertain them and earn a living to support us. It's becoming more and more a family thing for us - we tell stories a lot.


Jennifer Walker: Who is your favorite author of all time, and why?


Jennifer Hurst:: Frank Herbert. He opened my mind to a whole new world of science fiction and the possibilities. C.J. Cherryh would be a close second. I love her book Rimrunners.