Make Believe Blog Tour! Interview With Jennifer M Eaton

So I'm thrilled to be the last stop on the Make Believe blog tour for Jennifer M Eaton. Without further ado, here's the interview! (Sorry it's a little late! Miss Eaton is a HARD person to track down!)

1. How do you find the time to juggle your kids, your awesome blog AND all the writing you do?  

Ugh!  It's really tough.  It all rolls up into long nights. I actually plot my stories during my one-hour commute to and from work.  I do most of my writing on lunch breaks.  Thank goodness I can type fast!  It usually takes me about an hour to go through my email and answer questions from people, and then I schedule my blog posts and visit blogs I like.  I try to visit people who hang out at my blog once a week, but it doesn't always happen sadly.

2. Which of your characters would you most like to meet in real life? Why?

When I was in college I wrote a novel with a main character who was an alien runaway.  I'd totally love to meet her, because she had such basic everyday problems that humans deal with all the time, but she was from another planet.  How cool would it be to meet an alien you can relate to?  Yeah, that would be totally cool.

(Let it be known that at this blog we are big lovers of all forms of aliens.)

3. How long did you take to write and edit "Last Winter Red?"

Ha!  I can actually track this on my blog, because I was posting about "Writing to a Deadline" from day one, before I even knew what the story was about.  It was kind of interesting, because I have the whole process chronicled in weekly posts on my blog starting in Mid Febuary.  From concept, beta, polish and complete, it took about two months.

0_o I think Jennifer deserves the title SUPER EATON!

4. Why did you chose this genre to write in? 

Last Winter Red is a Dystopian, which means it takes place on Earth after some sort of cataclysmic event.  I really didn't have this in mind when I started writing.  As my fingers were typing away, that all of the sudden just popped out and I went with it.  It tied everything together nicely, and I think it works great.

It certainly does!

5. Describe the journey you took to reach publication in the Make Believe anthology. How did you find out about it?  

I found out about the Anthology from a friend who was considering writing for it.  I looked it up, and almost passed because the "Picture Prompt" did nothing for me.  I decided one day just to sit down and start describing the character and the setting pictured.  That was all I needed.  Suddenly the story started to fly from my fingers.  Geeze, it's exciting when that happens! It's better than television, I swear!  Of course, it was not perfect when I completed it.  There were several drafts and beta reads and different opinions to deal with in such a short time, but I am tickled with the result.  What is also really cool, is the friend who told me about it, J Keller Ford, will also be featured in the anthology.  It was a double win for the two of us!

6. Is there any advice you'd give to writers who are just starting out? (i.e. me?)

Ha!  Never pass by an opportunity.  I almost passed on the "Make Believe Anthology", and it ended up being my first pub credit.  A few months later, I received my second publication with Connect the Dots in Still Moments Publishing's "For the Love of Christmas" Anthology and the sequel to Connect the Dots, "A Test of Faith" will be out in January 2013 in "Jack and Jill, Volume One" which will be the first title with only my name on the cover, which will be really exciting.  It's been a super exhilarating year for me... and it all spring boarded off a little opportunity.  Everything, no matter how insignificant, is something that might start it all for you.  You never know when that opportunity will come.  When it does, don't be afraid to reach out and grab it.

That's great advice :)

7. In the journey "Last Winter Red" took from your computer to the publisher, what part was the best? 

Oh, this will sound vain, and maybe it is... but seeing your name on the cover of a book for the very first time...  I mean, wow... there's nothing like it.  It's one of those "pinch me, this is really happening?" moments.

Not vain at all!

8. Is there anything else you'd like to add?  

I think everyone would be interested to know that Miss Ravena Guron was a member of my Beta-Reading Army for Last Winter Red.  She provided no less that two-hundred and thirty-two comments on a 40 page story.  The only beta I've ever met who is more ruthless is ME!  Ravena, I pick on you, but your eagle-eye and "Ha!  I got her" attitude are priceless to me.  I really appreciate all your help on this and other projects.

So, what's happening with your novel, girlfriend?  I wanna be interviewing YOU next!

*Blushes* I feel vain for adding this in. Hehe, this has made my day :)

And in honor of Jennifer being here (and so that those first few comments make sense) here's EATON STYLE! (Note... Eaton is the name of a private school here in Britain but this is an AWESOME video and right now this blog does have Eaton style :) 

 

  

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Jennifer Eaton lives on the East Coast USA with her husband, three boys, and a pepped up poodle.  She hosts an interactive website www.jennifermeaton.com aimed at making all writers the best they can be. 

Her Dystopian novelette “Last Winter Red” is available as part of the “Make Believe” Anthology from J.Taylor Publishing.  Her Christmas Romance “Connect the Dots” is available as part of Still Moments publishing’s “For the Love of Christmas” Anthology.  Both are available in ebook format from Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com and Smashwords

Last Winter Red (In the anthology "Make Believe":  In search of a husband, Emily leaves the safety of the city and risks her life stepping into the outside world.  What she finds there will question the foundations of everything she believes in.

Connect the Dots (in the anthology, "For the Love of Christmas"):   Jill has no idea what she wants for Christmas, but when it looks like her best friend Jack is going to get exactly what he asks for, Jill makes a Christmas wish that will change both of their lives forever.  

Twitter:  @jennifermeaton

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5832197.Jennifer_M_Eaton

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jennifer.m.eaton.3

Web:  www.jennifereaton.com

Blog: http://www.jennifermeaton.com/

Make Believe on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Make-Believe-ebook/dp/B00ACMPEGQ/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Make Believe on Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/reviews/Make-Believe%2FJA-Belfield/1113844175

For the Love of Christmas on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Love-Christmas-Still-Moments-Publishing/dp/1481192043/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356286653&sr=1-1&keywords=for+the+love+of+christmas