Interview with Jennie Bates Bozic
The Blog Ring of Power Presents...
An Interview with Author Jennie Bates Bozic
Today, we have an interview with fantasy author Jennie Bates Bozic via BRoP member Vicki Lempe Weavil, though I also know Jennie very well - we hang out at Agent Query Connect together. I'm so thrilled to have Jennie here today - I've been watching the progress of Damselfly for some time, and I couldn't be happer to see it finally in print. Welcome, Jennie!
This is part three of a five-part interview. Be sure to check out the other BRoP sites for the rest of the interview:
Part 1 @ Sandra Ulbrich Almazon - Monday, November 18
Part 2 @ Vicki Lemp Weavil - Tuesday, November 19
Part 4 @ T.W. Fendley - Thursday, November 21
Part 5 @ Emily LaBonte - Friday, November 22
BRoP: Where do you get your story ideas?
Jennie: All over the place. Some are inspired by other stories (fairy tales, moves, etc) and others come from situations I find myself in. I try to keep my eyes open wherever I go.
BRoP: How do you deal with writer’s block?
Jennie: It depends. First, I have to determine whether I’m having a hard time moving forward because I’ve lost my excitement for something or because I just don’t feel like writing. If it’s the first, that means I need to make some changes to the story because if I’m not passionate about it, then no one else will be either. If that’s not the case, I just push forward. I don’t think writer’s block really exists - you either have a problem or you are the problem. The only way to fix it is to keep going.
BRoP: How do you develop your plots and characters? Do you use any set formula?
Jennie: I don’t have a set formula. I try to develop the voice of my narrator or main character (if they are not the same) first so I know the tone. After that, I generally follow Stephen King’s advice of putting characters into a situation and letting them fight their way out. That way, things stay organic and real, which I feel is really important if you’re writing fantasy or science fiction. If the setting requires a reader to suspend their disbelief, your characters have to come across as real people.
BRoP: Are you a “plotter” or a “pantser” (do you plan/outline the story ahead of time or write “by the seat of your pants”)?
Jennie: I’m a bit of both. I usually have a good sense of where the story will go before I begin, but I don’t outline every single plot twist. I like it when my characters surprise me.
BRoP: Do you use critique partners or beta readers? Why or why not?
Jennie: I use both, but primarily beta readers. It’s a lot easier for me to find people who will read the book and give me general feedback. After a while of using crit partners who went into more depth, I have a much better idea of what to look for. I also hired a copy editor to help make every sentence great.
What format is your book(s) available in (print, e-book, audio book, etc.)?
Both print and e-book.
Where can readers can stalk you:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Smashwords
JENNIE BATES BOZIC IS a visual effects artist for film and television by day, and at night dons her author cape and pens stories for the YA crowd. She loves a good fairy tale, especially if there's a creepy twist, so that's what she writes.
DAMSELFLY (DAMSELFLY #1): In 2065, the Lilliput Project created Lina - the first six-inch-tall winged girl - as the solution to a worldwide energy and food crisis. Isolated in a compound amidst the forests of Denmark, Lina has grown up aware of only one purpose: learn how to survive in a world filled with hawks, bumblebees, and loneliness. However, on the eve of her sixteenth birthday, she discovers that she’s not the only teenager her size. Six 'Toms' were created shortly after Lina, and now her creators need to prove to the world that tiny people are the next logical step in human evolution. In other words, they need to prove that reproduction is possible.Um. No thanks. Lina's already fallen in love with a boy she met online named Jack. Only he has no idea that thumbelina1847 could literally fit inside his heart.
When her creators threaten to hurt Jack unless she chooses a husband from among the ‘Toms’, Lina agrees to star in a reality TV series. Once the episodes begin to air, the secret of her size is out. Cut off from any contact with the outside world, Lina assumes Jack is no longer interested. After all, what guy would want to date a girl he can’t even kiss?
Slowly, very slowly, she befriends the six young men who see her as their only ticket to happiness. Perhaps she can make just one guy’s dream of love and companionship come true. But her creators have a few more twists in store for her that she never thought possible.
She’s not the only one playing to the cameras.
BUY IT NOW:
Amazon | Goodreads
The Blog Ring of Power (BRoP) is a consortium of five speculative fiction writers who have banded together to bring you highlights from the current speculative fiction market--news, reviews, and interviews with speculative fiction authors--with an emphasis on small-press and self-published authors. So grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair, and relax. Have we got a story for you...