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The simple way of life in the Amish community is much different than the hurriedness of the rest of today’s world. Smartphones and social networking are widely used by most of us, while the Amish abstain from technology. Yet despite the difference in our cultures, both Amish and “English” alike know what it feels like to suffer when a loved one disappears. The angst of fearing the unknown is the same no matter what walk of life we choose to follow.

This month’s Jen’s Jewels Shelley Shepard Gray touches upon this very topic in MISSING, the first book in her new Amish series The Secrets of Crittenden County. It’s the story of a local boy who goes missing from an Amish community and winds up being found dead in an abandoned well. As the local townsfolk and Amish people come together to bring his killer to justice, best-kept secrets are revealed, changing this quiet Kentucky community forever.

As part of this interview, Avon Inspire, a division of HarperCollins Publishers, has generously donated five copies for you, my favorite readers to win. So, don’t forget to look for the trivia question at the end of the column. As always, thanks for making Jen’s Jewels a part of your reading adventure.

Jen: A New York Times bestselling author, your writing career has been quite extraordinary. So that my readers may catch a glimpse into the life of the woman behind the words, please share with us your educational and professional background.

Shelley: Well, let’s see. I grew up in Houston, Texas, then went to the University of Colorado for my Bachelor’s degree. I had a double major, elementary education and English literature. I then taught school for eleven years. We moved around a bit, so I taught fifth and sixth grade in Arizona, Texas, and Colorado. Along the way, I went to college at night and got my Masters in Educational Administration. Soon after I earned my masters degree, we moved to Ohio. I decided I needed a short break from teaching sixth grade…and started writing full time. Never did I imagine I would have a writing career! It’s really amazing how it all turned out.

Jen: Please describe for us your ‘Aha!” moment when you decided to take the plunge and pursue a career as an author.

Shelley: I actually started writing during one of my lunch hours, when I was teaching 6th grade! I never imagined I would ever show anyone what I wrote, let alone sell a book! I started writing in earnest after my first visit to an Ohio Valley Romance Writers of America chapter meeting. There, I met lots of women who were a lot like me~they loved books and had a dream of one day seeing their name on the cover of a book!

Jen: In terms of nuts and bolts, approximately how long does it take for you to complete a book? And, do you plot first, or simply allow the novel to take on a life of its own?

Shelley: Because I don’t have another job, I usually can complete a book in three months. I do plot first, but a lot of times the novels really do take on lives of their own! I’m forever writing little notes to my editor when I turn in my manuscripts… (I know we didn’t plan on this, but…)

Jen: Like many authors, you have written in more than one genre including historical, western inspirational and currently Amish romances using more than one name. What attracted you to these particular genres? And, why did you choose to use a pseudonym?

Shelley: I’m a voracious reader. I will sometimes read a book a day. Because of that, I enjoy all kinds of novels. I think that has transferred to the novels I write. I like researching and imagining different story lines. The pseudonyms have always been the publishers’ ideas. As long as I’m always ‘Shelley’ I’ve been happy to follow their lead on what name they want on the covers. : )

Jen: In order to have the plot ring true with your readers across the different genres, how much research is needed to sustain the various storylines?

Shelley: Quite a bit of research is involved, especially with the Amish novels. I’m lucky that I know several Amish ladies who have been so helpful to me. That said, a lot of the storylines in my books are universal. They can happen to anyone, such as Mattie, my cancer survivor in the Families of Honor series. For Mattie, I was able to speak to several close friends about their experiences with cancer. For the Crittenden County series, I called up a police detective friend of my husband’s in Denver, and asked him all kinds of questions-poor guy!

Jen: Your latest release MISSING is the first book in your remarkable new series The Secrets of Crittenden County. How did you arrive at the premise?

Shelley: While researching locations for the Families of Honor series, I came across Crittenden County, KY on the Internet. Later I visited it, and it was so different than the Amish community near my house or the ones in northern Ohio that I knew I wanted to set a series there.

I remember the first time I visited Crittenden County. My husband and I were driving around, the day was kind of overcast, and the road was really narrow. A white clapboard Amish home was directly across from an old, abandoned single-wide trailer. The woods were really thick, and we could hear the water rushing through the creek nearby. I looked at my husband and told him that it would be a perfect place to find a body! I meant it as a joke…but then the idea kind of stuck.

Jen: The story begins with the mysterious murder of a local Amish young man Perry Borntrager. In what way does his religious background prove to be a hindrance for Deputy Sherriff Mose Kramer in conducting the investigation into the murder?

Shelley: I’ve found that a lot of people like to imagine that all Amish people are incapable of doing anything mean or hurtful or illegal. In that way, I think it was hard for the community to imagine that Perry had been murdered. The Amish community is usually rather closed, too. They typically don’t want outsiders to know everyone’s faults.
However, Deputy Sheriff Mose Kramer grew up Amish, and knows everyone in his jurisdiction rather well. Probably too well. He knows people are lying to him, and he worries that he’s letting his preconceived notions about people interfere with being objective.
That’s why he calls up his friend from the police academy, Luke Reynolds to help investigate. When Luke enters, he must not only push away his notions about country life versus city life, but also his ideas about what it’s like to be ‘Amish’ or ‘English’.
Jen: As in any small town, opinions and accusations are whispered among the townsfolk yet not shared with the authorities. How does Perry’s former Amish girlfriend Lydia Plank cope with the constant scrutiny by her peers and fellow members of the Amish community?

Shelley: At first, Lydia wants to hide from all of the scrutiny and whispers. After a time, however, she knows she has to learn to stand up for herself and learn to face her accusers.

Her journey towards independence is a difficult one, because along the way, she uncovers some secrets about herself, and falls in love with a man who is another suspect in the murder investigation.

Jen: Englisher Walker Anderson has his own secrets to hide having had issues with Perry prior to his death. How does Walker’s newfound friendship with Lydia bridge the gap between his feelings of guilt and sadness?

Shelley: Obviously, one of the themes in MISSING was that every character feels that something is ‘missing’ in his or her life. For Walker, Lydia provides that missing link. She makes him see that he’s not the only person with insecurities, or with feelings of guilt about Perry’s death. They have a lot in common, though at first it seems like don’t.

Jen: Let’s switch gears now and talk about your website. Please take us on a brief tour highlighting points of interest.

Shelley: My website is: www.shelleyshepardgray.com. I try to update it fairly regularly. In the ‘Book’ section, readers can find all my novels. All the novels are grouped by series name. I also write a blog one or two times a week. Sometimes I simply talk about what I’m working on, or what is going on in my life. Other times, I run a contest. I love hearing from readers, and enjoy when readers post comments. I also try to keep a pretty good calendar with scheduled book signings listed.

Jen: Are you involved with social media? What is the best way for your fans to keep up with your latest news and releases?

Shelley: I’m on Facebook, and I try to check in everyday. On my author page, readers can often read excerpts from my latest releases or hear news about giveaways. I love chatting with readers there, and discovering what they’ve been up to! I love to bake, and often we’re all posting pictures of our latest cake or batch of cookies.

Jen: Are you currently at work on the second novel in the series? If so, what may you share with us?

Shelley: I’m so pleased to share that the whole series has been written! I’m currently finishing up revisions for FOUND, the last book in the series. In THE SEARCH and in FOUND, the mystery surrounding Perry’s death continues. Readers will also get to know many of the characters better, and read about two more romances that bloom. One thing that is kind of special about these books is that they take place right after each other-THE SEARCH begins the day after MISSING ends. I guess you can tell I’m very excited about this series!

Jen: Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with my readers. I am looking forward to reading the next installment of The Secrets of Crittenden County. Best of luck with the series!

Shelley: Jen, thank you! I loved chatting with you about the newest series. Please let your readers know that I’ll be doing lots of book signings in Kentucky and Ohio for MISSING’S book launch. Dates are on my website.

I hope you have enjoyed my interview with Shelley. Please pick up (or download) a copy of MISSING today! Better yet, how would you like to win one instead?

Okay, be one of the first five readers to e-mail me at jensjewels@gmail.co with the correct answer to the following trivia question and you’ll win!

What is the name of the second book in The Secrets of Crittenden County series?

Next month, I will be bringing to you my interview with New York Times bestselling author Phillip Margolin! You won’t want to miss it.

Until next time…

Jen

January 1, 2012
Sometimes the best medicine for nursing a broken heart is starting over in a new town. With a clean slate and no constant reminders of what could have been, it’s a drastic yet practical way to move forward. Having the courage to move on by making a lifestyle change is a positive step towards healing. That is…unless your cheating husband decides to follow you and beg for forgiveness.

This month’s Jen’s Jewels Robyn Carr tackles this very issue in The Virgin River Series’ latest release HIDDEN SUMMIT. It’s the story of a scorned wife Leslie Petruso who jumps at the chance for a new beginning but finds it’s not exactly what she had in mind. With a mysterious new man in her life and an ex-hubby who just won’t take no for an answer, Leslie’s simple plan for a fresh start has just become a whole lot more complicated!

As part of this interview, Robyn has donated five copies for you, my favorite readers, to try to win. So, don’t forget to look for the trivia question at the end of the column. In order to enter, you must include your complete mailing address along with the correct answer. Good luck! And, thanks for making Jen’s Jewels a part of your 2012 reading adventure.

Jen: A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, your latest release HIDDEN SUMMIT is sure to find its way to the top of the lists as well. So that my readers may catch a glimpse into the life of the woman behind the words, please share with us your educational and professional background.

Robyn: After high school I spent two years in nursing school (RN program) and only worked for a few months before marrying my Air Force husband and beginning life as a military spouse. I was writing full time a few years later and have been for 35 years.

Jen: Please describe for us your “Aha!” moment when you decided to take the plunge and pursue a career as a writer.

Robyn: I’d describe it more as an Ah Ha moment – as a young wife and mother who had been reading lots of romances, at the time historical, I had this notion that I could write one if I tried. I’m not sure that was a sensible idea – it was much harder than I thought it would be. But – I was hooked on the process. It was fun! It didn’t take me long to see that for me, writing was something I was going to for a long time, whether I sold a book or not. It was my third completed effort that sold, but over the next 35 years there were many ups and downs, including a period of 8 years that I couldn’t sell a word (after already having been published in hardcover for a dozen years and winning a Rita.)

Jen: In terms of nuts and bolts, approximately how long does it take for you to write a novel? And, do you plot first, or simply just allow the novel to take on a life of its own?

Robyn: I’m must faster now – the children grew up, found their own partners and real estate and life got lots simpler. While I was raising a family a book a year was about all I could manage, but now? I think I can manage a book ever few months. And I never plot first. I do have a basic idea, fundamental characters, but the rest evolves. I’m sure it’s not practical, but it’s what works for me. I’ve tried plotting everything out first and I still end up watching the story slowly unfold, very few of those plot points I so painstakingly developed make it into the book.

Jen: Your new release HIDDEN SUMMIT, a continuation of the Virgin River series, is a suspenseful love story set in a picturesque small town. How did you arrive at the premise?

Robyn: Actually, I think it was my agent’s idea. And although it sounds suspenseful, it’s more about the love story and the community of Virgin River. I’m better with relationships than I am with thrillers or mysteries.

Jen: Leslie Petruso has had her fair share of heartache. Newly divorced from her cheating hubby, she has decided to put the bad memories aside and start anew in Hidden Summit. How do the scars from her divorce affect the way in which she views herself?

Robyn: Without realizing it, or at least openly acknowledging it, Leslie has had a real confidence problem, perhaps a self-esteem problem. It takes striking out on her own, away from the familiar town, family and friends, and searching for her independent spirit to help her heal and become stronger.

Jen: As the District Attorney’s only eyewitness to a brutal murder, Connor Danson is forced to go into hiding in the government’s witness protection program. Temporarily relocated to Virgin River, he is miles away from his beloved sister and nephews. How do his surrounding and unsuspecting townsfolk help to calm his nerves?

Robyn: The sense of community and unfailing support help Conner see some important truths about his life, especially about the life he left behind. He was a slave to his work, for one thing. And he hadn’t put enough energy toward the primary relationships in his life. Virgin River not only gives him a safe haven, he finds both love and comfort.

Jen: When Connor sets eyes upon Leslie, his wish to fly below the radar becomes jeopardized. Why is he willing to risk his anonymity for this woman?

Robyn: I’m not telling. LOL.

Jen: Due to their parents’ death, Connor’s relationship with his sister Katie is a vital part of his emotional well-being. How does their separation affect his ability to fully allow Leslie into his life?

Robyn: Conner is, above all else, devoted to his widowed sister and her children. He’s a responsible family man and they come first.

Jen: Leslie’s ex-husband Greg is suffering from a severe case of “buyer’s remorse”. With his second marriage already teetering close to edge of failure, he pops back into her life hoping for reconciliation. How does Greg’s presence help Leslie take a step towards her future?

Robyn: It’s taken some distance, not to mention a passion for a powerful man, to finally see that Greg just didn’t deserve her.

Jen: How does Leslie’s relationship with her parents change during this very difficult time?

Robyn: I think Leslie learns that her mother and father aren’t just a couple of comics but are wiser than she gave them credit for.

Jen: Let’s switch gears now and talk about your promotional plans. Please take us on a tour of your website highlighting points of interest.

Robyn: I think readers will enjoy the Virgin River pages – there are character sketches for each book plus maps of the town; there’s an online chat site called Jack’s Bar where readers talk about books – and not just Virgin River, but what they’re reading. And the Virgin River titles are listed and numbered in order under “books.” Every title has a cover, back cover copy, and an excerpt. There’s a place to sign up for my newsletter (under author) and monthly contests for prizes and autographed books.

Jen: Do you participate in Author Phone Chats? And if so, how would my readers go about scheduling one?

Robyn: Contact Nancy Berland – nancy@nancyberland.com

Jen: Are you currently at work on your next novel? If so, what may you share with us?

Robyn: I’m currently writing the 20th Virgin River novel – My Kind Of Christmas, about Patrick Riordan, the youngest of the Riordan brothers. Patrick is taking his R&R in Virgin River after suffering the tragic loss of his best friend. Like a typical Riordan, nothing helps ease the ache like the love of a good woman. The problem is this time the woman is only visiting, is much too young, too vulnerable and worst of all, Jack Sheridan’s niece.

Now Jack likes the Riordans, even if they are a little rugged and scrappy (not unlike Jack himself) but when it comes to his niece, he’d rather have a more mild mannered guy. The trouble is his niece, Angie, leans more toward a guy who will blow her socks off!

Jen: Thank you so much for kicking off 2012 by stopping by to chat with my readers. I highly recommend HIDDEN SUMMIT to all of my readers. I look forward to the next book in the Virgin River series. Best of luck in 2012!

Robyn: I think Virgin River fans are going to enjoy all 4 new Virgin River books in 2012. It’s going to be a very satisfying year at the river!

I hope you have enjoyed my interview with Robyn. Just a little side note, I had never read any of the books in this series before this interview and I had no trouble following along. I highly recommend The Virgin River Series. Please stop by your favorite bookstore, library branch, or on-line retailer and pick up a copy of HIDDEN SUMMIT today.

Better yet, how would you like to win one instead? Okay, be one of the first five readers to e-mail me at jensjewels@gmail.com with the correct answer to the following trivia question and you’ll win. Good luck!

What is the name of Leslie’s ex-husband in HIDDEN SUMMIT?

Next month, I will be bringing to you my interview with Catherine McKenzie, author the fabulous release SPIN. You won’t want to miss it.

Happy New Year!

Jen

Being in high school is like a scary roller coaster ride…lots of emotional twists and turns on a path that feels like it’s heading to nowhere. From unrequited love to relationships that last forever, it’s the perfect time to test the waters before taking the leap into the pond of life. If only we knew back then what we know now. We wouldn’t have wasted so many hours worrying over nonsense that truly didn’t matter in the long run.

This month’s Jen’s Jewels Kristan Higgins touches upon this very topic in her hilarious new release UNTIL THERE WAS YOU. It’s the story of Posey, a woman willing to take a leap of faith in order to believe that dreams really do come true. Set in Bellsford, New Hampshire with an unforgettable cast of characters, it’s a heartfelt story perfect for this time of year.

As part of this interview, Kristan has generously donated five copies for you, my favorite readers, to try to win. So, don’t forget to look for the trivia question at the end. And as always, thanks for making Jen’s Jewels a part of your holiday season.

Jen: A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, your latest release UNTIL THERE WAS YOU is sure to find itself on the top of the bestsellers lists as well. So that my readers may catch a glimpse into the life of the woman behind the words, please share with us your educational and professional background.

Kristan: Pretty ordinary K-8, where I battled difficult hair and very thick glasses; Catholic girls school for high school (it was such a relief to be away from those pesky boys!); Jesuit college (it was so nice to be back with those pesky boys!). I was an English major, of course. It was like being paid to read. I loved it! Mind you, I’d read romance novels as a reward for getting through some of the great works. Have you ever had to read Moby Dick in three days’ time? Brutal.

Jen: Please describe for us your “Aha!” moment when you decided to take the plunge and pursue a career as a novelist.

Kristan: Well, I’d been writing professionally since I graduated…PR and research and advertising. Then I had my babies and just loved staying home with them, but I wanted to do something else, too, you know? I loved romance novels, figured I was a disciplined writer, so I gave it a shot. That being said, I’d been telling myself stories every since Scarlett didn’t get back together with Rhett. I’d just never put one down on paper before. Or on computer, as the case may be.

Jen: In terms of nuts and bolts, approximately how long does it take for you to complete a novel? Do you outline first? Or, do you simply allow the novel to take on a life of its own?

Kristan: I do outline, and yes, the book takes on a life of its own. So it’s both. I think the outline gives me the freedom to actually be more creative, since I’m not sweating over what comes next. I always compare it to driving across country; I like a map, but I also like to swerve off the highway and see what’s there, too.

It takes me about 8 months to turn in a novel, from seedling idea to polished manuscript.

Jen: UNTIL THERE WAS YOU is a funny, light-hearted novel about a quirky woman, Posey Osterhagen, who is trying to overcome her past. How did you arrive at the premise?

Kristan: I wanted to do a really unconventional heroine, and Posey is just that. She’s a tough little tomboy, has body image issues that relate to not gaining weight, and works in an unusual field. As far as Liam’s angle, I was watching Friday Night Lights one night, and, being female, found myself fascinated with the character of Tim Riggins, the show’s good-hearted but wrong-headed bad boy. I wondered what it would be like to be that guy 15 years from now…all those women in the rear view mirror, all that reputation still floating around. So I kind of ran with that angle, too, and it was a lot of fun to write from his perspective.

Jen: Two questions I just have to ask…why did you choose to write about a German family, and are you a fan of The Food Network?

Kristan: Zicke zocke, zicke zocke, hoi hoi hoi! German restaurants = fun, if not always a gourmet experience, you know what I mean? But there seems to be a devotion and a warm, boisterous welcome at a German restaurant that’s unique to dining. As for the Food Network, no, I don’t watch it! Those shows make me hungry.

Jen: Posey’s profession as the owner of an architectural salvaging business is quite unusual. How does her need to connect with the past directly correlate to her being adopted?

Kristan: I’m so glad you asked that! I think this was an element that evolved as I wrote the book, but it really worked for Posey’s character. Posey is all about second chances in every aspect of every relationship she has in the book. She views architectural salvage as the chance to give an object a new life and purpose, as she herself was given when her birth mother put her up for adoption. Her work, each job she does, is very personal to her, and the care she takes in doing it work echoes the way she herself was cared for and loved by the Osterhagens.

Jen: The rogue in the story is Posey’s high school heartthrob Liam Declan Murphy. When he returns to Bellsford, how does his mere presence spark Posey’s desire to take a step towards finding her true self?

Kristan: You know how it is when a high school reunion rolls around. All of a sudden, everyone’s sprucing up, trying to lose ten pounds and get a new haircut, and when the big day comes, they’re describing their jobs and kids in the most glowing terms! But more than just hoping to put the best shine on herself as possible, Posey views Liam as the one guy who really did some damage to her heart and her self-esteem, and she knows instinctively he still has the power to do it. And, like a lot of men, Liam is completely oblivious to all this, which just makes him more dangerous.

Jen: Posey’s cousin Gretchen is quite the handful. Why does Posey allow herself to play second fiddle to her in terms of her place in the family?

Kristan: You know, I don’t think she does. She lets Gretchen preen and bask in the glow of the family, but Posey’s actually very secure on this front. Not once in the book does she question her parents’ love for her. I think she puts up with Gretchen because she senses the holes in her cousin’s life, even though Gret is vain, entitled and condescending (and therefore a total blast to write!). It’s almost like Posey’s letting Gretchen be a diva, because she-Posey-doesn’t have to be. She already has more going for her than Gretchen ever will. And Gretchen has a very tragic past! Both her parents died before she turned eighteen, while Posey lives in the unwavering embrace of her parents and brother. To take Gretchen down a few points would be unkind, and Posey’s just too dang nice. But she’s not a doormat, either. She’ll rear up and give as good as she gets.

Jen: How does Liam’s relationship with his daughter Nicole affect the way Posey views his ability to change?

Kristan: Is that a trick question? : I think what Posey sees is not that Liam has changed; it’s that he hasn’t. Once upon a time, she thought he had a lot of hidden depth and goodness…seeing him with Nicole shows her the truth of that. She has to juggle her two images of Liam: the guy who took whatever was offered, who broke her heart for no good reason, and the loving, devoted, neurotic father of a teenage girl. When she sees him trying so hard to protect his child from boys who remind him too much of himself…it gets her right in the heart, and that’s the last place she wants him. It’s the dichotomy of his character that keeps her off-balance; he’s not just the bad boy from the old days, and he’s not just a tender-hearted dad, either.

Jen: In what way does Posey’s relationship with Vivian Appleton best exemplify her metamorphosis into a stronger, more confident woman?

Kristan: Ooh, another great question! Well, again, Posey is the epitome of second chances. For years, she’s been hoping to get the salvage rights to Vivian’s place, but she’s not a mercenary, either. Without giving away too much, I’d say her relationship with Vivian becomes pure-she loves that old harridan, and in the end, she takes control of their relationship and makes it much more heartfelt than it was. Posey has a gift for seeing what other people miss, and what Vivian has missed all along is the knowledge of her own self worth.

Jen: Let’s switch gears now and talk about your promotional plans. Please take us on a tour of your website highlighting points of interest.

Kristan: Well, let’s see. We have the bookshelf, which has reviews, trailers and excerpts of all my books; the obligatory “About Kristan” section (I have no secrets; it’s all there, including bios on the important dogs in my life, my not-so-secret talents and my nickname). Then there’s the calendar, which announces my appearances (or you can just catch me doing the grocery shopping or picking up the mail); my blog, which I think readers will really enjoy (I love writing it); and the Fun Stuff section, which is pretty whimsical… pictures of readers, their dogs, random questions, trivia about each book, and recipes. I love to bake, and I often post a recipe up there. Tried and true stuff, people! I also do giveaways quite frequently, so if you’re on my mailing list (which you get to through the website), you’re registered to win a giftie from time to time.

Jen: Do you participate in Author Phone Chats? And if so, how would my readers go about scheduling one?

Kristan: I’ve done a few chats here and there. Sure, I’d love to talk to readers! Email me! I also love answering fan letters, too, and even the occasional criticism.

Jen: Do you participate in Social Media?

Kristan: Just Facebook, the website and email. You can find me at www.Facebook.com/KristanHigginsBooks. I’m very active there.

Jen: Are you currently at work on your next novel? If so, what may you share with us?

Kristan: I sure am! I’m working on SOMEBODY TO LOVE, which is due out in May and features some familiar faces-Parker Welles from THE NEXT BEST THING finds out her father has lost her trust fund (whoops), and all she has left is a house in Gideon’s Cove, Maine. And Gideon’s Cove was the setting for CATCH OF THE DAY, which means readers will see Maggie and Malone again. So if you belong to the Cult of Maloner the Loner, rest easy. It’s coming. But I loved Parker and of all my secondary characters, I thought she absolutely deserved her own love story, which I thought she totally deserved. And I love, love, love the hero! After that, I’m starting a series set in the Finger Lakes region of New York State, which will be set around a family-run vineyard. I can’t wait to dig in on that one!

Jen: Thank you so much for stopping by to chat with my readers. I absolutely loved the characters in UNTIL THERE WAS YOU! Bravo! I was so sorry to see it end. I wish you all the best with your future projects.

Kristan: Thank you, Jen! I’m utterly thrilled you liked it. And thank you so much for having me here today! It was a blast.

I hope you have enjoyed my interview with Kristan. Please stop by your favorite bookstore or local library branch and pick up a copy today. Better yet, how would you like to win one instead? Okay, be one of the first five readers to e-mail me at jensjewels@gmail.com with the correct answer to the following trivia question and you’ll win!

What is the name of Posey’s love interest in UNTIL THERE WAS YOU?

Next month, I will be bringing to you my interview with New York Times bestselling author Cecelia Ahern. You won’t want to miss it.

Until next time…

Jen

When we were kids, life was so simple. We went to school, completed our homework, and then just played outside. On the weekends, it was family time peppered with baseball games and the occasional ballet recital. Nowadays, our kids are way overscheduled. Even trying to squeeze in a vacation can become a Herculean feat. If only we could go back to a simpler time when all we needed was a good conversation with the dearest of friends. How did we become such a busy society?

This month’s Jen’s Jewels Rosalind Lauer explores that very question in her exciting new Amish series Seasons of Lancaster. Get ready to be swept away by her unforgettable characters in the delightful first book A SIMPLE WINTER. Set in the rolling hills of beautiful Lancaster County, it’s the story of one Amish family’s struggle to overcome a shocking tragedy while an outsider contemplates leaving her busy life behind in order to find herself among the Amish.

As part of this interview, Ballantine Books, an imprint of Random House Books, has generously donated five copies for you, my favorite readers, to try to win. So, don’t forget to look for the trivia question at the end. Go ahead and leave the busyness behind and fall in love with the Seasons of Lancaster.

Jen: As writers, we create stories from the myriad experiences in our lives. So that my readers may take a peek inside your own personal storybook, please share with us your educational and professional background.

Rosalind: I grew up in suburban Maryland and attended three different high schools, the third in Ludwigsburg, Germany, where my father was working that year. (The experience with German has helped me with the language of the Amish.)  We have five kids in our family, so money was tight. That pressed me to develop a work ethic in line with Amish values. When I was nine I ran a camp for neighborhood kids in my backyard, charging their parents a nickel a day.  I’ve worked as a waitress, receptionist and library assistant. I’ve done packaging on a factory line. I spent a hot summer as a cook’s assistant at a rural camp. I’ve scooped ice cream, sold hot dogs and women’s accessories (though not at the same time!) I managed a theater box office and helped soldiers through a Red Cross outpost in Germany.

I majored in English at Wagner College in Staten Island, New York — a perfect blend of small campus life and city culture. After a deadly dull but well-paying job I took a pay cut to work as an editorial assistant at Simon & Schuster. I never regretted that. I worked on Silhouette Books at a time when the romance industry was exploding, and I learned so much from my mentor Nancy Jackson and from the writers I worked with.

Jen: Please describe for us the “Aha!” moment when you decided to take the leap and actively pursue a career as a novelist.

Rosalind: For A SIMPLE WINTER, my “Aha!” moment came when I felt that I could add my own touch of humanity and love to Amish fiction. While there are some wonderful writers working in this genre, I had read many books that depicted the Amish as stern and severe. Although the Amish culture has its difference, there are certain universal qualities all people share, and I wanted to depict Amish characters that were human first. Yes, there are many rules for the Amish to follow, but the farm life is a life on the land, a world of color, birth and death, and humor. This book saga has pulled me closer to the earth, and it’s ironic that our society seems to be moving toward many of the things the Amish have done for years like organic foods, reusing and recycling, solar energy and home vegetable gardens.

Jen: In your debut novel A SIMPLE WINTER, you explore the simple life of Amish living through the eyes of a young journalist Remy McCallister. How did you arrive at the premise?

Rosalind: The story began with the notion of a typical large Amish family struck by the tragedy of the death of the parents. Who would raise the children? I liked the idea of my main character, Adam, needing to step up and do something he hadn’t chosen out of family duty. I also loved the notions of the greater community pitching in to help the Kings, as the Amish do so well, and I wanted to make it clear that this was a functional family in which everyone, young and small, also pitched in to support each other and make the family function.

From Remy’s viewpoint, I wanted her to be a disenfranchised twenty-something – which I think we’re seeing a lot of in this generation – who is searching for her place in the world and the home she lost when she was a child. I thought the two angles collided well for a dynamic story.

Jen: In terms of nuts and bolts, approximately how long did it take for you to write the book? Did you outline the story first? Or, did you simply allow the novel to take on a life of its own?

Rosalind: Since A SIMPLE WINTER was the first of three books in the King family saga, I needed a little more time than usual to find the right balance of romance, drama and mystery. I took two months to write a series proposal that included two chapters of the first book and a detailed outline. And actually, the publisher passed on that proposal! That was a heartbreak, as I knew I was close and I loved these characters. The chapters had to be reworked, almost from scratch, though the family story and the mystery remained in tact.

With some candid notes from my agent, which mostly involved digging more into the main characters, I was able to revise the chapters for a green light on the series. After that it took around three months to write the manuscript and another month at least for revisions. Oh, this book needed some major tightening up! I am so fortunate to have a wonderful editor who can see the big picture as well as small details. When she is engaged in my characters she is quick to note when they go off-track and she had great ideas on how to reel them in. When I see her notes, there’s no doubt that the changes she suggests will strengthen the book.

In terms of form, I always outline a story. Lately I’ve taken to nailing it down in more detail – scene by scene. The beauty of an outline is that is gives you a blueprint so your foundation is set, and from there, if you want to add on or move in a different direction, it’s usually fine. For me writing the outline is a very creative process because I’m trying to sew and emotional underpinning into a chain of realistic events. When I write the scene I have to feel it, be in it – make it live!

Jen: How did your former career as an editor prepare you for the rigors of writing your first book?  Did you find yourself overly critical during the writing process? Or, did your editing skills enable you to avoid certain pitfalls?

Rosalind: You’re right! If you let that critical editor sit on your shoulder while you’re creating a story, you won’t get far! I’ve been able to turn off that voice in the initial writing phase and let it shout later when I’m rewriting.

One skill I did learn as an editor was how to pick out the things that worked and revise the things that weren’t necessary to the story. You have to crack your story open, painful though it may be, toss out the disease and do surgery on the rest. As an editor you are looking at the whole book and thinking of how all the story elements can work organically together. As a writer I can get lost in the details, but there’s a time in every book when I need to step back and take a look at the piece as a whole.

Jen: In terms of research, approximately how much was needed for the story to ring true with your readers? And, what was the most fascinating thing you learned about the Amish culture?

Rosalind: In terms of research, I was guided by real life experience and sociologists like John Hostetler and Donald Kraybill.  Researching the Amish is tricky because you cannot rely on internet postings, and once you begin to research you learn that there are so many differences from one congregation/region to the next, your head can spin!

My lifesaver was Dr. Violet Dutcher, a college professor with Amish roots. As an academic she understands fiction and literature, and she has extensive ties and experiences with various Amish communities. She reviews my work and offers suggestions, revisions and personal anecdotes. The third Seasons of Lancaster Novel, Jonah’s story, is largely inspired by her wonderful anecdotes about Amish men and their secret fascination with cars.

The most fascinating thing about Amish culture? That’s a tough one when you’re talking about a seemingly simple world rich with complexities. I think the greatest misconception about Amish life is that it is a drab, colorless world. That’s so far from the truth! In Lancaster County there’s the colorful landscape and brightly colored dresses worn by women. No print fabrics, but lovely deep gem tones of color. I suppose the “apparent” contradictions are a fascination. The ban on electrical hookups but the allowance of some diesel powered equipment. A hand pump beside a solar powered water heater. The freedom of a young person to choose baptism, though their parents and community fully expect it.  The use of scooters with tires but no tires allowed on farm equipment or carriages. Rumspringa alone is full of contradictions! I love these intricacies and enjoyed exploring their complexities.

Jen: The lead character Remy is a vibrant soul in search of her true calling in life. How does her encounter with Adam King, a young Amish man, positively impact her relationship with her father Herb?

Rosalind: Remy’s father Herb isn’t a bad guy, but he doesn’t have a nurturing, paternal bone in his body, and Remy has paid dearly for that. Remy’s attitude toward her father evolves in an interesting way, as she must combine her instinct to protect herself against the thoughtless, alienating things her father does with the Amish ways of respect for a parent and obedience to their wishes. One of the wonderful things about doing a three-book saga is that you don’t have to wrap up every detail in one book. Although A Simple Winter has its own satisfying conclusion, some of the story threads like Remy’s relationship with Herb are allowed to play out in more of a real-time thread through the three books. You need to keep reading to find out how she finally reconciles with Herb.

Jen: When given the assignment to cover the tragic death of Adam’s parents, what is going on in Remy’s mind? How does this opportunity turn into a chance to open Pandora’s Box?

Rosalind: When she gets the assignment, Remy is torn between proving her journalistic skill on her own merit and reconnecting with Adam, whom she met a year ago during a difficult juncture in both their lives. Her involvement with the King family opens a Pandora’s box because Remy can’t help but try to piece together clues about who murdered Adam’s parents, and as a good Amish man, Adam cannot pursue that investigation or hope that the killer receives punishment. The Amish believe that justice is served by God, and it’s not man’s place to intervene in such a matter.

Jen: As the head of the family, Adam must now provide material as well as emotional support to his siblings. How do his feelings for Remy hinder his ability to move forward?

Rosalind: After his move away from home during his Rumspringa, Adam is determined to do all the right things and lead the family according to the rules of the Ordnung. His involvement with Remy does not please any of the ministers, and everyone knows a good Amish man does not marry an Englisher. Everyone is waiting for Adam to do the right thing and find a young Amish woman to marry.

Jen: Lets’ switch gears now and talk about your promotional plans. Do you participate in social media? Do you have a website?

Rosalind: Readers can always reach me through my Facebook page, Rosalind Lauer. I don’t have a website. It just doesn’t seem like a good fit for an Amish writer, and I have committed myself to putting my energies into writing “wonderful good,” heartwarming books instead of trying to learn marketing. I’m so grateful to have an excellent publisher like Random House behind this book to take care of those details for me. Random House has a wonderful website with information on my books.

Jen: Will you be participating in Author Phone chats? If so, how would my readers go about scheduling one?

Rosalind: I would love to talk to book groups about A SIMPLE WINTER. Anyone who wants to schedule a phone chat can reach me through my Facebook page, Rosalind Lauer.

Jen: Are you currently at work on the next book in the Seasons of Lancaster series? What can you share with us?

Rosalind: Actually, I just finished the outline for the third Seasons of Lancaster series! It’s Jonah King’s story, and I’m very excited about exploring a strong male perspective in the Amish community. The second book, A Simple Spring, is in production now, and I think my heart skipped a beat when I saw the beautiful cover image of Sadie backlit by a sunrise in brilliant shades of orange and yellow. In A Simple Spring, Sadie is torn between pursuing the musical talent God has blessed her with and obeying the rules and traditions of her Amish community. The second book gave me a chance to delve into Sadie’s character and show more of the King family at home. Coming from a large family, I’ve enjoyed recreating the wonderful dynamics among siblings.

Jen: Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to stop by and chat with my readers. I loved reading A SIMPLE WINTER. Bravo! Good luck with your future projects. I look forward to catching up with my new friends of Lancaster in the spring and fall.

Rosalind:  Thank you, Jen! I am starting to write the third book, A Simple Autumn, this week, and I am looking forward to getting back to the King family. For me, it’s like going home for Christmas!

I hope you have enjoyed my interview with Rosalind. I sure did! What a fascinating culture! Please stop by your favorite bookstore or local library branch and pick up a copy of A SIMPLE WINTER today. Better yet, how would you like to win one instead?

Okay, be one of the first five readers to e-mail me at jensjewels@gmail.com with the correct answer to the following trivia question and you’ll win.

What is the name of the second novel in the Seasons of Lancaster series?

Next month, I will be bringing to you my interview with New York Times bestselling author Kristan Higgins. You won’t want to miss it.

Until next month…

Jen

The college years are an adventurous time in a student’s life. While discovering what the future may hold, special friendships evolve merely by happenstance. As the years go by, we reflect on these past relationships often wishing we could take a step back in time. But, what if one of your college chums contacted you asking for help? Would you be willing to risk it all in order to save a friend?

This month’s Jen’s Jewels Marisa de los Santos touches upon this very topic in her latest release FALLING TOGETHER. It’s the heartwarming story of three college friends who have gone their separate ways only to find themselves reuniting in order to save one of their own. With a spectacular backdrop of the Philippines, Marisa captures the sheer power of true love and friendship in this spellbinding novel.

As part of this interview, William Morrow, an imprint of Harper Collins, has generously donated five copies for you, my favorite readers, to try to win. So, don’t forget to the look for the trivia question at the end. And as always, thanks for making Jen’s Jewels a part of your autumn reading list.

Jen: A New York Times bestselling novelist, your stellar career has touched many readers around the globe. So that we may catch a glimpse into the life of the woman behind the words, please share with us your educational and professional background.

Marisa: I was an English major at the University of Virginia, and in my last year of college, I took my first poetry writing workshop. It was a revelation, and I knew I needed to continue my studies, so I went first for an MFA at Sarah Lawrence College and then got a PhD in English and Creative Writing at the University of Houston. All along, my focus was poetry. I never took a fiction workshop, never wrote a short story (at least not as an adult!). I taught for a few years at the University of Delaware before I stopped in order to write full time.

Jen: Your writing career initially began in poetry. Please describe for us your journey and how you became a published poet.

Marisa: I think I became a poet first because I spent my life—and I’m talking about beginning as far back as I can remember—in love with the sound of words, the rhythms and the music that happens when words bump up against each other. Poetry places the music in the foreground, and I found that magical. In graduate school, I got the chance to work with some astonishingly gifted poets and teachers, teachers who made me read and read as well as write. I sent a lot of poems to literary magazines and got my share of rejections, but also got some published. My first book was actually a collection of poems called FROM THE BONES OUT, published by the University of South Carolina Press.

Jen: Please share with us your “Aha!” moment when you decided to switch gears and try your hand as a novelist.

Marisa: I don’t think there was a single, identifiable “Aha!” moment, which is probably for the best because I think the sudden understanding that I had a novel to write would have scared me to death. All those pages! Instead, the understanding sneaked up on me little by little. It started with a voice in my head that turned into a character named Cornelia Brown, and eventually, after living with her for a long time, I began to see hints of her story. So one summer, I decided to write it down. I had a pretty substantial chunk of novel before I would admit to anyone, myself included, that that’s what I was doing: writing a novel. But once I’d begun, I was hooked. I’m addicted to novel writing. I love getting to know the characters, having them come alive. And I love that total immersion in another world.

Jen: In terms of nuts and bolts, approximately how long does it take for you to write a novel? And, do you plot first, or simply just allow the novel to take on a life of its own?

Marisa: I start with the characters and, if I’m lucky, with a wisp of plot, and I hold the characters in my head for a long time, months, and just try to get to know them. I collect details, small ones like what kinds of Halloween costumes they’ve worn or how they like their pizza, and big ones, like the thing their fathers said to them that they never forgot. On some level, I know I’m creating them, but it feels like I’m discovering them, as though they exist and I have to learn them. And as I learn more and more, the shape of the plot gets more defined. During all of this, I don’t write, except maybe to jot a note or two, but, for me, this is as vital a part of the process as the writing itself, and it can take more than six months before I feel ready to put down the first word. I’d say that from the moment I have the characters to the moment I write the last word, I work for two to three years.

Jen: Why do you choose to incorporate the Philippines into the storyline? Does this fascinating country hold a special place in your heart?

Marisa: My dad was born in Cebu City and lived there until he was about thirty, when he came to the U.S. to do his surgical residency and fellowship. My mom is Anglo-American, from Maryland, and my sister and I were born in Baltimore and raised in Virginia, and I didn’t visit the Philippines until I was in my early twenties. But it was a transformative experience in so many ways. I got to explore a vibrant, complicated, sometimes startlingly beautiful country; I got to meet a whole branch of my family I’d only seen in glimpses before; and I got to discover so much about my father. Since then, I’ve gone back many times (my husband and I have already taken the kids three times, and we have a trip planned for March), and each time, I become a little less tourist, a little more balikbayan, which means a person who comes home. I can’t tell you how honored and excited I felt when I realized that I’d get to take my characters to the Philippines with this book. But I also felt pressure because I wanted so much to do a good job at bringing it to life. I worked very, very hard on the language, trying to capture some of what makes the place so rich and odd and contradictory (flowers pouring out of every crevice, spilling over every wall right in the midst of profound poverty) and so entirely itself.

Jen: Your new release FALLING TOGETHER is an unforgettable novel exploring the depths of friendship and how relationships evolve over time. (I absolutely fell in love with your characters!) How did you arrive at the premise?

Marisa: First off, thank you, thank you for saying that about the characters because I think that’s the best compliment of all! As a reader, I can admire the plot and the language, but if the characters don’t feel real and important to me, I just can’t love a book. So thanks, on my behalf, but mostly on behalf of Pen, Cat, Will, and the rest!

This book started with an image, a silhouette, really, no distinct details. Three people walking, a tall man, a tall woman, and a small woman in between them. Pretty early on, I recognized their relationship for what it was: the deepest, most sustaining kind of friendship. This led me to think about college because I don’t know if there’s a time and place when friendships are quite as intense. All those late nights full of conversation, so few real, grown-up world distractions. I can remember being in college with my friends and thinking, “This will never end. We will never let this change.” But of course, it does change, and it should change. People grow up and deepen and work and let their worlds get bigger, but it’s hard. It’s always a kind of loss. I think the story grew out of that, the question of what would happen when the three friends figure out that this friendship they hold sacred has to change.
Jen: The story begins with Cat’s urgent request for help from her college chums, Pen and Will. Let’s start with Pen. Why does she choose to answer the call despite the perplexity of her present situation?

Marisa: Pen is the one who was left behind, and she’s never stopped resenting her friends for leaving and never stopped wanting them to come back to her. She’s in a fragile state, still reeling from the death of her father, and, the only thing that’s keeping her from feeling entirely isolated is her five year old daughter. Motherhood keeps her connected to the world, but without fully understanding that she’s lonely, Pen is lonely. When she gets the email from Cat asking her to meet her at the reunion, she only pretends to mull it over; there’s never any doubt that she’ll go. And she goes with a great deal of nervousness but also with extremely high, heartbreakingly high hopes.

Jen: In years past, Will purposely choose to remove himself from his friendship/relationship with both girls. Why then does he resolve to reconnect with Cat… and Pen?

Marisa: Part of the fundamental structure of Pen, Will, and Cat’s friendship was that Pen and Will took care of Cat, so when Cat says she needs him, Will finds himself unable to refuse her. The prospect of seeing Pen again is more complicated for him, but I think that, over the years, he has come to suspect that leaving Pen the way he did, cutting off all ties to her, was a mistake. Or at least possibly a mistake, and that possibility is enough to carry him to the reunion. And let’s face it, these were people he loved; they were his family for years. In the time he’s been away from them, Will has found that that kind of feeling doesn’t disappear, even if your life would be simpler if it did. Plus, I have to think that both Pen and Will are just plain curious about who the others have become. How could they not be? I know I would be!

Jen: Why do Pen and Will agree to allow Jason, Cat’s husband, to come along on their search?

Marisa: Well, I think their reasons evolve as they get to know more about his and Cat’s marriage, but at first, I think they have a “keep your enemies close” philosophy. It would be bad to have him with them but worse to have him searching the world for Cat all by himself. They tell each other that they want to keep an eye on him. But on a deeper level, I think they both believe that, as insufferable and boneheaded as he is, he truly loves Cat. He’s loved her faithfully for a very long time, and that earns him a place on the journey.

Jen: As Will and Pen rekindle their friendship, how do distant memories hinder them from moving forward?

Marisa: You know, despite all of Pen’s big talk about love being an imperative, something you are obligated to follow through with; she’s actually much more resistant to moving forward than Will is. Pen’s caught: she wants to keep Will in her life, but she’s afraid to let their relationship change shape. She’s very, very attached to the way they used to be, both because she loved it, but also because it was familiar, known and knowable. At one point, earlier on, Cat says, “We’re all or nothing.” At the time, Pen isn’t sure she agrees, but she ends up realizing that, when it comes to her relationship with Will, this is absolutely true, and it scares her. It means taking a huge risk, and, especially after losing her father, Pen is so nervous about investing deeply, in taking chances on people who could disappear that she’s almost paralyzed by it.

Jen: How does Pen’s relationship with Patrick, the father of her child, change the way in which she views marriage, love, and life?

Marisa: Patrick let Pen down in very real ways, not the least of which was relinquishing any kind of custody of Augusta because his wife demanded it. Certainly, Pen is more cautious and wary than she had been because of her experiences with Patrick, but I think even more than being wary of commitment or love, she’s wary of her own tendency to take the path of least resistance. She ended up with Patrick in the first place because he caught her at a particularly vulnerable moment. Will and Cat had just walked out of her life, and she was adrift. Later, after she had ended their relationship once, she took Patrick back because she had just given birth to Augusta and was vulnerable again. And then, after her father died, she ended up with Patrick again. After all this, I think it’s not easy for Pen to trust her own judgment about what she wants and why. She has to learn to trust other people, but she also has to learn to trust herself.

Jen: Let’s switch gears now and talk about your promotional plans. Please take us on a tour of your website highlighting points of interest.

Marisa: Um, unfortunately, my website is still in the process of being rebuilt, but I’m happy to tell you about my promotional plans. I’ll be traveling quite a bit, although I’m not one of those writers who can leave for several weeks in a row to tour because I have two very busy children, who need two parents at home to drive them places and, truth be told, from whom I can’t stand to be away for very long. So I go away and come back, go away and come back. I’ll be doing bookstore visits here in Delaware, and in New York and Maryland, and I’ll be attending festivals and library events and author talks and retreats in places like Nashville, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Boston, and Austin, and St. Simon’s Island, Georgia. I’ll also be guest blogging and doing a satellite radio tour. I’m really excited about all of it. Nothing is more fun than connecting with readers.

Jen: Do you participate in Social Media?

Marisa: Yes, I’m on Facebook, which gets a bad rap sometimes, but which I like a lot. Such a good opportunity to interact with readers and other writers. My page is http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/marisa.delossantos.writer.

Jen: Are you currently at work on your next project? (Any chance there will be a sequel?)

Marisa: So far, no sequel, although I would never rule that out for the future! I would feel lucky to check in with Pen, Will, Cat, and Jason in a few years to see what they’re up to. I can never tell whether I’ll get to or not, but I would love it.

I’m working on a fourth novel that I’m so excited about, even though it’s fairly early on in the process. It’s about a sixteen-year old girl named Willow who is the product of her father’s second marriage. He views his first family as having been a colossal failure and is especially disappointed in his children from that marriage, twins named Marcus and Estella, who are now in their early thirties, and who are understandably angry at him. The father views his second marriage and his youngest child as his second—and last–chance at doing it right. Consequently, he and his much younger wife have raised Willow in an incredibly sheltered and controlled environment and have studiously kept her away from most of her peers and especially from her siblings, whom she hardly knows. When her father suffers a heart attack, though, Willow’s world turns upside down. With her father unable to homeschool her, she finds herself in the school system for the first time. To make matters more complicated, her father summons her brother and sister to come for a visit and, reluctantly, they comply. The story is told from the alternating perspectives of the two sisters.

Jen: Thank you so much for stopping by to chat with my readers. I highly recommend FALLING TOGETHER, especially for book groups. It is a magical novel that will surely find its place on the top of the bestseller lists. I wish you all the best.

Marisa: Thank you so much, Jen. It’s been a pleasure!

I hope you have enjoyed my interview with Marisa. Please stop by your favorite bookstore or local library branch and pick up a copy of FALLING TOGETHER today. Better yet, how would you like to win a copy instead?

Okay, be one of the first five readers to e-mail me at jensjewels@gmail.com with the correct answer to the following trivia question and you’ll win!

What was the name of Marisa’s first book published?

Later this month, I will be bringing to you my interview with Rosalind Lauer, author of A SIMPLE WINTER. You won’t want to miss it!

Until next time…

Jen

On the ten year anniversary of 9/11, many of us took time out of our hectic lives to reflect on what really matters to us as families and as a nation. Nowadays, the world is a much different place …one in which our children will have to navigate using difficult life lessons as a guide from generations past. Together, we can build a brighter tomorrow for the children of today.

This month’s Jen’s Jewels Amy Ephron has done her fair share of recollecting in her sensational new memoir LOOSE DIAMONDS …AND OTHER THINGS I’VE LOST (AND FOUND) ALONG THE WAY. In her typical deadpan fashion, Amy reminiscences about her own life experiences in love, marriage, and special friendships.
With just the right amount of humor peppered with down-to-earth honesty, she delivers yet another hilarious tale.

As part of this interview, William Morrow, an imprint of Harper Collins, has generously donated five copies for you, my favorite readers, to try to win. So, don’t forget to look for the trivia question at the end of the column. And to all those families touched by the tragic events of 9/11, my thoughts and prayers are with you as always.

Jen: A bestselling and award-winning novelist, your writing career has been quite extensive. So that my readers may catch a glimpse into the life of the woman behind the words, please share with us your educational and professional background.

Amy: I had a lot of jobs when I was younger. I was a film executive for awhile and I learned an enormous amount about film, production, and the difficulties associated with all. I was a producer on Alfonso Cuaron’s A Little Princess, with Mark Johnson, who is an extraordinary producer. It took us 7 years to get it made and was a labor of love. I am primarily a writer, novelist, and essayist, although I also publish an online magazine, One for the Table, which specializes in food, politics, and love. Last year I directed a short film, “Chloe@3AM,” a sort of deconstructed dance video about a bad Saturday night in LA (or a normal Saturday night in LA). It was amazing as I collaborated with my daughter, Maia Harari, and her dance company. The best part was that we were featured at the American Cinematheque in the Women’s Directors Festival and they screened it at the Egyptian Theatre, which was magical as it was built by my childhood friend “The Birdman” who is featured in the book, Stiles O. Clements, the man who lived across from me who collected birds. And I almost felt as if he was there. I hope I get to direct more (just putting that out there…).

Jen: Please describe for us your “Aha!” moment when you decided to take the plunge and pursue a career as a writer.

Amy: I don’t know that I had a proper “Aha!” moment. I always wrote, even as a child. I remember being at summer camp and trying to find a meadow where I could be alone. It’s not that I wasn’t athletic. I was about nine and I was going through a phase where all I wanted to do was write sort of abstract poetry. Kind of bad nine year-old poetry about soggy yellow crayons on the road which I guess I thought were a metaphor for something. I had a lot of jobs when I was younger, as writing can be a difficult way to earn your keep. I don’t really believe the Virginia Wolf statement: in order to write a woman must have money and a room of one’s own. It’s very helpful but some writers, like me, are just compelled to write.

Jen: In addition to writing for such well-known publications as Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, you also have your own online magazine One for the Table. Please share with us its premise while taking us on a brief tour of your website highlighting points of interest.

Amy: I started One for the Table during the Writers’ Strike in Los Angeles and feel very fortunate to have such amazing contributors: Laraine Newman, Steve Zaillian, Alan Zweibel, the amazing food writer, Matt Armendariz, and on and on. The focus is food, politics, and love, with a big emphasis on holidays (mostly centered around food, and holiday recipe extravaganzas, although we think watching “elections returns” is also an event that can be centered on food). It’s sort of emo with reflection and recipes, sometimes we focus on fresh and seasonal, sometimes a hamburger, sometimes the Iowa caucus or Super Tuesday, travel, a beloved pet, or a favorite tech gadget! We try to reflect the mood of the day, whether upscale or frugal or somewhere in between. Part of our philosophy is there aren’t enough waffles in the world and, sometimes, not all the time, you should order one for the table!

Jen: Your new release LOOSE DIAMONDS is a collection of reflective essays touching on traditional women’s issues like romance, friendship, marriage, and divorce. What was your inspiration for this compilation of ideas?

Amy: The book started with an essay I wrote for Vogue called “I Love Saks” about how, in a way, I can tell my life through Saks, the flagship store on 5th Avenue. The ups and downs, when I first went to New York and my mother bought me a hat so I could march in the Easter parade, years later, when I couldn’t actually afford to shop there but bought a TSE sweater so that the editor I was having lunch with wouldn’t know I actually “needed” to sell a book, key moments, like when I had my first child, and my oldest sister sent me a layette (which I needed badly). My editor of many years, Henry Ferris, at William Morrow read the piece in Vogue and suggested that I turn it into a memoir, pieces of a woman’s life, but it wasn’t until I’d published the second piece, “Loose Diamonds,” also in Vogue (about being burglarized and realizing that the real value of the pieces I lost was in the memories and the people who had given them to me) that the book started to take shape. I’m also a period writer. My novel, A Cup of Tea, is set in New York in 1917, so I love the idea of writing about the different aspects of a woman’s life (mine), in different decades, and from different ages and points of view. The simplicity and magic of childhood in “The Birdman”; the somewhat wild, edginess of the ’70s in “Champagne by the Case”; the complications of being a single working mother with a somewhat complicated ex in “Musical Chairs”; the later complications of a blended family in “Post-Modern Life.”

Jen: The book is written somewhat chronologically depicting certain milestones in your life. In terms of nuts and bolts, how did you go about selecting the themes?

Amy: In a way it’s about LA, in a way it’s about New York, but the later pieces are about anyone who ever tried to have a blended family, or what I call a Post-Modern Life, after a first divorce and a second marriage when there are children who are only related to each other through the accident of their parents’ second marriage, which is a theme I wanted to write about. Why women stay, why men stay, why you finally make the choice to leave. I also wanted to write about the many aspects of a woman’s life how circumstance and experience affect the way you view the world, and how it’s sometimes difficult (but always necessary) to pick yourself up after life takes an unexpected turn.

Jen: Growing up in Los Angeles, you have led such a colorful life. The vignette which stood out the most to me is The Bird Man (which you have mentioned briefly). How did your interaction with Mr. Clements affect your appreciation for the elderly?

Amy: I didn’t think of Stiles O. Clements (“The Birdman”) as “elderly.” He was so amazing, and educated and extraordinary-looking that there was a kind of ageless quality to him. And then there was that magical thing with the birds. I’d also to some degree, as the fourth of four daughters with parents who had a professional life and a fairly extensive social life, been raised in the company of grown-ups so I didn’t have that kind of segregated thing that kids sometimes have that they’re always in the company of children. As far as I was concerned, he was just an amazing grown-up person. And I was really happy to write this piece which in a way is an homage to him, to our friendship, to his work as an architect, and to the extraordinary care and kindness that he showed me.

Jen: A rather brazen escapade in your early years was an interview with the infamous Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme at an abandoned Southern California ranch. In retrospect, how did this experience positively affect your future career path in journalism? If you could turn back the clock, would you still have chosen to do the interview? Why or why not?

Amy: I was covering the Manson trial for a magazine called Scanlans, so the Squeaky Fromme interview was incidental to that. Would I go out to the Spahn Ranch, now? Probably not. Well, maybe…but with more initial trepidation. I was nineteen and fearless (or at least fear hadn’t entered into my consciousness yet). It was the old journalism (not the new instant online kind) and I was going to write two very long pieces when the trial ended – but the trial went on so long that the magazine had folded by the time the trial ended. The afternoon with Squeaky Fromme though always stayed with me, as if it were by accident she’d ended up there and I always wondered what if someone else had found her on that corner. I’ve always been fascinated by moments like that. In a way, A Cup of Tea, based on a Katherine Mansfield story, is all about that-an accidental meeting on a street corner in New York in 1917 that changes everyone’s lives.

Jen: In chapter 10, you touch upon your psychic abilities. In your opinion, what impact has the media had on the validity of such powers?

Amy: In LA, in the last few months, psychic storefronts have popped up on ever other corner. I don’t know if that’s a sign of the times, but I think either you believe in things like this or you don’t. I think in general the media doesn’t (and then someone comes along who’s six and had a near-death experience and…). But for people who’ve had numerous experiences where the coincidence seems too extraordinary to be explicable or a “feeling” that then turns out to be true is a common occurrence, there’s something to it.

Jen: Let’s switch gears now and talk about your promotional plans. Will you be making any scheduled book signing appearances?

Amy: Really excited that I’ve been invited to the opening of the West Hollywood Library/West Hollywood Book Fair with the amazing Shepard Fairy Mural that I think he just completed. A few JCC appearances in Atlanta, Houston, Cherry Hill, New Jersey; a party in New York which should be really fun and a signing at an actual bookstore, Diesel in Santa Monica.

Jen: Do you participate in Author Phone Chats? And if so, how would my readers go about scheduling one?

Amy: There’s one book club that’s one of the original book clubs in the country that I love to go to, as they’ve been doing it for so long and they’re extraordinary to watch since they’ve been friends forever and they almost finish each other’s sentences. But I don’t generally do phone chats, as I have so many other professional commitments and family obligations. And not to continue with a theme, but a psychic once predicted (ten years before this happened) and I had no idea what it meant and neither did she: “I see a building, it’s like a national monument or a train station and people in period dress and they’re all coming to see you. I have no idea what this is.” Me: “An Oscar?” Her: “No, it’s not the Academy Awards; I don’t know what it is.” And ten years later, someone fell in love with A Cup of Tea and threw a party at the train station there, the Union Train Station, an art deco masterpiece now maintained as a museum and invited a hundred people and they all came in period dress and they insisted that I come to Omaha for the “book/tea party.” It was really fun! I wish I still had that psychic’s phone number…

Jen: Do you participate in Social Media?

Amy: I am on Facebook with my Amy Ephron fan page, and I am on Twitter as @Oneforthetable. I love Twitter; I often go to it as a breaking news spot. I use it on my phone…. Sometimes I track my children on it (kidding), although Facebook can sometimes be helpful if you don’t know the exact city one of your offspring is in (half-kidding). But I love the sense of community of both. And some of the people I’m friends with and follow are really funny and sometimes informative.

Jen: Are you currently at work on your next project? And if so, what can you share with us?

Amy: Curiously, though I haven’t done anything like this since the Manson trial, I am covering the Dr. Conrad Murray trial (manslaughter for the death of Michael Jackson) for The Daily Beast and Newsweek. Opening statements are expected September 26th. I know, it’s going to be a circus and it’s really sad, on a lot of levels, but it fascinates me about the culture and the times and it’s very much about LA. Stay tuned…

Jen: Thank you so much for stopping by to chat with my readers. I wish you all the best.

Amy: Thank you so much for having me. It was really fun. And I love your blog!

I hope you have enjoyed my interview with Amy. Please stop by your favorite bookstore or local library branch and pick up a copy of LOOSE DIAMONDS today. Better yet, how would you like to win one instead?

Okay, be one of the first five readers to e-mail me at jensjewels@gmail.com with the correct answer to the following trivia question and you’ll win! Good luck!

What is the name of Amy’s online magazine?

In October, I will be bringing to you my interviews with Marisa de los Santos and Rosalind Lauer. You won’t want to miss them!

Until next time…

Jen