Author Profile:
Name: Jenn Brink
Book Published: Black Roses
Where to find the book: goodreads, amazon, Barnes&Noble
Where to find the author: jennbrink.com, goodreads, facebook, twitter
Book Published: Black Roses
Where to find the book: goodreads, amazon, Barnes&Noble
Where to find the author: jennbrink.com, goodreads, facebook, twitter
Quick Bio:
With a Master's degree in Psychological Services and ten years of experience in counseling every aspect of the mental health field, Jenn Brink has heard it all. Now, rather than working with interesting characters, she has decided to write about them.
Check out her website to learn more about Jenn and her books.
With a Master's degree in Psychological Services and ten years of experience in counseling every aspect of the mental health field, Jenn Brink has heard it all. Now, rather than working with interesting characters, she has decided to write about them.
Check out her website to learn more about Jenn and her books.
Interview:
Q: Hemmingway once said, “All characters are at least a little autobiographical because they lived at least in the authors mind”, how
autobiographical are your characters?
A: At least in my case, Hemmingway was onto something. Although my characters are all fictional, they are also based on real people. Jessie is heavily based on myself, with some tweaking. Wolf, Greg, Tiny, Angel, Jim, Chris, etc. are also based on people I’ve known, some more so than others, all of them tweaked. Many of them are a mix of several different people. If you look closely, you may see someone you know.
Q: What is the most interesting fan-question you’ve been asked about your book?
A: I’ve had some interesting questions. I love when people ask because I know that they didn’t just read my book, they got into
it. One person surprised me by asking what happened to one of the less significant characters in the book. It made me smile because it showed that they really got into that character.
Q: Besides the Jessica Hart books, are you working on anything right
now?
A: I’m glad you asked! I’m working something very different from The Jessica Hart Series. It’s called ‘Nail Polish, Push Up Bras & Pirate Ships. It’s a YA paranormal pirate adventure. Think Pirates of the Caribbean with a modern day setting. In order to keep it from a teen point of view, I’m collaborating with teen Morgan Rogers. It’s going to be EPIC!
Q: Is it hard for you to kill off characters, even if they only appear in the story for a moment, or he/she is a horrible, nasty person?
A: There is no good way to answer this question. Either I say yes and I’m a sap, or I say no and I’m a literary sociopath. To be honest, it depends. Is it a character that
I’ve put any amount of time into? Do I know them, their background, their family? I go deep into my characters to find out who they are and why they are the way they are. In that case, yes. It’s like having someone you
know die. But, if it’s just a non-developed character, a face in the crowd, it’s not as emotional. Like reading the obituaries, just someone who died, albeit in an unconventional way.
Q: Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
A: The best advice I’ve been given is, write the story you want to read. I’d add to that, make it the best you can, then separate it from your pride and make it better.
Showcase Question:
You and your two main characters, Jessie and Wolf, are the last three tributes left in the Hunger Games, what happens?
Honestly, you pitted us against Wolf? Jessie and I, we’re so gonna die. Unless, we can bond together to take him out, maybe use his protectionist traits against him.
And lastly, can you share a teaser from your current work, pretty please? I just have to get some more of Jessie, November is so far away! I can’t live without a sneak-peak.
Sure! I’ll share a little from Cerulean Seas: book two in the Jessica Hart Series due to be released in November 2013.
A shiver of fear surged down my spine as I stood staring at a small bowl of white powder sitting next to an assortment of mirrors, cut glass, and razor blades. We were on a huge yacht with a group of dangerous looking … cousins? Sex, drugs . . . what kind of mess had we wondered into this time? I raised an eyebrow in a silent plea for normalcy.
“Maybe its sugar.”
Barbie licked her finger, touched it to the white powder then licked the finger again. “Nope, its coke.”
I gave her a shocked look.
“Don’t look at me like that. My third husband was an international drug king pin. Remember, that’s why I divorced him.”
She frowned before adding, “That and he sucked in bed when he was high.”
“I thought you divorced him because he embezzled three million dollars from that bank.”
“That was husband number two,” she casually stated while continuing her
snooping.
“Because he was a double agent?” I asked.
“Husband number one,” she corrected me.
“I guess I can tell you, now that we’re through, Jonathan wasn’t just a cross dresser playing for the other team. He was also an international art thief.”
“That explains the too expensive, even for him, artwork he gave you. It’s like you’re attracted to dirt bags.”
“I couldn’t pick worse if I tried,” she admitted nonchalantly.
“You kept the art?," I asked.
“Had to give it up.” She sadly shook her head.
“Even Dogs Playing Poker?” I asked.
“I’ll get you a good reproduction when you finally get stable,” she offered.
“Somehow, it’s just not the same,” I pouted.
“You’ll never be able to tell the difference,” she assured me.
With my right hand, I wiped an inordinate amount of sweat off my brow. “I don’t feel so good. I hope this is the bathroom.” I opened a door to the back of the room. “Holy Shit!”
Q: Hemmingway once said, “All characters are at least a little autobiographical because they lived at least in the authors mind”, how
autobiographical are your characters?
A: At least in my case, Hemmingway was onto something. Although my characters are all fictional, they are also based on real people. Jessie is heavily based on myself, with some tweaking. Wolf, Greg, Tiny, Angel, Jim, Chris, etc. are also based on people I’ve known, some more so than others, all of them tweaked. Many of them are a mix of several different people. If you look closely, you may see someone you know.
Q: What is the most interesting fan-question you’ve been asked about your book?
A: I’ve had some interesting questions. I love when people ask because I know that they didn’t just read my book, they got into
it. One person surprised me by asking what happened to one of the less significant characters in the book. It made me smile because it showed that they really got into that character.
Q: Besides the Jessica Hart books, are you working on anything right
now?
A: I’m glad you asked! I’m working something very different from The Jessica Hart Series. It’s called ‘Nail Polish, Push Up Bras & Pirate Ships. It’s a YA paranormal pirate adventure. Think Pirates of the Caribbean with a modern day setting. In order to keep it from a teen point of view, I’m collaborating with teen Morgan Rogers. It’s going to be EPIC!
Q: Is it hard for you to kill off characters, even if they only appear in the story for a moment, or he/she is a horrible, nasty person?
A: There is no good way to answer this question. Either I say yes and I’m a sap, or I say no and I’m a literary sociopath. To be honest, it depends. Is it a character that
I’ve put any amount of time into? Do I know them, their background, their family? I go deep into my characters to find out who they are and why they are the way they are. In that case, yes. It’s like having someone you
know die. But, if it’s just a non-developed character, a face in the crowd, it’s not as emotional. Like reading the obituaries, just someone who died, albeit in an unconventional way.
Q: Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
A: The best advice I’ve been given is, write the story you want to read. I’d add to that, make it the best you can, then separate it from your pride and make it better.
Showcase Question:
You and your two main characters, Jessie and Wolf, are the last three tributes left in the Hunger Games, what happens?
Honestly, you pitted us against Wolf? Jessie and I, we’re so gonna die. Unless, we can bond together to take him out, maybe use his protectionist traits against him.
And lastly, can you share a teaser from your current work, pretty please? I just have to get some more of Jessie, November is so far away! I can’t live without a sneak-peak.
Sure! I’ll share a little from Cerulean Seas: book two in the Jessica Hart Series due to be released in November 2013.
A shiver of fear surged down my spine as I stood staring at a small bowl of white powder sitting next to an assortment of mirrors, cut glass, and razor blades. We were on a huge yacht with a group of dangerous looking … cousins? Sex, drugs . . . what kind of mess had we wondered into this time? I raised an eyebrow in a silent plea for normalcy.
“Maybe its sugar.”
Barbie licked her finger, touched it to the white powder then licked the finger again. “Nope, its coke.”
I gave her a shocked look.
“Don’t look at me like that. My third husband was an international drug king pin. Remember, that’s why I divorced him.”
She frowned before adding, “That and he sucked in bed when he was high.”
“I thought you divorced him because he embezzled three million dollars from that bank.”
“That was husband number two,” she casually stated while continuing her
snooping.
“Because he was a double agent?” I asked.
“Husband number one,” she corrected me.
“I guess I can tell you, now that we’re through, Jonathan wasn’t just a cross dresser playing for the other team. He was also an international art thief.”
“That explains the too expensive, even for him, artwork he gave you. It’s like you’re attracted to dirt bags.”
“I couldn’t pick worse if I tried,” she admitted nonchalantly.
“You kept the art?," I asked.
“Had to give it up.” She sadly shook her head.
“Even Dogs Playing Poker?” I asked.
“I’ll get you a good reproduction when you finally get stable,” she offered.
“Somehow, it’s just not the same,” I pouted.
“You’ll never be able to tell the difference,” she assured me.
With my right hand, I wiped an inordinate amount of sweat off my brow. “I don’t feel so good. I hope this is the bathroom.” I opened a door to the back of the room. “Holy Shit!”