J is for: What's up with the name Jennifer?

When I was a teenager, I decided I wanted a different name than the one my parents gave me. I tried out all kinds of names, wrote them with my last name in a notebook the way some people do with their boyfriend's last names, but I was sure that "Megan" did not fit me. I was not a Megan. But everything I tried either sounded like an 19th century novel or a stripper.
I even asked my mom if there were any other names they were considering when I was born. (My sister was almost Mercedes. After the car. I know. My mom put her foot down.) But "Hilary", while great for the Secretary of State, didn't fit me at all. I have internalized Megan. And I'm cool with that. At the time I was born, Megan was a very uncommon name, even though there are lots and lots of little girls running around with that moniker these days.
So what is my beef with the name Jennifer? Nothing. Well, except there seems to be a cosmic collusion to give people with the name Jennifer the ability to write amazing books. I don't know if I've pointed this out to you yet, but I have a very good friend from high school, Jennifer Nielsen, whose books have exploded onto the scene. Her newest, the first in the Ascendance Trilogy, The False Prince, just came out this month. I got it yesterday. Read it yesterday. It has been compared to both Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games and Megan Whelan Turner's Newberry Award winning The Thief. I've read both. Enjoyed both. In my opinion, The False Prince blew them out of the water. It was that good.
So I mentioned I got the book yesterday. My very good friend, Jennifer Griffith, also a published author, had purchased the book for me for my birthday. Read her review of The False Prince (and the funny thing that happened with this copy of the book before it reached me). Jennifer Griffith's new book, Big In Japan, is due out in July. I helped her, in a small way, prepare it for submission, and I can tell you it's gonna be big. (No pun intended.) Funny, sweet, and exciting, this book defies genre, but is all together wonderful. (I wish I had a link of some sort to a trailer or cover or something, but I don't have one yet. Come back in July. I'm sure I'll have all kinds of stuff then.)
Of course, I can't fail to mention our very own Jenni James, who while I don't know her personally, is the co-founder with Nikki of this blog. She has seven children, cans, and can write books in a single bound. Like in three weeks. When I was at the ANWA conference, the publisher of her Jane Austen Diaries, Walnut Springs Press, was there. Her editor, Linda Mulleneaux, mentioned Jenni as the only author she knew who could write a book in two months and submit it almost perfectly ready for print.
So here I have three real life examples of Mormon Mommy Writers, all named Jennifer, and all, it seems, with the writing "green thumb". I've been mulling this over for a while, wondering if there was some kind of magic in that name. That if you have that name, and you're a writer, you have a golden ticket to writing fabulous books.
But after I'd pondered this for a while, it occurred to me that I knew something else about these women. They are all determined, driven, and darn hard workers. That while it's an amazing coincidence, what really makes these women worth emulating is their ability to see the job through, to work even when it's hard, and to keep the end goal in sight.
So there it is. I will NOT be changing my name to Jennifer. I will, however, be tempted to tattoo "Determined, Driven, and Darn Hard Worker" on my forearm, if only to continually remind myself that these qualities are the ones that get books written and published.

Lesson 8: CryBaby

I teach a writing secrets class for teens over here.

Many of them had expressed I taught them how I was able to make them cry in my stories that they've read and how they can use this 'secret' to help them.  

Saturday, I posted-- Lesson 8: CryBaby.  The message is a good one so I thought I'd post the secret here as well... and offer you the same Homework Homefun assignment.  

Homework HOMEFUN ASSIGNMENT:
Tell me about an instance in your life that was sad, or emotional that you can use to show emotions in your stories.  

I'm an Author

My book came out this week.  I'm an author.

It's slowly making its way to the stores.  It's even on kindle and nook now too.  I'm an author.

This past week I've spent several days talking with a potential movie producer ( a man from where my books are set) discussing my vision for the series, etc.  How best to incorporate the community, and how much we can give back to them locally.  I'm an author.

I got my first one star review, yesterday.  That's all it was--just one star--no review, just the star.  I guess those are the best kind because you can convince yourself it was given on accident.  I'm an author.

I've had to already go through final edits of my second book.  It will go to press either this week or next.  They want it printed early, so it can catch all the great reviews before it's released in October. They're rushing the cover now.  I'm an author.

Meanwhile, opportunities for me to sign and speak have been coming in... now, it's just trying to coordinate and figure which times are best, etc.  I'm an author.

Anyway...
This is what it really feels like to be a published author.

You know, I always wondered what it would feel like, even before I'd ever decided I wanted to write, I wondered what this would feel like... and guess what?

I feel the same.  The exact same.

I'm just me.  A busy mom who's now all of the sudden a lot more busier.  (If that's possible.)  I'm still the same happy.  I'm still the same sad.  I'm still the same, well, everything.  It wasn't a magic publishing wand that suddenly made me more of a person, more of a daughter of God, a better, more successful woman.  Nope.  People treat me differently--but I'm still the same.  Same insecurities, same securities, same worries, same hope and faith.  Same overwhelming love for my Heavenly Father.

I'm just me.  I'm an author.

I've Found My Way!

Hi. I'm Jenni James and I've been a Mormon Mommy Writer for the past 2 1/2 years.  :)  After a brief stint away, I am back to stay.

As many of you know, I've been on quite the publishing journey the past year and have just now realized why it's taken me until so long to finally have it all sorted out.  Though my story would be considered nothing short of nightmarish for some,  I've come to see how grateful I am it's all worked out the way it has.

I do have a new publisher for The Jane Austen Diaries, and printing on Pride & Popularity is supposed to begin this month... but that's not what I want to talk about today.  Instead, I want to focus on the amazing miracle that has taken place.

I remembered why I began writing to begin with.

It's true.  All this time, ever since snagging my agent and then publisher, I've been caught up in the whirlwind of fame.  Of reaching out and promoting and dreaming, dreaming, dreaming.  Everything came easily at first.  Everything.  I had Hollywood producers knocking, overseas contracts coming in, and huge companies begging to endorse my series.  Heck, I even had a television crew propose to turn my life into a reality show.  Mormon Mom Writes While Raising her Growing Brood.  (erm, yes, I told them no.)

However, when my publisher began to wobble, their finances strained, and no book was printed.  Everything began to unravel.  My dreams began to *poof* in front of my eyes.  I even had an unbook launch, without a book,.  But I held on to that fame dream, held on to the belief my publisher would come through for me in the end.

And then last March, I finally walked away and started again.

When I started over, an amazing thing happened.  I no longer cared about the fame.  I didn't want a big launch party, or massive endorsements, or book signings all over the country.  Instead, I realized I just wanted my book read by teens.  That's it.

I began writing to change the world one book at a time.  I began writing, because Heavenly Father needed me to.  He pleaded with me to show the teens of today amazing good characters to fall in love with and emulate.  To reach out and give those teens an opportunity to follow their dreams and be an example to them all.  I began writing so I could start this blog, and inspire other Mormon moms to do the same.

Jenni James is back.  Her purpose has been renewed and her REAL dream remembered.  I thank my Heavenly Father every day for providing me with the trials he has, because if it were not for His heartbreaking reminders I may have very easily lost sight of it all.

It's good to be home.
Jenni

P.S. Another great adventure on my way to remembering why I'm writing:  I've begun a free writer's course designed especially for teens.  From time to time, I'll be posting extra lessons, along with mine, from visiting authors.  If you'd like to be one of those authors, let me know. :)  Or if you have a teen wanting to learn writing secrets--have them come and join the 750 others who've already joined. (though they're super shy and only about 1% comment. :) ).http://jennijameswritingclass.blogspot.com/