Thursday, January 11, 2018

Interview with Erin A. Jensen, DREAM WATERS


Do you have any tattoos?
Funny you should ask.  I don’t have any tattoos right now—partly because I’m a big baby when it comes to pain, and partly because I could never decide on an image I’d want permanently inked on my body—but when I started my journey as a writer, I vowed to get a dragon tattoo to celebrate when Dream Waters reached a milestone number of reviews.  I don’t divulge that number for fear of actually reaching my goal and having to go through with it.  Although, I did make the mistake of sharing the goal with my husband and friends, and I’m pretty sure they’ll hold me to my word.

Is your life anything like it was two years ago?
No, not at all!  I really wish I could go back in time and tell my past self where I’d be today.  Two years ago, I’d been working on Dream Waters (Book One of my series) for a couple years.  The only people who even knew I was writing a book were my husband, my two sons and my best friend.  Fast forward two years, and I’ve published the first two books in my series, the third is with my editor and I’m twenty-one chapters into writing the fourth book.  The Manhattan Book Review gave my debut novel a glowing five star review.  Amazon and Goodreads reviews for my first two books have been overwhelmingly positive.  I have fans in multiple countries, and I’ve gained dear friends on the other side of the globe.  I’m also fortunate enough to have a huge local fan base thanks to my astoundingly supportive employer.  I’m a part-time pharmacist for Wegmans Food and Pharmacy.  When my store manager learned that I’d written a novel, he approached me about selling the book in my home store and doing a book signing.  My first two books have since become the number one and number two bestselling books in my store, my first book signing resulted in more sales than celebrity signings larger stores in the chain had hosted in the past and my books are sold in multiple stores in the chain—all of which have hosted book signings for me.  Now, I run into fans all the time at work and on the street.  It never fails to thrill me when someone stops me to tell me how much they love my books!

How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing poetry since high school, but my first attempt at writing a novel began about four years ago.  I’d been kicking around the notion for a while and when I told my husband I was toying with the idea of writing a novel, he encouraged me to go for it and follow my dream.  The joy of capturing my stories on paper and sharing them with the world is indescribable.  I feel like this is what I was made to do, and I can’t imagine doing anything else.
 
What advice would you give a new writer just starting out?
Don’t let anybody stop you from doing what you love.  There are going to be setbacks, rejection letters, negative reviews and discouraging sales.  Those bumps in the road will crush you at times and you’ll be tempted to quit.  Don’t.  Just let it all go and keep moving forward.  Keep reading—anything and everything you can get your hands on—read outside your genre, and soak it all up like a sponge because it will broaden your horizons and make you a better writer.  Most importantly, keep on writing.  The more you write, the better you’ll get.  Relish every second of the emotional rollercoaster ride—both the ups and the downs—because there’s nothing else like it.  Chase after your dream.  Give it everything you’ve got and no matter what the outcome is, you’ll never have to look back and wonder what might have been.
 
Tell us something about your newest release that is NOT in the blurb.
My soon to be released novel, Dream Sight (Book Three of the Dream Waters Series), is the book that’s nearest and dearest to my heart.  Several of its scenes have been in my head since I first started writing the series.  The backstory I’ve been dying to share for ages is revealed in this book.  I’ve also brought back a character from Book One who doesn’t appear at all in Book Two.  When I wrote the first two books, I had no idea how many people would fall in love with Bob.  I brought Bob back in Book Three because my fans adored him so much, and I couldn’t be happier with what he added to the story.

DREAM WATERS
Book One of The Dream Waters Series

All his life, Charlie Oliver has watched the people around him morph into creatures that no one else sees.  Unlike the rest of the world, Charlie remembers the Waters that transport him to the Dream World each night.  And he sees glimpses of people’s Dream forms in the waking world.  Condemned to spend his waking hours in a psychiatric facility because of his Dream Sight, Charlie doesn’t expect anything to change.  But everything starts changing the day Emma Talbot walks through the door in the middle of a group therapy session.

Haunted by memories of the events that led to her admission, Emma plans to end her life the first chance she gets.  But something about Charlie stops her.  From the moment they shake hands, his friendship feels safe and familiar.  As Emma begins to let down her guard, Charlie catches a glimpse of the fiery-eyed dragon that lurks behind her Dream form.  Each night, as Emma dreams of the man who’s been banned from visiting, Charlie searches the Dream World for the monster that shadows her.  But when Emma’s suppressed memories begin to surface, Charlie finds more monsters than he bargained for.

Dream Waters: Book One of The Dream Waters Series

The first book is on sale for $0.99



AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Erin Jensen is a part-time pharmacist and a fulltime creator of imaginary worlds.  She lives in upstate NY with her incredibly supportive husband, two sons (who are both taller than her) and a Yorkshire terrier who thinks he’s the family bodyguard.  In the early days of her writing career, Erin vowed to get a dragon tattoo—once her books received a milestone number of reviews—but she won’t disclose that number any longer, for fear of actually reaching her goal and having to go through with it.




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