Interview with Jennifer Honeybourn, Author of 'When Life Gives You Demons': Some people have school spirit. Shelby Black has real ones. **Giveaway**
When Life Gives You Demons Jennifer Honeybourn
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: July 17th 2018
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
Some people have school spirit.
Shelby Black has real ones.
Shelby Black has spent the past six months training to be an exorcist. Her great-uncle Roy―a Catholic priest―has put her through exorcist boot camp hell, hoping to develop her talent, but ohmygod, he still doesn’t trust her to do an exorcism on her own.
High school is hard enough without having to explain that you fight demons for a living, so Shelby keeps her extracurricular activity to herself. The last thing she wants is for her crush, Spencer, to find out what she does in her off time.
But Shelby knows how to keep a secret―even a big one. Like the fact that her mom left under mysterious circumstances and it’s all her fault. Shelby is hellbent on finding her mom, no matter what it costs her―even if what it ends up costing her is her soul AND a relationship with Spencer.
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An Interview with Jennifer Honeybourn
Welcome to Character Madness and Musings, please tell us a little about yourself.
My first YA novel, WESLEY JAMES RUINED MY LIFE, debuted last year. I love to read and I’m pretty much never without a book. I’m always thinking either about the book I’m working on or ideas for books. I love to travel – London is probably my favorite place in the world, but I also really love Hawaii. I’d like to go to Sweden and Greece and the southern US, among many other places. Like almost everyone else on the planet, I’m a fan of Harry Potter. One of my highlights last year was visiting Harry Potter’s World of Wizardry in Los Angeles. I currently live just outside of Vancouver, BC, but this summer I’m moving across Canada to Stratford, Ontario with my family.
Tell us about your newest book.
WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU DEMONS is a story about a girl who is reluctantly training to be an exorcist. Shelby’s great-uncle is a Catholic priest and he believes she has a gift for expelling demons. She’s keeping her extracurricular activities a secret from her friends but that’s becoming harder and harder to do.
Is it available now?
WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU DEMONS is available in bookstores and online as of July 17, 2018.
Have you published any others?
Yes, my debut novel WESLEY JAMES RUINED MY LIFE, was released last summer. It’s about a girl who is suddenly forced to deal with her arch nemesis when he returns to town and is hired at the medieval restaurant where she works.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing most of my life, but I only got serious about writing YA within the last eight years or so. I spent almost twenty years in corporate communications, where writing was a big part of my job. It taught me a lot about meeting deadlines and writing through it, even when you don’t necessarily feel inspired.
What inspires your stories?
I was inspired to write WESLEY JAMES RUINED MY LIFE after I attended a renaissance fair. For WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU DEMONS, I wanted to write a fun paranormal. I like interesting settings or places that you don’t necessarily expect to read about. For me, a story almost always starts with the setting.
Titles are tough. How did you come up with your title?
Titles are very tough and I was having a hard time coming up with something that fit this book. My publisher, Swoon Reads, actually crowdsourced title suggestions on their website (www.swoonreads.com) and as a result, I owe a big thank you to Jessica Hansen for coming up with the perfect title!
When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was in elementary school. I’ve spent my life writing, in some form or another. Being an author is truly a dream and I feel very lucky.
Is theme an important concept in your stories? If so, is it personal for you, or something you feel strongly about?
I don’t consciously set out to write about a theme. I’m sure there are themes in there, but I haven’t really analyzed my books for them, believe it or not. I focus on writing fun stories that will entertain the reader because those are generally the books that I always love the most.
What do you look for most in a book when you’re reading, and how do you incorporate that into your own writing?
I usually look for good writing and solid plots, something on the lighter side. A book needs to pull me in right away. There are so many authors that I admire (Stephanie Perkins, Becky Albertalli, Emma Mills, Jenn Bennett, to name but a few) and I try to give the reader the same happy experience that I have when I’m reading their books.
What can we expect to see from you in the future, any books on the backburner?
I’m currently working on my third book for Swoon Reads about a teen hotel maid in Maui, whose efforts to fix her terrible luck by returning items she's stolen from guests are thwarted when her luck-stealing past catches up with her.
Is there anything you want to add before we close our interview?
Thank you for the opportunity!!
You're welcome. Thank you for being with us today. Good luck with your new book.
Author Bio
Jennifer Honeybourn works in corporate communications in Vancouver, British Columbia. She’s a fan of British accents, Broadway musicals, and epic, happily-ever-after love stories. If she could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, she’d have high tea with Walt Disney, JK Rowling, and her nana. She lives with her husband, daughter and cat in a house filled with books. Wesley James Ruined My Life is her first novel.
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Thanks for hosting today, Jena!
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