Author Interview ~ Jennifer AlLee

Jennifer AlLee was born in Hollywood, California. Until the age of 10 she and her family lived above the Utter McKinley Mortuary on the corner of Hollywood and Argyle, kitty-corner from the Pantages Theatre, and one block away from famous Hollywood and Vine (sadly, the location is now a parking lot).

Never one to be too normal for too long, she now lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with her husband and teenage son. Jennifer has done considerable contract work for Concordia Publishing House, most notably through her numerous contributions to their popular “My Devotions” series.

Time to crow: What new book or project do you have coming out?

My first book, The Love of His Brother, came out November 14th, and I’m just thrilled! It’s a contemporary romance about a young, pregnant widow who has to deal with the return of her prodigal brother-in-law and the emotional complications that come with him.

How did you come up with this story? Was there a specific 'what if' moment?

This story was a long time in the making. I got the idea in college after spending a summer in Montana. It struck me that having a woman fall in love with her brother-in-law would lend itself to lots of dramatic tension. But in order for her to have a brother-in-law, she had to be married, which meant I had to kill off the poor husband.

First I had him fall in the creek (which is pronounced “crick” in the part of Montana I visited), hit his head and drown. Then I decided he should be a rodeo rider, and he’d get thrown from a bull and trampled. Finally, I settled on something much less exotic, but equally as tragic. May you rest in peace, Cliff.

Every novelist has a journey. How long was your road to publication? How did you find out and what went through your mind?

I’ve sold little things here and there for the last twenty years. Since about 1992, I’ve done a fair amount of freelance work for Concordia Publishing House writing skits, Sunday School activity pages, and devotions.

When it comes to book publishing, that’s another story. I wrote a circus romance in college and sent a full manuscript to the Silhouette slush pile back in 1985. It was very nicely rejected, and then I got a day job and put the writing dream on a shelf.

Flash forward to 2001 when my husband strongly encouraged me to finish the book I’d been dabbling with for the last few years (yes, YEARS). I finally did, then I finally got an agent who finally sold the book. But I never got “the call.” I got “the email.” My agent and I do everything through email. Which is good, because I probably would have deafened her with my screams of happiness.

Do you ever bang your head against the wall from the dreaded writer's block? If so, how do you overcome it?

I consider it a good day when I don’t have a headache, so I never bang my head unless absolutely necessary! Sure, I get blocked, and sometimes I stay blocked for a few days. During that time I read… a lot. Then I have to pull myself back to the computer, plunk my bottom in the chair and just start writing. It’s really the only way I can get out of my funk. Usually, after a few initial bad sentences, I’ll start to get the feel for the story again and will get back on track. Praying is also a big help!

Novelists sometimes dig themselves into a hole over implausible plots, flat characters or a host of other problems. What's the most difficult part of writing for you?

I started writing my first book when I was in high school, so my writing was incredibly flowery… beyond purple. Over the years, my biggest obstacle by far has been the sagging middle (even more so now that I’m 43). Sustaining conflict and moving the characters forward in interesting ways over 60,000 words can be quite a challenge.

How did (or do) you climb out?

I just keep on learning. I love to read books on the craft of writing, because I always learn something new. And I recently attended my first American Christian Fiction Writers conference (go ACFW!) which was awesome. There’s nothing like being around 500 or so like-minded people, all willing to share and encourage, to make you want to be the best writer you can be.

Where do you write: In a cave, a coffeehouse, or a cozy attic nook?

I wrote The Love of His Brother while sitting on my bed, using a laptop I bought for $300 on eBay. Since then I’ve graduated and now have my very own office in our apartment. Sometimes my son or husband sneak in and borrow my computer, but for the most part, it’s my little haven of privacy.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I haven’t had a typical day yet! But the days that end up being like I wish a typical day would be go like this: I get up around 7:00 AM, grab an Atkins bar, and eat it at the computer while going over what I wrote the day before. Then I do my new writing.

Somewhere in there, my son wakes up and I feed him breakfast (we’ve home schooled for years, so his schedule is rather fluid.) After I’ve reached my writing goal, I spend the rest of the day checking emails, updating my blog, reading other people’s blogs, reading books, and doing the usual household stuff. That’s a good day.

Some authors report writing 5-10 thousand words a day. Do scenes flow freely from your veins or do you have to tweeze each word out?

How I wish I could squeeze out 5000 words! My goal is 1000 words a day, but I usually get closer to 1500. The times when it’s really hard to get words on the screen are when I don’t know where to go next. It sounds obvious, but it’s so true. I’ve found that reading what I wrote the day before helps prime the pump. Also, I try to end my writing day by making a note to myself of what comes next. This is a big help when I return to the project the next day.

Briefly take us through your process of writing a novel—from conception to revision.

I’m a real SOTP (seat of the pants) writer. For me, a lot of the fun is in discovering what comes next as I write it. But I discovered that I need to do a barebones outline, just to make sure the book is going to be long enough for the house I’m targeting. As for editing, I used to edit the beginning of the book to death, which was fine for the beginning, but I never got the end written. Now, I make it a point to complete the first draft before I do any major editing.

What are a few of your favorite books (not written by you) and why are they favorites?

Courting Trouble by Deeanne Gist. She creates such real characters, with quirks and flaws. I appreciate the humor she weaves into her stories, as well as the deeper emotions.

The Restorer by Sharon Hinck. I love fantasy, so was very excited about the premise of a soccer mom who ends up going through a portal to another realm. What I hadn’t expected was how it would speak to me on a spiritual level. I read it at the perfect time, and it really ministered to me.

Timeline by Michael Crichton. I’m fascinated by how Crichton takes scientific fact and theory and weaves them into a fantastic, way-out-there story. He makes me believe it really could happen. This one is probably my favorite because I’m a sucker for a good time travel yarn.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve heard?

Just write the book! Without a first draft, you’ve got nothing to edit. So sit down, get it done, and then go back and address anything that needs fixing.

What do you wish you’d known early in your career that might have saved you some time and/or frustration in writing? In publishing?

I wish I’d realized how long everything takes. Once I committed myself, it took a year to finish writing the book, including revisions. It took about two years to get an agent, then a year and a half to sell the book (during which I did two different rewrites for two different houses that ended up passing on the project), then a year and a half after the sale before the book was printed. Patience is definitely an important quality for a writer.

How much marketing do you do? What have you found that particularly works well for you?

Being that this is my first book, I’m something of a marketing virgin. I’ve got a website and a blog. I’m submitting the book for reviews, which is scary and exciting at the same time. Since I have a long history of working for and within the Pacific Southwest District of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (isn’t that a mouthful?) I’m sending postcards and emails to all the churches in the district, and hope to have at least one church book signing. I’ll let you know if I stumble across something that works really well for me.

Do you have any parting words of advice?

Persevere! If God gave you the dream to be a writer, don’t let go no matter how much rejection you have to endure. This incredible journey you’re on is all part of the master plan. Relish it!

For more information about my book or if you want to know what else I’m up to, please visit my website. Thanks so much for this opportunity to be interviewed at Novel Journey. It was a blast!