Jennifer Anne Davis Interview

1.In your novel, THE VOICE, can you relate to any of your characters? Is your personality resonating in any of them?

The main character, Audrey, was actually a difficult person for me to create because she goes through this crazy traumatic experience. I had to put myself in her shoes in order to write her. It was a really hard place to go to.

2. Every author has their story about their road to publication. How was your road?

Long! I wrote a book and tried to get it published with little success. At the time, I had no idea what I was doing or even what genre I was writing. Then I entered an essay contest and won! My essay was published in a book and this fueled my desire to keep on writing. I realized then that I loved to read young adult novels and decided to write the book I wanted to read. I outlined THE VOICE, wrote it in four months, revised it for almost a year, then sent it out to agents and publishers. I had several people interested in the story. I ended up going with a small publishing house that specializes in YA books and I couldn’t be happier!

3. How did you come up with the idea for THE VOICE?

I kept having a reoccurring dream involving a girl that was locked in a cabin. At first I planned to have her guardian angel rescue her but then I thought that the angel thing was overdone. I liked the idea of telepathy, so I just kept playing around with the story until I had something that worked.

4. Where do you write? Kitchen, living room, park?

When I’m first outlining and drafting a story, I write curled up on the couch. However, when revising, I always work in my office sitting at a desk. Revising is really hard for me so I need to be in a quiet place.

5. Can you describe yourself and your interests?

Well, I am first and foremost, a mother of three young kids! Writing happens when they are either at school or in bed! But I read whenever I can. On average I read two books a week (always YA books). I also love taking my kids to the beach and just being with my family.

6. How does it feel like being a debut author?

It’s an odd mixture of pure joy and complete and utter fear. I am so excited that my dream of becoming a published author is here! When I saw the advanced reader copy of my book with my picture and name on it, I cried! It was so surreal. But the thought of people reading and judging my work is hard. I really hope people enjoy the story. I’m trying to grow thick skin because I know not everyone will love it, and that’s okay (at least that’s what I keep telling myself). I get butterflies in my stomach just thinking about its release day!!

7. Do you plan on writing anymore novels? Can you tell us a bit about them?

I signed a new three book deal with my publisher. The first book is tentatively entitled THE KEY and is slated for a release date in 2014. The first book is written and I’m about to begin edits with my editor. I am currently writing book two in the series. THE KEY series is completely different from THE VOICE. THE VOICE is a contemporary novel whereas THE KEY is a fantasy novel set in a medieval kingdom. It’s about the return of the sole surviving heir, mistakenly left alive after the entire royal family was massacred seventeen years ago, when the kingdom fell. And that’s all I can say for now!

You can visit me at www.JenniferAnneDavis.com for updates and news! Please feel free to follow me on FB, Twitter, and Goodreads! All links can be accessed via my website!


Thanks for the great interview Jennifer!! Check out Jennifer's debut novel, THE VOICE, out on January 29, 2013!

Laguna Cove by Alyson Noel

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Age Group: Young Adults
Rating: 3.5/5
Source: Bought

Moving to sunny Southern Cal feels like punishment to 17-year-old Anne.  The hippie-ish school is different from her old one on the East Coast, and the social scene is all about hanging out at the beach and surfing.  And then there's Ellie: beautiful, competitive queen of the social scene who takes an instant disliking to Anne.  So when Chris--one of Ellie's oldest friends and, oh yeah, the most gorgeous guy in school--reaches out to Anne and offers to teach her how to surf, sparks fly...in more ways than one.

I've had this book on my shelf for a long time and I decided to read it. I've read every other Alyson Noel book and I've loved them all and I was pretty excited about this one and not because it sounded good, but because it was written by Alyson Noel and if you're a reader of this blog, you know I absolutely love Alyson Noel and her books. She's defiantly one of my favorite authors. 

I felt as though the book started a bit slow and even thought the writing was good, the plot didn't have much of a hit for me. I was hoping there was going to be a budding cute romance, and even though there was, it didn't have any magic. Also, mean girl Ellie, became nice and the book turned out to be more of a happy - lesson learned book rather than a book filled with romance, gossip, and a big competition in the end. I really was hoping that there was going to be a lot more competition for the surf contest between Ellie and Anne, but there was none and the plot fell short. Plus, I didn't think there was a climax in the story that made me jump or give me any emotions. 

If you're at the beach, this is a fun book to read and enjoy. It's a very quick read, but it's not very memorable. The summery makes the story sound as though it has more potential than it actually does.