Hi everyone, today we have author J.L. Mbewe with us! Jennette is an author, artist, mother, wife, but not always in that order. Born and raised in Minnesota, she now braves the heat of Texas, but pines for the Northern Lights and the lakes of home every autumn. She loves trying to capture the abstract and make it concrete. She is currently living her second childhood with her wonderful husband and two precious children who don’t seem to mind her eclectic collections of rocks, shells, and swords, among other things. Here, between reality and dreams, you will find her busily creating worlds inhabited by all sorts of fantasy creatures and characters, all questing about and discovering true love amid lots of peril.
Now onto the interview!
1) What is your favorite part of speculative fiction?
I love the potential that speculative fiction offers to writers and readers alike. The incredible adventures, the fantastical creatures and beings, the way it can take us beyond the realm we can see and touch yet helps us to see our own world so much more clearer.
2) Everyone seems to have a “how I got published” story. What is yours?
Back in 2013, my first story was picked up by a small press, but soon after we went our separate ways. Once the rights reverted back to me, I republished my first book under my own imprint. Since then I’ve published the remaining trilogy as well as the short stories set in the same world.
3) What is the one author, living or dead, who you would like to co-write a book with someday and why?
I would love to co-write a book with J. K. Rowling. I LOVE her creativity, the way she tells the story, makes her characters come to life and weaves the mystery through the entire series.
4) If you could travel anywhere for book research (all expenses paid) where would you go and why?
Oh my goodness! Could I just travel the world? I LOVE learning about other cultures and seeing the beauty of the world around us. It would be so hard to just choose one place! But if I could, I’d choose . . . Europe. Because castles. Ha! Although, I feel that is a bit cliché.
5) What were some of the challenges for you writing your book?
Oh my. I wrote a whole blog post about the challenges of writing Curse Bound. Not only was I starting from scratch AND I had started working full time outside the home, I also had more storylines to juggle and bring together for the epic battle at the end.
6) What is your favorite thing you have ever written?
That is such a hard question. I really LOVE Curse Bound and how everything came together for the characters. I also love the short stories Indestructible and A Princess No More.
7) Besides speculative fiction, what other genre would you like to write in?
I am eclectic in my reading. Since I could read, I’ve been into westerns, cozy mysteries, and historical fiction. I would love to explore some of those genres, yet I’m not sure I could totally leave my love for fantasy behind completely.
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Thank you, Jennette! Here is where you can find her online:
Website http://www.jlmbewe.com/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6591778.J_L_Mbewe
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jlmbewe
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jlmbewe/
Twitter https://twitter.com/JLMbewe
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/jennettembewe/
Thank you so much for the interview!