Author Interview with Jennifer Clark and Stephonie Williams

Today’s Post is something new. I’m interviewing sisters Jennifer Clark and Stephonie Williams, co-authors of Mark of Royalty.

 

What have you read lately? 

 

Jennifer-  The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.  The imagery was so vivid that I dreamed about the circus for several nights after.

Stephonie- I have read several good books lately. But I think the one that struck a chord with me the most was I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett. 

Do you have any hidden talents? 

Jennifer is pretty modest so I’ll let you know some of her hidden talents.  She is an amazing artist. She has the unique talent of being able to see something then find a way to create her own version of it.  As a matter of fact she was so good at replicating Harry Potter memorabilia that Warner Brothers contacted her several times and requested that she ‘cease and desist’.

Stephonie- I love to quill.  I’m still learning but I really love it. It is an old art form that is being used in astonishing and innovative ways. If you don’t know what quilling is, do an internet search.  You will be amazed.

Tell a funny story. 

Growing up Jennifer and I would occasionally engage in arguments with some of the neighborhood kids. On one such occasion we came up with a brilliant way to get even, so to speak.  We took our dog’s dry kibble then gave each piece a quick dip in water, rolled them in powdered sugar, and wrapped them in wax paper. We then passed this off to some of the neighborhood kids as homemade candy.  They enjoyed it so much that Jennifer began selling it to them as they came back again and again to get more.

Writing Advice We Can Give To Others

Jennifer-  The best advice I have received: “If you want to make a living from your writing you  need to treat it like a business.  This includes your writing time, your submission process, your interaction with publishers etc. It all needs to be treated like a business.”

Stephonie- Nothing is written in stone.  Of course there are general guidelines that should be followed but in reality, anything is possible.  Dare to take a chance on your dream.

What are you working on now?

Jennifer- I recently had another manuscript accepted for publication by Covenant. Unbreakable Chain is slated to be released next year.

Stephonie and I have just finished and submitted the sequel to our first novel Mark of Royalty. And I am currently working on a contemporary suspense/romance, the story of a female coal miner.

Stephonie- I have been mulling over the idea of a middle grade or YA fantasy series–Not quite what anyone has ever seen before.

How do you come up with ideas for your books? 

Jennifer-  Dreams, writing prompts, and collaborative efforts with other people.  Some of my ideas also come from unusual and insightful experiences.

Stephonie- Interestingly enough, my ideas usually come when I am very very tired.  Often ideas hit me at the earliest hours of the morning on an important day when I should be getting as much sleep as possible instead of sitting in bed with my pencil and notepad frantically writing and not being able to keep up with the ideas as they spill over the paper.

You can read more about these authors at Stephonie’s Blog and Jennifer’s Blog. Here’s a music video about their book: