$25 Giveaway Interview WILD OPEN FACES by Jennifer G. Edelson @JGEauthor Ends 2.20

1. What is on your nightstand?

Oh my gosh, my nightstand is a nightmare! It’s like a repository for stuff that exists just to be knocked to the floor every night as I’m climbing into bed. Right now, book-wise, I’ve got novels by V.E. Schwab, K.A. Tucker, and Julia Debarrizo piled up on top of UFO related books I’m reading for research. Other than that? A bowl of crystals and rocks I’ve collected, or that have been given to me, a large hunk of raw Malachite, ‘miracle’ sand from El Santuario de Chimayó from Chimayo, NM, lip balms, salve, two huge bottles of lotion (it’s so dry here in Santa Fe in the winter!), hairbands, earplugs, my journal, an eraser, a pocket Sudoku book, and about twenty pencils and pens.

2. What author would you totally fan?

I’d give a lot to meet my all-time favorite writer, Albert Camus (existential anarchist, activist, journalist, and Nobel prize winner for the book The Stranger). Originally from Alegria, Camus was an anti-colonialist/anti-nationalist who strongly disagreed with authoritative colonialism and the harsh treatment of Arabs and Berbers by French authorities. He worked for the leftist newspaper Alger Republican, and as editor-in-chief at the Paris-Soir, a mainstream French Newspaper, while secretly working with the underground resistance against the Germans during the French Occupation.

Aside from Camus’ gorgeous prose, his ability to peg the human condition continues to astound me. His work puts my world into perspective; his writing, both his prose and the subjects he writes about also challenges me to examine meaning, to dig deeper when I write and when I interact with people. On paper at least, Camus also seemed like the kind of person who stood up for what he believed in, and in the face of awfulness, never lost faith in humans or of his duty, just by nature of being human himself, to society or himself.

3. What makes you cringe?

People who eat popcorn loudly in a movie theater, young children running rampant in public spaces (yes, I have my own, and yes, I get it, but still . . .), people who are mean just because, and what seems to be a growing general lack of societal courteousness and human decency when it comes to interacting with strangers.  And these days especially, strangers that want to corner me to talk politics.

4. Do you obsessively plot out each point or just go with the flow?

I don’t traditionally outline my characters’ backstories or map out my plot. I kind of just write and see what ends up on the page. In that way, my writing process is more organic. Also, I’m just really bad at being organized.  But for my last book, Wild Open Faces, I did actually do a lot of outlining. Wild Open Faces is a lot more of a plot driven book than I’m used to writing, and a lot of research went into it.  So I found myself outlining to stay focused and organized.  But the book I’m working on now, True North . . . I’m back to my old ways, unfortunately.

5. Is there a word you love to use?

Just one? Ugh! I love words. For now, let’s go with superfluous and ubiquitous, for no other reason than I really love the way they feel in my mouth when I say them.

Also, if you have any pictures of your pet you would like to share, please attach them.  My readers love animals!

Praise for BETWEEN WILD & RUIN

“What could be a corny premise turns into an exhilarating, fun ride in Edelson’s adept hands. Her characters are smartly drawn, and readers will easily identify with Ruby, a strong yet insecure young artist on the verge of adulthood, who is still recovering from her tragic past . . . Fans of Twilight and modern fairy tales will fall in love with Ruby and root for her eventual romance.” —Blue Ink Review (Starred Review)

“Between Wild and Ruin is a stunning story of legends, romance, and destiny with themes of starting over, small towns, beauty, and community . . . Edelson perfectly breathes new life in mythology by honoring the oral tradition of a small community and the ruins that bring to life Ruby’s destiny.” —Manhattan Book Review

“Highly recommended to mature teens through new adult and adult audiences, this is a story that lingers in the mind long after its final revelation.” —Midwest Book Review

“A great addition to young adult urban fantasy.” —Seattle Book Review

“Descriptions of the New Mexico landscape are rich and atmospheric, arousing the senses with references to the scent of smoke and juniper, the predatory roar of mountain lions, and the brilliant dazzle of stars in the desert sky . . . The writing conveys a sense of timelessness, making it easy to believe Ruby’s sense that the land is spirit-haunted and that Leo, the handsome young man she encounters near the ruins, is somehow connected to it all.” —Clarion Forward

“An intriguing historical tale and an over-the-top love-quadrangle romance.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The paranormal aspects of the tale are credible and richly steeped in traditional lore, and the plot is finely crafted . . . Between Wild and Ruin is most highly recommended.” —Reader’s Favorite (5-Star Review)