Interview with Jen Lane:
Tell us about how your upbringing or life experiences have impacted
your writing.
My upbringing involved listening, soothing, and reading,
which led to my careers in psychology and writing. The foundations for my
psychology career started because I was the youngest of three girls and
couldn’t get a word in with my blabby older sisters, so I became a listener and
observer. I also took on the role of smoothing out conflict in my family for
some reason. As a child, I loved to read and write.
For a story like Streamline, which has young characters dealing with
some heavier issues, how were you able to approach these topics with a young
adult audience in mind?
I wrote this book in 2007 when I hadn’t even heard of the YA
genre. I just wrote the story I needed to write. Streamline was my first novel.
Explain what the process of writing a book is like for you
emotionally. Do you come away feeling
energized, emotionally wiped out or both?
I’ve had both experiences. Writing intense therapy sessions
bowls me over emotionally. Finishing a chapter fills me with joy!
When you wrote Streamline, did you ever picture any particular actors
playing your main characters? Which ones and why?
Wentworth Miller is my celebrity crush and writing
inspiration. I picture Leo as a young Went. Terrence Howard could easily play
Leo’s father, Commander James Scott.
Which is easier, writing the book or coming up with a title? Which came
first in this case?
Deciding on the title was tough! The story’s initial title
was Swimming Against the Tide, but I
wanted to emphasize the positive by changing it to Streamline.
Can you name an author who has influenced your writing in some way? How
has their craft affected yours?
I used to gobble up every Jonathan Kellerman novel,
featuring a psychologist hero. Now I love Pamela Clare, my favorite romantic
suspense author.
Did you relate to any one particular character more than another? Which
one was easiest/hardest to write and why?
Leo Scott, the hero of Streamline,
still lives in my heart. I poured a lot of emotion into that young man. He’s
full of imperfections but has such integrity and striving.
You are an author of multiple works.
In your experience, do you feel it is getting easier or harder for new
authors to break into the field of fiction writing? If you could offer one
piece of advice to those hopeful authors, what would it be?
From what I’ve heard, this is an amazing time for new
authors. But first you must FINISH that first novel. Assess what helps you
write best (writing with a friend, having critique partners, rewarding yourself
for reaching goals, listening to music, writing daily, staying off the
internet, etc.) and set goals that enable you to get one step closer to
finishing.
Streamline turns one-year-old this week! We're celebrating with a giveaway.
Seems like Leo Scott has it all: looks, brains, and athletic talent. He's captain of his high school swim team with a bright future in college and beyond. But Leo has secrets. His mother's crippling car accident has devastated his family and left Leo to deal with his father's abuse, battered and alone.
Leo's girlfriend Audrey Rose is poised for her own share of success. As one of Florida's top high school swimmers, Audrey dreams of college swimming stardom. But there's an obstacle to her glorious rise to the top. Her number one supporter--her father--is in prison for murder.
Part murder mystery, part tale of young love in a military family, this gripping story takes readers on a journey from Pensacola to Annapolis. Leo and Audrey must band together to rise above the adversity they encounter and find their true selves in the process. When everything's on the line...streamline.
"What an emotional journey! I don't think I have ever cried over a character so much in my life."
~Dani from Paulette's Papers
"The issues that are touched upon in the story: family, substance abuse, teen relationships, trust, honor...they are dealt with in an amazingly realistic, unglossed manner."
~Andrea from The Bookish Babe
"Overall, Streamline is a wonderfully, emotionally complex story about the ones we love, the ones we hurt, the mistakes that break the human heart, and the unconditional love that puts the pieces back together."
~Dani from Refracted Light Reviews
Streamline at Amazon for $2.99
Streamline at Barnes & Noble for $2.99
Author Jennifer Lane is giving away one signed print copy of Streamline to a US winner and three ebooks to international winners. To enter, complete the Rafflecopter form.
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