never did I think that I wanted to or could write a novel. But the gift of a dream was given to me…
This week, we were fortunate enough to sit down with Deborah K. Jensen, an inspiring indie author with a killer book called Beyond Escape, an exciting new novel based on a true story with family secrets, betrayal, murder, and lust. She shared with us how she melded this true story with one of fiction, and how she found time to make her dream a reality.
1) You’ve been writing for many years. Did you always want to write mysteries?
When I was a young girl, I fell in love with the idea of writing and told my third-grade teacher that I wanted to be an author right after one of my poems was published in the Red Cross magazine. My desire was to write children’s books and never did I think that I wanted to or could write a novel. But the gift of a dream was given to me and Beyond Escape was born. I took that dream and added real life experiences and circumstances to complete the book.
taking a real life experience and making the characters come to life was easy as I already knew and loved them
2) We hear that you got the idea for Beyond Escape from true events. What was it like taking a real story and reinventing it as your own in fiction? Did it pose different challenges than completely inventing a story?
Yes, Beyond Escape was inspired by true events. Many of my family and friends are portrayed in the book. For me, taking a real life experience and making the characters come to life was easy as I already knew and loved them. I did have one challenge and I wasn’t sure how it would play out. I was unsure how the “real life” characters would like reading about themselves and especially with some of the mystery still unsolved. I did think about it often as I was writing and wondered if I should edit some portions but decided that I wanted to tell the story and would rely on the fact that I was writing it as fiction.
3) This mystery is as much about a woman finding herself as it is about discovering deadly “skeletons in the closet,” so to speak. Would you say this is women’s fiction as well as mystery? Was it challenging melding the two genres?
It’s interesting that you mention two genres as it has been fun trying to figure out what genre Beyond Escape is. I would have to say that there are actually three involved, romance, women’s fiction, and mystery. I didn’t want it to be classified as just romance or just women’s fiction as I have had many men read it and have given it great reviews. So to answer your question, no it was not hard melding the genres, it was more challenging marketing what genre the book was as it’s a little bit of each and holds many a readers interests.
4) Now a process question! What advice do you have for writers trying to find the time to write? Would you say that writing Beyond Escape was a task you had to set aside time to really focus on, or was it something that easily poured out of you? What did you feel when you finally “finished” writing?
As I have a full-time job outside of writing, finding the time to write was challenging. I don’t have a home office so for me removing myself from home gives me the best atmosphere to write. I often write in small dark coffee shops. To many writers, that might be quite distracting but for me, it inspires my creativity. For a few years, I would take off from work the week between Christmas and New Years’ and rent a room in Stillwater, Minnesota and just write. I got a lot accomplished during these times.
5) Talk a bit about your marketing process. What was the best thing you learned about marketing your book?
Learning social media has been a big challenge for me but one I have learned is key for today’s authors. However, when I recently assessed my marketing plan after reading a few articles from fellow writers, I realized it’s just as important to make sure you are in front of your readers and making sure you get to know them, but more importantly that they get you know you, the author. Jane Porter is a great example of this. She not only does a lot of in person events but she also has a great connection with her online audience. Her blog posts are excellent in letting her fans inside her life which makes them really connect with her.
an author needs a balance in their marketing efforts…
6) You’ve been pretty active on social media as well as scheduling book readings, book clubs, etc. Do you think there’s a perfect balance to strive for in marketing? What was the most effective thing you did to market your book?
As I indicated in the previous question, I found that an author needs a balance in their marketing efforts. One over the other is not more important but both are equally needed.
7) Beyond Escape is written in a way that hints at a sequel. Can we expect one in the near future? Have you started writing one?
Yes, I am writing a sequel to Beyond Escape. It’s was bit of a challenge at first but then I found my voice. Beyond Escape had so much reality in it that the writing really flowed. This time I was stuck at finding my characters again. Then one day I stopped writing and wrote down who the characters really were. I knew them and they had not changed from the last book but I needed to reconnect with them, digging deeper into who they are. It was such a great exercise for me to do and now the words are flowing again which makes me happy.
Thanks for a great interview, Deborah! Readers, do you have any questions for Deb about the writing or marketing of her women’s mystery, Beyond Escape?
To find Deborah K. Jensen, visit deborahkjensen.com or connect with her on:
Twitter: @DeborahKJensen
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