Author Interview with Jennifer Hartz

Everyone, please join me in welcoming fellow Desert Breeze author Jenn Hartz to my blogging stage. Jenn's here to talk to her about her debut novel.

You must be excited about your debut novel, Future Savior Book One: Conception. No book is more special than your first! Could you please tell us a little bit about it?

Jennifer: Hey Nicole! Thanks so much for having me on your blog. The Future Savior Series is the byproduct of a ridiculously long commute. I have an hour and a half drive… one-way. That's three hours in the car! One day, while driving, I started to daydream about interesting characters and the fantastical land of Meric. I would let my mind conjure up different storylines for my mystical characters, pulling out the things that really worked and filing them away in my memory bank. For three months these daydreams continued until I finally realized I needed to sit down and write.

The best way I can sum up Future Savior is to say that it is a combination of all the stories I have ever loved. It is essentially a Christian fantasy series, similar to The Lord of the Rings, but modernized and with a major romantic storyline as the main focus. There are also some subtle sci-fi elements and a huge cliffhanger that stems from the season finales of my favorite sitcoms. What? We have to wait all summer to find out if Ross and Rachel get together?!

The story revolves around Christina Vaughn, a seemingly ordinary person who is thrust into an extraordinary situation only to find out she's not as ordinary as she assumed. As Christina makes her way through her amazing fantasy-like adventure, she learns a great deal about her unbelievable past. She falls in love along the way, all the while battling horrific monsters and struggling with her remarkable destiny.

I love reading series. How many books will be in the series and will Christina, the narrator from Book One, be the narrator for all of the books?

Jennifer: There are five books planned for the series. I am pleased to say that I have them pretty well mapped out and I’m almost half way finished with Book Two: Resurrection which is due out in June. Future Savior is Christina’s story to tell so she’ll be narrating the entire series.

What genres do you like to write and why?

Jennifer: Anything speculative! Or, more specifically, Speculative Christian Fiction. Speculative includes fantasy, sci-fi, horror, urban fantasy, time-travel, and all the other "not so normal" genres. I write this particular genre because this is the genre I'm drawn to. I have always loved anything speculative. From Star Wars to The Chronicles of Narnia and from Harry Potter to Twilight I just can't get enough!

Me too, I love speculative fiction, although I haven't tried to write sci-fi yet. What do you do, other than write of course?

Jennifer: I have a wonderful husband and an awesome two-year-old son. Naturally, I spend as much time with them as possible. Maybe someday I’ll make enough money as a writer to do that full-time, but until then I work as a teacher. I really enjoy working with my Middle School and High School students; they can be so much fun! I also enjoy attending church and I serve in the two-year-old room helping with the child care.

Aw, my oldest is turning two in October. Family's really important to me. How do you find time to write with so much on your plate?

Jennifer: My own writing schedule is very minimal. My husband works nights so I make sure to write for at least one hour on the evenings that he is at work after my son is in bed. Not a lot of time, but even with this meager timetable I was able to complete Future Savior: Conception in two months because I was diligent. Of course, now trying to juggle book promotion on top of everything else I have even less time to write. I hope I can make my June deadline!!!

You don't have to tell me how hard it is to juggle everything that comes with being a writer! You're preaching to the choir, lol Thank you for being on my blog today. Before you go, please share some links, and how about a quick peek at Future Savior: Conception?

 Jennifer: Sure!

Website

Facebook

Twitter

DBP Buy link

Thanks again for having me here, Nicole. Please check out the following excerpt from
Conception:

When the last Vaipe lay dead, he walked toward me, wiping the blood and gore off his face. I stared, amazed by what he just accomplished.

He looked me over, drawing the back of his hand across his cheek. "Are you alright?"

It was a loaded question. Was I physically injured? Was I mentally scarred for life?

I replayed the last few minutes in my head. I witnessed a man being eaten and Shaw slaying
more than twenty Vaipes. The stuff of nightmares.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Even though I wanted my statement to sound brave, I couldn't control the
shakiness of my voice.

"You should go inside one of the houses," Shaw reiterated.

I was about remind him of my last answer to that suggestion when a Vaipe leapt at us from on
top of the fence. I dropped my sword and tried to shove Shaw out of the way, but he was just out of my arms reach. My telekinetic powers kicked in again and I brushed Shaw off to the side with my left hand as easily as sweeping dust from a shelf. With my right hand, I held the Vaipe in midair. It looked at me with such hatred and rage that I couldn't help but scoff ever so slightly. Then I thrust my right arm as hard as I could, throwing the Vaipe into the fence knocking the wind out of it. Grabbing my sword again, I ran to the dazed monster. I hesitated for just one second, wondering if it was right to kill something that was knocked unconscious, when its eyes snapped open and it snarled at me, bracing for attack. The instinct to protect myself outweighed my moral debate, and I slashed it straight through heart.

I turned back to Shaw, breathing hard. He stared at me with raised eyebrows and a slightly open mouth.

I smiled. "How can I go inside a house when clearly you need my help."

Shaw snorted a laugh. "Clearly." He gathered up his bow and nodded for me to follow.