Good morning, everyone!
Today's blog post is all about the multi-talented author Kathleen M. Jacobs and her vast collection of publications.
Kathy has published everything from children's books, to middle-grade fiction, to young adult novels.
Her most recent two novels published with Jan-Carol Publishing have been Fireflies Dancing in the Night and Sophie & the Bookmobile.
In Fireflies Dancing in the Night, Luna begins to see the pink petals of the blossoming dogwood outside her classroom, and spring fever quickly turns to thoughts of summer vacation and her family's annual trip to visit relatives in the Midwest. They soon pack their car with everything they need, including Luna's pet hedgehog, Thistle, dreaming of watching the flickering fireflies dancing in the night.
This book is a story of the innocence of youth, the timeless beauty of nature, and the interwoven intricacies of the ties that bind us one to the other. It can be purchased online here.
Sophie & the Bookmobile follows Sophie and her family as they move from New York City to West Virginia. Sophie not only has to leave her friends and the city and library she loves so much, but also she has to figure out what will happen when she discovers that there is no library in her new town!
But when she discovers something called a bookmobile and other new treasures, all is right with the world. This is a delightful children's book that can be enjoyed by all ages, and it can be purchased online here.
***
Now, without further ado, please enjoy the following interview with Kathy, and please check out her author website at https://www.kathleenmjacobs.com/.
BOOKMARKED: How long have you known you wanted to be an author? What inspired you to go down that path?
KATHLEEN M. JACOBS: Quite honestly, I don't ever recall wanting to be an author. I do, though, recall wanting very much to be a writer. And when my family moved to the Appalachian region and I befriended the crystal clear creeks and the forests and the vernacular, I began to write stories. And I never stopped.
Too, I had always been a voracious reader, falling in love with books and libraries and the bookmobile that gifted more and more books with each visit to our small town. And then I fell in love with the characters in these books, and my English teachers and Harper Lee and Betty Smith. Becoming an author never occurred to me until many years later. I found it magical that those 26 letters of the alphabet could be tossed about to form words and sentences that mattered.
You've published many books over the years. Which would you recommend people read first who are wanting to get into your books, and why?
My debut YA novel, "Honeysuckle Holiday," is the core of my work. It was a ten-year process and the one story that I felt I had to tell. As a young girl growing up in the South in the late '60s, the racial tensions of that time troubled me. And when a favorite great-aunt recited a damaging racial chant one day, I not only found it incredulous and brutal, but I knew that I'd one day write a story about it in order to attempt to reverse its cruelty. As writers, we are called to find a way to right the wrongs that unfold around us.
Where do you typically get the inspiration for your stories?
Everywhere! Conversations I overhear; the physical world around me (particularly the Appalachian region); personal struggles; losses; childhood experiences; and place, place, place, because place is where it all originates. And most definitely from the works of master storytellers.
Amy Jo Burns recently posted on Instagram, "There are things you just never get over, and that's what I put in my books." I think those words resonate with every writer.
You've written all kinds of different genres, everything ranging from young adult, to middle-grade fiction, to children's books. What would you say are the individual challenges that come with each of those categories? Have you discovered you have a favorite genre to write in?
I think the challenge that comes with writing any genre is simply being able to tell a story that resonates with readers. The natural progression of evolving into a seasoned reader begins with fairy tales and children's picture books, and then moves into more advanced storytelling. And yet, as we grow into seasoned readers, we often find ourselves returning to those early examples. The story must work. It becomes timeless when we return to it over and over again and uncover something fresh.
A favorite genre? That's not an easy question to answer, but I will say that I still yearn to be Joan Didion when I grow up. I've written commentaries and essays for national and regional newspapers and other publications for the past thirty years. Essay writing calls to me in a very loud, consistent whisper.
What is your advice to aspiring authors looking to get published for the first time?
This question can be answered in great detail by reading my piece in the June issue of Voice Magazine for Women, "Lessons Learned Along the Way."
If I could compress that article into a few words, I would stress the importance of learning as much as you can about the publishing industry and identifying your expectations, asking yourself, "Why do I write?"
Is there anything you'd like to say to all of your fans and supporters?
From my first published pieces many years ago in fine literary journals, I've enjoyed every step of my writing/publishing journey, not only because I was taught by some of the finest to ever pick up a pen and write, but I've also been taught by so many who have considered my invitation to open their minds and thought of the possibilities.
I've had tremendous, objective support from everyone who has walked these steps with me since it all began thirty years ago. They encourage me to keep "fighting the good fight." But I think it's the young readers of my work who, while sharing with me what my work means to them, truly provide the strongest reason for me to keep writing stories.
A few weeks ago, a college student read "Honeysuckle Holiday." After we talked about the story's impact on her life (and mine), she said, "Your storytelling gave me confidence in my own writing." If, as writers, we can do that for an emerging author, then we've achieved a bit more than we set out to do. And, as Harper Lee wrote in a letter to me in 1995, "If you want to write, WRITE. Writing is a craft you can only master by doing."
***
Thank you so much again, Kathy, for your wonderful responses! To everyone who would like to read Kathy's publications for themselves, you can find them on Kathy's website, as well as on JCP's website.
I hope everyone has a fantastic week! Thanks for reading!
Allison Chudina
Magazine Content Editor & Editorial Assistant
Jan-Carol Publishing, Inc.
Bookmarked