Hi all! Shannon here, saying goodbye to another week and another lovely author, J.C. Cervantes. You’ve been fabulous, friend. Thank you for joining us.
If you’re on social media, please give her a visit and tell her how grateful we are that she stopped by the blog to share her stories and her wisdom. You can find Jen here:
We’ve talked about her upcoming release, The Storm Runner, but be sure to take a look at Jen’s award-winning debut novel, Tortilla Sun. That cover makes me want to fly!
Today’s panel question is:
Jen: Childhood is the time of imagination and mystery. Of dragons and monsters. Of first loves and magic spells. But truth be told, I didn’t “decide” per se. The universe tapped me on the shoulder and I answered. Once I wrote my first kids’ book, I knew something magical and rare had happened, something that would change me forever. Plus, I really love magic and monsters!
Steph: I don’t know, honestly. I’ve tried writing for adults a few times, and I really struggle with it. Even though I’m a legit adult and it doesn’t seem like it would be that hard. There’s just something about the untapped potential of the teenage years that draws me.
Jill: My husband and I were working in youth ministry at the time, so I was around a lot of teenagers. I have always gravitated toward the readers and shared books with them, so when I started writing, that was the only age that interests me. I have since written books for kids and some for adults, but I am still partial to the teen years. There is something about discovering life and adventure for the first time that makes a story more interesting to me.
Shan: I get asked this question a lot. And so sometimes I feel like a broken record when I answer it, but the truth is just as powerful and just as true as when I first started writing for teens.
One of the most inspiring things to watch is when a person, any person, rises up to face their fears and instead of being swallowed by them like they have a zillion times before, they ball up their fist and punch fear square in the face. Fear may steal things from us from time to time, but I don’t believe we have to let it win. Those teenage years are so full of angst and growth and trials and grappling and coming into your own. It’s the ideal place to examine the fight and the superiority of a soul that says, “I’m afraid, but I’m doing it anyway.” Stories that capture the genuine spirit of this set me weeping and cheering. I want to write those stories.