Thursday 19 June 2014

Introducing you to... Jennifer L. Mathison

WELCOME

It is our great pleasure to start our Dark Heart Volume 2 series of 'Introducing You To...' posts, by introducing you to the author Jennifer Mathison and her Dark Heart story, 'The Hunter.'

'The Hunter' is a goose-bump inducing fairy tale that explores the darker side of childhood obsession. When Josephine sets about the task of  collecting a fairy, things take a very darkly poetic turn. 

INTRODUCING: JENNIFER L. MATHISON


My name is Jennifer L. Mathison. I come from a small farming community in Saskatchewan, Canada. A place to which I’ve recently returned and which provides me with so much material for my work. These days I have begun to consider writing as my primary job although I do have another one that pays better… so far.

I’m also the author of “The Hunter”. It is the only young adult piece I have ever written, and am honored to have it featured in Dark Heart Volume 2.

When did you start writing ‘seriously’?

I’ve been writing my whole life. Since I was old enough to hold a pencil. But I began writing seriously in 2011 after I’d quit a stressful job I’d held for eight years, bringing me to the proverbial fork in the road … As I contemplated my life and  finally had the time and the space to think and to breathe and to just be…  I quite naturally fell back into writing. And I went after it with zest… It was like a dam had burst… all the stories I hadn’t had time to write previously just came pouring out.


What is the favourite thing you have ever written? Tell us a little about it.

A story called “Norah From Nowhere.” It’s a suspense thriller about a young woman who is running from her past and escapes to a house in the country, but little does she know what is waiting for her there.

 This story will always be my favourite because it’s the first one I wrote after I returned to fiction writing in 2011. It blew me away and showed me what I was capable of. Many stories were to follow, and it is now the title story of my book, “Norah From Nowhere and Other Stories” which will be available on Amazon either late this year or in the first half of 2015.

Tell us a little about your book.

“Norah From Nowhere and Other Stories” is a collection of suspense thrillers. It’s a blend of mystery, murder, ghosts, madness and romance that will take readers on a journey like no other.  But be warned –These stories will seep into your consciousness and haunt you long after they’ve been read. I’m very excited about the book’s release.

Who is your inspiration?

I admired Phyllis A. Whitney and Victoria Holt early on, but I can’t point to any one person as my inspiration. Every book I’ve ever loved has inspired me. But T.V shows like The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock movies, and other thriller/suspense classic movies have inspired me as well. I like subtlety. I like my stories to have a haunting kind of beauty… nothing gratuitous or in-your-face… the best thing you can give to the reader is the chance to use their own imaginations.


What are your hopes and ambitions for the future?

I hope to live a comfortable life in the country where I can write in the kind of peace only country life can offer. However, sometimes I think it would be great to live like Jessica Fletcher from the “Murder She Wrote”, series.  Minus tripping over dead bodies every place I go.


What would be your advice to aspiring writers?

There’s really only one piece of advice to give, and that is to sit down and write. I don’t think people who really want to be writers need anyone to tell them that. They do it because they must. I might suggest they write without any thoughts of getting published. Or worrying about what anyone will think of their work. Writing because you love it is the real reward, and anything that follows is icing on the cake.

Tell us a secret.

I’m magic. I have the ability to slip into another, more fascinating world any time I please… a place of my own creation where I can make anything happen, and become anyone I want to become…I can disappear at a moment’s notice and leave my all cares behind. And only I have the key to this world... No-one can follow me there. That’s what my writing has given to me.

Where can you find me? 

You can find me over on FACEBOOK 



3 comments:

  1. I can't tell you how good Jennifer is at writing you will have to read the words that come from her thoughts and find out for yourself. All I can say is that the stories I have had the chance to read, have always left me wanting more. My best to you Jen.

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  2. Thanks for stopping by and commenting Kevin; she certainly does have a flair for story telling. Here at Little Bird, we were totally captivated by her story. We're looking forward to reading more of her work too.

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  3. Jenny's talent for writing is nothing short of amazing. Every time I have read one of her stories I am captivated and marvel at how she develops her characters and the plot taking you to an ending you would never suspect. Truly, writing is her calling.

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