Interview Jeannine D. Van Eperen

by

Jeremy Benjamin

1) If you had to classify your writing career by genre, how would you prefer to advertise yourself?

Hmm. I write in several genres, so I'm not sure how to answer this. Perhaps a one-word classification would be multi-genre; is that a word? I write contemporary and historical fiction as well as romance and mainstream general literature. Maybe I'd better call myself unclassified.

2) It seems that the majority of your fiction is geographically centered around the southwestern United States. Would you say that the landscape of that region is a driving inspirational force in your work?

Yes, in many of my books, the Southwest is the featured setting. I've lived mostly in New Mexico, but also in Texas, Colorado, California and Washington in the West. Before the Star Fades takes place primarily in California on a fictional ranch somewhere north of San Luis Obispo. I do enjoy western scenery. However, some of my books take place in France, England and the Midwest and Eastern states.

3) I understand you’ve published several ebooks. What are your thoughts on the advent of electronic literature and the emerging market thereof? Do you see the medium as a significant innovation, and is it something you strongly support?

I believe that ebooks are the coming thing. I have an ebookreader and love the fact that I can enter fifteen books into it, and carry it around with so many books in so little space. I've taken my reader with me on trips and I also have featured it in talks, and people, even those up in years, think it a wonderful way to read, especially those ebook readers that can change the size of the text to make small type larger and readable for people with poor eyesight. I strongly support electronic publication.

4) To what extent--if any--would you say that your novel is autobiographical?

Not at all. The very first book I wrote, years ago, was semi-autobiographical, and it was a wonderful learning tool. It never sold and I have never put myself into another book. I sometimes do put things that I love into a books theme, but never me.

5) If you had to pinpoint what sparked the inspiration for Before The Star Fades, what would it be?

Before The Star Fades is the third book in a series that began with Children Of St. Yves and then Lila's Protégé. I felt that though each book can stand alone, I wanted to go on with the story of the character Jeffrey Laurance. I guess I fell in love with the character and didn't want to let go until his complete story was told.

6) Who are your literary influences, and what do you currently read?

Though I don't profess to write like any of the authors who influence me, I must say that Norah Lofts, Anya Seton and Susan Howatch have influenced me, as well as Ayn Rand, but I have never tried to write like them. They all write a good story, with characters that live on in one's mind long after their story is finished, and I think that none of them settled for one genre and wrote in many. Currently, I read books by Nelson De Mille, David Baldacci, Susan Howatch, Colleen McCullough, Sharon Kay Penman, Robert Crais to mention well-known authors. I also have a love-hate relationship with Joyce Carol Oates. I either love her work or hate it.

7): Are you married? Do you have children? Pets?

I am married to Lou and have a grown son, Daniel McGrew, and grown stepson, Ray. I'm also a grandmother. I have had pet dogs in the past, but when my Pekinese, Happy, died, I didn't replace him, but maybe someday we'll get another dog.

8) What other hats do you wear during the day, aside from author?

I've retired from my other jobs, so now can devote as much time as I wish to writing. In addition to writing, I review books under my own name and under a pseudonym. I put out a monthly newsletter for a political club. That's pretty much it. Oddly enough, I think I wrote more when I worked full-time.

9) In as much or as little detail as you wish to go into, tell me your life story.

I was born in Beloit, Wisconsin and lived in Chicago, Illinois from about five years to my late teens, when my family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico. I have an older brother and sister. I studied ballet, did some dancing, was a teenage model and have appeared in Little Theatre on the arts side of my life, but I have worked in the banking and insurance industries, was Director of Publicity for the University of Albuquerque and was a motel manager. I'm a private pilot. I love downhill skiing. My husband and I travel whenever we can. While doing everything else, I've always loved to write and I now have a dozen published novels to my credit as well as articles and short stories in various publications.

10) If there’s any consistent guiding message or philosophy that a reader might take away from your work, how would you summarize it?

I don't believe I have a guiding message or philosophy. I just write to entertain and hope that readers find some merit in my work. Perhaps, a message might be “Believe in yourself.”

11) Have you ever been approached with the prospect of a film adaptation of one of your novels? What would be your reaction to such a proposition?

No, but I've written screenplays to two of my novels, Hearts in ¾ Time and Love and All That Jazz. I just did it to prove to myself that I could, but if any producer out there is looking… My reaction, I'd take the money and run!

12) Where do you see your writing career as heading in the future?

I have several more manuscripts under contract so you'll be seeing more of my work from Wings in the future. I hope everyone will keep an eye out for my next scheduled Wings book, Daughter of Spain, which is the book of my heart about the settling of New Mexico in the early 1600s.

Thank you, Jeremy for your very thought-provoking questions.