Author Spotlight: Jennifer Shaw Cronin
Name: Jennifer Shaw Cronin
Hometown: Medfield, MA
Book Title: Under the Hidden Moon
Genre: Adventure
Dorrance Publishing (DP): Describe your book in 10 words or less.
Jennifer Cronin (JC): A fun action/adventure story featuring strong, independent women.
DP: What made you want to write your book?
JC: I love to read and I had wanted to write a book for the past 15 years. I had a couple of false starts, but this time I persevered!
DP: How long did it take you to write your book?
JC: 11 months
DP: How do you choose the names of your characters?
JC: I have always loved the name Fiona and if I had had a boy, we would have named him Liam. The other names I just looked online at names and picked the ones I liked. For my villain, Abbott Nelson, I have no idea where that name came from it just pooped right out onto the page.
DP: What do you do when you have writer’s block?
JC: I usually do research or read instead of trying to force words.
DP: What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
JC: I enjoyed their trip to Alaska. Someday I would love to go to Alaska so I had fun reading travel books, looking at photographs online and doing the general research that went into writing about their trip.
DP: If you were stuck on an island and had to have one person from each category with you, who would they be and why:
a. One character from your book:
JC: Fiona, she is pretty tough and would keep things interesting.
b. One fictional character:
JC: Jamie Fraser from the Outlander series!
c. One famous person (living or dead):
JC: Robin Williams
DP: Besides writing, what are your other interests?
JC: I love CrossFit, hiking, reading, and cooking.
DP: Do you keep a journal?
JC: I do, and I write in it almost every day.
DP: How did you celebrate the publishing of your book?
JC: I haven’t really celebrated yet. I must admit I’ve been a bit anxious about the whole process. All of a sudden, I am putting my work out there for everyone to see and judge. I think I will celebrate after my book signing my first event!
DP: If your book was made into a movie, who would play the main characters?
JC: Maybe Amy Adams for Fiona and Chris Hemsworth for Liam.
DP: What did you enjoy most about working with Dorrance Publishing?
JC: Everyone has been so supportive each step of the way. It was always easy to ask a question and I never felt like my questions weren’t important.
DP: Five favorite books of all time?
JC: This is a tough one! There are so many books I love. I know the entire Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon is a real favorite. Dean Koontz’s Intensity for scaring me to death. Michael Crichton’s Timeline. I saw her speak the day her book was released and have a signed copy, Disappearing Earth by Julia Philips and Kristin Hannah’s The Great Alone.
DP: One sentence of advice for other writers:
JC: Make it a habit to write every day even if it’s only a couple of words.
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