Jennifer Ziegler is here today to talk about her book Sense & Serendipity.
Check out the bottom of the post for information on an amazing giveaway being hosted for a copy of the book and Jane Austen's Sense & Sensibility.
1. Sass & Serendipity puts focus on the relationship between two sisters. Where did you get the idea for this type of story?
From Jane Austen. I love her novels, and even though I feel Pride and Prejudice is probably her masterwork, I’ve always had a soft spot for Sense and Sensibility and the plight of the two Dashwood sisters. I have a sister (I’m the older one), and I could relate to how Marianne and Elinor were so different, yet so devoted to each other – even when they clashed. It doesn’t matter whether you live in Britain during the Regency era or in small-town, modern-day Texas, your sibling can be both your biggest nuisance and greatest ally – sometimes at the same time. Thus, Sass & Serendipity is a tribute to both Austen and my sister Amanda.
2. Daphne and Gabby are two very different characters. Can you tell us a little about them in your own words?
Daphne is a dreamer. She is bright, cheerful, optimistic, and aching to be loved. To others she might appear flighty and forgetful, but to her she’s simply focused on more important things – like finding a soul mate. Daphne feels like a loser next to her brilliant, beautiful sister, but she also wishes Gabby would ease up and giggle with her now and then.
Gabby is very driven. She is responsible, hard-working, and intensely private. In fact, there is only one person she can open up to: her best friend Mule – but she’s even kept a few things from him. While Gabby puts a lot of pressure on herself to achieve and help out with the family finances, she also resents being the super reliable sister. She secretly wishes she could be as charming and happy-go-lucky as Daphne.
3. How do you balance writing with family life? Any tips?
Not well. I could probably use some tips myself. I’ve been writing full-time for fifteen years now, and I don’t think I’ve gotten better with the balancing act. Routines work for a while and then get fudged. Boundaries get flimsy. Time and energy are always precious. Every night when I go to bed I feel guilty about something. Either I feel I should have had more quality one-on-one time with the kids or have been more productive writing-wise. Just once I’d like to drift off feeling that I’d spent my day perfectly.
While the juggling doesn’t get easier, I do think I’ve come around to a level of acceptance. Neither family nor writing will ever be easy – nor should they be. The things that are inherently difficult and risky are also the most rewarding in life. All we can do is our best.
All that said, if I was asked for advice, I would probably emphasize that you should not forget to take care of yourself. When you are a parent and/or spouse, people depend on you, and when you are a writer, all the raw materials you work with come from you. You can’t be of much help to anyone (fictional or breathing) if you are exhausted, tense, or glum. There’s a reason the flight attendants tell caregivers to put the oxygen masks on themselves first. So let loose now and then! Rest and have fun!
4. Can you tell us 5 little-known facts about you?
I make excellent salsa.
I am double-jointed.
I’m a major Beatles fan.
I am afraid of geckos.
I can do an awesome Grover Monster voice (which is quite similar to my Yoda voice).
Sass & Serendipity by Janenifer Ziegler
Publisher: Delecorte Press (July 12th, 2011)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 350 pages
Daphne Rivera and her sister Gabby could not be more different.
For fifteen-year-old Daphne, the glass is always half full, a dab of lip-gloss can ward off a bad day, and the boy of her dreams—the one she's read about in all of her beloved romance novels—is waiting for her just around the corner.
But Daphne’s older sister Gabby wishes Daphne would get real. In Gabby’s world, everyone’s out for themselves, wearing makeup is a waste of time, and boys only distract you from studying before they break your heart. The only boy Gabby trusts is her best friend, Mule, who has always been there for her.
Both Gabby and Daphne are still reeling from their parents’ divorce, though in very different ways. While Gabby will never forgive her unreliable father for failing her mother, Daphne idolizes her daddy and is sure that everything would work out fine if her cranky mom would just let him back into their lives.
When a crisis leaves the girls and their mom homeless, help comes from an unexpected source, and both girls are courted by surprise suitors who shake up their views of the world. Suddenly the glass isn’t so clearly half empty or half full.. and love seems a lot more complicated than they ever could have imagined.
A Sassy Giveaway!
Three lucky winners will each receive one copy of Janenifer Ziegler's SASS & SERENDIPITY along with Jane Austen's classic, SENSE AND SENSIBILITY.
To enter, send an e-mail to SassandSerendipity@gmail.com.
- In the body of the e-mail, include your name, mailing address, and e-mail address (if you're under 13, submit a parent's name and e-mail address).
- One entry per person; prizes will only be shipped to US or Canadian addresses.
- Entries must be received by midnight (PDT) on 8/5/11.
- Winners will be selected in a random drawing on 8/6/11 and notified via email.
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