Featured Interview With Jennifer Lynn Alvarez
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I moved all over the western United States as a child, always the new kid! I learned to observe others and my best friend was my diary, which is probably why I’m a writer today. I’ve chosen to settle in Northern California, and I hope never to move again!
I live with my three children and my husband. We have two horses (Maddie and Comet), two dogs, (Roxie and Daisy), and three cats (Dash, Cinder, and Nevy). All of us love animals!
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My first grade teacher was concerned that I wouldn’t learn to read. But the problem was that I never stopped talking! Once I began to read, I fell in love with books (and probably spoke less too).
I began a diary when I was eight years old. Soon after, I began writing poems and short stories. But it wasn’t until I read Watership Down by Richard Adams that I decided I wanted to be a novelist. I wanted to write a book just like Watership Down, but with horses. It took me a while to write that book. First I wrote several others, beginning at age 19. Then one day, after I turned 40, I imagined wild horses with wings! Immediately I wrote the manuscript of my dreams and submitted it to an agent. She signed me immediately and sold the book to HarperCollins Children’s Books. I’m now the proud author of THE GUARDIAN HERD middle grade series.
Before that, I wrote and published THE PET WASHER, my middle grade indie book!
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I LOVE so many authors–from Anne McCaffrey, Tamora Pierce, Walter Farley, Meredith Ann Pierce to Maggie Stiefvater, Liane Moriarty, J.K. Rowling, Lanie Taylor, V.E. Schwab, and Sarah J. Maas. There are honestly too many to mention.
My favorite genre is Fantasy (could you guess?) I’m inspired by ALL authors and also by TV shows and movies. I’m like the Cookie Monster, except I gobble up stories!
Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest published book is THE GUARDIAN HERD #4 WINDBORN. This completes the first quartet of Guardian Herd novels, adventures starring five herds of winged horses called pegasi. The books are meant to be read in order: #1 STARFIRE, #2 STORMBOUND, #3 LANDFALL, and #4 WINDBORN. My publisher numbered the spines–don’t you love that! WINDBORN will release in paperback on 07/25/2017. Each paperback includes a bonus story.
I hope to write more Guardian Herd novels and to complete my indie project, THE PET WASHER series. So many stories to tell!
Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles
Jennifer Lynn Alvarez’s Website