Indie Author Week - Jacqueline Conwell

Indie Author Week keeps right on rolling!

Today's first featured author is Jacqueline Conwell, author of the adult/YA crossover novel, Jax and Marbles. 

I was born in Far Rockaway, New York, and raised in Willingboro, New Jersey. Growing up, my favorite author in elementary school was Shel Silverstein. I enjoyed having to memorize many of his poems for class, one of them being "Bear In There", as well as read his work during SSR (Sustained Silent Reading) time. I also enjoyed reading books by R.L. Stine, James Howe, Alvin Schwartz and many others. Reading was, and still is, one of my favorite things to do. As I got older, I developed a love for writing as well. One summer I wrote my very own play, based on a video game character that I still love to this day. I and my younger sister performed it for my parents and grandparents. Short plays turned into poetry by the time I was in junior high. I wrote poems to express how I was feeling when I couldn't do so verbally. It was also around this time that I began writing down my dreams, after I'd had one that I couldn't stop thinking about. Even after moving to Palm Coast, Florida in 1998, I continued to write, moving on to short stories shortly after we were settled and high school started. After getting some positive feedback in AP English in my freshman year, I realized that writing was something I was fairly good at. I currently live in Casselberry, Florida. This book is the first of what I hope will be many more to come.

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Things in life don't always go as planned, especially when it comes to certain life events. That was something Julian and Alexia were learning the hard way. Passing away at a young age was something that had caught Julian off guard. Losing touch with her best friend had left Alexia feeling lonely and confused. Both felt alone in two completely different worlds, not sure if they would ever come across someone they could truly trust and depend on. But then one fateful evening, Julian was given the chance of a lifetime to fill an empty void in someone's life while getting a second chance to live the one he'd lost.

Purchase your own copy on:

AMAZON / B&N / BOOKS-A-MILLION

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Welcome to the Spotlight Jacqueline! Tell us your main inspiration behind Jax and Marbles.

My main inspiration behind this novel is the dreams I have. They’re what helped me to write Jax & Marbles, and will help me write future books as well.

Was self-publishing your first choice? What was the most nerve wracking part of the process?

Self-publishing wasn’t my first choice. After trying to get agents and traditional publishers to consider my book, that’s when I did research to find other avenues. Self-publishing was the next best route to help me achieve my dream. The most nerve wracking part of the process was being blind when it came to my cover design. I thought my instructions wouldn’t be clear enough for them to understand, but when I saw the galley, it brought tears to my eyes to see my work in print.

As a self-published author, did you choose to edit your novel yourself? What was the biggest change you made to the story and/or characters?

I did as much editing on my own as I could, but opted to have my manuscript go through line-editing in case I missed anything. The biggest change I made to one of my characters was changing the spelling of his name. For years I had it spelled one way, and was happy with it. But the editor suggested that I change it to a masculine spelling since they were under the impression that it was a female for quite a few chapters.

Do you have any unusual writing habits that aide your process and/or character development?

I’m not sure if listening to music is an unusual habit, but I keep a playlist labeled “Music to Write To” on my phone and in my iTunes. Certain songs make me feel a certain way and help me to see what I’m trying to write as if I’m watching a movie. I believe most writers prefer silence when they write. I need noise or a nice music selection to help get my imagination flowing.

Thanks so much for telling us a bit about your process! Readers, you can find out more and keep up to date with Jax and Marbles by visiting the author on:

AMAZON / GOODREADS And don't forget to look for Jacqueline's follow up to Jax and Marbles, Pick-up Stix!