Jennifer Emerson Evans is a writer, photographer, and adventurer. She has a degree in English literature with heavy emphasis on creative writing from CU-Boulder.
Jennifer is an active member of the writing community, attending Killer Nashville, Sleuthfest, and ThrillerFest yearly.
Born in Australia, raised in the Mississippi Delta and Black Hills of South Dakota, and currently residing in Colorado with her amazing husband, two wild kiddos, and very social kitties, her life continues to be filled with diverse experiences.
An avid traveler, Jennifer has roamed the world, forever fascinated with different and same in equal measure, and the true beauty in both. And spends much of her time finding ways to build up people and cultures directly.
She is a devoted reader and her favorite thing in the whole world (besides her family) is her sweet, little book group.
Jennifer is currently finishing up the edits for the second book in the Bailey Wixx mystery series.
She is currently represented by Vanguard Press.
Jennifer Emerson Evans
Quick Fire Questions For Our Author
Top Five?
Rebecca, Daphne Du Maurier
The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid
Mystic River, Dennis Lehane
A Fever in the Heartland, Timothy Egan
Advice For Future Writers
Read, read, and then read some more. Those first few years you are trying to wire your brain in a way that it knows how to tell a story.
Next, write like crazy with no guardrails and see what happens. This is how you start to develop your voice, find your genre, and get familiar with your personal style.
Then, and only then, begin learning the craft of writing an actual book. If you already have the pieces figured out, putting them all together to make a book is a whole lot easier.
Paperback, Hardcover, E-Reader, Audio?
Hardback 100%.
Audiobook for a roadtrip, but only if it is a great narrator (preference solo reader, duet is fine, absolutely no full cast—we can’t be jumping around like that. Ha! It’s true, it takes me all the way out of the story).
Paperback in a pinch or if I know it’s going to get wet or destroyed. My books have been on some wild adventures with me.
E-reader. Never, ever, ever.
Something I wish I knew earlier
You don’t know what you don’t know. Hire help—an editor and a proofreader at the very least.
Writing something that people want to read is not a race, it’s a long game. When you think your manuscript is done, it is probably about ¼ of the way there. Keep working, keep getting critiques, keep learning.
I often hear writers ask the question: How will I know when it is done? And I think if you have to ask, then it is not done. I think you know when it is done because you have absolutely nothing left to give the project and it is time to let it go into the world.
Do You Finish Books You Don't Like?
Not usually. If I have to finish a book for book club or something then I will, but otherwise I’ve been known to give a book two pages and not continue. Voice is really important to me and I know early on if I’m going to like that. If the voice is there, but the story or characters don’t have me hooked right away then I will stick it out a bit longer. But by about chapter three if I’m not in it, then that’s it. My TBR pile is too huge to waste time on something I’m not really into.
What’s been the biggest difference in your photography and writing careers?
I think it is how people interact with the art. Both photography and writing require skills, education, and a creative vision in order to achieve something that is considered good by industry standards.
But good writing is more subjective than good photography. I think it is easier to identify the parts that make for a compelling photograph based on composition, lighting, camera technique, etc. and be able to say with confidence that they are looking at a great photo. But writing is a more interactive art form. The reader is bringing their own experiences and expectations with them on a reading journey and that can control how they interpret the work.
Author Philosophy
I’m not here to follow trends—I’m here to write something timeless. With a blend of creativity, education, and heart, I bring ideas to life. Every book is an opportunity to escape, entertain, and craft something meaningful. I want my books to be fun, heart-pounding, and interesting. I want to keep you up all night reading. I want to surprise you. I want you to have to call somebody to talk about what you just read. I want every book to ring true, but feel like a wild ride. I want you to see yourself and your experiences in at least one character (hopefully not the killer!). But mostly, I want to tell stories that unite us and make us feel some kind of way.
Author Process
Writing the first novel is ugly business. As a mom and business owner, there are no open days just waiting to be filled with a neat and tidy writing routine. So if you’re like me, you have to grind it out. I had to write in the car while waiting for my kids’ sports; I would leave for client sessions an hour or two early and write in a coffee shop or library; when I had a business trip or convention I would stay an extra day or two to write in the hotel room. Because I was never going to use “I have no time to write” as my excuse. It was never pretty, organized, or comfortable. But learning to thrive in the chaos is what gets that first book written. Someday there will be vanilla-scented candles, craft coffee, an ocean view, and endless hours to create. And I will probably develop horrible writer’s block with all that freedom and beauty! Ha!