Jennifer and I are co-authors of Her Eyes, due out this fall with Awe-struck. More important she is one of my closest friends and some-time critic partner.
I asked her if she could go back in time to meet someone, anyone, and ask them about her current work in progress who would she go see, what would she ask them and what did she think they would say. Here's what she had to say:
I supposed with that sort of question I should come up with someone cool. Perhaps some long ago writer. Maybe I could talk to Hemingway or Fitzgerald. Catch an early Stephen King for his opinions on my work. Maybe I could talk to Lovecraft or Edgar Allan Poe.
I guess I could get religious and find out exactly what Jesus would do.
None of those came to mind when I first considered your question.I know this sounds incredibly dorky. The first person who came to mind was my grandmother. She died before ever reading a thing I've written. She was an avid reader too. I remember the wall behind her
bed being filled with books. They were stacked on the floor and went halfway up the wall like some bizarre decor. She read some horror but I seem to remember the old styled romance covers. You know the ones.
They were not so lovingly referred to as bodice rippers. She would fold back the pages and doze off with a book in one hand a a Kool cigarette in the other. She could be frightening when she had that cigarette. The ashes would get horribly long and usually fall before
ever getting close to an ashtray.
My grandmother was awesome. I always wanted to impress her although she never acted like I had to try. She would rent bad B horror VHS tapes for my cousins and myself to watch. She would order pizzas and sit right there with us no matter how bad the movie was.
I would love for her to read some of my work and give me her opinion. I'm sure it wouldn't be an honest one. She was biased when it came to her grandchildren. I would still love to know what she thought. I know she would've told me to go after my dreams.
You can learn more about Jennifer at www.Jennifercloud.com!
