Pages

Monday, March 20, 2017

Jennifer Stolzer: THREADCASTER launch party March 25!

Welcome to JENNIFER STOLZER, an author and illustrator living and working in St. Louis, MO. She graduated from Webster University with a degree in digital media and animation and uses this skill set to create bright and engaging characters. Her illustration company, Jennifer Stolzer Illustration, has served the St. Louis area and its authors for six years. You can see samples of her work at www.jenniferstolzer.com or on Facebook under Jennifer Stolzer Illustration.

THREADCASTER launch party 2-4 p.m., Saturday, March 25, at Main Street Books, St. Charles, MO.

The Writers’ Lens is about "Bringing fiction into focus." What brings your writing into focus-- the characters, the stories, the love of words? I firmly believe the focus of any story told, fiction or nonfiction, is the characters. We as humans are social creatures who learn how to react and respond to our world through social cues. Being able to communicate the human experience through the eyes of unique, authentic, living characters gives story and message a pinpoint focus.

What inspired your latest book?
Threadcaster has had a lot of inspirations over the years, but the initial spark actually started with an image. One day back in 2005, I got the picture in my head of a girl staring at the camera with tears pouring from her eyes but no expression, as if she was filling up with water and it was pouring out of her.

This image was the beginning of the Curses, a group of sick and exiled people undergoing physical disfigurement. The story of Threadcaster is about a young magic user on a quest to save the Curses, including her friend Peter, who is slowly turning to earth.


What do you think readers will like about your book?  I hope they'll enjoy the characters. A big theme is seeing humanity in everyone no matter what, so I hope that comes through in my characters and how they relate to their unfortunate circumstances. I hope the lore is catchy, too. I worked really hard on the magic system to make the rules clear to the reader and explain how magic relates to the rest of my world.

Would you share a bit about your next project? Writing-wise, I'm currently working on a ghost story set in 1900s Kentucky. It's the tale of a haunted house from the ghosts' point of view through the eyes of a six-year-old girl who died in 1906. It's more subdued than Threadcaster and set in a contemporary location, but it's all the relationship drama that love. After that, I plan to continue my sequel to Threadcaster, called Brushcaster.
What are your top three reasons for writing? The joy of creation, for one. Bringing to life people and worlds that did not exist before and delivering that experience to viewers in an effective way is ceaselessly satisfying.

Sharing experiences with others. I love writing characters and relationships the most, so making people laugh or cry along with my characters rewards me and fills me with glee. One of the best parts of publishing Threadcaster is hearing everyone's unique reader experience. Could they pick a favorite character? What did they think of the twist? Could they guess what was going to happen next? It's so much fun.

The challenge of the thing. Writing is more than words in order, it's craft and polish and a constant quest to improve your story as a product and yourself as a writer. I've always told stories, but I've never told them as well or effectively as I do in the present, and my present work will only improve as I continue to practice.

Writing is pain and reward. Writers stitch worlds and people together out of scraps of ideas and create something completely new for readers to explore. It's an amazing thing.

THREADCASTER: Cat's best friend Peter is slowly turning to stone. He is an Earth Curse - an innocent suffering from one of the four elemental ailments afflicting the people of their dying world. When the pious Brushcasters drive Peter out of town, Cat embarks on a quest to discover the truth of the Curses and ransom their absent god back at last. Cat must use the Brushcasters' stolen magic against them ... armed only with the truth and a simple loop of string.

Buy on Amazon

o let new readers know intrusive and pulling me out of the story. Love the imagery
Signed author copies are available through Main Street Books in St. Charles

No comments:

Post a Comment