Today I’m delighted to welcome Jennifer Loiske, author of three
paranormal books.
Jennifer Loiske is a Teen/Young Adult Author who mainly writes
paranormal romance. She lives in Naantali in Finland with her hubby, two
beautiful daughters and two unruly dogs. Jennifer is a total bookaholic and
very addicted to dark fantasy, funny chick lit and paranormal romance. She is
very dedicated to charity work and tries to help those in need whenever she
can. Most of her royalties goes to charity, mainly to help families with
epileptic children and epilepsy units in hospitals. Jennifer has published
three books, IMMINENCE, SEDUCTION, CLUB NUMBER FIVE, and more is to come in
2013
Your
daughter fell ill suddenly and as a consequence developed severe epilepsy. How
did that affect your family?
Well, obviously it was a huge shock at first. I had to
stay home and quit my job as a pre-school teacher, my hubby was working in a
different city and we had just sold our house and were looking for a new one,
so when Anna got a brain fever and after that severe epilepsy our world turned
completely upside down. We knew little about epilepsy before but nothing could
have prepared us for what was about to come. But we are all fighters and we
survived. However, our journey is not over and as Anna’s epilepsy is relapsing
Lennox-Gastaut type we have no idea what the future will bring to us. One thing
is certain though; I would never have written a book if I’d stayed at my day
job. But as things are I’m very devoted to the charity work and always willing
to help others as I know how much a little help will do when you’re child is
ill and your world is falling apart.
Do
you find it hard to find the time to write when you have your family to look
after?
Sometimes, yes. But I don’t need much sleep so I’m mostly
working at late evenings and nights. When the house is quiet ‘my time’ begins.
One
of your characters in the Shape Shifter series has epilepsy. Was it hard to write
the scenes where the illness takes hold?
No. All I had to do was think of Anna’s seizures. I
actually didn’t have that character in my book before Anna got ill. I only had
some sketches and dreams that one day I’d finish my book but it felt as if something
very distant. Anna’s epilepsy changed everything. I wanted or more like needed
to add Marie, a young girl with epilepsy, in the story. I wanted to show that
no matter how hard your life is you can still be a hero and I also wanted to
share epilepsy awareness to my readers. I felt that the more I could share the
more it helped both me and the others alike.
Have
you had a lot of support from readers?
Yes. A lot of people email me giving their support. Many
of them also have a story to share and I feel honoured to be the one they want
to share it with. My professional email address is no secret and it can be
found on my homepage.
I
know some of the profits from your books go to an epilepsy charity. Are the
doctors pleased that a character with epilepsy is portrayed in a work of
fiction?
Oh, yes. Epilepsy awareness is something that can never
be spread too much.
You
have a variety of books listed on your website; some published, some in the
planning stages; where do you get your inspiration for your stories from?
That’s a hard question. Sometimes an idea just pops in my
mind. Sometimes I see something that starts to haunt me or sometimes it can
start with very small things. A word, some lyrics of a song, dream or like in
my upcoming novel, BLACK DIAMOND, an invitation to a birthday party. I usually
get very obsessed with my novel ideas and they won’t leave me alone until I’ve
written them down. So you can only imagine how many files full of ideas my
computer holds!
When
you write do you have your story planned out?
Yes and no. Usually I do plan the story in my head for a
long time before actually writing it down but sometimes words are just flowing
from me and when I’m finished I’m as surprised as my readers! A thought: Did I
actually write that? Comes in my mind quite often. Thankfully, so far it’s been
a positive thought.
What
are you working on at the moment?
I have my spoon in many pots. I’m currently writing a
sequel to my Immortal Blood series, taking part of a charity book project,
finishing up my upcoming novel BLACK DIAMOND and the third part, CHANGE, in my
Shape Shifter series.
What
do you do in your spare time?
What spare time? Haha! I’m a bookaholic so I read A LOT.
I also train my two beautiful dogs. Enjoy the nature, sail and ski and if I
have an opportunity I go to gym.
Which
do you prefer to read from – ereader or
book?
A book. There is nothing more satisfying than curling on
the sofa with a book.
Anything
else you’d like to say?
I enjoy connecting with my readers and other writers. So
don’t hesitate to contact me or connect with me on Facebook and Twitter. If you
have a story about epilepsy to share or you just want to chat, I’m more than
happy to listen. My professional email is: jennifer.loiske@hotmail.fi
Thank
you to Jennifer for sharing her story. You can find out more about her by
clicking on the links below and to buy her books click on the relevant Amazon
link.
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