Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to this week’s featured author interview!
I was so excited to have the chance to interview YA author R. Jetleb!
Not only have I personally read all of this fantastic author’s books, but so have all four of my kids! Not only is author R. Jetleb a friend of mine, but she is also my editor and works closely with me on my work as well! So, I was a little giddy when I got the chance to ask her the questions this time! 😉 Of course, as with every author interview, I asked author R. Jetleb what got her wheels turning and inspired her to start writing down her wonderful stories! Here is what author R. Jetleb says!
“I have always loved reading and books, and at around the age of 8 I started writing my own little stories. So, basically, I’ve written fiction on and off my whole life. In the late 1990s I took a correspondence course on writing for children and teenagers for fun, and I learned a lot from it. The final big assignment for that course was to prepare a manuscript for publication and that is how my first children’s novel, “What About Hailey?” was born.”
Having read R. Jetleb’s books myself, I fell in love with the emotional ride that the “What About” series can bring to all ages! “What About Hailey” is a beautifully written story that follows a young girl and her life while in foster care. That being said, my next question for author R. Jetleb was what piqued her interest in writing children’s books? Here is R. Jetleb’s answer!
“I read many wonderful children’s books by great authors like E.B. White, Judy Blume, Carolyn Keene, Gordon Korman, Jean Little, and others, and their books just carried me away, or inspired me somehow and I wanted to do the same thing for youth and children – to make an impact, or reach them in some way. I write social stories, realistic fiction for kids and teens. My Mall Girl series is an excellent example of that. There are so many different social issues and topics that kids and teens struggle with every day, and my hope is that my books help to address some of those problems kids may be experiencing in a non-preachy, edutainment type of way.”
All of these wonderful stories are definitely inspiring for young teens going through many of the same issues! Next in our interview I asked author R. Jetleb how she comes up with all her lovely story ideas! Jetleb answers here!
“My greatest ideas can come from anywhere – no, scratch that, the one place where they don’t materialize is when I’m in front of the computer, trying to write! LOL! I am a people watcher and I might see interesting characters, clothing, hairstyles, situations (one time a young teen behind me at McDonald’s asked if I had some spare change to help him buy a meal and a variation of that little interchange ended up in my teen novel, “The Girl in the Mall.”
I can definitely relate to sitting in front of the computer with nothing to say! LOL
Next I wondered if author R. Jetleb could tell everyone a bit about her own personal writing journey!
“Oh, the ups and downs! The writing and editing itself is a breeze – when I’m not stuck in writer’s block, that is! - but the publishing part can be hard. I am an indie author, and found a great publishing company in Brantford, Cavern of Dreams, that provides manuscript evaluations, editing and publishing services. Submitting to a major publishing house has been intimidating and so I have not yet gone down that path, but would like to as the advertising and self-promoting of this writing gig is where I really fall down. With the help of an author friend, though, all my books are on Amazon, and I have a writer’s page on Amazon as well as Goodreads.”
I have to agree, the publishing business can be tricky and it’s a difficult decision when it comes to choosing which route is best for you. I’ve personally gone with self-publishing, so I had to learn the marketing aspect quite quickly. Oh, the ups and down! LOL
Next in our interview I asked author R. Jetleb if she could tell everyone a bit about herself!
“I have lived in Toronto most of my life, and moved to Brantford, Ontario almost ten years ago with my husband and two children who were 11 and 13 at the time. My husband and I are officially empty nesters now, with both kids away at university. We are the proud owners of a lovely lionhead dwarf rabbit, Simba, which we inherited from our daughter when she went away to university in Halifax. I have been a registered early childhood educator since 1994, and am now self employed again with Wee Watch after working in a big daycare. My home is now bustling with 6 active, full-of-personality children I care for.”
Not sure if anyone would have noticed this, but author R. Jetleb and I are actually from the same city, by awesome coincidence! LOL
Last but not least, I wondered if author R. Jetleb had anything new coming out soon, or in the works. Here’s what she had to say!
“During Covid, I spent many hours polishing up my non-fiction memoir of my decades in childcare and I intend to add in a chapter about care during Covid and my return to Wee Watch before submitting to my publisher... but that will likely be in a year or so...
My next project will be to continue my “What About?” series of children’s novels. I have written about the 3 adopted children and now will write “What about Alexandra?” It will tell her story...how she came to adopt three children.
That is fantastic news! I can’t wait to see what’s next for you! A huge thank you to author R. Jetleb for another amazing Sunday featured author! I'd like to also mention that my 8 year old carries her copy of "Why the Markers Cried" everywhere we go! LOL :)
To find YA author R. Jetleb and all her inspiring books, click the links below!
This Sunday featured interview is the last I will be posting on my blog until August! I’m taking a short break for the summer school break with my kids! I hope everyone has an amazing safe summer, and I’ll see everyone again in a few weeks time!
Giveaways are still running on my website, so don’t forget to check in from time to time for more updates!
A huge thank you to all my readers and followers! Hugs to all, and see you again soon! 😊
Oh, and R. Jetleb? I’ll have another edit for you very shortly! 😉
