Interview with Rebekah Jones

Hello, I am proud to present an interview with this months author: Rebekah Jones! 

http://rebekahsquill.com/blog/

Hello Rebekah and welcome to Future Homeschool Authors!

Thank you!

First could you tell us a bit about yourself? 

The most important thing about me is that I am a Bible believing, born again Christian. Things that come second? Hmm…

I am 24 years old, and the eldest of several siblings.

I love to write and I write in just about every form. I write novels and short stories, but also poetry, songs, essays, articles, book reviews, journal entries (I think I’m close to filling 20 journals now!), and random blog posts, e-mails, letters, and social media statuses. :D

I also love music, including singing and playing the piano. I often sing while writing even – sometimes making up new words to songs (like One Day More from Les Miserables) that put into rhyme whatever I’m trying to figure out with my characters. Heehee

Other things I enjoy are reading, drawing, holding babies, cleaning house, visiting with family and friends, and studying, amongst other things.

Whats your favorite book? 

Oh dear. My favorite book. I don’t know if I really could pick just one. I love Charles Dickens’ Nicholas Nickleby and A Tale of Two Cities, but then there’s Chautona Havig’s Aggie’s Inheritance Series. Then, what about Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park or Sense and Sensibility? Or, let’s not forget about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories! :D

Who's your favorite Author?

Technically, I could probably give you a list of ten authors, all who rank among my “favorites”, but I already got long-winded about my favorite books. :D If it came down to picking a top favorite, I’d say Charles Dickens right now. I do so enjoy his writing style, the complexity of his characters, and his intricate story-lines!

If you could meet one person who would it be? 

I’m pretty sure I would meet Chautona Havig. Not only is she one of my favorite authors, but she’s been a mentor to me in my writing journey for the past few years. If it weren’t for her, I’m not sure I would be a published author today. Certainly, I wouldn’t have four books out!

Can you tell us anything about the book your working on right now?

Oooh. I love talking about my works-in-progress. :D Right now, I’m working on drafting out a Christmas mystery titled 24 Days Before Christmas. Set in the small town of Poinsettia, the Singh and Winter families find themselves living in the same house for the holiday season. As they prepare to make the month of December a time of celebration, trouble starts to rise when Leland Bell, their near neighbor, disappears. No one knows what happened to him, but as the investigation moves forward, it seems certain that Leland is probably dead, but when the two families find themselves pulled into the investigation, they start uncovering a more complicated mystery, than first meets the eye.

I’m still working on this one. Honestly, it could change something on me at any time. For instance, I thought that I knew who was guilty of what crime. Now, I have no clue. Possibly part of a clue… but that’s it.  I have an idea how the book is going to end, but I don’t really know at this point, so just about anything could happen.

What was the best part of writing Grandmother’s Letters?

Seeing everything come together in the end. I can’t tell you how excited I became when I realized just how I would be able to tie everything together! It was thrilling! I probably walked on clouds for a week!

How did you begin writing? 

I’ve been telling stories since I could draw pictures. I would pretend to “write”, which pretty much consisted of squiggles, and draw pictures to illustrate. When I could write, I started out with simple little stories for my little sister. I particularly recall a story about Joseph, a young boy who planted a tree in the desert, that I wrote for Bethany when I was about seven. I kept that story for many years. I just wish I could find it now.

What inspired you to begin writing? 

Oooh, lots of things. But, if I could only pick two, I would probably say books by Isabella Alden and the old TV show Murder She Wrote. :)

What is your favorite genre? 

Favorite genre… To read or to write? Reading wise, I like just about any genre, really. I’m not into Horror very much, but that’s about it. I do love a good Mystery though! If I had to choose just one genre, I’d probably choose that… Or History.

Writing, I’m not sure. I don’t usually choose my genre before I begin writing. The book tends to shape itself as I go.

Do you do any research for you books? If you do what are your main sources? 

Biblical research, I usually just use my Bible or the internet. I probably do more Bible verse research than anything else.

Other research, such as the meanings of names, the history of a time period, or the sleep cycle of bees, I prefer real books, but the internet is always my backup. If I do internet research, I usually double-check multiple sources.

My other version of research includes asking questions from people who know. Really though, my research varies, depending on the topic.

For example, if I want to know how women in the Southwest wore their hair in the late 1980’s, I’ll probably ask my Mum, my grandmother, and several other ladies, in addition to looking up pictures on the internet or looking at films from the era. On the other hand, if I wanted to know how women wore their hair in the Southwest in the 1880’s, I’d probably looks for some books from the library about the fashion of the era, as well as looking to see what the internet has to say. :)

What do you like most about writing? 

Oh dear. I love almost every part! My sister, however, says it’s the beginning. Apparently that’s when I act the most excited. I do love the drafting process. Editing can be grueling, but I still enjoy it. Drafting really is probably the best part. I love getting to know my characters, learning what their lives are like, and what their stories will be!

                  

Any final thoughts? 

Not that I can think of. Thank you for interviewing me! :)

Thank you so much for all your time! 

-Mikayla-