Rookie Wednesday: Jennifer Jabaley, author of Lipstick Apology

This week's newbie author is Jennifer Jabaley, author of Lipstick Apology which is in stores now!

What's one random tidbit about yourself?

I refused to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich until I was 30 years old. I know, I'm strange, but the idea of it just never appealed to me. But once I tried it, now I love it.

What were you doing the moment you found out that Lipstick Apology had sold?

I returned from lunch with my husband and heard the message from my agent on our answering machine. I had a six week old infant so I was totally sleep deprived and wasn't entirely sure what had just happened. My husband actually picked up the phone and made me call her back.

What's the best book that you've read over the past six months?

Hmm, that's a hard call. But I will say I just started When You Reach Me by Rachel Stead and I have a feeling that it will top my list.

Was the process of writing and publishing your first novel what you expected it to be?

Truthfully I had so little expectations. My original goal was to complete a manuscript - get my story down. Then after I did accomplish that, with some encouragement from readers, I decided to try and get it published. So it wasn't like from the moment I hit the first keystroke I was aiming to see my book on the shelf. I had no experience and no idea how the whole publishing industry worked. So I just read and investigated and taught myself. The thing that shocked me the most was how timely everything is - you spend so much time waiting and waiting and waiting. The most wonderful thing has been how supportive I have found the entire industry to be. My agent, my editor and my publicist are all so accessible and encouraging. And I have found my fellow YA authors to be the most amazing group of intelligent, creative and fun people to associate with.

Give us one embarrassing author moment:

Two weekends ago I had my local book launch and signing. I am so lucky that we had mobs of family and friends attend so it was rather loud. When I was signing a book for someone I had never met, I misheard him and spelled his daughter's name wrong. I just sat there for a minute looking at the bright blue Sharpie ink thinking, what do I do now? So finally I just burst out laughing, stuffed that book in my purse and grabbed a new one.

What would you most like potential readers to know about you and/or your book?

Although the themes in Lipstick Apology are serious - forgiveness and death - the overall tone of the book is lighthearted and humorous.

List 3-5 characters from Lipstick Apology and do word associations.

Trent - funny
Jolie - make up
Emily - confused

What's your favorite thing about Lipstick Apology?

I'm very partial to the ending.

What projects do you have in the pipeline?

Right now I'm revising a manuscript for an adult fiction project I'm working on. I hope to finish it this fall. It's about a college age girl who is amidst a 'quarter life crisis.'

Any final comments?

Thanks so much!!

Jennifer Jabaley

THANKS FOR THE AWESOME INTERVIEW JENNIFER!

Visit Jennifer's site for more info about her and her work.

Check out the book's trailer!