Writers Talking With Jennifer @Honeybourn

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Jennifer Honeybourn works in corporate communications in Vancouver, British Columbia. She’s a fan of British accents, Broadway musicals, and epic, happily-ever-after love stories. If she could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, she’d have high tea with Walt Disney, JK Rowling, and her nana. She lives with her husband, daughter and cat in a house filled with books. Wesley James Ruined My Life is her first novel.

What is the most important message you hope readers carry away from this book?

I don’t feel like my books have a particular message, really. My goal is to entertain readers and for them to have fun, so if I’ve managed that, then I feel like I’ve done what I set out to do.

When you were in high school would you have been friends with Shelby or would you have been afraid?

I’d like to think I would have been friends with Shelby. I think I would have been intrigued, rather than afraid — I’ve always been interested in the paranormal.

What advice would you like to give writers who are struggling with their first novels?

Stick with it! I’ve felt like giving up plenty of times but in the end, I always returned to writing because I really love it. I still struggle with it sometimes — I’m not sure that ever goes away. So much of it is just making myself sit in front of the computer and just getting it done so I have something to revise.

What is your favorite quote from this book?

I don’t think I have a favorite quote, but I do have favorite scenes. I had a lot of fun writing Shelby’s reports as well as her interactions with Uncle Roy.

Why demons and not some other supernatural creatures?

I wanted to try my luck writing a paranormal story and I liked the idea of writing something light, rather than scary. I wanted the story to be rooted in the real world. I hadn’t come across a YA book that was specifically about a teenage exorcist (although I’m sure they’re out there), and I had this vision of a girl who was being trained to exorcise demons and felt kind of ambivalent about the whole thing.

Find Jennifer at Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

The Book

When Life Gives You Demons
Jennifer Honeybourn
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: July 17th 2018
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

Some people have school spirit.

Shelby Black has real ones.

Shelby Black has spent the past six months training to be an exorcist. Her great-uncle Roy―a Catholic priest―has put her through exorcist boot camp hell, hoping to develop her talent, but ohmygod, he still doesn’t trust her to do an exorcism on her own.

High school is hard enough without having to explain that you fight demons for a living, so Shelby keeps her extracurricular activity to herself. The last thing she wants is for her crush, Spencer, to find out what she does in her off time.

But Shelby knows how to keep a secret―even a big one. Like the fact that her mom left under mysterious circumstances and it’s all her fault. Shelby is hellbent on finding her mom, no matter what it costs her―even if what it ends up costing her is her soul AND a relationship with Spencer.

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My Thoughts on the Book

It was an enjoyable read with some fun quirky humor. A book you could spend the day in and not feel overwhelmed or too emotional. Not too scary for younger teen readers. If you like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed then you will like this book.