My guest today is prolific author Jenny O’Brien, who writes in a multiple of genres. Jenny is going to talk to us about her writing journey and her new book. So grab yourself a cuppa, get cosy and let’s get chatting to Jenny.

Bio

Jenny O’Brien writes complex thrillers and heartbreaking historical fiction, as well as intriguing romances. Silent Cry, initially self published, topped the Amazon kindle chart in both the UK and the USA. Most of her books have followed suit.

Jenny has over 40 years experience as a qualified nurse. She turned to creative writing as a hobby when her children were born.

Born in Ireland, she now lives in Guernsey with her husband and children.

Contact links

X: @scribblerjb

Instagram: @scribblerjb

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JennyOBrienWriter

Welcome to my blog, Jenny. You’ve had great success with your books. Can you tell us about your writing journey?

Firstly, thank you for inviting me on to your blog, Karen. My journey from scribbler to becoming a traditionally published author has been a long one. When I started out, my three children were under five. In fact, it’s a miracle I managed to write anything more complex than a shopping list, let alone a book. My youngest is now at university, which tells you how long ago it was.

Back in the beginning, when the first character exploded in my mind, it took me months to find the courage to put pen to paper. I hadn’t written anything creative since school and I didn’t have a minute to myself, let alone the opportunity to write. Lack of confidence was also a huge issue. Who was I to think I had a book in me, anyway? The only thing I had going for me was a love of reading and a determination to spend a few minutes of my day doing something that didn’t involve either nursing or childcare. My way of reclaiming a tiny part of my identity.

 I spent the evenings catching up with housework and, during the day, I was working as a nurse on a busy ward at the hospital, a job I have only recently retired from. I took to carrying a small notebook in my scrub pocket and scribbled down some words during my coffee breaks. Within six weeks, I had a very poor first draft of a book.

I didn’t tell anyone apart from my husband. It took years and a few minor successes to share my secret, the fear of failure and ridicule an ever present chip on my shoulder. Twelve years, three genre shifts and many rejection letters later, HQ Digital, an imprint of HarperCollins, offered me a three-book deal for my crime thriller. That was in 2020. I also now have a literary agent, which is something I’m trying to push to the back of my mind. It all seems very grown up and, almost, as if I’m a proper writer.

Funnily enough time is still an issue with my writing but now it’s more that there’s usually something better I can think to do than staring at my laptop. Cleaning the oven. Ironing. Even worming the cats: procrastination is a writer’s constant buddy. Despite deadlines, I also have to be in the mood to pick up my work-in-progress. Yes, with a publishing contract, there are now many deadlines. Four layers of editing for each book and a completed manuscript that has to ping into my editor’s in-box by a specific date. There’s nothing quite like a deadline to make me want to ditch my desk in favour of something exciting.

 Like most authors, I try to write every day. I usually aim for two-thousand words, but some days I don’t manage even a tenth of that. But if my nurse training has taught me one thing, it’s discipline. The odd two-hundred words here and there quickly mounts up. It also keeps the momentum as well as the story moving forward to its ultimate conclusion. It’s far from rocket science. One word after the other until my two favourite words of all.

The End.

That’s a fascinating writing journey, Jenny. Thanks for sharing it with us. Long may your writing success continue. 🙂

Jenny’s latest book

Blurb:

A wartime nurse risks everything to protect mothers and babies in Nazi-occupied Guernsey. Decades later, a hidden record reveals a devastating family truth. Based on a remarkable true story of one woman’s extraordinary courage.

Guernsey, 1943. As German forces tighten their grip on the Channel Islands, nurse Evelyn Nightingale guards a dangerous secret. Within the walls of the Emergency Hospital, she’s hidden three babies from the enemy – children who would otherwise face a terrible fate. When a traumatized French woman arrives to give birth, Evelyn must risk everything – with consequences that will echo through the generations.

Dublin, 2018. Still reeling from her mother’s death, Kitty White is struggling to keep her family’s antique shop afloat when a desperate woman arrives with an old violin to sell. Hidden in its dusty case, Kitty discovers a mysterious list of names that shatters her father’s composure. Her search for answers leads her to Guernsey, where she is about to uncover a long-buried secret about her family…

Book link: https://t.co/J6oqeWAGff

More of Jenny’s Books