Writing, Mermaids, and Ice-Cream?! An Interview with Jessica Wolf!

I am so excited to host JESSICA WOLF, creator of Simple Scribbles! Jessica is an incredible sixteen-year-old writer who loves to (you guessed it) write and read. Also, she has a twenty-two pound cat...you'll have to go over to her blog to see the proof, though!

Without further ado, I bring you...JESS!

AMS: What’s your writing history?

JW: I started writing as a youngster like most youngsters do. My stories ranged from gnomes that lived in pinecones to two princesses who were bffs. I stopped writing, then, from 2rd grade until 7th grade when I really started to write seriously in the fanfiction world. It's only been in the past year or so that I've begun working on original novels.

AMS: That's awesome! Sounds like you have quite the diverse collection of writings.

Which author would you most like to share a cup of coffee with?

JW: Oscar Wilde. He was such an interesting man and so, so funny.

AMS: I have never actually read any Wilde! I'll have to add it the summer bucket list.

What genres do you write? And why?

JW: Historical fiction is the only genre I write in, specifically the romance subgenre. I've always loved reading historical fiction and watching period films and TV shows; I just have a fascination with the past. I also read historical romance extensively, so I figured I would try my hand at it a while ago and haven't stopped.

AMS: I LOVE historical fiction, and there isn't enough of it out there, as far as I'm concerned! Also yes, go period movies and TV. And what's historical fiction without romance? Actually, what's anything without romance?!

Favorite fictional character?

JW: Tough question! I am in love with Hercule Poirot from Agatha Christie's Poirot novels. He's such a dear little man it's hard not to love him.

AMS: Agatha Christie is a boss. Nuff said.

Social media of choice?

JW: Pinterest! It is beyond useful for organizing your writing thoughts and ideas.

AMS: PINTEREST. YES. YES. YES. Especially for writers, it's amazing. Plus, it's drama free! Why do you write?

Simple: I can't not write. If I didn't write, I would go insane.

AMS: That's a fabulous answer. I am the exact same way.

Favorite book? (Or books!)

JW: 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' by Oscar Wilde. It's incredibly moving and really inventive for its time. Second pick would be 'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte Brontë. (Hint about me: I love the classics.)

AMS: Not enough people (especially teens) read and appreciate classics, I think. There is so much to be gleaned from that sort of literature, both writing-wise and just life-wise. Absolutely love Jane Eyre.

Would you rather ride a unicorn or swim with a mermaid?

JW: Even though I'm not a fan of swimming, I would definitely swim with a mermaid. What girl hasn't swam in a lake/pool pretending they had a tail?

AMS: Plus I would probably be afraid of being stabbed by the unicorn. Even though mermaids are sometimes depicted as having major attitudes, so I really don't know which one I'd pick.

Do you ever use a pen and paper to write?

JW: Only when I have to. I would much rather use my computer, but if that's not available, I'll use a pen and paper.

AMS: Gotcha! I always favor my laptop, though I do love journaling by hand and I hand write most of my outlines.

Any hobbies besides writing?

JW: Does reading count? I don't play sports or sew or crochet, but I can play the piano.

AMS: GIRL. We are literally twins, I don't play sports either! I used to play piano, too, though I kind of lost it a while back...and yes, reading always counts, as far as I'm concerned!

What time period would you most like to live in?

JW: I feel that, as a girl, going back in time would not be smart no matter what era, but I would love to go back to the late 1800's. Oy those dresses were beautiful.

AMS: Yes, I suppose that there would be pros and cons either way...but I'm a sucker for that clothing, too.

Are your characters based on people in your life?

JW: Oh gosh, I'm not sure. Maybe inadvertently, but I've never sat down and thought up a character with someone I know in mind.

AMS: Interesting! I suppose life naturally bleeds into our writing, whether we realize it or not!

Do you listen to music while you write? What music inspires you the most?

JW: I used to. Now I can't; it's too distracting. But, if I did, I would probably listen to John Williams' soundtracks.

AMS: He's amazing, good choice!

When is your favorite time of day to write?

JW: Early to late evening. So from 7 o'clock onwards.

AMS: I'm the same! Inspiration comes to me on rainy days and through star-filled skies.

Favorite ice-cream flavor? (really, this is the most important question)

JW: I don't actually like ice-cream. (*hides*) My dad is an ice-cream snob and makes it and eats it all the time, but there's something about the combination of the cold and the creaminess that I don't like. I do eat it sometimes, and when I do, I go for chocolate chip cookie dough.

Well, we can't be friends...joking! This interview was so much fun. Thanks for doing it, Jess! Everybody else, be sure to head over to Jessica's blog and subscribe to her wonderful posts! =)

Just got back from the library. . .

. . .and it's going to be a fantastic week.

Well, when it comes to books, at least.

Also, this Tuesday (August 6th) is one week until school starts for me. Uh, can we say CRAZY?!

And good luck to Jen Wagner with BOUT OF BOOKS 8.0! Check out her blog here to see what it's all about=)

Have a wonderful week!

Between Shades of Gray

Book: Between Shades of Gray
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Rating: PG14 for mature subject content and some sexual content

Summery via Goodreads:
Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously--and at great risk--documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.

Review:
This book left me with an array of different feelings. Feelings of awe, of shock, of sadness followed me for days. I was so moved by many factors of this book. As a big fan of World War II historical fiction, I really enjoyed reading this untold side of the war. Both the Soviets and the treatment of Catholics during WWII are rather untouched subjects in the historical fiction world. This book contained both topics and I really enjoyed that.

Between Shades of Gray contained so many different themes that completely changed the way I look at some things. One of favorite themes is this-- is it better to be the one leaving or the one left behind?

The question is proposed by my least favorite character, but it is nonetheless a good question to think about. Because we are in the process of moving, this thought has entered my mind more than once. Is it better to be the one leaving? The one going to a new school, a new town, knowing no one? Is it really better to be the one who leaves everyone s/he knows behind? Or is it better to be the one left behind? The one who continues to live his/her usually life, only with a piece taken out of it? Is it better to be the one who has gone to heaven and left loved ones behind? Or the one who is still making his or her way through life on earth?

I'm not quite sure what I think about that. I feel like it's probably worse to be the one left behind, as hard as it is to be the one moving on. I think we've all had the feeling of being left behind, whether we were left behind by a friend who was not loyal, a loved one who has passed on, or a friend who has had to move. But on the other hand, sometimes I feel terrified of living in a new place without everyone who has been so dear to me my whole life.

So, though I haven't been through nearly as many horrors as Lina has, I understand a bit of what she was going through. Ah, sometimes I feel like I can relate more to characters than actual people!

I'd love to hear your thoughts=)