Ask the Author: Jennifer Wixson
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Jennifer Wixson
The Sovereign Series as I originally conceived it encompassed three books: Hens & Chickens, Peas, Beans & Corn and The Minister's Daughter; however, after Hens & Chickens was published in 2012 a little group of persistent fans begged me to write a book about their favorite character, Miss Hastings. When one doesn't have many fans, one listens to them. Hence The Songbird of Sovereign (Book 3 in the series, White Wave, July 19, 2014) was born, and fitted into the series between Books 2 and 4.
I'm not sure where the idea for Jana's illness came from. My father's great uncle had had TB, and had met his wife at a sanatorium in central Maine. As a child, I thought that was the most romantic thing in the world. So it occurred to me that sending the young Jana Hastings to Windmere Sanatorium might be an interesting opportunity to explore love and loss, as well as a unique time in Maine history.
My editors unanimously declared that Songbird is the best of the three books in the series so far. I think it's possibly the best thing I've ever written, so I'm eternally grateful for those few fans who clamored for a story about their favorite character. I'll have to work hard on The Minister's Daughter (the last book in The Sovereign Series, due out August 2015) to top it, though! Stay tuned -- and wish me luck!
In the meantime, enjoy this trip down my Memory Lane in Songbird. May the novel bring you as much joy in reading it as the book brought me in writing it.
Jen Wixson
Troy, Maine
July 5, 2014
I'm not sure where the idea for Jana's illness came from. My father's great uncle had had TB, and had met his wife at a sanatorium in central Maine. As a child, I thought that was the most romantic thing in the world. So it occurred to me that sending the young Jana Hastings to Windmere Sanatorium might be an interesting opportunity to explore love and loss, as well as a unique time in Maine history.
My editors unanimously declared that Songbird is the best of the three books in the series so far. I think it's possibly the best thing I've ever written, so I'm eternally grateful for those few fans who clamored for a story about their favorite character. I'll have to work hard on The Minister's Daughter (the last book in The Sovereign Series, due out August 2015) to top it, though! Stay tuned -- and wish me luck!
In the meantime, enjoy this trip down my Memory Lane in Songbird. May the novel bring you as much joy in reading it as the book brought me in writing it.
Jen Wixson
Troy, Maine
July 5, 2014
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Sep 12, 2015 05:13PM · flag