Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been writing and telling stories for as long as I can remember. The only thing that has potentially been a bigger part of my life is music, always present, always comforting, always inspiring. I am a cat mom and spend my days as a cosmetologist. I have written countless stories over the years, publishing several in anthologies and others through online platforms. I am currently two books deep in a trilogy with the finale coming in September, 2021.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The trilogy I am working on right now is centered around a bounty hunter named Fia Drake; the series is named for her. The first book is Drummers and Demons and the whole story started as a short story challenge through a writing group: a human female protagonist with dragon-like characteristics in a speculative fiction environment. Once I started writing her story, she took the reins and wouldn’t let go until I finished.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t plan my first draft and I don’t even write it in order. I just write whatever comes to me, as it comes to me. Then I stitch it together into a kind of Frankendraft before planning how to fill in any gaps, sort out continuity, and add details.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
The earliest influence on my writing was R.L. Stine. I read every Fear Street book that interested me throughout my early teens. As an adult, I have taken a lot of inspiration from Jim Butcher, Neil Gaiman, and Stephen King.
What are you working on now?
The final book of the Fia Drake series is with my editor who is giving it the final touches before publication. While I’m waiting for that, I’m doing some initial brainstorming on new ideas. I am looking at my next novel as well as short stories and novellas for a few other avenues including Patreon and Kindle Unlimited.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am on Instagram and I have a Facebook group for fans, both of which I have been cultivating for five years or more but in just this year alone I have amassed a comfortable following on TikTok. I think the active content is more engaging for authors looking to make real, genuine connections with readers, in contrast with the static nature of other platforms. I have definitely had more people on TikTok tell me that they have purchased or read my book(s) or added them to their Amazon wishlists.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Determine for yourself what success looks like to you. Decide what you want from your books, from your career. Are you successful because you got the words on the page? Do you want to help people overcome trauma or just escape from their everyday lives? What is your goal? That will make it easier for you to decide your next steps.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I struggled with a creative block for long enough that I was afraid I would never get past it. I reached out to a fellow creative who told me essentially I was getting in my own way, that I was overthinking. He told me, “don’t be afraid to get stupid. Be free, be wrong.” When I’m in the early stages of any new project, I write those words on the cover of my new notebook to remind myself.
What are you reading now?
I am a die-hard paperback reader so I tend to be a little behind in trends. I have started Peace Talks, the sixteenth book of the Dresden Files. I have managed to avoid any real spoilers but I have heard that it is a rough ride so while I have been waiting less-than-patiently for this and the one to follow, I am not eager to have my heart broken.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am sorting through a collection of ideas. My intention, moving forward, is a new novel with new characters while also sorting out a serial novella for Patreon subscribers and something to test the Kindle Unlimited algorithm, all of which are in their infancy so I am not quite ready to share details.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I am not a re-reader. I can count the books I have re-read on my fingers and half of them are collections of Garfield comic strips and the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series. So I would probably pick some off my to-be-read list, maybe some of the more daunting titles like Stephen King’s IT and the Stand. I still have my literature texts from college that could provide some variety, perhaps the collection of American literature. It really depends on how long I’m going to be stranded.
Author Websites and Profiles
D. Gabrielle Jensen Website
D. Gabrielle Jensen Amazon Profile
D. Gabrielle Jensen’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile