Jen Willett

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Jen Willett. This is my first book, I’m very fortunate, I have always wanted to write children’s book, even as a child. I recently was going through some of my Grandma’s old records and stuck between some of her albums there some papers tucked in between and to my surprise, shock even. These papers had story ideas and drawings of Meatball the mouse. I guess Meatball has always been apart of me. I don’t even remember doing them. It was pretty amazing to see them

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is a children’s book called Meatball’s Snow Day. When my kids were small, I always read to them and then there were times that they would ask me to make up a story, on the fly for them. And I would make up these silly stories about this mouse named Meatball. My daughter one day told that I should write my stories about Meatball and publish them.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I still prefer using a note book and pen to do my writing, I love the feeling of a pen in my hand. My note book, has notes and arrows in all the the margins, it doesn’t look like much, but it’s everything to me, lol, once I have all my thoughts and notes done, that’s when I go to my laptop and type it all out.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
As a kid I loved the Berenstain Bear Books by Jan and Stan Berenstain as well as The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch, all his book are great, it’ was the books, that made me giggle, feel good that I loved and that’s what I want my books to be.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on another Meatball story, this one is about an imaginary trip to space. And actually I am working on another children’s book about a boy named Zach

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Since I am still new to this writing books and promoting my books, I am still learning about what’s all involved in the process. I’m always online researching what is the next step, who do I talk to, how do I promote my book. It’s all a learning curve for me, lol, it’s extremely exciting and a little bit scary

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The only advise I can give is to always believe in yourself. Don’t let yourself become overwhelmed. Enjoy every second of it, you worked hard for it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My Grandma, was Irish, so there where times I heard some old Irish sayings, some of them even stuck with me like “Life is like a cup of tea, it’s all in how you make it!”

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol, it’s a great and interesting read

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am just going to keep on writing, writing stories about Meatball and anything else that inspires me.

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?
There are so many books that I love, to take only 3 or 4, lol, that’s hard. I think Eat, Pray, Love would be one, The Lost Symbol, Wizard of Oz,