Author Jenny Olsen has always been a fan of romance novels, reading them as early as high school, and writing for many years, starting in college, writing whenever she had free time. She never stopped, so it is exciting to see the release of her first novel, Passion Reignited, now available on Amazon.
As Jenny shared with us on a recent episode on The Power to Pivot Podcast, she strives to make her characters believable and relatable. For her, a good character is someone who has real problems, real flaws, and someone that you see yourself meeting in everyday life. In her writing, she strives to keep her work away from the cookie-cutter prototype for the romance genre. Perhaps you are familiar --- perfect guy wants the “imperfect” girl, or vice versa. Jenny looks to write original story lines, and her characters are carefully crafted to create the perfect sequence of events that keep you excited to read from beginning to end.
Jenny takes inspiration from some of the great contemporary romance novelists of our time, like Danielle Steele, Sandra Brown, and Nora Roberts. These women have written novel after novel, with each one better than the next, and all hitting the top of the best seller list.
Passion Reignited introduces us to Rachel, a recently-divorced woman, now on a quest for her identity. This story took Jenny several years to write, a testament to her commitment to the goal of finishing her novel, as well as her commitment to producing a high-quality, solid story for the reader. And she delivers!
Jenny wants all of those who are considering writing a book to keep writing. Don’t give up, and be open to feedback, so you know where you can improve. Jenny learned a lot from writing teachers and English professors, and shares “you don’t always have to agree with it, and you don’t have to change your writing to please anyone but yourself. In the end, you are an artist and it’s your work. You can’t take it personally.” For Olsen, editing was a difficult part of the process, though, she realizes it is necessary, and she cautions future, aspiring authors to take the time in the editing process, and, “no matter how good you think your writing is, make sure you’ve gotten other people’s opinions before you publish.”
Jenny is a stay-at-home mom, and her kids and family are a huge part of her life. She loves date night with her husband, and shares that making time for one another goes a long way in making a marriage work. She enjoys exercising and encouraging people to eat healthy and exercise. Jenny is also a big lover of music, and enjoys singing. She shares that music inspires her as a writer, and as a person. And, when she has time, and weather permits, Jenny loves to spend time at the beach.
During the podcast, Jenny shared that she is hoping to launch her second novel sometime in 2021, and we can’t wait to hear more as her writing career unfolds.
Don’t forget to pick up a copy of Passion Reignited here.
Reach out to Jenny by visiting her online: Instagram
Listen to Jenny’s episode with us on the podcast here.
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