… there are a thousand different strategies and styles for authors to reach their goals, and no one ‘correct’ way to follow their passions.
Teacher Jenna Greene began writing stories at a young age and now writes for both young and young-at-heart readers. She has published 12 books including, children’s picture books, a middle-grade standalone and two young adult trilogies. But Jenna has quite a few more balls in the air. You can catch a glimpse of her here.
Lyndi: What makes your young adult fantasy Reborn Marks Trilogy dystopian?
Jenna: Dystopian literature has an alternate reality. An alternative world built by the author. Now, that definition could include any speculative fiction world, except that dystopian literature focuses on a place the reader would NOT want to live – at least in the same situation as the character. A commander in The Handmaid’s Tale might find his world ideal, but Offred certainly does not. For Lexil, in the Reborn Marks Series, she is destined to a life of stigma and slavery. She is limited in her choices and movement, struggling to survive a world that was not shaped to her advantage.
Lyndi: You’ve featured some well-known authors on your podcast Quill and Ink. What do you hope to accomplish with this venture?
Jenna:
Though I have not filmed an episode of Quill and Ink in several years, nor do I have any plans to revisit this venture in the future, my time as a podcaster was informative and delightful. Hearing the voices of other authors is entertaining and reassuring. It helps all writers to know that there are a thousand different strategies and styles for authors to reach their goals, and no one ‘correct’ way to follow their passions.
Lyndi: After two young adult series, you wrote a middle-grade novel. How was writing Summer of Rocks different than writing your young adult books.
Jenna: “Summer of Rocks” was written after the success of “And Owl Without A Name,” which was my first foray into writing for younger writers. That book was inspired by a real event (finding an injured owl on our property) and the story chose me, rather than the other way around. “Summer of Rocks” is also based on a true story, a fictionalized autobiography of my childhood. Middle grade is definitely where my focus in writing has been recently, likely because my daughters are entering middle school this year, and developing as writers.
Lyndi: You don’t shy away from dark subject matter in your books for young readers. What is your perspective on including these?
Jenna: I studied children’s literature in university and read essays on the original purpose of fairy tales. These were dark, brutal stories that would make the Grimm brothers shiver and cause Disney to faint, but they served a purpose. These stories showed characters losing parents, being lost, facing abuse – and still surviving. Giving children or young adults a chance to see a character face difficulty and make their way through, is a remarkable force. In dystopian literature in particular, giving readers the opportunity to watch young characters change their world for the better, tackling social institutions themselves, is both uplifting and powerful.
Lyndi: What, picture books too? How did you come to write Winston—The Well-Dress Wombat and Bachtavia Bat and the Search for a Hat for an even younger audience?
Jenna: Those were written when my daughters were younger, and I was hoping to connect with them. Dear old Winston was inspired by a name on a sign, and Bachtavia was a wonderful endeavor because my aunt Elizabeth McKague was included in the project.
Lyndi: Does your audience have a favorite character that stands out from the others?
Jenna: The owl from “An Owl Without a Name” has seemed to have a huge impact with my audience. They related well with a character who feels lost and is on a journey to find his identity. Schools have used it for One School/ One Book and it has been a true honor seeing students’ insights and projects.
Lyndi: Was there any one book that you found more challenging to write than the others and if so, why did you struggle to write that one?
Jenna: Lexil’s story in The Reborn Marks was both my easiest story to write, and my most challenging. I wrote the first book while my mom was sick. The second half was completed after her death. The story deals with themes of connections to the past and those we have lost, so it was uplifting to write this tale, but also challenging. It brought up a wealth of emotions.
Lyndi: What kinds of marketing have you found effective for letting people know about your stories?
Jenna: I find that online marketing is helpful for me, as I teach full-time and cannot be at public events during the week. (And I’m raising two nine-year-olds, who keep me busy on weekends). It’s easier to find snippets of time to write a guest blog entry or make a social media post, than it is to find seven hours of alone time to attend a book fair. That being said, when I do find the time, I absolutely LOVE talking to people about books and literature – whether it be my own stories or someone else’s.
Bio: Jenna Greene is a Southern Alberta author and teacher, as well as President of Wordbridge: Lethbridge Writer's Society. She is known for her YA and Middle Grade books. Her novel "An Owl Without a Name" is a CBC-recommended book, as well as a TD summer book club pick. Her latest novel, “Summer of Rocks” was recently chosen as a Forest of Reading summer book club pick. Her dystopian YA series, "The Reborn Marks" is the winner of the Moonbeam Children's Book Award. When Jenna isn't teaching or writing, she can be found on the dance stage or on the lake, dragonboat paddling and coaching.
It’s the summer of 1990, and Amy (age 11), Beth (age 9), and Marion (age 6) are in for the family vacation of a lifetime. No, they’re not going Disneyland, Hawaii, or on a Caribbean cruise. No, they’re not flying to Germany to collect pieces of the Berlin Wall.
They will be looking at rocks, though. Lots of rocks. So many rocks.
You see, when your father is a geologist, that’s what you do on your summer vacation. You drive for days to the British Columbia–Yukon border, strapped in the backseat of the family truck with your sisters, fighting over the Gameboy, listening to your parents tell you “fascinating” facts about the scenery, playing the Little Mermaid soundtrack on a loop, and trying not to get elbowed in the face. Doesn’t that sound like a dream vacation? Well, it’s no luxury trip, but it has its highlights―from camping under the stars to wading in natural hot springs to flying a helicopter! And for Amy, Beth, and Marion, the memories they make along the way will last a lifetime. At least that’s what their parents tell them…
