Skip to main content

Author Spotlight >>> JL Regen


JL Regen is a published photojournalist and has taught special education and English as a Second Language to students around the globe.






How long have you been writing?

I've been writing since I was old enough to hold a pencil. I knew at ten that I wanted to be a novelist. I started out as a journalist and am proud to say that I've taught many students the nuances of creative writing—here in the States and overseas.

Who’s your favorite author?

One of my favorite authors is Fyodor Dostoyevsky. I've read all of his books. Dostoyevsky was a master at combining drama, suspense, and heart-stopping action. I started reading Dostoyevsky when I was nine years old; I was riveted to the page, still am, especially The Brothers Karamozov.

What are you working on currently?

Right now, I'm editing my WWII historical suspense (with a romantic element). This is a labor of love and a tribute to my beloved uncle, who served in WWII as a medic and earned a Purple Heart.

Tell us a little bit about your writing, what is the process like?

As to the process with my writing, I used to do everything from memory but with a teaching job, it's a lot to keep in my head so I now do extensive outlines, I need that roadmap to keep me on track as I write my chapters and scenes. I did tons of research for my historical. My uncle left me so much material that it took me months just to review it. Fascinatingly, this research gave me a different perspective on him as before I only knew him as a brilliant pharmacist and loving uncle. The information my uncle provided has paved the way for my novel.

What is your favorite genre?

I enjoy suspense with a romantic element.


JL Regen is the author of Secret Desires which is now available in e-book, paperback, and audio book format. JL can be reached at joan@joansbookshelf.com.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Reading is FUNdamental!

As writers we hear this all the time, “If you want to be a better writer, you need to be a better reader.” And this is very true. But also true is that in reading we need to do so effectively. Yes, effectively. See, reading well can help make a huge difference in the quality of work you produce. Here are three tips to ensure you’re getting the most out of your reading experience, 1) Be sure to read books you enjoy. Unless you enjoy the classics (e.g. Austen, Dickens, Hemingway, etc.) reading mandatory novels some of which you may particularly enjoy might be counterintuitive. Reading should be a pleasure so read books that you like this way you’re sure to read more. 2) Read the type of material you aspire to produce. Find an author or two or three that you admire and read as much of their work as possible; devour their work actually.  3) Keep a good log of the books you’ve read. Voracious readers alike can tell you that they may not remember the books ...

Calgon...take me away!

Family/Friends, I understand now why some companies/celebreties hire people to tend to their Social Media networking, it is very time consuming, not to mention mentally exhausting. Point in case, just today I spent over an hour on Blogger and YouTube working out some kinks with my profile/settings. My head's spinning and I'm pooped. On the topic of Social Media, I'd like to take a moment to thank my daughter, Pamela for acting as a consultant on the topic. Pamela works in the field and has actually helped launch my first AdWords campaign. Although it is progressing slowly, I have seen an increase in site ( www.mywritingden.net ) traffic and Twitter - 10 new followers in a week. I've also been receiving sporadic emails from 'fans' telling me how much they enjoy my stories...so this keeps me going. Ohhh, and a VERY notable mention to Linus Ly who gave me the idea to use a 'new' slogan Erotica, She Wrote . Liked it so much I'm already using it. T...

T-Minus

Family/Friends, I'm six and a half days way from going into a NaNoWriMo 'leave of absence'. Yep, this means the Flash Fiction Friday section of my website will be on hold until 12/7.  Also, I don't expect to be online much (Twitter or Facebook), but will check email periodically. On a side note, I want to say thanks to those of you who have recently signed up to this blog, I appreciate you.  Oh, and thank you also to those folks who have visited this site from Russia,  Sweden, and Malaysia. I think that's pretty awe-SOME! Well, that's all for now. Until next time! Maria