Eco Author Spotlight

March Author Spotlight

I’m excited to spotlight this month’s ecologically aware author because we have so much in common. What are the odds I’d run into another person (on Twitter, of all places) who also loves writing, horses, and sustainability? Well, I did! Her name is Jenny Roman, she lives in the UK, and she writes short stories. Here’s more about her.

The Author

Jenny Roman has written short stories and articles for a variety of magazines, and is the author of three short story collections. She has had stories published online and in anthologies, and she has readers around the world. Jenny has an MA in Creative Writing from Nottingham Trent University. She has been short-listed or placed in a host of writing competitions, and has also acted as reader, short-lister and judge – so she knows what it feels like on both sides of the fence. She is a member of a Writers’ Group and strongly recommends this to anyone thinking of writing creatively. When she’s not writing, you’ll probably find her in the garden, walking the dogs, or mucking out the horses! Please visit her blog HERE.

The Interview

Hi, Jenny! Tell us about a character in your book who fights for the environment. What issue is of main concern to him/her?

My latest short story collection includes a story which was first published in a magazine in the UK. It’s about a girl called Leah who develops an interest in bees as a child. As she grows up, her mum starts to see it as an obsession, and worries about her, especially when Leah falls in love with a postgrad and they end up travelling and campaigning together about the plight of bees. Eventually, Leah goes on to build a university career based around her passion – a career which outlasts the love affair!

What eco-friendly habits or actions do you take in your own life?

We used to live in a rented house with a huge back garden, grew our own veg, kept hens, and tried to be as self-sufficient as possible. Any leftovers went to feed the hens, and any eggs we didn’t need we sold at our gate. The money from the eggs helped to pay for additional hens’ feed, or seeds for the veg garden. We’ve since moved to our own home, and our garden is too small for a veg plot, but we try to source our food from local producers and support our local shops etc. We’ve deliberately bought a small house – sufficient for the two of us – with a spare bedroom which doubles both as my writing room, and a place to put up friends when they come to stay. We aren’t minimalists, but we are attempting to live with fewer material possessions.

What sparked your love for nature and the outdoors?

As a child our garden backed onto a farmer’s fields, in which there were variously horses, cows or sheep. My parents were both keen gardeners, and I always loved playing outside. Our holidays were spent camping – usually staying in wild places such as Exmoor, the New Forest, or occasionally Scotland – beautiful landscapes for walking and spotting wildlife. I started learning to ride when I was about 10. I was desperate for a pony of my own, but my parents couldn’t afford it, so eventually I worked at the local riding school in return for rides, and then rode horses for other people. I was 28 before I was able to afford my first horse!

Is environmentalism the main theme of your writing, or do you write mainly in another genre?

Environmentalism itself isn’t a main theme of my writing. In my short stories, I generally write about domestic situations – the small details of life – so themes might include having less, or how people and relationships are of more importance than the accumulation of wealth and things. I firmly believe that lots of small changes make a big change. I personally hate waste (of money, effort, time, and the earth’s resources) so I think that comes across in my writing. Many of my stories are centered around love – though not necessarily in the romantic sense. They explore the way things can go wrong, or be misunderstood, or the way people behave badly because their nature conflicts with the situation they find themselves in. What I love about a collection of short stories is that they allow you to explore a range of different scenarios within one overarching theme.

Do you have any upcoming book releases you’d like to tell us about?

I’m currently working on a book of horse-themed short stories for grownups. I’m aiming them at those people who used to be avid readers of pony books when they were kids. Perhaps they no longer ride, perhaps ‘real life’ has got in the way of something which used to feel fundamental to them. I’m fascinated with exploring the way our response to a ‘grand passion’ changes as we grow older. I still love horses as an adult, but not in the same, all-consuming way I did as a kid. Now I have a job and a mortgage and a husband and the ‘grand passion’ has to fit in with all these other things. I kind of wish I still had that overwhelming feeling I did as a child, but your perspective changes as you get older and that’s what I hope these stories will explore.

Thanks, Jenny. Your upcoming horse stories for adults sound perfect for me and I can’t wait to check them out! In the meantime, find Jenny’s currently available books of short stories below.

The Books

Find Jenny’s books on Amazon by visiting her Amazon Author Page!

Until my next post, stay safe and healthy, everyone!

February Eco Author Spotlight: D.G. Driver

Welcome to the first monthly installment of my Eco Author Spotlight Series! Today, I’m interviewing Young Adult Fantasy author, D.G. Driver. Readers who believe in mermaids and are passionate about protecting our oceans from things like pollution and oil spills will want to check out her Juniper Sawfeather series, starting with Book One, Cry of the Sea.

Author Bio

D. G. Driver is an optimist at heart, and that’s why she likes to write about young people making an impact on the world. You’ll find among her books a teen environmental activist, a young girl teaching people about autism acceptance and to stop bullying people with special needs, a princess who wants to be more than a prize for a prince, a boy who wins a girl’s heart by being genuine and chivalrous, and a girl who bravely searches for a friend lost along the shore of a dark lake. She is a multi-award winning author of books for teens and tweens. When Driver isn’t writing, she’s a teacher at an inclusive child development program in Nashville, TN. She might also take a break from writing once in a while to strut the stage in a local theater production. You’re guaranteed to find her belting out Broadway show tunes anytime she’s driving. Her website is: www.DGDriver.com

The Interview

Tell us about a character in your book who fights for the environment. What issue is of main concern to him/her?

The main character of my contemporary fantasy YA series is Juniper Sawfeather. She’s a senior in high school and the daughter of well-known environmental activists. She has been raised with their intense priorities and values, although, like any teen, she is rebelling against them by wanting to pursue a career in Marine Biology as opposed to majoring in Environmental Studies like her mother. Her involvement with the causes her parents are fighting (oil spills, logging, and ocean pollution) put her in the settings where she ultimately discovers mythical creatures like mermaids and tree spirits and the fascinating history that connects them to each other and her American Indian heritage.

What eco-friendly habits or actions do you take in your own life?

I do try to limit my footprint by recycling and reusing. I make a conscious effort to use a refillable water bottle, for example, and limit single-use products. I am very conscious of my trash when I’m out in nature and often am the one on the beach picking up litter as I walk along during my vacations.

What sparked your love for nature/outdoors/wild animals, etc.?

I’m originally from Southern California, and I loved being outdoors as a kid. Long bike rides, and as I grew older long hikes. I lived where I was an hour from a mountain forest or an hour from the beach, and I loved it all. Now I’m landlocked in Tennessee, but I still like to be outside on my deck whenever possible or take a jaunt down to the Gulf on vacation. Spray all the perfumes you want, but nothing smells as good as real ocean spray on a beautiful sunny day.

Who is a real-life eco-warrior who you admire? Why?

About twenty years ago, I read the autobiography of Julia Butterfly Hill. She is a famous “tree hugger” who saved a redwood tree in northern by living in it for just shy of two years. Her story of survival and fortitude is impressive, and it inspired the plot of Whisper of the Woods, the second book in my series.

Do you have any new book releases you’d like to tell us about?

My most recent release is a YA sweet romance novel called All the Love You Write. It’s a story about a high school couple whose relationship is being both helped and hindered by two ghosts who shared a tragic love story of their own 50 years earlier.