Not Another Newsletter!

A Human Issue

I have largely stayed away from politics, in my fiction and my public presence as an author. Maybe this makes me cowardly, as a writer at least. The books I am driven to write concern people as opposed to sociopolitical issues…one woman’s, one child’s, one family’s epic battle for justice and life. A bookseller in Olympia, WA once told me, “I feel stronger as a person when I am reading one of your books,” and that’s how I feel while writing them.

I have readers on all sides of the political divide, and I feel respect for differing viewpoints, borne of a deep belief that we are all (well, most people out there) trying to do the best we can in the best ways we know how.

But the world is changing. There are things it is no longer reasonable to stay silent about: unequal access to housing or voting rights or education, and the murder of people of color without punishment for their killers. These issues have always been here, but it has been easy to stay quiet about them as a beneficiary of privilege and as someone who believes that partisanship is not a way to solve things and we must instead try to unite our deeply divided country.

But while I hold that belief system, I also know that we need to be doing more: calling for justice, signing petitions, and amplifying voices. As an author, I am surrounded by wonderful creatives, and it is possible and neccessary to amplify Black voices. I have not been a very publicly political person, but I have been able to be that way because of privilege. These past weeks have shown that now is the time to say: I stand with the Black Lives Matter movement.

 

On a Lighter Note

Comedy helps us cope during hard times. Two comics who have made me LOL recently are Hannah Gadsby and Patton Oswalt.

But best of all is my daughter, whose impressions make me howl. Ask me about Teenage Tinkerbell sometime.

Past, Present, & Future

Reads, that is! I just wrote a blurb for Pamela Crane’s web of a tale, Little Deadly Secrets, which comes out August 18th—yup, Pamela & I are pub date sisters—and is available for pre-order now; am currently reading the spectacular and timely The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet about twins that split up and go on to live vastly different lives; and next up is another ARC, Greg Hickey’s Parabellum.

A New Resource for Readers and Writers

Starting today, I’ll introduce something—or someone—in every newsletter. Could be a fun giveaway, a service I’ve found helpful, or a newly launched business.

We’ll kick it off with Book Crew Review, a group that garnered some pretty intense exposure for my forthcoming release—and were so much fun to hear from along the way.

From the Crew: “Book Review Crew is a group of avid readers who review across a range of genres to support authors and encourage/inform readers of choices in books.”

They also do awesome giveaways! Again, from the Crew:

Libby Fischer Hellman’s newest release is VIRTUALLY UNDETECTABLE. Comment on this review of her book and be entered to win an e-copy.

And if you want to make Jenny happy, do the same for our review of THE SECOND MOTHER, releasing 8/18/2020.

Say how much you’d like to read The Second Mother. (Spoiler alert: it’s the best one yet!)”

Author Spotlight

Back when I was a debut author, I was interviewed by Shelley Plumb, who closes a circle by appearing in my newsletter!

Will You Break or Bounce?

Our world is navigating waters that are turbulent and unpredictable at best. It has always perplexed me how, when faced with adversity, some people use [this] to bounce to success.

To Break or Bounce is a powerful, personal story of rediscovery and emotional healing, with insights about relationships, how important it is to set boundaries, heal past wounds, and let those we love and trust come close.

Writing this book helped me come to terms with my grandmother’s death as an adult and my mother’s untimely death as a young child. Reflecting on their wise words  helped me develop a resilient life full of wonder and excitement. It is my mission to help readers find the stability, balance, and resilience in their own lives. Only then will we have what it takes to bounce back and take control of our futures.

 I am honored to gift one signed copy of To Break or Bounce. I will also be offering an exclusive viewing of my new talk show ‘Author Jam’ due to live-stream in June 2020. Email Jenny and be entered to win!

I Started This Month’s Letter

With a heavy heart. These times are tough in many ways for so many. But writing to all of you never fails to bring me perspective. So I’ll end by explaining this gif.

The water looks pretty unassuming, right? Shallow. Sunny even. Warm.

In reality, the reason it took me so long to go in was because it was c-o-l-d. Like surface-of-the-moon cold. The Yukon in January. If you want audio for the screaming that took place, click here

We’re facing depths in this country right now and plumbing them in what seem to me at least to be new ways. I have hope that out of crisis can come great change and renewal. I have faith in all of us. And I’m grateful to get to share these times with you.