What inspired you to write your memoir?
Two things:
1- I felt like my story, as well the other two main characters’ stories, could help someone else. Our setting was a trip through Europe. Travelers, like writers, believe in the power of setting. Before this trip through Europe with my friends Jeanne and Bert, my setting had always been conservative, small town Idaho. I absolutely had to leave that environment and the people insulating me in order to gain perspective of the world and myself. Maybe most importantly, without this journey, I don’t think I ever would have revealed or dealt with my abuse. With the help and support of Jeanne and Bert, I found a voice in Europe. I wanted to share that voice.
2- We’ve all heard the saying, “You can’t make this up.” I’ve always felt like this story is extraordinary because here is three young women each dealing with major issues, but having a raucous time wandering through Europe. It was a story that begged to be told.
About your Book:
Jen thinks of traveling Europe with fellow Mormon, Jeanne, and a Catholic Eskimo named Bert, as an escape from her conservative upbringing and the pressures of conforming to a religion she does not believe in. But she discovers freedom means more than being worldly, having a guilt free good time and finding the perfect pint of ale.
Real freedom for Jen is about telling friends on a night train she was molested by a highly respected Mormon man who is also her uncle, and knowing that with Bert and Jeanne’s support she would do something about it. It’s about discovering Jeanne is a lesbian and choosing her friendship over the ingrained Mormon ideal that homosexuality is a sin. It’s about learning that spirituality isn’t confined to a church. And freedom means discovering how to have an ale laden, raucous, guilt-free journey of self-discovery.
How did you decide how to publish your book and where is it published through:
After a not-so-good experience with a traditional publisher on my last book, I decided to self-publish. This book is extremely personal and I couldn’t bear to hand it off to someone else.
Right now, I am focusing on Amazon.
How do you see writing a Memoir as different from writing other genres of books?
It’s very personal and I found that I often times had to be more honest than I was comfortable with, but as an author, I had to tell it like it was. It’s very different when you are the main character. You have to be willing to run unabashedly through the pages of your story.
Author Bio:
I was raised in rural Idaho by a pair of dedicated educators. I decided to go into the family business and moved to the big city of Boise to get my degree. I taught secondary English for sixteen years before deciding to try something new. My husband, stepson, and two daughters are my biggest fans in my writing ventures.
My first book was Hey, Get a Job! A Teen Guide for Getting and Keeping a Job. Then came Hey, Back Off! Tips for Stopping Teen Harassment (New Horizon Press Books). It was written with the help of my mom, Phyllis Hendrickson, M Ed. Someday I will add to the Hey series because I am a teacher at heart.
After writing two self-help books for teens and parents, I wanted to mix it up. I published my memoir, A Backpack, a Eurorail Pass and Some Serious Baggage, in 2013. It is cathartic and terrifying to share something so personal.
Today you will find me in Boise, Idaho working on any number of projects, spending time with my family, cheering on the Boise State Broncos, and doing my best to enjoy the great outdoors.
Website(s)
Author Home Page Link
Link To Book On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3462246.Jennie_Withers
https://www.facebook.com/HeyBooks
https://twitter.com/jennie_withers
http://www.pinterest.com/jenniewithers
