Five Questions with ... JAYNA MORROW

In what I hope to become a continued feature on my blog, I'm interviewing fellow authors (both indie and traditionally published) with the purpose of getting to know them better and branch out this writing and reading tree. Today we get to meet ...

Jayna Morrow.

Jayna and I share a lot in common, the least of which is writing. She is a mother of two precious little girls, and an educator of young minds. We both hail from east Texas and share a love of the simple life. I have enjoyed reading her Sweet Home, Texas series, an inspirational sweet romance set in the fictional town of Sweet Home.

Professionally speaking, Jayna continues to make a name for herself. As I mentioned before, she is the author of the Sweet Home, Texas series of books published by Prism Book Group. She has also written numerous sweet contemporary and inspirational romances, contributed a short read to a Prism Book Group author compilation (A Blizzard Wedding), created several resources for writers, written a devotional book for writers and authored a passel of children's titles. She has been featured at eReader News Today, Daily Cheap Reads, Working Writers and Bloggers, Books for Book Lovers, The Old Stone Wall, Lilly’s Book Club, Book Goodies, Nearly Brilliant, Goodreads, and Christian eBooks Today. She is an active member of the East Texas Writers Association and is a regular guest speaker, presenting mini-workshops on plotting structure, drafting a novel in 30 days, and the layering process. You can read more of her bio at her website, JaynaMorrow.com. Her credentials quite honestly put mine to shame.

I asked Jayna a few questions so that we get to know her a little better. Here is what she had to say.

Writing is therapy for me and it has always been a part of my life. In college, I fell in love with romance novels. I knew right then that's what I wanted to write. That's the moment that desire and purpose came together.

“Most Likely to Live the Dream” – I put this title because I’ve worked hard to earn my place in the literary world. Step by painstaking step, I’ve inched my way down the path of publication. Even though I have a long way to go, I know I will get there because I am determined. You can’t stop someone who refuses to give up.

Literally, everything. I know that sounds cliché, but everything from song lyrics to glimpses inside houses at night as I drive by to the funny things kids say to photographs on Pinterest. I see pictures with my eyes, but it translates to words in my brain. I used to think this was normal, but I have since learned that not everyone sees the world that way. For example, if I look at a wall I see the wall, then the word “wall” flashes in my mind. Now magnify that times a thousand. When something inspires me, I see paragraphs and chapters and storylines.

I’ve always had a very supportive family. My grandmother let me use her old typewriter when I was very young. It had sticky keys and a manual return. Think Jessica Fletcher at the table in the old Murder She Wrote series. For Christmas my sixth grade year, she gave me an electric typewriter. My friends were focused on boys, music, fashion, and hanging at the mall while I was clacking away on my typewriter. This early support definitely inspired me to follow my dreams.

Right now, I am working on Book 4 in the Sweet Home, Texas series. My motorcycle-riding bad boy baby brother, Henry, is ready to tell his story. I fondly refer to him as my “bad news bringing the good news.” I’m still in the plotting stage and very nervous and excited about some of the research I must do for this novel: ride on a motorcycle and attend a biker church. So far, my experience with research has consisted of web searches only. What a thrill that I get to feel the wind in my hair and call it research. I think readers are just going to fall in love with Henry. And his true love? Well, she’s a character readers are somewhat familiar with, as she’s appeared in all three Sweet Home novels. I’ll let ya’ll think about who the lucky lady could be!

Many thanks to Jayna for answering my probing questions! Below you'll find links (not affiliate, by the way) to Jayna's works. I hope you'll help celebrate this down-to-earth, sweet-as-pecan-pie little lady in her journey to the top of the literary world!