Author Spotlight – Jennifer Ensley #Fantasy #Books #Amreading

I’m excited that we have our very first Author Spotlight on Jennifer Ensley. A fellow author who writes fantasy. Jennifer was patient enough to be interviewed by legendsofgreenisle.com. She has many books available, but today, we are spotlighting her A Dance with Destiny series.

Legendofgreenisle: When did you start writing? What made you want to write?

Jennifer: I published my first book in 2012. I had never dreamed of being a writer. I was happy being a life-long avid—compulsive—reader. Alas, when my precious little daughter turned into a teenager…I was no longer her favorite playmate, no longer the cool mom at parties. Suddenly, I was a source of shame. Apparently. I mean, who knew? I guess all teenagers act like/go through that. I couldn’t remember. It’d been far too long in my past. One thing my (previously) precious little angel retained from childhood to adolescence, pre-teen, and beyond…was her ever-growing love of the printed word.

So, what’s a mom to do, right? Well this mom decided to write a book. My reasoning? If she no longer wanted to spend time with me, I would create something that she would lose herself in. A magical story for the ages. Something that would capture her hormonal-laced attention and focus her back on me. Vanity? Absolutely. I was her mom, for crying out loud. I demanded to continue on as the center of her magical little universe. Thus, I wrote Cursed by Diamonds, the first in what would soon become a six-book series of an epic, fantastical tale of love, loss, friendship, self-discovery, and belief in something far greater than we are on our own.

It had everything—Elves, Dragons, Demons, Angels, Mermaids, Swords, Battle, Suspense. And this was to be my Christmas gift that year to my precious daughter. But that’s just it…it was to be a gift. I couldn’t just write this amazing story and then print it off on copy paper and wrap it up with a pretty little bow. No. If I wanted her to actually read it, if I wanted her to put me back up on my deserved pedestal (cough, cough) it had to be AWESOME. No colored copy paper—even the kind with pretty, decorated borders—for my little angel. I was going to present her with a real book. A real book with real editing and a real cover wrapped around real binding. It had to be a real book, no matter what.

Thus, my accidental journey into the amazing world or writing—story-spinning, epic world-building. I didn’t know it that day, but the printing company actually makes that new real book I just uploaded…available for the rest of the world to purchase as well. And seeing how this was supposed to be an intimate Christmas gift with new adventure to look forward to the next year, I added the first chapter of the second book Blessed by Sapphires at the end of Cursed by Diamonds. Needless to say, it wasn’t very long until I started receiving emails inquiring as to when the next book in the series would become available.

And there you have it, friends. Ten published novels later and still writing every single day. The stories flow and my pen is ever running dry of ink.

Legendsofgreenisle: Jennifer, that’s so amazing you wrote these for your child. That’s how my series got started too! So tell me, was this your first publication effort or have you published before? If so, what have you published?

Jennifer:  Cursed by Diamonds was my first book, but I now have ten in print with three brand new ones setting here waiting for preorder upload. Five years later and thirteen books…I am blessed. You have heard it said that if you find a job you love, you’ll never have to work a day of your life. That’s me now. I’ve never been this happy before.

And because I’d never ask a new fan to pay to see if they like my style… Cursed by Diamonds is now free from all eBook vendors and on all devices. Blessed by Sapphires is available as a free download if you sign up at my website for my newsletter.

Legendsofgreenisle: You are so awesome! Tell us about this series and its characters? How did you create the story line?

Jennifer:  The characters of my A Dance with Destiny series came to me via a daydream. That daydream turned into chapter one of Cursed by Diamonds. The remainder of the story flowed naturally through my mind—scenes playing out as I frantically wrote them down.

In truth, it all started while I was looking into a snow globe, picturing a young woman sitting in an old tree swing. Her feet were dangling in the air just above a rippling little creek that edged a dense, darkened forest. I wondered what she must be thinking, what her life was really like. She had such a sense of calm about her—happiness, peace, serenity. I suddenly became jealous. Is anyone truly that blissful? No, they are not. At least, not in any world I’ve ever lived in. My curiosity grew. I wanted to know what it was that ultimately brought her to this peaceful little place. Was life always this good? Or (like most of us) did she have to go through some sort of hell… to find her own little heaven? What was her story?

The characters in this series are real—flawed and perfect and visceral and mercurial. They are relatable, and inspirational (good inspiration, and bad). There is humanness in every magical creature, but they aren’t dumbed-down below their station.  The story is breathtakingly fierce. Stunningly epic. An impressive rollercoaster adventure you never want to end. You’ll fly with devoted Dragons. Clash against beautiful Demons. Dance with enchanting Elves. Fight alongside silver Guardians, golden Angels, and magical Ninja. A spectacular little Grim Reaper that is one serious force to be reckoned with.

This series is very…me. My motto/mantra—Every curse has a blessing, and every blessing has a curse. Because, you see… There are countless people who stroll through our lives—touching us, changing our destinies in some unimaginable ways. Many times, we aren’t even blessed with their name or the knowledge of how they irrecoverably impacted our world… until they are gone. Yet, the many characters that dance in and out of our lives have their own story to tell, their very own take on our reality. Decisions and choices are grand focal points in every individual’s destiny. Although the goal may still be attainable, which path you choose and what you are willing to sacrifice becomes your true mark of worth.

Cursed by Diamonds is only the beginning. The whole epic story could not be contained within just one cover. I hope you enjoy this enchantingly dark tale of curses, magic, joys, trials, and love.

Know this… The path to your true destiny may be a very winding one indeed.

Legendsofgreenisle: I really like that statement. Nothing is ever a straight road.  Where do you see your writing career in five years? Will there be more books?

Jennifer:   I never want to stop. In five years, I plan on being a household name. Well, at least a Fantasy household name. My characters are fierce and flawed and dreamy and despicable. You root for the good guys, fall in love with the bad guys, and keep each one of them locked up in your heart. My A Dance with Destiny series is one that will satisfy you, but stay with you for years to come. That’s what I love in a great adventure book, and that’s what I did with my own writing as well.

Legendsofgreenisle: Jennifer, thank you so much for being a part of our community and for being our first author in our spotlight here at legendsofgreenisle.com. You can get to Jennifer’s series and other books at Amazon or her web page www.JKEnsley.com.