After with author Savannah Jezowski

Today on Jilligan’s Island, I’m interviewing Savannah Jezowski as part of her blog tour for her new release, After. We have a lot to cover today, so let’s find out more about Savannah and her books!

JM: Hi, Savannah! Thanks for stopping by. I love the cover of After. Where did you get the idea for the story?

SJ: The initial concept for After was inspired one evening when my husband and I were wandering the book aisle at Meijer. As we idly perused the rows of brightly colored books, it was obvious the world had become sucked into a zombie phase: every single cover seemed to scream “the dead live on.”

I looked at my husband and asked, “If zombies were real, how do you think God would see them? What would they really be like?”

Thus, the creepers were born and the story kind of took off from there.

JM: I love stories that start with “What if….?” From the cover, it’s obvious this isn’t a contemporary zombie story. What made you select this setting?

SJ: I wanted something dark and brooding yet with potential for beauty and light. I also LOVE watching period dramas from BBC and the like, and it just seemed natural to create a society reminiscent of Dickens or Victorian times.

JM: The book cover really conveys that theme. Who designed the it? How did the cover come about?

SJ: I actually designed this cover myself. I had commissioned a cover years ago, but for some discouraging reasons I won’t get into, I wasn’t able to use the original cover and had to come up with a new one. I found some stock photos of old looking cities and snapped a few photographs of my husband to play the main character in the story (yes…my husband is on the front cover of my book. LOL) and the cover kind of came together. I wanted something a little broody and old-looking but not overtly fantasy with lots of sparkles and whatnot. This story isn’t a sparkly fairy tale. It’s a gripping story of a dark world and real characters.

JM: I love your husband was your model! You mentioned the old cover you couldn’t use. What about the book itself? What did you edit out of this book?

SJ: Merciful After…What DIDN’T I edit out of this book? 😊 Truly, this story has gone through so many rewrites to get where it is today. With the help of my beta readers and amazing editors, After went from a Cinderella novella about a chimney sweep who falls in love with a feisty princess, to a Rapunzel story, to a full-length novel with hints of several fairy tales but no real retelling of its own. Most of the other books in the series are/will be more obvious fairy tale retellings, but After? Well, After became it’s own story. I kind of like it that way. The one thing that never changed from the first draft to the end draft was my main character, Conrad Ellis the Third, or “Eli” as his friends call him. He softened up a bit along the way but he remained his gruff, grumpy, but secretly sensitive self the whole way through.

JM: I’ve noticed this isn’t your first book. So have you always liked to write? When did you start writing?

SJ: I started writing stories before I even knew what a paragraph was. My first book was bound with yarn and illustrated with crayons. I still have it buried in a box where nobody will ever find it. I hope.

JM: Oh, that’s adorable! So many well-known authors start out young. Who is your favorite author?

SJ: I hate this question because I can never pick just one author. The answer changes depending on my mood and what books I’ve read most recently. Today I am going to say Dianna Wynne Jones. Her Howl’s Moving Castle is one of my all-time favorite books. I seriously laugh myself silly through the whole book.

JM: I received that recommendation from my cousin and picked it up last year. I thought it was a really creative story! How long did you write before you became published?

SJ: I started writing when I was in elementary, and it wasn’t until I about four years ago that my first novella was published in the Five Enchanted Roses anthology. I’m thirty-three years old, so I will let you do the math. I had several short stories published before then, but nothing much ever came of them besides some change in my pocket.

JM: Speaking of change in your pocket, are you a full-time author or do you balance writing with another job?

SJ: I am a full-time author/editor/designer. I support and fund my writing career by helping other authors with their own books. I wish I had more time to devote to my own stories, but the sad truth is book royalties don’t pay the bills when you’re starting out. I’m just thankful I get to do what I love. Stay home with my little girl and spend my days thinking about BOOKS.

JM: I’m sure you value that time you can spend on your own stories. How long does it take you to write a book—from preliminary plotting to finishing revisions?

SJ: It varies from book to book. I wrote and revised When Ravens Fall over a course of six weeks. Then editing took me a little longer after that. That’s unusually fast for me. Wither took me six months, give or take, and After…ugh, we’re talking YEARS. But now I can usually crank out a 50k novella in 4-6 weeks weeks, with another month or two for revisions. I have several on my plate waiting to be edited and published.

JM: Wow, that’s impressive! I’m more of a turtle writer. It takes me a long time to finish. What does your writing space look like?

SJ: I have a beautiful office upstairs, with built-in book cases and the works, but I don’t get to use it much because the dogs make too much noise running up and down the stairs and wake the baby up. And I don’t dare write with the baby because I don’t pay attention, and I’m afraid she’ll fall down the stairs while I’m lost in my mind. So I usually write in my rocking chair with a lap table and a couple of folding tables nearby piled high with books, resources, notebooks, scraps of paper and who knows what else. It’s messy but it works.

JM: Oh my word, that sounds like my living room! LOL. Maybe someday we’ll graduate to our own “grown-up” offices, right? I’ve been wondering, do you have a playlist or favorite songs/composer you listen to while writing?

SJ: Oh, yes! I make a playlist for every book I write, and the same songs usually end up on the list (no matter how hard I try not to). I especially like Josh Groban, Christina Perri, Daughtry, Casting Crowns, and Broadway musical soundtracks.

JM: Those are such great choices. Well, Savannah, it sounds like you’re pretty busy! But do you do any other creative activities other than writing?

SJ: I do! I love design. I took design classes in college and finally get to use them for my cover design business. I love photoshopping pictures and playing around with fonts and special effects. I’m always watching tutorials to learn new tricks and techniques. I also got a drawing tablet for Christmas, but I haven’t really had a chance to learn how to use it yet.

JM: Hopefully, you’ll get some time soon to play around with it. So I have to ask — aside from “keep writing,” what’s your best advice for aspiring writers?

SJ: Get advice from other authors. I know. This can be painful. Constructive criticism is hard, but it’s SO VITAL to developing our craft and improving the quality of our writing. If you want to be a “real” author someday, talk to some of the authors you admire. Most of the ones in the Indie community are more than willing to help each other out.

JM: You’re right! There’s so much help to be found in the indie community. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing!

Savannah Jezowski lives in a drafty farmhouse in Amish country with her Knight in Shining Armor, a wee warrior princess, and two English Springer Spaniels. She is the author of When Ravens Fall and The Neverway Chronicles. Her work has been published in Ray Gun Revival, Mindflights and in the student publication of Fountains at Pensacola Christian College. She is also a featured author in Five Enchanted Roses from Rooglewood Press and Mythical Doorways, a Fellowship of Fantasy Anthology. She likes books, faeries, writing hats, and having tea with her imaginary friends.