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Angels on Crusade is one of those novels I’d heard a lot of noise about before I read it. Everyone who had read it thought it was fantastic, but I kept putting it off—since I’m rarely one who follows the crowd. But when Jennifer Macaire offered Angels on Crusade for me to consider for my E-Author Spotlight, I eagerly accepted.
Before I’d finished the first page, I was ensnared in a tale so magical and so captivating that I couldn’t stop reading. I’d even growl and grumble about pesky little things such as my day job keeping me from reading.
Born in Kingston, NY, Ms. Macaire was blessed to live out in the country, on a farm where she could play in the fields and swim in the creek—an idyllic childhood, which sounds a lot like my own.
She can draw just about anything, and she collects fossils and unusual rocks, but she isn’t serious enough about it to be a rock hound. She loves to laugh, and taking her two dogs on a walk provides her with plenty of that. Her dachshund, Auguste, runs away, so she ties him to their Labrador, Rusty. One day, Rusty leapt over a ditch before Auguste was ready and pulled the Dachshund into the air—and seeing him soar over the ditch was hysterical. Two seconds later, Rusty went over a fallen log, while Auguste went under. Ms. Macaire says it’s like taking a walk with Laurel and Hardy.
They say that passion is one step below crazy, and I asked Ms. Macaire what she was most passionate about without taking that giant step into Loony Land. She said, “Politics, ecology, and current affairs. Actually, I probably leap into Looney Land!”
Some of Ms. Macaire’s favorite things are: cashmere sweaters, tarot cards, books, antique maps, bronze sculptures, computers, and chocolate.
On Writing in Jennifer Macaire’s Own Words
What or who inspires you to write?
I am often inspired by current events or dreams.
Why did you begin writing?
I wanted to tell a story! I have been storytelling since I was a kid. Writing just seemed a natural extension of that.
Which author inspires you?
Ray Bradbury
What do you find most rewarding about writing?
Writing “The End,” then going back and re-reading the book as a whole.
Have you experienced writer’s block? And, if so, how did you cure it?
It usually comes in times of fatigue or stress. I just keep writing—blog, letters, whatever—until it passes. It doesn’t last long. I love to write!
When is your next book due, and what’s it about?
My next book is due out (hopefully) around April 2008. It’s the third book in the Iskander series. It’s about a time traveler who goes back to interview Alexander the Great and gets kidnapped by him, stranding her in 300 B.C. It’s called Children in the Morning, and will be published by Calderwood Books as both an ebook and POD.
Please read my review of Angels on Crusade and find out more about why I loved it so much. Jennifer Macaire, also writing as Samantha Winston, is a definite must-read author. Visit her online at JenniferMacaire.com and see what else she has to offer.
