September Featured Author
What made you choose Red Adept Editing?
I’d heard of Red Adept from other authors, and I liked how clear and informative the website was and how upfront the pricing structure is. I’ve continued working with Red Adept because of the very reliable and high-quality service I’ve received. Manuscripts are edited promptly, and the edits themselves are thorough and very helpful.
You’ve worked with Sarah G and Sara Carleton. What did you enjoy most about working with them?
It’s been really encouraging working with both Sarah G and Sara Carleton, and I really appreciate both their enthusiasm and dedication to making my books better. Trust is incredibly important when working with an editor, and with them, I know my manuscript is in good hands.
Sarah G has done content editing for me, and it was very rewarding to work with an editor who both appreciated the story and provided useful feedback that built and improved on the story rather than tried to change it.
Sara Carleton also really gets my genre and style when it comes to line edits. She’s really professional and thorough, but without erasing my voice from the manuscript.
Do you have a favorite place or time of day to write?
My favourite place to write so far was when I lived on a tiny Thai island, and I found a spot looking out over the sea from the top of a cliff. That was pretty magical, and of course that kind of backdrop makes for great inspiration! Mostly, I’m happiest writing outside, so I often just sit in my hammock with my laptop.
I’m more of a morning person, so I try to write earlier in the day as much as I can, but given that I live nomadically, I never have much of a routine—things are always changing! So I write whenever there’s time.
Do you like to plan before you write? Or do you prefer to start and see where the story goes?
These days, I plan more than I used to so I don’t find myself stuck and having to write myself out of a plot hole. But I definitely leave myself a lot of freedom to see how the story takes shape—things never quite work out how I think they will!
What inspires your quirky misfits the most?
I think everyone has a bit of quirk to them, and I love discovering that side of people. So I draw inspiration from everyone I meet! In some cases, like with my character who’s an assassin with a fear of blood, I go for things that I find funny—I like injecting humour into my books.
Which of your covers is your favorite and why?
I actually had a brand-new set of covers done for my series, designed by Oli Price, a really talented graphic designer. My favourite is the cover for the first book in the series, The Bloodless Assassin. The poison bottle on the front is really cool!
What part of self-publishing do you enjoy the most?
The control and freedom that comes with it. It’s really empowering to know that I have full control over my business.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
I’m always travelling, so I spend a healthy amount of time exploring and discovering new places. I love being in nature, too, so I’m often hiking, or swimming if I’m by the sea, and of course hanging out in my hammock with a good book.
I lived on a rice farm in Malaysia for a time, and I spent all my spare time following a herpetologist around so I could hold all the snakes, frogs, and other cool critters he would catch. It was a lot of fun!
What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever been given?
Write the next book. It can be temping to keep on polishing the same book over and over again, but each new book you write teaches you so much more about the craft of writing. As scary as putting your work out there can be, get the book professionally edited, and then put it out into the world before moving on to the next one!
Where can readers find you?
Amazon profile page: https://www.amazon.com/Celine-Jeanjean/e/B01081K1RC
Website: celinejeanjean.com
