*My Interview With* Author Charlotte Jackanicz

 A Storybook Beginning

Charlotte Jackanicz is quite an extraordinary young lady. At only 25 she has accomplished graduating with a degree in English and most recently has written her first novel called Wake Forest, the first in a series trilogy. I got to interview this wonderful talent and get to know how her story came to be.

Name:  Charlotte Jackanicz
Age: 25
Occupation: Author/ Deal processor at a car dealership
Website: www.charlottejackanicz.com
Currently Living: West Frankfort, IL

Geek Sheek:  Tell us your background and why you became a writer?

Charlotte:  I think I was in sixth grade when I realized I liked to write. The English teacher had passed around a shoe box full of pictures clipped from magazines and told us all to choose just one. She then informed the class that our assignment was to write a story to go along with the picture.  It could be anything we wanted. We could tell a real story or make one up entirely. I was amazed. It had never really occurred to me that I could write stories like the ones I so loved to read. I remember having a conversation with that teacher in the hallway about writing as a career. I started carrying a notebook and pen with me everywhere after that. I wrote down everything; dreams, poems, short stories and some very long stories. I love to write and for me it doesn’t matter if the rest of the world gets to read it. Some stories I keep writing just because I want to know what will happen next.

Geek Sheek:  When did you start writing Wake Forest and what influenced you to write about High School students being “Monsters”?

Charlotte:  Wake Forest really started at the end of my sophomore year of college. It was just a sassy girl being rather obnoxious to her new math teacher. She amused me so I kept writing about her and her story eventually turned into Wake Forest. I think the story is not so much about the kids being monsters, but rather being told they are monsters. Most young adults really struggle with figuring out who they are as individuals, I know I certainly did. It seems like our society, especially the people around us, tries to force young people to fit in a certain mold.

Geek Sheek:  Give us a little summary of what the book is about?

Charlotte:  Wake Forest is a coming of age story about a girl named Della and her group of friends. They go to a special high school for orphaned Turnskins (Werewolves). The school teaches students to control the Moon Sickness which turns them into beasts for twenty-four hours every month. Della is a bit of a trouble maker and when she finds a baby abandoned in the woods surrounding the school, she finds herself sinking further into trouble. There’s something about the child that makes her start to question the Moon Sickness. As Della and her friends reveal the horrible truth about the school, they also find out what it means to be a real Turnskin.

Geek Sheek:  How personal is the book? Did you put any of your own qualities into the story or characters?

Charlotte:  I let other people make the decisions about who I was as a young adult. I tried to please everybody. I finally took control of my life and haven’t looked back. I think that really affected my writing in Wake Forest. It was a tough lesson for me to learn about being your own person and I think there are a lot of people that have a hard time with it. Wake Forest deals with it in the form of werewolves. It makes the characters decide for themselves whether they are the monsters or just another creature. 

I try not to put myself into the characters, but as I re-read Wake Forest I can see some personal qualities in different characters. I’m a bit of a worrier, but maybe not to the extent that Peyton is in this book.

Geek Sheek:  After reading up on Wake Forest I saw that this is going to be a trilogy. What genre or book series do you enjoy reading?

Charlotte:  I love fiction. My book shelves hold everything from Harry Potter to Stephen King.

Geek Sheek:  What books have influenced your life most?

Charlotte:  I’ve read a lot of books so it’s hard to choose. I think the series that has influenced my life the most is Harry Potter. I’ve grown up with them. I have J.K. Rowling to thank for my optimism as a young writer.

On the shelves at Barnes & Noble

Geek Sheek:  What was the process you went through to get published?

Charlotte:  It’s been a long hard road to getting published. There are so many people telling you no, so it’s easy to get discouraged. Finding someone to publish your work is the hardest part. I have all my rejection letters pinned to the wall above my desk as a reminder that every writer gets rejected, but someone will say yes if you’ve worked hard enough to make your story the best it can be.

Geeks Sheek:  What advice would you have for someone wanting to be a published writer?

Charlotte:  I know it sounds rather cliché but don’t ever give up. Writing is a job and there are always good days and bad days. If you have a passion for it then keep going no matter what anyone else tells you.

 Geek Sheek:  What are your future plans with your writing?

Charlotte:  Right now I’m working on the sequel to Wake Forest, but I’m also playing with a few short story ideas.

Geek Sheek:  What are some things you Geek out over?

Charlotte:  Lately I’ve been geeking out over Cassandra Clare books. I’m hooked on her Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices series. I’ve been telling all my book friends to hurry up and read them. I also geek out over the tv series Supernatural. Most people have never heard of it, but once you watch it your hooked. I’m also a big fan of horror movies, even the bad ones.

 

Other Info

You can find more out about Charlotte Jackanicz on her official Wake Forest Facebook (HERE).

Buy The Book:

Barnes & Noble
Amazon