Mar 8, 20225 min read

Author Spotlight Jennifer Tempest

Tell our readers briefly about yourself.

My name is Jennifer Tempest and I live with my boyfriend and large cat in Alberta, Canada. I have been writing since the age of eight and have a binder full of ideas and stories from over the years. I love to read Fantasy, especially if it involves dragons; I got my first tattoo this year of a dragon on my back. I love to write and hope to continue sharing my work with the world.

What books do you have available? Can you give us a short description of them?

The Cardinal War is available as of September 23, 2021 on Amazon, Indigo online and Barnes and Noble online.

Within the Empire of Frythiel, the Emperor passes away in the city of Mordale with no known heirs. The city is thrown into political turmoil as the four surrounding manors fight to put their children on the throne. Sucked into this turmoil is one of the Emperor’s messengers, Daithi, as well as a young thief, Eileen. The two must find their place in the changing landscape and discover their relationship with each other and how it conflicts with their duty to both themselves and to others.

Do you stay in one genre when you write or do you find yourself veering toward others?

I tend to focus on Fantasy as my genre to write in but sometimes I will write more generic fiction but even that will have been inspired by fantasy books I read.

Are you a panster, planner, or someone in between?

Somewhere in between, I start as a planner and then become a panster. Normally in activities I am a very organized and planning person but something about writing brings out the panster in me.

What is your writing routine like?

Once I have created the rough outline for my book, generally a few sentences for each chapter that I want to cover, I will start with the ending. I like to have an end goal for where my story will go. If there ends up being an epilogue, I may not write that yet, but at least I will write the ending of the main plots of the story. After that, I tend to just write what inspires me, whether that be an action heavy chapter or a dialogue heavy chapter as I find this method helps me avoid writers’ block. Some days I will have a review mindset and I will re-read what I have written so far to fix up the flow of the story and add a bit here and there.

Tell me about your favorite character that you’ve created?

If we are talking The Cardinal War, then I would have to go with Eileen but if I can include works in progress then I would choose Reilynn, the main character of my next work. Both are strong female characters with a lot of growth, but I think I have more experience in writing now so I was able to delve into Reilynn a bit more.

Where do you get your ideas for world building?

I don’t know if I could pinpoint one source in particular but I would say I draw inspiration from the books I read and take bits and pieces from the settings of stories. Otherwise, I take some aspects from the real world, such as climate, and the rest just comes to me as I create my world. I do take feedback as well from those who have read my first work, I will adjust and expand my world for future works.

Do you add romance to your writing? Is it steamy or clean?

The Cardinal War does have some romance between a few of the characters but it would be clean romance.

What was your favorite scene to create?

My favorite scene in The Cardinal War was actually one that came about in the editing process. While it existed before, it became much more detailed and expanded upon after a thorough edit. The scene, or really most of the chapter, is when Eileen arrives at the manor Daithi is currently at and they meet for the first time. I write about their initial attraction to each other and how it grows throughout the night they spend together. Not only this, but I loved writing about the wonder Eileen experiences when she eats dinner and sees the dining hall as well as seeing her first large library. I feel like her perspective is a lot how I would feel in her situation as well.

Where do you get character inspiration?

The element of wings came from a book I read where the characters in that story also had wings. Otherwise, my characters have Celtic names from a book of Celtic names I have on my shelf for some reason, and I choose names that are meaningful to that individual. Some characters do have similarities to people I know as well in both physical or personality aspects.

What genre do you prefer to read?

Fantasy is the number one genre I am drawn towards, specifically if the book has dragons. I also read Historical Fiction frequently as well, generally in the areas of Rome or Japan. Finally, I have recently taken up reading non fiction books covering motivational and wellness topics.

Do you have any specific authors you follow and try to craft your work after?

I have 3 favorite authors: Mercedes Lackey, Naomi Novik and Kristen Britain. I do not necessarily craft my work after these authors, but I do take inspiration from their work and read their work constantly.

Do you have any recurring themes in your book?

Within The Cardinal War, the main recurring themes are friendship and political intrigue. These two themes also carry over into my work in progress story although in different ways.

What does your editing process look like?

I edit constantly throughout my writing process before the story is even complete. While I am editing during the writing process, I focus more on ensuring the flow of the story is smooth and there are no conflictions in timelines or character traits. Once I have completed the story, that’s when I will focus on the grammar and spelling issues that may pop up. I will of course have professional eyes view my work as well as I know I may miss things and it’s wonderful to have an experience opinion on how to ensure the book is best portrayed.

Do you have a preferred drink or snack that you eat/drink while writing?

I’m pretty boring when it comes to drinks while writing, just some good old water for me haha. I don’t tend to snack while I write though.

When is your favorite time of day to write and why?

During the week I would say late evenings but on the weekends I actually prefer early morning to write. I think I pick those times partly because it’s when I’m not as busy but also it seems more peaceful around those times.

What is your favorite vacation spot?

Either amusement parks for the thrills or Italy for the beauty and culture.

Marvel or DC? Do you have a favorite character?

Marvel, favorite character would probably be Iron Man, partly because I like Robert Downie Jr as an actor.

What hobbies do you have?

I love to play board games with my friends, do escape rooms, read, write, cross stich and recently I have taken up aerial hoops. I love to keep busy.