Jenna L. Anderson is a book-loving, coffee-and tea-drinking yogi who resides in beautiful Colorado with her husband and son. As an award-winning author, Jenna pours her creativity into crafting warm, imaginative narratives that she hopes will delight her readers. Her writing is fueled by hard work, in-depth research, compassion, and an ample supply of chocolate.
Racky’s Magic Letters and Racky’s Magic Numbers draw inspiration from her son, who taught them both the magic of boundless curiosity and unwavering determination. Jenna plans to send many more books out into the world—because, after all, there’s no such a thing as too many stories!
Q: What inspired the idea behind your book?
A: My first book, Racky’s Magic Letters, was inspired by my son. He had a speech delay when he was two, but he LOVED letters. He learned all the letter names and sounds, which ultimately helped him find his voice, just like Racky does in the book. My son also loves numbers, so it was only natural to incorporate those into my second book, Racky’s Magic Numbers. I hope the two books together can serve as a set of learning tools to inspire and excite little ones about reading and math from an early age.
Q: As an author, what tips would you give anyone who wants to get into writing?
A: Just start! My writing journey started as an experiment to see if I would like it and could keep up with it. On a random Saturday morning, I sat down with an idea and started writing. I liked it! Two weeks later, I had an idea for a longer story, so I started on that. Six months later, I realized I was writing a book . . . so I kept going. Seven years later, I had written a four-book series. A few years after that, I wrote and published my first children’s book. Now my second children’s book is here! The book series I spent years on is not published (yet), but it still serves as my greatest accomplishment and a reminder to myself of what I can do when I “just start!”
Q: What is your favorite book?
A: Divergent by Veronica Roth
Q: Was your main character modeled after anyone in your life?
A: Yes, Racky the raccoon was inspired by my son, who happens to have a beloved raccoon lovey named Racky. When I started writing Racky’s Magic Letters, I immediately knew that the main character would be a raccoon named Racky. Fun fact: Racky the lovey was named after a real pet raccoon that my uncle had growing up.
Q: What is your favorite part of the writing process?
A: The writing itself is probably my favorite part because it’s how I best express my creativity. Another really fun part is going back and reading it through for the first time!
Q: Do you believe that being a “good writer” is a developed skill or a natural talent?
A: I think it can be both, depending on the person. Some people are going to have natural talent, and they are likely the ones drawn to writing as a way to express their creativity or process their thoughts through journaling. However, they still need to learn the basics skills of writing, storytelling, and grammar. Alternatively, I think it’s possible for someone to struggle with basic writing skills or even storytelling, but that doesn’t mean the story they want to tell isn’t worth telling. I believe that if a person wants something enough and is persistent in their practice and study, they can learn how to do it and do it well.
Q: Do you have a favorite book, poem, TV, or movie quote?
A: “Focusing on fear isn’t going to change the outcome.” —The Rookie.
Q: Would you write another book (or are you already writing another book)?
A: Yes! Actually, I wrote a four-book speculative fiction series before my first children’s book. Ultimately, I decided to publish Racky’s Magic Letters as my first book, but I hope to add my series and more novels and/or children’s books to my published works someday.
Q: Is there an author you look up to, and why?
A: Suzanne Collins, author of TheHunger Games, is not only an exceptional writer, but her books are also the reason I decided to try writing in the first place. I was so inspired by the Hunger Games series when I first read it that I wanted to be able to write a story that could move and excite readers the way her books did for me.
Q: If there were an apocalypse and you could only take five books into your doomsday bunker, what would they be?
A: AHHHHHH! This is hard because I love a good book series, but those alone might be five books! Okay, I choose:
Divergent, by Veronica Roth (My very favorite book!)
The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins (Second favorite!)
Of Poseidon, by Anna Banks (The playful writing brings me joy every time I read it!)
The Calamity Club, by Kathryn Stockett (Just SO good!)
Alchemised, by SenLinYu (Tragic yet beautiful and so long that it’s like having extra books.)
The Lazy Genius Way, by Kendra Adachi (Because even a doomsday bunker needs sisterly advice!)
Look out for Jenna Anderson's newest children's book, Racky's Magic Numbers. Coming soon!