Justine Manzano Author Jen Karner and I have a very fundamental thing in common. We enjoy writing weird stuff. Sometimes, that’s all you need to strike up a conversation with another author, but in addition, we also travel in a similar circle. I was an editor for Writer in Motion, and she was one of the participating authors. So, as good writing friends do, we’ve spent a great deal of time celebrating each others wins. Jen’s most recent win is her publication announcement. Her book, Cinders of Yesterday, will be released June 29, 2021 by City Owl Press.
We got to chatting, and here is the result of our fun interview.
Justine: Tell me about your upcoming novel, Cinders of Yesterday, which by the way has an awesome title.
Jen: Cinders of Yesterday is about a hunter looking to avenger her murdered partner, and a medium who doesn’t remember magic returning home for the first time in a decade. The two of them collide in a weird little Maryland town where they have to work out the mystery behind a murderous necromancer who wants them both dead.
It’s a queer look at paranormal romance, and a love letter to media like Supernatural and Buffy and Teen Wolf. It’s also very much a story about grief, and trauma and the ways that we confront our pasts.
Justine: It already sounds awesome. Add to it the fact that I’m a huge fan of Buffy, and it really is right up my alley! I can’t wait to read it. 🙂 Your bio says you like true-crime podcasts and horror movies. I may be the squeamish jumpy sort when it comes to those, but I’m curious–What are your favorites?
Jen: Oh man there are so many great ones. For horror movies I loved Midsommar, Hereditary was great, The Conjuring world and The Ritual are all on my must-watch list. For Podcasts I LOVE Wondery’s stuff bc it’s deep diving but shorter, along with Criminal, and My Favorite Murder. I also love a good horror podcast like Old Gods of Appalachia, Mabel, Nightvale and the Magnus Archives.
Justine: Do you ever wonder if someone is breaking into your house after listening to/watching one of those things?
Jen: YES. I am a paranoid human by nature, so I make the joke that I listen to true-crime as a way to avoid being murdered. My dog and I have a serial killer preparedness plan, and I keep a metal baseball bat next to my desk. Haha. Better to have it and not need it, right?
Justine: I am the SAME WAY. I swear planning how I’d handle a situation like that has played into the things I write. How have your hobbies and/or your personal life informed your writing?
Jeni: I’m queer and nonbinary and exceptionally weird, and I think a lot of that bleeds directly into my stories. I want to open a book and see a world that is as bright and as diverse as the real world. I work really hard to bring queer stories that are complicated.
A common chord in a lot of my stories is also trauma. The things we survive, and the way those things change us. Each story is different, but grief and trauma certainly play into most of them. I’ve survived more of my share of stuff, and so there are a lot of threads about what happens after the big moment, about coping, and about resiliency. I like to think it’s this idea that the way you heal after is as important as the way you survive in the middle of that trauma.
Justine: I 100% agree.I was diving through your blog posts, and one in particular really struck a chord with me. https://syllablesandsass.com/on-fandom-and-heartbreak/ I have a somewhat serious question that springs from it, and also a more fun, carefree one. Firstly, you speak a lot about identity and the way fandoms have both helped forge your identity and criticized it. What kind of effect do you hope for your art to have on your readers?
Jen: Oh man, I hope they fall in love with Dani and Emilie. That’s my number 1 response, because I really do want to create characters that feel real, that you connect to and root for. I also want it to speak to them where they are.
I want them to find strength from the things they survive and endure. I want them to know that even if it takes a decade, you can heal from what breaks you. I want them to know that queer babes can find love, that you can forge your own path. That you are the arbiter of your destiny.
And if in the end someone writes fanfic? That’s how I’ll know I did it. I think fic is such a transformative way to consume media, and if my art ever reaches a point where someone HAS to write these characters I’m gonna lowkey lose it. It will be the most excellent thing.
Justine: That’s my dream, too. If someone is so invested in your work, loves your character and your world so much that they’re willing to take time out of their day to construct fan works for it, that’s definitely proof you’ve touched someone’s life. I know that has been the case for any fanfic I have written.
And that leads me to how big a geek I am. Which leads me to the more fun question of this set: what are your favorite fandoms and ships so we can squee together?
Jen: Yesss. I’m a huge multishipper and I tend to gravitate to rare pairs and non-canon ships. I’ve also been in fandom for roughly my whole life but here we goooo!
Buffy was my first BIG fandom. I loved Willow/Spike/Angel(us) and any combo thereof, Buffy/Faith, Buffy/Angel,
Willow/Tara and Willow/Oz.
For Supernatural I wound up shipping Destiel because the tension tried to kill me. But also! Sam/Eileen because they were so good.
I ADORE the MCU and ship: Steve/Tony, Steve/Bruce, Steve/Tony/Bruce, Clint/Phil, Vision/Wanda.
Hannibal: Will/Hannibal
Teen Wolf: Stiles/Derek, Stiles/Lydia, Scott/Allison
Really I have pairings for pretty much every media program I watch. I’m fascinated by character interactions, and it’s alway why I end up shipping who I do. I also end up with SO many queer and OT3 groupings.
Justine: Yesssss. I mean if I went really far into it, I’d take over this interview, but I will cosign 1) Willow/Tara/Oz, 2) Destiel, and 3) Steve/Tony. I will raise you a Buffy/Angel/Faith.
I could keep going. LOL But let’s move on.
We both seem to share a love for strong women in fiction. What inspired you to write this kind of character?
Jen: I’ve always loved them. I can remember watching the animated Return of the King from the 80s or the 70s, and seeing Eowyn stand up to the ring wraith just electrified me. I also grew up with a lot of fantasy and sci-fi and so I had 
Ripley, and Sarah Conner and I think I really just imprinted on them.
As I started reading I always sought out women authors and women protagonists, so it was just the natural progression for me. I was a tomboy and so I wanted to bring characters like me to life because I wasn’t seeing them.
Justine: Sarah Connor and Ripley seem like formative characters for every lover of strong female characters. They’re just so well done. Not perfect humans, but tough as hell, and smart. Just so good.
But more about your novel. What makes your novel stand out from others in its genre?
Jen: It’s so queer. I love paranormal romance, but it’s by and large very heterosexual and this book is…not. It’s also a story that sort of toes the line between romance and horror and leans into that which I feel like doesn’t happen as often. Being able to write about two women who are complicated and flawed and magic falling in love was something I hadn’t seen before, and I loved bringing it to life.
Justine: My friend, that sounds so good. We’re still early in the new year. Did you make any writing resolutions? Career resolutions?
Jen: My resolution for 2021 was honestly to be kind to myself. I’m debuting during a pandemic, and so I’m really just trying to do the best I can without going crazy in the process. Giving myself permission to melt down if I need it, or take extra time has been crucial especially as I’m drafting while working on promo. I also told myself to lean into my queer ideas and see where they take me!
Justine: Debuting during a quarantine is AWFUL. And I’m about to do my second. So let me say, I FEEL YOU. And I’ve got you if you need advice or a shoulder to cry on. Being kind to yourself is such an important way to approach it. Because it can be so difficult. So, tell us, what is next for Jen Karner?
Jen: Right now I’m working on the series that follows Cinders of Yesterday. It’s going to be 3 books and I’m actively drafting book 2. I also wrote a stand-alone set in a creepy lake town over the summer, so I’m hoping to get it edited and out in the world sometime too! Otherwise I’m just spending a lot of time playing video games with friends so I don’t isolate myself socially, and watching a LOT of D&D shows.
Justine: Sounds great! It looks like you have so much great stuff coming up. Please keep us posted. We’ll do an author spotlight for when all of these books are released! 🙂
Jen Karner is a queer writer and nerd living in the Baltimore area with her partner and their rescue dog. A feminist banshee, she enjoys listening to true-crime podcasts, marathoning horror movies, and convincing small children she is actually Fae. Cinders of Yesterday is her debut novel and is arriving June 29 2021 from City Owl Press. You can follow her at her website or on her twitter account.