INTERVIEW WITH

Jenn Sommersby

Have you been to Bowen? If so, what are you looking forward to. If not, what do you hope to find?

I have never been to Bowen before, so I am very excited to discover new turf. If I could, I would spend my days traveling to all the BC islands ... it's so freaking beautiful here.

What's one thing people might be surprised to learn about you?

I am a cat person. And yet I share my home with two granddogs, one of whom is a Canadian Grand Champion miniature long-haired Dachshund named Pippin Took, who has twenty-six titles and a much more impressive résumé than I do. Dog shows are a fascinating world, and they’ve given me plenty of material about ambition, competition, eccentric personalities, and elaborate grooming routines. These dogs dress and eat better than I do.

What’s the best words of advice on writing you’ve ever been given?

You cannot revise a blank page. Absolute truth. The first draft doesn’t have to be elegant, clever, or even particularly good. It just has to exist! Get out of your own way and write something.

What do you like to read? Is there a book you could recommend?

I read widely and based on my moods, but I’m especially drawn to commercial fiction with sharp writing, complicated characters, emotional depth, and tidy pacing. I love women’s fiction, thrillers, comedies, and books that are difficult to categorize but impossible to put down.
 

Because I have such a busy client editing calendar, it’s tough to not recommend my clients’ books. Among my faves lately is North Country by successful Canadian author KA Tucker. (And if you are a romantasy fan, her Fate of Wrath and Flame series is a masterclass in military strategy.) Otherwise, right now I am savouring The Cure for Drowning by 2026 Canada Reads winner Loghan Paylor—some of the sentences make me question my career choices. Gorgeous! On the darker side, Blood Slaves by Markus Redmond is fantastic and full of delicious, bloody revenge. Redmond’s writing is a punch to the solar plexus. 

Jenn will be leading a workshop on writing romance --Writing Romance That Actually Works: Tension, Chemistry, and Emotional Payoff -- on Sunday, September 20 and will also be presenting at the Literary Cabaret on Saturday evening.