The Dark Journeys Tour is Here!

Welcome to The Dark Journey's Blog Tour, step right this way...

Give it up for Jennifer Hudock, writer, podcaster, editing two anthologies, Farrago and From The Dark Side, a real creative dynamo.  I am pretty excited she is stopping in today to share her part of the world with us crazy wanderers. 

As you regular folks know, I have been collecting and thoroughly enjoying the Dark Journey's short story collection. I got a chance to talk to Jenny, ask a few questions and thought I would share a bit with y'all.

What were some of the books you read as a child?

As a child, I was always at the library. I grew up in a really small town, so I would walk to the library and take out as many books as they would let me. Fairy tales, fantasy. My earliest favorites were the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, as well as Judy Bloom's Super Fudge books. Around the time I turned 11 or 12, I started reading Stephen King, and then migrated into comic books because of Neil Gaiman's Sandman.

Who are some of your favorite authors and why?

Jonathan Carroll is one of my absolute favorite authors because though he tends to write urban fantasy, it is very real. One of my all time favorite books is Carroll's Bones of the Moon. I'm also a huge fan of Holly Black for the same reason. Neil Gaiman is an obvious favorite because he has such diverse style, and his fiction carries me away.

What is Dark Journeys and why are you doing a self published collection?

The Dark Journeys Short Story Collection is a handful of short stories I have written over the last five years. I decided to self-publish them because I shopped them out traditionally to dozens and dozens of markets, but was turned down over and over again. I plan to compile the entire collection into one volume once I hit twelve, and publish it with a special edition bonus story for lucky 13.

Why did you decide to podcast Goblin Market? future plans for Goblin Market?

I decided to podcast Goblin Market because I liked podcasting from the first minute I discovered it. Spoken word storytelling has always appealed to me, and there is just something about sitting down and listening to someone tell you a story that makes me feel giddy and almost childlike.

I am currently just one episode away from wrapping up the podcast, and once that's finished, I will be editing the draft and making changes. I plan to put it up for sale electronically and in print eventually. I am also working on the sequel right now, Jack in the Green, which I hope to start podcasting this summer.

Why do you write what you write?

This is a really hard question. It's like asking the sky why it's blue. In truth, I write stories I want to read.

You also freelance, where do you do that and why?

I have been freelance writing for just over three years. I currently write for four different online blogs: RealTVAddict.com, Vivastic.com, NiceDwells.com and Robodustrial.com.

I write freelance because it allows me a sense of discipline as a writer, and it helps me express myself creatively. It also lets me choose my own work schedule, which is so important when you do anything creative. If I am struck with inspiration, it's so much easier to drop what I'm doing and focus in order to get the idea down on paper.

What kind of poetry do you like, fave poets, etc?

I love all kinds of poetry, from Chaucer and Rosetti to Bukowski and Kerouac. There is something so beautiful about poetry, capturing a moment in time in so few words, yet conveying it in a way people can identify with.

I used to be more free spirited, believing you didn't need to rhyme or structure the words in order to resonate with readers, but when I was in college, learning how poets used structure to not only form their poem, but sometimes add hidden meaning made me think twice. Now, I love to read rhyming and structured poetry more than free-verse, though I do love poetry no matter what form it comes in.

Where have you been published?

I have been published in Strange Horizons, The Book of the Dead Anthology, eMuse, The Watershed and a few others. I also have two stories to be published in upcoming Library of the Living Dead Press anthologies, but have no details right now about the publication dates.

~

I want to thank Ms. Hudock for letting us into her world a bit today,for doing the blog tour and stepping into my little corner of the wandering way. If you want to know more, see more and experience more, well then.. there is a whole bunch o' stuff at her website.

Remember, post a note in the comment section and get your name thrown in the virtual hat to win a copy  of a Dark Journey's story! As a matter of fact, I have the latest story burning a hole in my eReader, so I think I'll go open that up this morning and enjoy.

Happy Wanderings!

Comments

[Veronica]

Ooooh, podcasts for sale! Now that's an intriguing idea. I'd love to see a follow-up to know where it'll be sold!

[Jenny Beans]

Thank you so much for having me on your blog, Pat. This has been such a fun blog tour. :D

[Morgan Elektra]

It really is great seeing everyone's interview style, and learning different aspects about Jenny.

[Nicole]

Another great interview with, Jenny. Like her, I loved the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. In fact, I still have the complete set my mom and dad bought me as a child. They now belong to Mikala.

[Patrick]

I too, loved the Laura Ingalls Wilder books.

[Drew Beatty]

Loving the tour! Great questions, Patrick!