Last month I introduced Jenny Miller, a.k.a. Rainy Day Gal, a fairly new voice in the story world with a recently released YA novel, Asylum. Jenny is, like me, a stay-at-home Seattle mom, whose charming blog I stumbled upon while doing a Google search for kale-and-gorgonzola recipes. I’m so pleased to have her back and to feature a GIVEAWAY of an e-copy of Asylum to one lucky winner. Just leave a comment below to be entered in the drawing.

Jenny, welcome! Tell us a bit about yourself, your family, your writer’s journey.

Thanks for having me! I’m a 31-year-old mom of two girls, ages 2 and 4. My husband is a software geek, whom I adore more every day I’m married to him, and who has always supported me in my writing.

I’ve always been a writer (you can read my writing history here), and I suppose I always knew in the back of my mind that it is what I wanted—needed—to do for a living. Unfortunately, writing and for a living don’t always go together. I have degrees in both Creative Writing and teaching, and before the girls came along I taught middle school English. After, I was (am) blessed to stay home with them and pursue my dream of writing.

I blog at RainyDayGal.com, which began as a food blog and has morphed into a funny life story/embarrassing parenting mishaps/sometimes-cooking site.

You’ve written Asylum, a young adult novel, which you chose to self-publish. Why YA?

Partially because I enjoyed teaching middle school so much, and partially because I think there’s so much flexibility in the genre. It’s such a wide market—everyone from ten to seventy can read and enjoy well-written YA books. Plus I love a good, strong female lead, and you don’t see a ton of that in true adult novels. It also comes back to my style of writing. I’m not flowery, or high-end, or existential. I keep it simple and entertaining, which is exactly what YA is all about.

As the mom of two (adorable) little girls, how do you find time to write in this busy season of life?

Whew. Truthfully, some days I write ten pages, and then I can go a week writing none. Usually I write during nap-times (which are becoming shorter and shorter, it seems), early in the morning if I can drag myself out of bed, after the wee ones turn in for the night, and on weekends. My husband is very supportive and takes the girls to the coffee shop Saturday and Sunday mornings so I can write. My mom and dad live nearby, and they take them one day a week for some Grandma and Grandpa time. I’m very lucky to have such a great support system surrounding me.

Name a few of your favorite go-to recipes for busy moms. 

Ooh, hard to pick. My current favorites are Chicken Teriyaki, Beef with Broccoli, Mexican Lasagna (make a double batch and freeze), and Tamale Pie with BBQ Pulled Pork (again, make a double batch and freeze). My absolute favorite summer grilling item is my Mom’s Flank Steak. Melt in your mouth.

You’ve recently blogged openly about your current painful season of life. You also say that writing continues to provide an important outlet. How so?

Writing is the way I vent. Some people run, or have a glass of wine, or talk on the phone with a friend. For me, I write if I’m feeling sad or anxious or overwhelmed. I find I can put things down on paper more easily than saying them out loud. I’m a natural introvert. And getting your emotions out is so important, especially when going through tough times. If you keep them in, you’re bound to implode. It’s also provided a good distraction while going through all of this—while I’m writing my novels, I’m in a totally different world, and that’s a nice place to be.

What’s your favorite piece of writing advice that goes for life too?

I can’t remember where I heard this, but in writing, there is no shortcut. You have to do the work—put in the hours and the days and the pages. That’s life, too, and it’s a lesson I’ve learned especially harshly as of late. If a book isn’t going well, you have to keep writing and revising until it does go well. If life isn’t going well, you have to keep plugging along until it does.

What’s next for you, writing-wise?

I’m roughly two-thirds of the way through the sequel to Asylum, entitled Descent. Hopefully, if all goes well (no shortcuts!) it will be released late fall.

Thank you so much, Jenny. I especially like your reminder about no shortcuts–I needed to hear that! 

Friends, to win an e-copy of Jenny’s novel, please leave a comment to be entered in the drawing. And when you stop by RainyDayGal.com, be sure to say hi from me. 🙂