How do you learn what is your heart is TRULY hungry for?

In this episode of A LITERAL JOURNEY, I sit down with Jacqueline West, the New York Times bestselling author of The Books of Elsewhere, The Collectors, Last Things, Long Lost, and her latest: Black Point.

Guys, I gotta admit: I REALLY enjoyed this conversation. (Jacqueline's"author origin story" resonated with me.) Long before she was a bestselling author, Jacquline West was *secretly* writing stories and hiding them in her sock drawer. She did that for years until one day she realized that being an opera singer wasn't what her heart was hungry for. She didn't want to sing the words that other people had written, she wanted to write them (talk about a plot twist)!

During our conversation, we talk about the novel she almost deleted (but eventually became the start of The Books of Elsewhere), a very real (very creepy) house that inspired the series, why she finds setting so important to her stories, and her new folk-horror novel Black Point—a story laced with the unsettling idea that maybe human beings are far scarier than any ghosts we may encounter...

But, no spoilers! You'll have to listen to the FULL episode to learn more!

Whether you're a reader, writer, parent, teacher, or someone trying to find out what their heart is hungry for, I hope this episode encourages you to open a book (or pick up a pen) and embark on your own literal journey.

About JACQUELINE WEST:

Jacqueline West is the author of the NYT-bestselling middle grade series The Books of Elsewhere, the Schneider Family Award Honor Book The Collectors, the YA horror novel Last Things, the Minnesota Book Award-winning middle grade mystery Long Lost, the recently published YA horror novel Black Point, and several other odd and twisty books for young readers. Her poetry and short fiction for adults appear in a variety of publications. She lives in Red Wing, Minnesota.

💀 ORDER "Black Point" here: https://amzn.to/4wyccdr

📚 CHECK OUT other books by Jacqueline West here: https://amzn.to/4hAF3u6

🌐 Visit Jacqueline West's website: https://www.jacquelinewest.com/

🎧 LISTEN on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1CvEfBcK1xALUswAkOwlNf?si=98cea0829ca145e6

🍎 LISTEN on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-literal-journey/id1839517342

🎥 WATCH more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRTQ34vyf-9NkrTcSH0KEwXPOhdVqZRVZ

Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to A LITERAL JOURNEY for more exclusive author interviews, book recommendations, and thoughtful conversations about the stories that shape us. 📖✨

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