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Author Spotlight --- Jennifer Gordon

iU: Who are Sir Jasper Gowlings and Felicitatus Miserius?

JG: Felicitatus Miserius is an ancient, bad-tempered crone who is the keeper of the original, “true” versions of the stories of fairy tale characters with whom we have all grown up. It turns out that everything we have learned about these fairy-tale heroines and heroes is false. Felicitatus Miserius is determined to teach us the real secret to living happily ever after.

The hapless Sir Jasper Gowlings is a very proper English gentleman who lives alone in a small Victorian house. When he is visited by the tiny Felicitatus Miserius, he finds himself forced into the unenviable position of having to distribute a book of bloodcurdling fairy tales, forthwith known as Terrible Tales, to the rest of the world.

iU: What lessons can be learned in this book? Why do children need to hear a new spin on classic fairy tales?

Terrible Tales imparts a number of lessons.

To begin with, it combats the negative stereotypes propagated by fairy tales. It teaches children that you don’t have to be thin, wealthy, powerful, classically good-looking or married to royalty in order to be happy. Instead, beauty comes from within; success is measured, not by what you have in life, but by who you are; and happiness is found in doing what you love to do.

Research indicates that the messages contained in these stories have led to many of the body-image and self-esteem problems that are currently plaguing children today. They have also contributed to the rise in bullying. For example, girls are bullied if they don’t meet the beauty standards established in fairy tales. Sensitive and small boys are bullied because they won’t, or can’t, fight back, allowing the bully to appear powerful without effort.

But Terrible Tales sets the record straight. It teaches us that it is not beauty nor wealth nor power that leads to success in life. Rather, it is a loving heart, a generous, hopeful soul, and an unselfish, compassionate nature.

iU: Have you gotten any feedback from children about this book?  JG: The children who have read the book have loved it. The consensus is that the book is “hilarious.” The adults who have read the book have also told me that they love it.  iU: Why did you decide to self publish? JG: After submitting my book to traditional publishing houses, it became quite clear to me that these organizations are only interested in traditional, formula-driven stories. Representatives of these firms said they liked my writing style but wanted me to rewrite the stories’ endings, transforming the villains into heroes. I chose self-publishing – and iUniverse in particular – because I wanted to publish my book as I’d written it, for the reasons I had written it. iUniverse allowed me the freedom to do this.

iU: Can you tell us about the experience of publishing the book with iUniverse?

I couldn’t be happier!  From start to finish, the experience with iUniverse has been absolutely fantastic!  Everyone has been friendly, supportive and professional. The editorial advice I received helped make Terrible Tales a book of which I could be truly proud. The marketing support has been phenomenal. My book has already reached hundreds of people through the book signings iUniverse arranged and through the distribution of my work to major North American book retailers. And, during the process, iUniverse allowed me to stay true to my message, never expecting me to change my book to fit a standard pattern.

I am convinced that, if I had gone with a traditional publishing house or a self-publishing firm other than iUniverse, my book would never have reached so many people so quickly… and the book’s content – and its messages – would have been radically altered.

iU: How important is book marketing? Do you have any marketing advice for other authors? JG: You can have the most wonderful, most inspiring book in the world but if people don’t hear about it, your book will go unread and your message unheeded. I purchased all of the marketing and publicity services that I could through iUniverse. This allowed me to distribute my book to hundreds of people at major book signing events across North America and to reach people through numerous television and radio interviews in both Canada and the United States. But, you also have to become your own publicist and marketing professional. Stop at nothing!  Be your book’s greatest supporter and most vocal spokesperson!

iU: Do you have any advice for other authors?

JG: One of the biggest roadblocks to completing a manuscript and to achieving success is overcoming the feelings of self-doubt that invariably plague authors. You have to put these aside. I found that the best way to do this was to focus on the reason why I was writing in the first place. My desire to help children, to make them feel better about themselves, gave me the courage to persist. I told myself that if I helped even one child, my book would be a success.

iU: What are your plans for the future? Do you have another book in the works?

JG: I have recently submitted the sequel to Terrible Tales, entitled Sickening Stories, to iUniverse and am working on the third book in the series, Frightening Fables.  I am also in the process of completing the first in a series of books for teenagers, which I look forward to publishing with iUniverse later this year!