Q&A With Jennifer Moorman 

This week’s Q&A is with Bestselling author Jennifer Moorman. Jennifer’s bestselling series is the Mystic Water series. The books are The Baker’s Man, The Necessity of Lavender Tea & A Slice of Courage Quiche. 

Q: What do you love about writing magical realism? What are the tools for writing great magical realism that would help anyone wanting to write in this genre?

A: I’ve always loved magic and fantasy but not just overt magic like in the Harry Potter books or high fantasy like Tolkien. I love the everyday magic and whimsy that is all around us. For example, the undeniable magic of love and kindness and the miracles just waiting to be seen. I believe all the tools you need are your creativity and to give your imagination the ability to run wild, to see the energy that moves through the world and notice the details. Magical realism is about taking miraculous and awe-inspiring events and weaving them into a realistic narrative. Everyday life and people with what Neil Gaiman calls “hyperreality.”

Q: When did you know that being a writer is what you were destined to do? Who among your family and friends were the biggest supporters of your dream and talent?

A: I’ve always been a writer, but I didn’t know I was any different than anyone else. I didn’t realize other people didn’t write stories or see images in their heads or jot words down in notebooks. In high school I realized that wasn’t what all the kids did, so I considered it a hobby. I kept calling it a hobby all through college too. But my heart kept telling me that it was more than that, only I wasn’t listening. Nowadays perhaps it’s easier to say you want to be an author and people will rise to support you, but when I was growing up, “being an author” wasn’t a sensible thing, and people flat out said I’d starve. But the heart wants what the heart wants, right? The year I wrote The Baker’s Man was the year I said, “I’m a writer. I’m doing this.” I finished the book in a few months and began my author journey. It still took me a few years to fully embrace being an author without worrying about what people thought. No one in the world knows what’s best for you except for you, especially if you’re listening to your heart. Now I’m grateful for that little voice inside of me that kept telling me to keep going, keep dreaming, and for heaven’s sake, keep writing!

As for supporters, my family and close friends have always been massive supporters. They’ve always been my biggest cheerleaders, encouraging me to follow my dreams, which is such a beautiful gift.

Q: Would your characters and places be loosely based off of real people and places? It always impresses me when authors say they can create fictional places and people from using real places and people. 

A: I do not base characters off people I know. This doesn’t mean someone somewhere doesn’t have a similar quirk or mannerism, but my fictional characters are quite solidly their own people. They all feel very distinct in my head, like forever friends, but they aren’t inspired by real people in my life.

As for places, Mystic Water is a fictional town located in southern Georgia. It’s loosely based off my hometown and yet not like my hometown. Mystic Water is a collage of elements I love about small towns I’ve visited all over the world. I collected my favorite pieces and put them together to form Mystic Water.

Q: Are you writing more books in the Mystic Water series or are you writing the start of a new series or a standalone novel? 

A: There are definitely more books coming in the Mystic Water series. Each book is actually a standalone, so they can be read in any order. Most people prefer to read the books in order, but it isn’t necessary. I also have another novel, not part of the Mystic Water series, which publishes January 2024. It’s a standalone titled The Magic All Around, and it’s Southern women’s fiction with a magical realism element.

Q: Does Hollywood have the rights to any of your novels? The entertainment industry needs more original content again. It wouldn’t hurt them to use more books as ideas. 

A: We are actively pitching my novels for film and TV rights, and how exciting it will be when we see these books on screen! I agree that books are a fantastic intellectual property for TV and film creators to bring to life.

Q: If you were to experiment in writing in another genre that wasn’t magical realism, which genres would you choose and why?

A: Great question! I could go full-on fantasy, but I also have ideas for a rom-com!