April Author of the Month - Jennifer Allis Provost

The PRG is pleased to welcome Jennifer Allis Provost for the April Author of the Month!

Please tell us a little bit about yourself

I’ve lived in Massachusetts for almost my entire life, which means I walk fast, talk fast, and swear. A lot. I have degrees in both environmental science and marketing, which probably means I missed my calling as a tree salesperson. I do, however, have a killer garden. I live with my seven year old twins, an awesome rock star husband, a crazy dog, and an attack parrot named Baby. We have a giant old house packed with books, musical instruments, and art supplies, our own little Bohemian paradise.

What were your inspirations for writing or becoming an author?

I don’t know if I was inspired to write so much as I was born a writer. The library I grew up near was small, and the children’s book section amounted to one revolving rack and a few shelves. Since I ran out of age appropriate books rather early (and the librarians frowned upon me borrowing Stephen King titles) I started making up my own stories. I still remember the first one I wrote; it was about three sisters called Glow, Glimmer, and Glisten, and they lived on the planet Shimmer. Thankfully, that one has not been published.

Some of my earliest influences were Robin McKinley, Wendy Pini, J.R.R. Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis. I also read a great deal of mythology and folklore, mostly Greek and Celtic, and that definitely shows up in my current work.

Tell us about your Book(s)/Series(s).

Jennifer Allis Provost — Copper Legacy Series

My urban fantasy series, Copper Legacy, follows a metal Elemental named Sara Corbeau. In her world magic is illegal, even though the government throws it around like cheap confetti, and she goes to great lengths to hide her true nature. All that changes when a silver elf shows up in Sara’s dreams, and later that night in her apartment. Sara and Micah—her dream man—proceed to rescue her missing brother, and turn the oppressive human government on its ear. Three installments have been released so far—Copper Girl, Copper Ravens, and Copper Veins. The fourth and final book, Copper Princess, will release in 2018.

I’m also starting a new series, Gallowglass, in June 2017. It’s a paranormal romance set in modern Scotland, and follows Karina Stewart, an American grad student, while she’s on a research grant in the UK. She stops in Aberfoyle, which was once the home of Robert Kirk, a seventeenth century minister who was kidnapped by fairies and imprisoned in a tree atop an enchanted hill. Quite by accident, Karina frees him. Robert tells Karina that he has spent the last few hundred years as the fairy queen’s personal assassin, called the gallowglass. And the fairy queen wants Robert back.

I’ve also written a contemporary romance series, Changes, and an epic fantasy called The Chronicles

of Parthalan.

Why did you write it?

Copper Girl was inspired, albeit in a roundabout way, by an insurance company I used to work for. The office manager would dial up the air conditioning until our fingers turned blue, and I got in the habit of spending my lunch outside in my car, warming up. Near the back of the parking lot was an unusual tree, and I got to wondering if that tree marked a doorway to the Otherworld. (Clearly, the air conditioning had given my brain frostbite.) I ran with it, and soon enough I had a draft of a girl bored by her mundane life, and wishing for something magical to happen.

Gallowglass is a story I’ve wanted to write for some time. I have a soft spot for Celtic lore, especially Scottish, and I wanted to write about those legends in modern times. The fact that the heroine is a grad student finalizing her thesis might just be some wish fulfillment on my part.

Why should people buy it?

Copper Girl is great for anyone who is tired of going through the motions day after day, and wants something more out of life. The sexy elf, Micah, is worth getting to know too. Gallowglass is a great choice for readers who appreciate a fresh take on traditional legends.