Meet Jennifer Vivekanand | Author & Illustrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jennifer Vivekanand and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jennifer, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
Just before the pandemic, I had a devastating fall on the stairs at home and shattered my arm in three places. It was a severe, life-changing injury, requiring major surgery, and I now have a ten-inch titanium plate and screws in my arm—which I think, makes me part cyborg. The shut down occurred when I was ready to start occupational and physical therapy on my arm, and the only option was Zoom calls using items bought off the internet, with my husband doing his best to stand in for the therapist. With everyone at home due to the shutdown, I was fortunate to have 24 hour care from my family during my year-long, painful recovery.

There were times when I felt down, but I didn’t wanted to give in to self-pity. With my arm stapled up and in a sling, my movements were limited, but one thing I could still do was sit at a desk and write. With the love and encouragement of my family and friends, I wrote my debut YA Thriller novel, Welcome To Nightjar. Published in 2022, it involves murder, mayhem, mystery and a little romance, set a small Michigan town.

When I’m not writing or drawing, I love to travel and play board games with my family, and make weird sandwiches.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
In 2022, I published my debut YA Thriller novel, Welcome To Nightjar. Set in Michigan, it’s full of mystery, murder, mayhem, as well as a little romance. The main character has to figure out who’s trying to kill her, while navigating school and a complicated boyfriend.

Most recently, I was thrilled to be selected as a Writer and Artist-in-Residence as part of the Fall Into Focus Residency at The Arteles Creative Center in rural Haukijärvi, Finland. I spent a productive month in October, 2023, working on my second novel, and I’ve started a third. I especially enjoyed experiencing traditional Finnish sauna culture amidst the company of other residents from around the world. Before I returned home, I was grateful for an opportunity to visit the arctic circle, and meet a few reindeer.

For the past 20+ years, I’ve run my own graphic design business, and sell digital greeting cards on my company site, artbyjenn.com. I’ve also really enjoyed volunteering for the Saline Arts & Culture Committee in Saline, Michigan, and as an associate fiction reader for the Michigan Quarterly Review, a literary magazine from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. I think it’s important to be involved in your community, and it’s a great way to meet other creatives.

I’m drawn to write about critical issues faced by at-risk youth, such as anxiety, loneliness, self-harm, and homelessness. Highlighting tough choices they make everyday to survive. I like my characters to feel relatable, with relatable issues. Most of us aren’t cheerleaders or football stars, and we don’t live in giant houses or drive fancy cars. I hope my subsequent novels serve as a vehicle to raise awareness and foster empathy, to reach those suffering silently to feel seen and heard, through character-driven dialogue incorporating humor, messages of resilience, redemption, and the transformative power of human connections.

Readers can find links to my book trailer, and upcoming events on my author site, stuffbyjenn.com.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in Washtenaw County, which includes more than one city. That means there numerous places just a short drive away to have fun and enjoy a meal with friends and family. One of my favorites is the Bao Boys Food Truck in Ann Arbor. They have amazing Asian-inspired buns, and you have to get there early if you want to get a parking spot. Another is the Grateful Crow in Chelsea. A fun mix of sushi and burgers, you should also make sure not to miss the cool artwork in the bathrooms. The other places I’d like to mention are Carrigan Cafe as well as Fine Print Bookshop in downtown Saline—both run by fabulous, community-minded people.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’m very grateful for the encouragement and support of my family, friends, and my community. Emerging authors don’t have big advertising budgets, so local support in the form of book signing venues, school visits, and word of mouth is very much appreciated.

I’d like to give a shoutout to my family, who have pitched in carrying boxes of books, helped me set up for events, and as the mother of two teenagers, I have valuable, built-in beta-reader feedback.

Another person I’d like to give a shoutout to is Linda, the legendary librarian at Emerson School in Ann Arbor. She invited me to visit the Middle school, which included chapter readings from my YA Thriller novel, Welcome To Nightjar, followed by a student Q&A session, and being interviewed by a student for the school podcast, as well as a guest author at their book fair at Shuler Books in Ann Arbor. While there I enjoyed sponsoring a writing contest for the kids, and it was a memorable first experience as a debut author.

The other person whom I’d like to give a shoutout to is Victoria, the amazing Latin and Social Studies teacher at Emerson Middle School. She edited the first draft of my book, and gave me great advice. She’s a published author herself, and a gem of a teacher who delights her students by dressing up in armor on Naming Day in her Latin classes.

Website: https://www.stuffbyjenn.com

Instagram: @JenniferVivekanand

Twitter: @JennVivekanand

Image Credits
DylanHancookPhotography.com Jennifer Vivekanand