Jan Fenimore - May 2025 Featured Author

Jan Fenimore has thirty traditionally published credits; three picture books, one chapter book and the remainder in magazines, both online and print. She has self-published one middle-grade novel. Her children’s fiction has won or placed in several contests.

Congrats on your recently released chapter book, Tales of the Tarahumara Indians, which was released in February 2025. Tell us a little about it.

The stories were originally inspired by a story my late partner told about his father’s encounter with a Tarahumara Indian youth in an apple orchard in the Copper Canyons of Mexico. That became the first of three stories in the book, Pedro’s Magic Apples. Being fascinated with the indigenous tribe and after extensive research, the other two stories, Apple Empanadas for Sale and Empty Pockets came about organically.

We'd love to hear more about your writing journey. What's the process been like?

While living in San Diego, CA, I was at a bookstore and a woman representing SCBWI gave a talk promoting the organization and that talk changed my life. I was incredibly intrigued and inspired, joined the organization and writing for children became a passion.

What challenges have you experienced that you didn't expect?

Finding out through experience that perfecting a manuscript takes a loooooong time!

What do you love about being a writer?

I love the process from idea to publication. I’m thrilled to be part of the literary community.

What is the best advice you've ever been given about writing? What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out?

Read, read, read! Read, read, read! Read in the genre you’re interested in writing for, read in other genres and read the best writers in the genre you love. Amazingly, by doing that, your writing will come out organically better than you ever imagined it could.

Is there anything else you'd like to mention or highlight?

I would like to highlight my other books available on Amazon. The first is; Dash to the Rescue published by Doodle & Peck Press; the second, I Hate Ice Cream published by Amazing Things Press; and, Chitra’s Secrets published by Lulu