Browse Tag by Janie Marie
Coming of Age, Fairy Tales, Giveaways, Interviews, NA Romance, YA Fiction

Interview – Part 3: Janie Marie Talks About Writing

Janie Marie
Janie Marie

I have read that you have received a good deal of negative feedback because you named a female main character after yourself. I think it’s brilliant, and haters gonna hate. What was your thinking there? Why did you want to name her after you? And how much of Janie, the character, is you?
Ooh, those are loaded questions. This is going to be a lengthy response! To properly explain, I have to give a lot of background. I originally drafted this story on Wattpad a few years ago. I had no idea it would become so successful—it had over 24 million reads before I pulled the incomplete draft. So I was not prepared for the attacks that came from the instant Team Kylie readers. They didn’t care about the fact that Jane, Janie’s G&M form, was named after me because I was trying to heal myself. When I decided to write G&M, I was grieving my best friend’s death, my marriage was falling apart, and I was suffering from severe depression, anxiety, PTSD from sexual abuse and other traumatic stuff, and learning to cope with a Bipolar Disorder diagnosis. All they cared about was “this is Kylie’s story… get over yourself.” They didn’t care about anything I was actually doing—only that they wanted Kylie and Logan, and it was wrong of me to shove myself down their throats. Or to give myself the hottest guy. Lol.

Anyway, it was my late friend, Tifani, who told me on the day we found out she wasn’t going to survive that I needed to share my story. After writing the first chapter as a sort of memoir/horror story, I chickened out. Then I saw Jane in my mind. She was me, but also not. I gave her part of my soul, my name(Janie is a diminutive of Jane), and I gave her every bit of sorrow, fear, pain, but also happiness, my hopes, and my heart. I still almost changed her name, but it felt wrong to ask another to suffer what she would. Together, we pulled each other through the journeys we were on. She gave me strength and I made her fight harder to show me I could survive. When it came time to writing WAotBBW, she was meant to be there for reasons readers will find out. And on her first appearance in the book, I wrote Janie instead of Jane. I hit backspace, but she appeared in my mind, shaking her head at me. Her boys did the same, and I realized she was telling me to be braver, be greater. To truly not hide anymore and embrace myself. After all, the story I was telling with WAotBBW is my way of speaking to my daughter and the continued path of healing I was undertaking for myself. So even with the insults, the threats, and plagiarism I held strong. I couldn’t turn my back on my girl. So Janie is my acceptance that I’m a very flawed girl. I’m one that can be hated and admired. I can be broken and healed. I can be brave and I am always loved. Never forgotten.

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Coming of Age, Fairy Tales, Giveaways, Interviews, YA Fiction

Interview – Part 2: Janie Marie Discusses Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?.

Janie Marie Interview Part 1
Janie Marie Interview Part 1
Janie Marie
Janie Marie

For people who aren’t familiar with your book, what genre is Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
Lol it’s all over the place. I mainly consider it A Coming of Age Fairy Tale Adaptation. But it has just about everything besides SciFi.

WAoTBBW is a spin-off from your previous series, Gods & Monsters. Could you explain where the characters of Kylie Hood and Logan Grimm come from and who they are?
Ooh, you have to keep reading to find out. The big reveal comes in book 3 of the Big Bad Wolf Trilogy. It’s a huge twist when you read all of my books.

I have not read Gods & Monsters yet, but could you tell me what cross-over characters appear in WAoTBBW, and why should we know them? 
Gosh, there are too many to name. I’ll say every “soul” WAotBBW comes from G&M. Readers love finding out as they read. Some know right away who is who and others are stumped, but I do clarify in WAotBBW.

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Coming of Age, Fairy Tales, Giveaways, Interviews, YA Fiction

Interview – Part 1: Janie Marie, Author of Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

Janie Marie Interview Part 1
Janie Marie Interview Part 1
Janie Marie
Janie Marie

If you could, please take a minute to introduce yourself to readers.
I’m Janie Marie. I live near Austin, Texas, with my husband and our three children—plus four adopted fur babies. I’m the only girl of six children. My parents each had two sons before marrying and having me then my little brother was a surprise. I remind him all the time I was supposed to be the last. Lol. I’m totally winging this author thing, but I’m happy to constantly grow as I share my life and art.

And it will in no way affect the way I think about you as a person, but what are your thoughts on coffee? Keep in mind coffee drinkers are the best people in the world. 
Haha, I don’t like it. I love the smell and have had friends give me various types, and I just don’t like it. My morning drink is always Dr Pepper.

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Book Reviews, Coming of Age, Fairy Tales, YA Fiction

Book Review: Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? by Janie Marie

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf by Janie Marie
Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf by Janie Marie
Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? by Janie Marie
Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? by Janie Marie

Title: Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? (The Big Bad Wolf Trilogy)
Author: Janie Marie
Genre: Coming of Age, Fairy Tales, Young Adult
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Prefacing this review by saying I didn’t read Gods & Monsters. And having read this book, It’s unfortunate that I have not done so!

Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? is a crazy good read! 

Oh emm gee! 

I thoroughly enjoyed this baby, and Janie Marie wasn’t on my radar before, but I’m one-clicking her previous trilogy as I write this review. I can totally multitask like a boss! 

Kylie Hood is a sad story. She’s Little Red Riding Hood meets Cinderella but for the fact that in her real life, her wicked steps are out to wickedly maim, or possibly kill her, if they could get away with it. Worse yet, her Prince is just a crap jock who wants her to do his homework. But her world turns around when Logan Grimm drags her into his fairy-tale, where he might be the Big Bad Wolf looking to save her from the wilds outside. 

I adored Logan from the word ‘go.’ Cheers to Janie Marie because her wounded bad boy was a quiet redeemer from the start–probably a carryover from that other series I DID NOT READ! I’m going to get on that right away.

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Book It, Coming of Age, Cover Reveal, Fairy Tales, Retelling, YA Fiction

Cover Reveal: Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? by Janie Marie

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? by Janie Marie
Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? by Janie Marie
Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? by Janie Marie
Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? by Janie Marie

Title: Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? (The Big Bad Wolf Trilogy, #1)
Author: Janie Marie
Genre: Coming of Age, Fairy Tales, Young Adult
Release Date: 27 October 2020

Summary:

Fantasizing about Trevor Grimm is Kylie Hood’s favorite escape from her cruel reality. So, when he asks for her help on a school project, sparks are bound to fly and her dreams are going to come true . . .

Not in this fairy tale.

No, everything changes when Kylie meets Logan Grimm, Trevor’s older cousin and a professional MMA fighter some call the Big Bad Wolf.

He’s the first person to peer under the hood she hides beneath. He’s the first person to see the signs that something is wrong. He’s the first person to give her any attention. And he’s offering to help protect her.

But Logan’s world isn’t safe. It’s dirty, exhilarating, and dangerous. It’s everything Kylie needs to stay away from.

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