1--What is the title of your latest release?
THE MAGIC ALL AROUND
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
A treasure hunt through the past reveals one woman’s extraordinary gift for arranging the future. When Mattie’s mother dies unexpectedly, Mattie is left without her sole companion and the captain who steered her ship. That is, until she visits Ivy Ridge and learns her mother charted one last course for Mattie: a series of seemingly random tasks that she must complete to earn her inheritance. But Mattie soon realizes that if she completes the tasks, she may unearth her mother’s secrets, including the identity of Mattie’s father. She may also discover how to choose her own path, learn to keep her heart open for love, and discover that staying still long enough to sow seeds can produce a stunning garden and vibrant life.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I knew I wanted a Southern setting, and in my debut novel, The Baker’s Man, a fictional town called Ivy Ridge, Georgia, is mentioned, so I thought it would be fun (and a bit of an Easter egg) to place this new novel in Ivy Ridge.
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Yes, Mattie and I would definitely hang out and enjoy each other’s company. We both like to travel, and we’re artistic. She’s a bit more standoffish than I am, but I understand her need for space and freedom.
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Mattie is creative, curious, and persevering.
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I learned about testamentary trusts and will executors. I didn’t know much about either before I started this story, but a Georgia lawyer was kind enough to answer all my questions and help me make the inclusion of both elements in my story as authentic as possible.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I do both! I don’t spend a lot of time worrying about edits, but it’s also natural for me to edit as I’m rereading sections. Once I’m done writing the first rough draft, then I edit more intently as I read through the entire manuscript.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Chocolate! I love baking, so the perfect indulgence for me would be the triple chocolate cake inspired by Roald Dahl’s Matilda.
9--Describe your writing space/office!
I don’t have a designated writing space or office. Although I have a desk, which is very clean and organized, I move around the house with my laptop. I write on the couch, on the bed, sitting at the dining room table, and I even take my laptop outside when the weather is nice and write on the back porch, listening to the birds.
10--Who is an author you admire?
Patti Callahan Henry is one of my favorite authors and someone I greatly admire. Not only is she an incredibly talented writer, she’s also a wonderful, kind, and compassionate person.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. I didn’t enjoy reading as a kid, but in the sixth grade, a teacher pulled me aside and told me she thought I needed to read A Wrinkle in Time. She believed I would enjoy it, and she was right! Reading that book changed my life and opened a world of reading to me that I didn’t know existed.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I cried! Seriously. I received my first two-book deal offer from Harper Muse in February 2022. After eleven years of working toward the dream of being traditionally published, I could finally see it manifesting in my life. I was thrilled, and after a few tears of joy, I laughed and danced around my house.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
I enjoy reading magical realism novels. This is also the genre my books are a part of, and escaping into the stories created by authors I admire is one of the best ways to spend my time.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
Such a tough choice! My favorite movies are a tie between The Goonies and While You Were Sleeping. I’ve always been enchanted by the sense of adventure and friendship in The Goonies, and I’m a softie for a rom-com.
15--What is your favorite season?
Spring! I love when the earth starts growing and turning green again after the winter. Once the crocuses start popping up from the ground, I know spring is coming.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
With a chocolate cake, of course! And lots of fireworks. I was born on July 4, so seeing fireworks is always a magical treat. When I was a little girl, someone told me that everyone launches fireworks on the Fourth of July because it’s my birthday. I thought the world was full of the most wonderful people! That’s still a sweet memory to me.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I love watching The Great British Baking Show. The contestants are so supportive of one another, and their creativity amazes me. It also inspires me to try new recipes and techniques. I admire the idea of healthy competition, where people support and encourage one another and winning first place isn’t the most important aspect.
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
I’m a total foodie, so I don’t know that I have a favorite type, but I love sushi, Southern comfort food, and street tacos. I’ll try almost any kind of dish once, and I’m fairly adventurous with trying new foods.
19--What do you do when you have free time?
I balance my free time between writing, reading, spending time outside in the sunshine, and baking recipes inspired by my books and other fiction works.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
I’m super excited for what’s coming next! All I can say is that it’s a time-travel, magical realism novel with a speakeasy!
In this latest enchanting novel from bestselling magical realism author Jennifer Moorman, a treasure hunt through the past reveals one woman’s extraordinary gift for arranging the future.
The Russell women have always lived in a house that is as special as they are—a century-old Victorian with a radio that tunes itself to the listener’s mood and a pantry that rearranges to provide just the right ingredients for any baking need. Lilith Russell was the exception. She left the family home in Ivy Ridge, Georgia, and has been flitting like a hummingbird from place to place with her daughter, Mattie, in the decades since, only returning each summer to drop Mattie off with Lilith’s sister, Penelope.
When Lilith dies suddenly, Mattie is left without her sole companion and the captain who steered her ship. That is, until she visits Ivy Ridge and learns Lilith charted one last course for Mattie: a series of tasks that she must complete to earn her inheritance, with Penelope overseeing the process.
Both Mattie and Penelope are outraged by Lilith’s seemingly random stipulations: throw a Halloween party, take a local pizza cooking class, share secrets with someone . . . But Mattie soon realizes that if she completes the tasks, she may unearth her mother’s secrets, including the identity of Mattie’s father. She may also discover more about the Russell family “gifts” and why Lilith chose Penelope’s former love to be the executor of the will. She may even learn how and why Jonathan Carlisle, the boy who stole her heart ten summers ago, also happens to be back in town.
Mattie can only hope that Lilith’s final map will finally point her home.
Women's Fiction Southern | Small Town [Harper Muse, On Sale: January 16, 2024, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9781400240487 / eISBN: 9781400240517]
Born and raised in southern Georgia, where honeysuckle grows wild and the whippoorwills sing, magical realism author Jennifer Moorman is the award-winning, bestselling author of the Mystic Water Series, which includes the reader favorite, The Baker's Man. Jennifer also has a collection of folklore, myth, and magic—Retellings of Folklore, Myth, and Magic—that offers imaginative retellings of stories told by our ancestors about their mysterious, fantastical beliefs in both the physical and the spiritual world.
She considers herself a traveler, an amateur baker, and a dreamer. She can always be won over with chocolate, unicorns, or rainbows. She believes in love—everlasting and forever.
A Harry Potter fanatic and the owner of an arsenal of sweet ’80s dance moves, Jennifer once read a 700-page book while sitting in a traffic jam. When in doubt, play James Taylor. And she’s still holding onto the dream that one day she’ll be like Indiana Jones.
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