Written by the author of Mirror, Mirror and Conceal, Don’t Feel, Jen Calonita’s latest twist is sure to delight and surprise. We chat with author Jen Calonita about Go the Distance, book recommendations, writing, and much more!
Hi, Jen! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi! I’m a Disney-loving girl who pre-pandemic found it fun to train to run half-marathons in the Disney Parks — and always in costume. I ran dressed as Princess Anna from Frozen long before I wrote CONCEAL, DON’T FEEL. But I wouldn’t call myself a runner. I only run if you promise I can wear a costume and take photos with characters. 🙂
After the chaos that was 2020, have you set any goals for this year? If so, how are they going so far?
It’s funny because I was just talking to a friend about this, but when the world shut down last year, I was finishing GO THE DISTANCE. And deadlines are deadlines, even when the world is upside down. I found myself trying to write when my whole family was home, my kids were virtual, and we were trying to get groceries delivered to avoid going to the store and I still had to write. But I actually think having that deadline saved me. I spent my writing hours with Hercules and Meg and it was such a great escape that I’m so grateful for. This year I find everyone is semi-back to school and at work and I’m trying to stay as disciplined as I was last spring…and I’m having so-so results! I’ve had to start giving myself new deadlines to get all my work done.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
It was Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume. It was the book that changed everything for me. I went from a reluctant reader to a lover of books who wanted to read everything Judy Blume. I loved anything with some comedy in it and once I started reading Judy I thought, what would I write about if I could be a writer? Then in fourth grade I wrote a paper about a genie giving me three wishes and one was to be a writer for young readers.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
I’d say fourth grade. That’s when I first started thinking about writing. I started out always writing about the weather! Every story I wrote had a blizzard, or a hurricane or some massive thunderstorm causing all sorts of trouble! Then I moved on to writing short stories for my friends. They loved asking me to do that.
Your new novel, Go the Distance: A Twisted Tale, is out April 6th 2021! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Quest, Hell, Heroes, Myths, Love
What can readers expect?
I love Megara and I always wondered what her backstory was. We meet her in Hercules and she’s sold her soul to Hades, but who was she before that happened? That’s what the reader gets to discover in this story.
Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
Well, since I was finishing the story during the beginnings of lockdown I had to give up my office to my kids who were on zoom school. And then my husband was locked away in the bedroom doing work from home and I felt like I had nowhere to go! I wound up taking an alcove in the house, buying a small desk on wayfair and making an office out of it for zooms and writing. I just needed to carve out some space for myself and that helped a ton.
If it’s not too spoilery, were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing?
How can you not love writing Hades? I spent weeks with James Woods’ voice in my head. And then Danny Devito as Phil is a lot of fun to write as well!
What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?
Best advice — to write your story straight through and THEN go back and revise. Get to know your characters and your story before you start changing them. Worst advice — that as a proper writer you have to write every day. If the pandemic has taught me anything, it’s that you need to roll with the punches. Write often, but it doesn’t have to be daily or at a specific time of day. Just write!
What’s next for you?
I’m actually starting a new series for Disney called the Lost Legends series and the first book is The Rise of Flynn Rider, which will be out this fall. Tangled fans will remember Flynn’s name is actually Eugene Fitzherbert and this book follows Eugene’s journey at age 12. I’ve loved writing this book.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
I’ve read so many great books during this past year and tried to mix it up from romantic and funny (every Christina Lauren book) to the unexpected (Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce is a recent favorite to thrillers (This is Not the Jess Show by Anna Carey was excellent!)
