Welcome to Inside the Mind where we here at The Faerie Review interview authors and creators.
Our guest today is Jessica Chanese, the author behind Minivan Warrior: The Odyssey Begins

Lily:  Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview Jessica. I really enjoyed reading Minivan Warrior: The Odyssey Begins. What inspired you to write this?

Jessica:  I’m a huge fan of urban fantasy, fantasy, and paranormal novels and read them regularly. I noticed that the female protagonists in many tend to be younger, are typically single and/or don’t have children, and are frequently portrayed as tough-as-nails, powerful, and gorgeous. If they have an occupation, it’s usually something glamourous or thrilling, and they live in these cosmopolitan or otherworldly settings. I found myself wondering what a story in the same vein as the books I love could look like if it featured a protagonist whose characteristics and lifestyle were more representative of the average person. 

I was drawn to the idea of what would happen if an ordinary suburban working mom, like myself, suddenly had to navigate this collision between her relatively mundane reality and the supernatural. And then, since I wrote the bulk of the manuscript between 2016 and 2018, the basic concept evolved into a way for me to process what I saw as a frightening – and sometimes absurd – shift in the national socio-political landscape. Minivan Warrior: The Odyssey Begins ultimately became a fictional mirror of what parenting felt like for me during that time period.

Lily:  It was absolutely brilliant! I loved the opening to the book, what made you decide to open with such an edge-of-your-seat scene?

Jessica:  I’m so glad you liked it! That scene wasn’t originally in the opening, it came later in the book. Switching it up was a last-minute decision. I decided I needed something that would get the reader’s attention and set the tone for the book – kind of quirky and irreverent, voice-y, centered on a mother-daughter relationship, with a good dose of pop culture references – right out of the gate. The original opening didn’t serve those functions as well as what I eventually went with.

Lily:  It was definitely an attention catcher. Was Alex inspired by anyone?

Jessica:  There’s definitely a lot about Alex that’s autobiographical, but I really wanted a broad spectrum of people to be able to see themselves reflected in some aspect of her life experience or personality. I wove in traits of friends, family members, and colleagues. I wanted her to be relatable, kind of an everywoman. That’s why I chose to write her voice in what I hope came across as a casual, conversational style – to give the feel of a friend sharing a story with the reader. 

Lily:  I love that you incorporated so much of real people including yourself. It definitely made Alex more relatable. Why not give Alex the magic powers instead of her daughter?

Jessica:  I liked the idea of a different take on the “chosen one” trope – the main character isn’t the “chosen one” but her daughter is – and thought it was an interesting way to illustrate both some of the more challenging and rewarding aspects of parenthood. Parents do everything in our power to give our kids the best quality of life possible, but we really have very little control over a lot of external factors that shape children’s lives. We can’t control how others treat them. We can’t control every action our government takes or how those actions (or inactions) impact the environment our kids will grow up in. We can’t predict or remove every obstacle they’ll encounter. We can just do our best to help them build resilience, equip them with skills and tools that might ease their path, and be there for them when things go sideways. And often, our kids amaze us by showing remarkable fortitude and insight when faced with difficult circumstances. Alex having to figure out how to support her magically gifted daughter in a completely unfamiliar environment, without having any special powers of her own, seemed like a natural parallel of those experiences. 

Lily:  It was definitely a surprising (but wonderful) twist. Definitely a great way to illustrate the struggle of not being able to make everything perfect for your kids too. Now we’d like to talk about you as a writer. How do you keep track of your ideas when inspiration strikes?

Jessica:  I use the notepad app on my phone often. Plus, I have an insane number of unfinished stories and rough outlines in Google Docs, saved to Google Drive. Google Drive has been invaluable, because I can essentially write anywhere and move between devices depending on what’s most convenient at any given moment. I also have a slight obsession with actual notebooks and jotting down fragments of ideas is a pretty common practice for me. 

Lily:  I love that you mix technology and old school notebooks. What time of day do you prefer to write?

Jessica: As a mom of two with a full-time day job, it usually comes down to whenever I can find the time. I’m honestly not sure what time of day would be preferable for me because it’s much more about fitting it in whenever it’s possible. 

Lily:  I can imagine it’s difficult to squeeze it in. What’s harder? Writing the first draft or editing it?

Jessica: In my experience, writing the first draft is harder. It’s getting over that fear of the blank page, that anxiety that what I write won’t be “good enough.” I also struggle a lot with making the mental space to be creative and get into my writing “flow”, since it’s not always easy to have more than a few minutes at a time to think and write before being distracted by whatever’s going on in my house at that time. I’ve moved through most of that by the time I get to editing, so that comes a bit easier for me.

Lily:  Imposter syndrome can be really hard to fight (I totally understand that). Let’s finish up with some fun questions and get inside your mind. What’s better: pie or cake? What’s your favorite flavor?

Jessica:  I tend to go for all things chocolate, and the form it takes is less important. I’d probably go with cake if I had to choose, because frosting is one of my favorite indulgences. 

Lily:  Chocolate cake sounds delicious right now. I might have to hop into the kitchen later… Do you give your cars (or vehicles) nicknames? What are they?

Jessica:  I haven’t in a while. I named my first car Kermit when I was a teenager because it was a green Dodge Neon. Clearly, I’ve become a minivan proponent in recent years, but I haven’t named any of them. One more name to remember wouldn’t be ideal – I call the dogs by the kids’ names far too often as it is. 

Lily:  Hehe I love the name Kermit! We named our mini SUV Olaf because it’s our first white car. Do you have a lucky piece of jewelry or clothing? If not do you have a favorite one?

Jessica:  My engagement ring and wedding band. Aside from the obvious sentimental value, they have additional meaning to me because they have sapphires. My husband, my son, and I are all September birthdays, so sapphire is our birthstone. My daughter was due in September but made her debut five weeks early in August, but there’s still a tangential September connection there. 

Lily:  That’s beautiful! Sapphires are actually my favorite stone. How can readers discover more about you and your work?

Jessica:  I’m a little behind with getting a website finished up, so my Facebook page, Twitter account, and Amazon page are probably the best avenues for learning learn more about me and my work.

Facebook | Twitter | Amazon Author

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