Meet Jennifer Jabaley | Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jennifer Jabaley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jennifer, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Being a writer is all about taking risks. The moment you decide to put pen to paper, you are risking vulnerability with your thoughts, words, and ideas. The risk increases exponentially once a writer decides to share their work with readers. If a writer seeks to publish their work, there is extreme risk to succeed in the literary world. Whether it’s querying agents, submitting to publishers, or ultimately receiving reviews from readers, one must risk their emotions to the scrutiny of strangers. Rejection is common and the path is uncertain, but only by daring to put stories out into the world can an author ultimately get the reward of seeing their stories in print.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
People are often surprised to find that I’m a practicing optometrist in addition to being an author. It’s not often someone enjoys both a left-brain scientific job as well as a right-brain creative pursuit. But for me, engaging in both logical and artistic pursuits allow me to dream and create freely while also staying grounded and practical. The harmony seems to stave off boredom, enhance productivity, and promote emotional well-being. Of course, with a demanding job and very active kids, it does require an extreme amount of time management to allow for writing. The interesting thing is, so often many of my ideas spark while I’m seeing patients. We have a very elderly demographic at our practice, and the stories these patients share with me are a pure gold mine for inspiration.

It must be said that having a thriving career that provides well takes the pressure off trying to earn a living through my creative pursuits. And that assurance has allowed me to endure through the very long challenge of publishing a novel.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I have the absolute privilege of living in Blue Ridge, Georgia which is about an hour and a half north of Atlanta. Recently, many people have discovered our charming little town, and it has become a hot spot for tourism, second homes, and retirement. If you were to come spend a weekend in Blue Ridge, I’d start by suggesting you rent a cozy cabin with gorgeous lake or mountain views. We’d start the day with a tour at Mercier Orchards and participate in the you-pick tour of whatever fruits are in season. After, we could go for a hike at Fall Branch Falls or drive over to the gorgeous Ocoee river and hike the Rhododendron trail while watching kayakers and white-water rafters sail by. For a fabulous upscale dinner, we’d go to Grace.

The next day we can have a brunch at The Black Sheep followed by an amazing day spa experience at Serenity in the Mountains. We’d finish off the afternoon with a stroll through downtown visiting all the boutiques, coffee shops, and visiting the gorgeous new bookstore, Copper Fox Books. While in town, we’d check out Chesters for drinks and then follow up with dinner at Roe.

The last day we could do a vineyard tour starting with Bear Claw, then driving a few miles south to the stunning views on the patio of Roo Vineyards. If not interested in wine, we could play golf at the gorgeous Old Toccoa Farms golf course and finish up with a meal at the sensational Tavern.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Authors need to find their writing tribe – a supportive community of fellow writers who understand the challenges and triumphs of the creative journey. Several years ago, I joined an online community called Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Within that organization, I’ve found a group of incredible writers that offer honest feedback, encouragement during moments of doubt, and guidance through the often-confusing path to publication. Whether it was celebrating small victories or sharing tips on querying agents, surviving submissions to publishers, revising drafts, navigating marketing, these writers were there to provide the connection and motivation that made the difference between giving up or persevering. In addition, I’ve had the absolute privilege of meeting several published authors who have been so generous with their mentorship and support. Georgia is blessed with many successful authors willing to lend a kind word to debuts, notably, Emily Giffin, Emily Carpenter, Colleen Oakley, and the amazing booksellers at Foxtales Bookshop in Woodstock.

Website: https://www.jenniferjabaley.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jabaleyjennifer/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.jabaley

Image Credits
headshot credit: ZoLu Photography