Meet the Author: Jayme H. Mansfield
Welcome, Jayme!
Jayme’s Bio: Jayme H. Mansfield is an author, artist, and educator—and feels a bit incomplete when she’s not juggling all three balls. An award-winning author, her debut book Chasing the Butterfly, is an Amazon bestseller. RUSH (Nov. 1, 2017 release) provides a tension-filled, moving tale of a pioneer woman’s determination to survive. She and her husband live near the base of the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountains, having survived raising three hungry, hockey-playing sons. Currently, a very needy Golden Retriever runs the roost. When Jayme isn’t writing, she teaches art to children and adults at her long-time art studio, Piggy Toes.
Tell us about your newest book.
Chasing the Butterfly was initially inspired by my love for painting and traveling in France, coupled with the intricacies, fallibilities, and need for loving human relationships. The novel has received several awards in the areas of women’s fiction, romance, inspirational, and book club favorite—causing my publisher to scratch his head as to its specific genre.
From a vineyard in the south of France to the sophisticated city of Paris, Ella Moreau searches for the hope and love she lost as a young girl when her mother abandoned the family. Ella’s journey is portrayed through a heartbroken child, a young woman’s struggles during the tumultuous times surrounding World War II, and as a reflective adult. Through a series of secret paintings, her art becomes the substitute for lost love, the visual metaphor of her life. But when her paintings are discovered, the intentions of those she loves are revealed.
What genre do you focus on and why?
I’m drawn to historical fiction and contemporary women’s fiction. Recently, I wrote a contemporary story and it ended up in split-time. Both big and small events, notorious and obscure people, and poignant memories of the past never cease to amaze me how they are tied to the present.
Why do you write? What drives you?
Writing, much like painting, is a means for me to create—that mysterious need that’s instilled in every human in a unique way, and in some form or another, demands to be met. For me, writing taps into my innermost thoughts—celebrations, praises, fears, desires, and dreams—allowing access to a sacred and transparent place. Writing is a form of intimate prayer—a time and place to listen, speak, and create with God.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
Ella Moreau is the main character. Her American mother chose the name, wanting to name her daughter after Eleanor Roosevelt. Ella’s’ French father didn’t care for the U.S. Presidential couple, or much of anything American for that matter. In a backhanded attempt to maintain her heritage, Marie Moreau gave her only child a name in close proximity to Eleanor … Ella Moreau.
What does a day in your writing world look like?
Early coffee, time with the Lord, a clean desk, acoustic music, and my dog underfoot are the ingredients for a successful launch into dedicated writing time. Although I continue to search for the perfect daily word count (of which I’m not convinced exists), I default to composing in long blocks—sometimes in all-day and into the night stretches. The other time is spent marketing and promoting—a never-ending and necessary endeavor. Often I envy other writers who subscribe to a succinct and predictable schedule. Adventurous, distracted, curious, social … maybe an ounce of being rebellious … short of having a personal playground supervisor, my writing days will inevitably vary.
What is the hardest part of being an author? Why?
Balancing the time required for effective marketing, constantly learning about and improving the craft of writing, and good ol’, nose-to-the-computer time to produce writing is a challenge. There are so many avenues to market and an abundance of writing craft resources that my head often spins. I’ve found the best “cure” is to return to the initial passion … create images, description, and all that goes into making a meaningful story with those magical letters that link together to express.
However, it’s a slow release medicine and a great deal of patience and perseverance is needed because, plain and simple, writing a novel takes a long time. So while new scenes, and even stories evolve, the task at hand is composing the next word, sentence, paragraph…moving forward.
What’s the best part of your author’s life? Why?
The gratification of journeying with characters, putting them in a time and place, and bringing them to life through life’s trials and celebrations is one of the richest experiences in my life. Through fiction, the stories become part of my reality. Endless story seeds carry on the wind and wait to settle into fertile writing ground. As an author, there is always inspiration and a new story to tell. From a big picture perspective, I love the people I’ve met—readers, other authors, marketing folk, editors, and publishers—all enriching my life in so many ways.
What is the craziest thing you’ve experienced as an author?
When Chasing the Butterfly was initially written, my ambitions weren’t for publication. It was a story between God and me. Upon its completion, doors of opportunity flew open on an imaginable level and a conviction to follow a passion to write was confirmed.
What are you most proud of?
I’m blessed that God has given me lots of interests and opportunities. Most importantly, I’m proud that fear, procrastination, and doubt didn’t take hold, and instead, those gifts have been embraced and taken along on my life’s journey. The exciting part is watching and listening for other passions to be realized, and then following the intended direction in which I’m led to go.
What is your favorite pastime?
It’s hard to beat spending time with my family—especially if it involves a beach! But from a day-to-day perspective, playing tennis, walking my dog, reading, and painting bring me joy.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
My second novel, RUSH, releases November 1, 2017. Based on a true story of my great-great grandmother’s participation in the 1893 Oklahoma Land Run, it provides a historically fascinating and moving tale of a pioneer woman’s determination to survive while paying tribute to the brave people who shaped America.
What are you working on now?
I just completed a beautiful love story entitled, Seasoned–A Vintage Love Story With a Modern Day Flavor. It’s about an elderly couple and proves love knows no age. This story has a hold on my heart!
My newest endeavor is The Lesson, inspired by my many years in education and the life-long relationships of a special group of teaching colleagues. Besides that, I’m dabbling with a children’s book and prioritizing several other ideas for novels bubbling around in my heart and head.
Website: www.jaymehmansfield.com
Blog: http://www.jaymehmansfield.com/inspirations—blog.html
Social media links:
Author FB – https://www.facebook.com/JaymeHMansfieldAuthor/
Twitter – @jaymemansfield
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/jaymemansfield/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jaymemansfield/
Follow me on social media!
