Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Newly minted PhD, professor, pop culture junkie, voracious reader, and author of the Naturals series, the Raised By Wolves series, The Fixer, and more!

[jenniferlynnbarnes]

I finished The Lovely and the Lost in less than a day and I loved it! <3<3<3 You're right about it feeling like the perfect marraige of Raised by Wolves and Naturals. At the end, it seems like you left a lot of openings/threads for a second book. Do you think you'll write a sequal or make it a series some day?

I sold THE LOVELY AND THE LOST in a one-book deal, which means that I wrote it to stand alone, but have series potential, meaning that if sales were good enough that my publisher wanted me to write a sequel, I would be totally excited to do so and have some ideas about where it might go, the new characters you might meet (including NEW DOGS), and so on. But I have also been an author long enough to know that sales are not always what I want them to be and that no sequel is guaranteed, so I ended THE LOVELY AND THE LOST in such a way that I was satisfied with the ending, even if I never get to return to those characters and that world.

Right now, I have three more books scheduled to come out:

NOVEMBER, 2019: DEADLY LITTLE SCANDALS. This is the LITTLE WHITE LIES sequel. It involves a secret society of Southern Belles, cliff-jumping, a summer at the lake, three generations of high society secrets, complicated family relationships, four mysteries, and one dead body.

NOVEMBER, 2020, plus or minus a few months: a SUPER SECRET PROJECT that I have already written. I am obsessed with it. I think it’s the best idea I’ve ever had, and I had more fun writing it than I could possibly explain. I cannot tell you any more than that until the deal is announced.

ONE MORE BOOK: My 2020 book was sold as part of a two-book deal. The second book is currently undecided. It might be a sequel to the 2020 book, or tied to one of my other projects, or it may be a new book altogether--it depends on sales for various books, the market, and a whole host of other factors!

[jenniferlynnbarnes]

You've talked a lot about the psychology of fandoms of english language books and TV shows, but have you ever thought about looking at the psychology of like, anime and manga fandoms? I'm big into those, and while a lot of what you say about fandom still applies to the anime fan-sphere, there are also some pretty big differences and unique quirks and phenomena to weebs compared to "typical" fandom that I think would be really interesting to scientifically look at as well.

That sounds really interesting, and I would be totally open to looking at anime and manga fandoms! But since I don’t have personal experience on that front, I would probably want to work with a graduate student (or an undergrad!) at my university who had first-hand experience, so whether or not I actually end up doing research on the topic will probably depend on whether or not one of my students is passionate about the topic.

[jenniferlynnbarnes]

hey, was just thinking that maybe you could try to get a deal with netflix or hulu to make a series out of The Naturals book series - if you haven’t already. Netflix is always looking for new content and they get a LOT of views from teens. Given that your novels include teens, this would be super popular! So many people who may not have read the books would love it as well. I absolutely love your books and would love to see them succeed in film! Good luck!

I would love to see my books in show or film form, and this something that my team and I are constantly working toward! I have (and have had) a lot of properties in various stages of development, but am generally not allowed to talk specifics in public until the people working on the project give me a green light, so I cannot tell you which properties, or comment on where they are in the process. All I can say is that I would love to see my books adapted someday, and anything that can be done on my end to make that happen is already being done!

For more information on what it takes for a Hollywood adaptation to happen, check out this blog entry by Ally Carter: https://allycarter.com/2011/01/how-movies-happen/

[jenniferlynnbarnes]

i read rbw forever ago and it holds a special place in my heart still, yet i can't stop wondering... do Lake and Chase have canon last names? i swear i remember some surnames (i managed to dig out "Devon Macalister") and skimmed over the books, but to no avail with these two.

I want to say that Lake might have been Lake Mitchell, and that’s why her dad went by Mitch, but I could not swear to it. And I do not remember if Chase ever had a last name or not! 

[jenniferlynnbarnes]

The novella Twelve is the last book in the series right? Or have you not decided yet?

TWELVE is currently the last book in the NATURALS series... but I would love to return to that world and those characters someday and write more, if and when time allows. I have done a little bit of work designing the next generation of Naturals (which includes Mackenzie and Laurel, as well as the brothers briefly mentioned in TWELVE, plus two more), so I definitely know where I would take things.

Having said that, there are no immediate plans for more sequels. Right now, my writing schedule is full through 2020, with a 2021 book scheduled that I suspect will end up being a sequel to my 2020 book. I have two little kids and a second career as a professor, so it is unlikely that I will be able to manage more than one book a year in the near future. 

But someday... if I had the time... and my publisher was willing... I would LOVE to do more Naturals.

[jenniferlynnbarnes]

Is the fourth Naturals book the last one? Or, to rephrase, what is the probability of a fifth Naturals book in the next few years?

There is a novella, TWELVE, that is set five years after the end of Book 4 and serves as an epilogue to the series. It is available as an e-book!

[jenniferlynnbarnes]

When is Debutantes 2 coming out I devoured ( not very Deb like) the first one in a day

The first Tuesday in November!

[jenniferlynnbarnes]

Can we please get a little preview of the Lovely and the Lost?

[jenniferlynnbarnes]

One of my favorite things to see is when an author pulls in so many small details from previous books that end up being big. In book 1 of the naturals, you have her encounter a man that would come into play later (nightshade). When you originally wrote it, did you already know what you were going to do with this or did you just want us thinking he was the killer from that book and that was all?

Great question! When I sold The Naturals, I sold it in a two-book deal, so although I had some vague ideas for later books and planted a few things I could harken back to if I got to write more, I wasn’t counting on for sure getting to write Books 3 and 4. So for Book 1, Nightshade was meant as a red herring, but even as I wrote it I thought “Who is this guy and why is he so interested in these kids?” and made a mental note to figure that out as the series went along. 

Long story short: I didn’t know he was Nightshade, and I didn’t have any immediate plans to use him, but I had it in the back of my mind that there might be something there and that I *could* use him down the line. More definite ideas clicked into place when I wrote Book 2 and planted Scarlett’s unsolved murder as something else that could be addressed in future books. When I sat down to write book three, I had a lot of threads that I knew *might* be something, and that’s the point at which I figured out what those things actually, for sure, were.

[jenniferlynnbarnes]

In your opinion, what would each of the Naturals phone lock-screens be??

I have no idea, but Naturals fans, you’re welcome to reblog and speculate!

[jenniferlynnbarnes]

I have read The Fixer and The Long Game in the span of three days. I’m in love with the series. Is there going to be another one?

The answer to this question hasn’t changed since I posted this: http://jenniferlynnbarnes.tumblr.com/post/155137184889/i-simply-have-to-know-is-there-a-planned-third

And because people ask sometimes, I have never actually gotten the green light to share the fun Fixer news I mentioned in that post, though it continues to be fun (and SECRET).

[jenniferlynnbarnes]

Which character in the Naturals did you ave the most fun writing? And which character did you personally relate to the most?

Lia and Michael are the most fun to write, because they’re the most trouble. When I read back over what I’ve written, Sloane is my favorite, but I relate to Cassie the most. My favorite Dean moments are usually the ones where he’s in sibling mode (with either Lia or, in later books, Michael).

I love these characters and miss them so much!

[jenniferlynnbarnes]

I read Little White Lies cover to cover in 72 hours. Is there a sequel?? I’m in love with this book!!!!

Book 2 comes out next year. I know the title, but it is CURRENTLY SECRET. Hopefully to be released soon!

[jenniferlynnbarnes]

Hi Jennifer! How many books will there be in the Debutantes series?

Right now, there are two. The plot lines from book 1 are all wrapped up in book 2, so if I did a third (which is very much still on the table), it would likely be with a new class of debutantes (with some interesting ties to the current characters).

[jenniferlynnbarnes]

What: Jennifer Lynn Barnes and Ally Carter will discuss and sign their most recent novels. When: Saturday, November 10, 3:00 pm Where: Blue Willow Bookshop, 14532 Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77079

I am coming to HOUSTON. And so is Ally Carter! Come see the two of us this Saturday, November 10th!

[jenniferlynnbarnes]

Oklahoma folks, you’re invited to my book launch TOMORROW NIGHT, November 6. If you want a signed and personalized copy, but cannot attend, the store can probably hook you up!

[jenniferlynnbarnes]

Here’s what people are saying about LITTLE WHITE LIES, out one week from today! You can request a copy at your local library, or pre-order your own copy at:

Indie Bound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781368014137

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/little-white-lies-jennifer-lynn-barnes/1127588775?ean=9781368014137#/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1368014135?pf_rd_p=d1f45e03-8b73-4c9a-9beb-4819111bef9a&pf_rd_r=AJJ2SZY86Y32BXECX18W

If you’d like a SIGNED COPY, I have upcoming events in Oklahoma (https://www.bestofbooksok.com/event/jennifer-lynn-barnes-book-launch-best-books-nov-6) and Houston (https://www.bluewillowbookshop.com/event/jennifer-lynn-barnes-and-ally-carter). If you get in touch with the stores before the events, you may be able to order a signed, personalized copy.