Review of 2016: Jennifer C. Wilson

Regular guest, Jennifer C Wilson, has had a rather brilliant 2016. Jen has been a fantastic support to me and her writing is going from strength to strength so it’s a real pleasure to have her here to review her year. 

Thanks for being involved, Jen.

Vic x

Do you have a favourite memory professionally from 2016?
The release of Kindred Spirits: Tower of London as a paperback in spring this year was a definite highlight, as well as obviously having Kindred Spirits: Royal Mile accepted, but I think the favourite memory was reading at Pure Fiction in July. It was the first event like that I’ve ever done, with the reading followed by Q&A, and although I was absolutely petrified beforehand, it was such a positive experience for me, and I loved every moment. It was also one of our first public events as part of The Next Page, so that was a big deal too, getting people to come along on a gorgeous summer Saturday, and spend the afternoon in a library!

And how about a favourite moment from 2016 generally?
On a personal level, daft as it sounds, 2016 was the first time I really ventured abroad on my own, heading over to Paris. I know the city well, and to have all that space to wander and explore on my own was fantastic. I got plenty of writing done, and some ideas for a couple of projects I want to try my hand at in the next couple of years.

Favourite book in 2016?
Three Sisters, Three Queens, by Philippa Gregory. If I’m honest, I hadn’t been that impressed with her last two, they felt a bit ‘had to get a book out’ to me, but this last one, I just couldn’t put down. It covers Henry VIII’s sisters, Mary and Margaret Tudor (Queens of France and Scotland, respectively, by their first marriages, but plenty of misadventures after that!), as well as Catherine of Aragon, a lady I’ve always had a lot of sympathy for. It gave a different angle on a lot of Tudor history, as well as featuring plenty of good Scottish backdrops.

Favourite film in 2016?
I’m still really not a film-fan, and definitely not a cinema-goer, but I watched, and really enjoyed, My House in Umbria this year. An odd one, following the fall-out of a bomb on a train in Italy, and the ‘adventures’ of a group of survivors who recover at an elderly writer’s villa. I loved the scenery, totally taking me back to my two writing retreats, and reminding me how much I really, really want to get back there!

Favourite song of the year?
Despite trying not to, the one which has stuck with me the most this year has been Party Like a Russian by Robbie Williams. I’ve never been a fan (quite the opposite, in fact) – maybe it’s the use of the Apprentice theme music in the background, tempting me in!

Any downsides for you in 2016?
I have to say, 2016 has been, overall, a pretty good year. There’s been the usual ups and downs, but nothing that particularly stands out.

Are you making resolutions for 2017?
Yes – quite a few, personal and professional. I started the Slimming World ‘journey’ in May 2015, and haven’t quite made the progress I was aiming for (entirely self-inflicted), so am going to really try on that front.

I’m also going to work hard on a third Kindred Spirits, and the Richard III tale I’ve been working on for a couple of years now. It keeps getting pushed to the back of the queue, so maybe 2017 will be the year it gets to move to the front.

What are you hoping from in 2017?
I’ve got Kindred Spirits: Royal Mile coming out in June, so I just hope it goes down as well as Tower of London seems to have done. That, and managing to carry on with the writing. Always to carry on with the writing!

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