TBB ▲: AUTHOR OF THE MONTH (01): JODI MEADOWS.

Here I would showcase authors who I believe are exquisite not only in writing but as a person as well. This is my way of showing my support for their talents and books and my appreciation for being granted the chance to know them.

This month, I chose this beautiful author not only for her fantastic book but also because of her friendly and bubbly personality. She never showed disinterest in people who approach her (on Twitter that is) and is always there to answer questions. I give to you

JODI MEADOWS.

If you've been following me on Twitter, you would know that Jodi is one of my all time favorite authors thus she landed the first spot in this feature. I was so lucky that she granted my wish of interviewing her. I have asked some (silly) questions about her knitting hobby, lovely ferrets and of course, her books. Hope you enjoy our little chit-chat!

Knitting

I tried crochet and loved it but just couldn't continue as of the moment because it requires so much time. Now, how long have you been knitting and what inspired you to do it?

Knitting and crochet definitely require time and patience, but they're worth it! I learned to crochet when I was fourteen. My mom taught me to make a granny square. I made my stitches super huge and loose so I could finish the blanket sooner. It wasn't very warm, or pretty, but my mom kept it until it fell apart. Ten years later, I taught myself to knit using a "You Can Knit!" thing and the internet. I wanted to learn to make socks, and I'd read that crochet socks (totally a possibility!) weren't as stretchy. I also wasn't sure I wanted to put my feet on crochet stitches. A year after I learned to knit, I declared I wanted to learn to spin. My mom (again!) came to the rescue: she sent me a spindle kit for my birthday. I immediately became addicted. A year after that, I bought my first spinning wheel. (His name is Bob.)

Do you sell things you knitted? What is the biggest you've ever knitted and how long it took you to finish it?

I have sold things I've knit. Occasionally I'll take a commission from a friend, but that requires a lot of time and I'd much rather knit things for friends out of love. I love surprising friends with handknits. I also enjoy the barter system. The most recent trade was a pair of fingerless mitts for a bookmark design. The thing that's taken the longest is the thing I haven't finished. I'm (slowly) working on a delicate lace shawl. I knit it a ton at first because it grew quickly, but now it's growing slowly no matter how much I knit.

What is your most treasured knit/knitted thing?

I don't know! I love them all equally. But I probably wear my hats and mitts most often, especially when the weather gets even slightly chilly. (I'm a delicate flower when it comes to cold.)

Ferrets

Think I can fit the rest of this wool on the spindle? (Source)

A ferret heart...with teeth. (Source)

My favorite is Hiro. How many ferrets do you have and why are you so fond of them expect for the obvious reason that they are adorable?

I have three ferrets currently, but I've had up to seven at once. I'm not sure what attracted me to the idea of ferrets at first. They're fun, silly, bouncy -- a lot like perpetual kittens. They're just fun. They make me happy.

Are they difficult to pet?

Not usually. They're different from having a cat or dog, but as with any pet, you get used to the work it takes to care for them. The most difficult thing is the number of problems they can develop, thanks to poor breeding in the U.S..

How do you actually manage your time knitting and writing then taking care of yourself, family and your cuddly ferrets?

My ferrets generously share an office with me. (Hang on, Ando requires a treat.) Sharing a room with the ferrets means I can spend time with them at work at once. I knit and spin after lunch or dinner, when I'm watching a movie or an episode of a TV show with my husband. I also knit when when I need to pause and think about what I'm writing.

Books

I've so many questions for Incarnate but you said on Twitter that Asunder would answer them for me. So I guess my question now is, what inspired you to write it? Do you somehow relate to Ana's character in real life? How about Li? Is there any real life reference to her character?

Yes! I promise that ASUNDER and IN3 will hold answers. (And more questions, because that's how I am.) Obviously the ferrets made me write the story -- all stories are there. I just type them in. Ana and I have a few similarities -- love of music, desire to do better -- but she (and Li) are wholly their own people. I don't borrow characters from real life.

The world building is so mythical if I may say. I loved the premise and Heart itself where dragons and laser beams exist. Did you have issues writing about it? When did you first think of how beautiful Heart would turn out to be?

I've always written about fantastic worlds, so Heart was right up my alley when it came to worldbuilding and describing. I had to do a lot of research, of course, to make it work and to avoid sounding stupid about certain things, but I enjoy the process.

Would there be unicorns? (OMGooosh, please say yes!)

I think there are unicorns in the world of INCARNATE, but they don't make an appearance. Sorry!

This is something that really intrigued me: how do you count the Year of Songs or Year of Hunger? :) Its a little confusing but I like that idea!

There are cycles of fifteen years. One cycle of fifteen years is a quindec (quin - five; dec - ten). With the numbers, they're counting cycles of that year. 250th Year of Songs would be the 250th quindec and the Year of Songs. Make sense?

The cover is to die for! I know am not the only one who said that! But butterfly? Is it because of the Masquerade?

Yep! I assume the masquerade was the inspiration for the cover, but it works for the other books as well. While there are no masquerades in books 2 and 3, there are still strong symbols.

Do you read reviews? How do you handle negative ones?

I read only reviews that people send directly to me on Twitter -- reviews they clearly want me to read. I try not to notice negative reviews, even though I know they're there. It's just, reading them isn't going to change anything. They'll just depress me and make me doubt myself. I can already do that all on my own! It's easier to just avoid looking for reviews. :)