Lake Martin native Jennifer Echols has written six young adult novels
Jennifer Echols was a 20-year-old journalist when she began writing her first novel on the steps of a government building in the capital city of Montgomery.
kAmqFE :E H@F=5 E2<6 `d J62CD 2?5 ?:?6 C6;64E:@?D 367@C6 E96 {2<6 |2CE:? ?2E:G6 D2H 96C ?2>6 @? E96 4@G6C @7 2 3@@<] x? E96 7:G6 J62CD E92E 92G6 A2DD65 D:?46 E96?[ t49@=D 92D 2FE9@C65 D:I J@F?8 25F=E ?@G6=D[ :?4=F5:?8 EH@ E92E 2C6 D6E @? 2 7:4E:@?2= p=232>2 =2<6 E92E H:== D66> 72>:=:2C E@ =@42= C6256CD]k^Am
kAmt49@=D H2D C2:D65 :? p=6I2?56C r:EJ 2?5 DA6?E 96C 49:=59@@5 DF>>6CD D<::?8 2?5 DH:>>:?8 2E 96C A2C6?ED’ =2<6 9@FD6 2E #:G6C q6?5] u@C>6C q6?;2>:? #FDD6== w:89 $49@@= DEF56?ED H:== C6>6>36C E96 2FE9@C[ H9@ H2D E96 5CF> >2;@C @7 E96 >2C49:?8 32?5[ 6G6? :7 E96J 5@?’E C64@8?:K6 96C ?2>6] t49@=D :D 2 A6? ?2>6 D96 25@AE65 E@ AC@E64E 96C AC:G24J H96? D96 H2D AF3=:D965]k^Am
kAm$96 2EE6?565 pF3FC? &?:G6CD:EJ 2?5 >2;@C65 :? t?8=:D9] p7E6C 8C25F2E:?8 :? `hh_[ D96 2446AE65 2 A@D:E:@? 2D 2 4@AJ 65:E@C 2E E96 |@?E8@>6CJ p5G6CE:D6C 2?5 H@C<65 E96 =2E6 D9:7E]k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 96C 5:??6C 3C62<D[ D96 H@F=5 D:E @? E96 DE6AD @7 5:776C6?E 8@G6C?>6?E 3F:=5:?8D 2?5 HC:E6 =@?892?5[ EC2?D4C:3:?8 96C H@C< E96 ?6IE 52J @? 2 EJA6HC:E6C] xE H2D @? E96 DE6AD @7 E96 p=232>2 u@C6DECJ r@>>:DD:@? 3F:=5:?8 E92E D96 7:?:D965 96C 7:CDE ?@G6=]k^Am
kAm“x C6>6>36C E92E x HC@E6 E96 6?5 2?5 x EFC?65 E96 A286 2?5 x DE2CE65 ?@G6= ?F>36C EH@[” t49@=D D2:5] “%92E’D H96? x <?6H E92E x H2D 9@@<65 2?5 E92E x H2?E65 E@ 5@ E9:D 2D 2 42C66C] qFE :E E@@< >6 23@FE `d J62CD E@ 86E AF3=:D965]”k^Am
kAmt49@=D[ H9@ FD6D 2 A6? ?2>6[ 4@?E:?F65 HC:E:?8 2D D96 A2DD65 E9C@F89 2 D6C:6D @7 ;@3D – ?6HDA2A6C 65:E@C[ 3FD:?6DD AF3=:42E:@?D HC:E6C 2?5 4@==686 HC:E:?8 E62496C]k^Am
kAm$96 H2D AC@E64E:G6 @7 96C HC:E:?8 2?5 C67FD65 E@ =6E @E96CD C625 :E] qFE D96 5:5 ECJ E@ 86E AF3=:D965] $96 FD65 {:E6C2CJ |2C<6EA=246[ 2 8F:56 E@ E96 AF3=:D9:?8 :?5FDECJ[ E@ 7:?5 =:DE:?8D @7 286?ED 2?5 AF3=:D96CD 2?5 DF3>:EE65 ?@G6= 27E6C ?@G6=]k^Am
kAmp7E6C C646:G:?8 2 C6;64E:@? 7@C ?@G6= ?F>36C D6G6? :? a___[ D96 564:565 E@ E2<6 2 3C62< 7C@> HC:E:?8] qJ E92E E:>6[ t49@=D[ H9@ 925 D6EE=65 :? q:C>:?892> H:E9 96C 9FD32?5[ H2D “AC68?2?E 2?5 9@C>@?2=” H:E9 96C 7:CDE 2?5 @?=J 49:=5]k^Am
kAm$96 C646:G65 H92E D96 42==D 2 “8@@5 C6;64E:@?[” H9:49 H2D 2 A6CD@?2= =6EE6C 7C@> 2? 65:E@C 2D @AA@D65 E@ 2 86?6C:4 7@C> =6EE6C] %96 65:E@C[ H9@ H@C<65 7@C 2 =2C86 }6H *@C< r:EJ 4@>A2?J[ E@=5 t49@=D D96 7@F89E 7@C E96 ?@G6=[ 3FE E96 J@F?8 25F=E =:E6C2EFC6 >2C<6E ;FDE H2D?’E DEC@?8 6?@F89 E@ ;FDE:7J E96 AFC492D6]k^Am
kAm“x H2D D@ 56G2DE2E65 2?5 7CFDEC2E65 E92E x DE@AA65 HC:E:?8 7@C EH@ J62CD[” D96 C642==65]k^Am
kAmx?DE625[ D96 7@4FD65 @? 96C D@? 2?5 H96? D96 3682? HC:E:?8 282:? :? a__b[ :E H2D H:E9 2 ?6H >:?5D6E] $96 564:565 E@ 36 >@C6 288C6DD:G6 :? E96 AC@46DD] $96 ;@:?65 E96 =@42= 492AE6C @7 #@>2?46 (C:E6CD @7 p>6C:42[ H9:49 D96 D2JD :D E96 =2C86DE HC:E6C’D @C82?:K2E:@? :? E96 4@F?ECJ]k^Am
kAm%9C@F89 E96 8C@FA[ D96 7@F?5 EH@ 4C:E:BF6 A2CE?6CD H9@ @776C65 96C 6?4@FC286>6?E 2?5 25G:46 @? 96C 6:89E9 ?@G6= 2?5 ?:?E9 ?@G6=D]k^Am
kAm“$@>6E:>6D 6G6? E96 :?EC@G6CE 92D E@ 86E D@>6 96=A[” D96 D2:5] “xE :D 2 D@4:2= AC@46DD 2?5 J@F 92G6 E@ F?56CDE2?5 E92E]”k^Am
kAm$96 7@F?5 2 ?6H 286?E 7@C 96C ?:?E9 ?@G6=[ 3FE :E H2D 96C ?6IE ?@G6= E92E D@=5 :? a__d E@ $:>@? !F=D6[ 2 5:G:D:@? @7 $:>@? 2?5 $49FDE6C]k^Am
kAm!F3=:D965 :? a__e 2?5 E96 H:??6C @7 E96 }2E:@?2= #6256CD r9@:46 pH2C5[ |2;@C rCFD9 :D E96 DE@CJ @7 2 9:89 D49@@= 362FEJ BF66? H9@ EC256D A2862?ED 7@C 2 C@=6 2D 5CF> >2;@C @7 E96 9:89 D49@@= >2C49:?8 32?5]k^Am
kAmt49@=D 925 D:8?65 2 EH@\3@@< 4@?EC24E 2?5 D96 :?E6?565 E@ 7@==@H |2;@C rCFD9 H:E9 v@:?8 %@@ u2C[ 2 C@>2?E:4 5C2>2 7@C E66?D]k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ 96C 65:E@C H2?E65 2?@E96C C@>2?E:4 4@>65J[ D@ E96J 3682? 3C2:?DE@C>:?8]k^Am
kAm“(6 H6?E 324< 2?5 7@CE9 7@C >@?E9D 2?5 x >2J 92G6 D6?E 96C b_ 5:776C6?E :562D 7@C ?@G6=D[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%H@ @7 96C :562D :?4=F565 2 =@G6 EC:2?8=6 :? 2 C@4< 32?5 2?5 2 EC62DFC6 9F?E @? 2 {2<6 |2CE:?\=:<6 =2<6]k^Am
kAmw6C 65:E@C G6E@65 3@E9 :562D 2?5 >2?J >@C6] p7E6C 2 H9:=6[ 96C 65:E@C 42==65 2?5 E@=5 96C E@ 4@>3:?6 E96 :562Di 2 =@G6 EC:2?8=6 @? E96 =2<6]k^Am
kAmt49@=D H2D DFCAC:D65 2?5 ?6CG@FD 23@FE 42AEFC:?8 96C C6256CD’ 2EE6?E:@? H:E9 :5J==:4 3FE D=@H\A2465 =2<6 =:76]k^Am
kAmp 4@?G6CD2E:@? H:E9 @?6 @7 96C 4C:E:BF6 A2CE?6CD 492?865 96C >:?5] %96 7C:6?5 E@=5 96C D96 8C6H FA :? 2 EC2:=6C A2C< :? %6I2D H96C6 E96 E6>A6C2EFC6 H@F=5 C6249 EC:A=6 5:8:ED 2?5 E96C6 H2D ?@ 492C>:?8 =2<6 ?62C3J E@ 6D42A6 E96 9@E DF>>6C 52JD]k^Am
kAm“$96 D2:5 E92E 8:C=D 24C@DD p>6C:42 H@F=5 =@G6 E9:D[” t49@=D D2:5] “%92E H2D C62==J 2== x ?66565 E@ 86E DE2CE65] x 7:==65 E96 3@@< H:E9 6G6CJE9:?8 x =@G65 23@FE {2<6 |2CE:?]”k^Am
kAm%96 q@JD }6IE s@@C 762EFC6D 2 8:C= ?2>65 {@C:[ H9@ DA6?5D E96 DF>>6C =:G:?8 :? E96 =2<6 9@FD6 ?62C 96C A2C6?ED’ >2C:?2 2?5 7:?5D 96CD6=7 :? 2 =@G6 EC:2?8=6 H:E9 3C@E96CD H9@ =:G6 :? E96 25;246?E 423:?]k^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 E96 D6EE:?8 H2D :?DA:C65 3J {2<6 |2CE:?[ t49@=D D2:5 E96C6 2C6 >2?J 5:776C6?46D]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 8@:?8 E@ D66> G6CJ 72>:=:2C E@ A6@A=6[ 3FE :E’D ?@E 2?2E@>:42==J 4@CC64E[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmx? 724E[ E96 3@@< H2D?’E 6G6? D6E :? E96 $@FE9 @C:8:?2==J] t49@=D 564:565 E96 =2<6 H2D =@42E65 :? p=232>2 27E6C 96C 65:E@CD 925 EC@F3=6 F?56CDE2?5:?8 96C D@>6 @7 96C F?:?E6?E:@?2= $@FE96C? C676C6?46D] !2DD286D 23@FE E96 H2C> =2<6 H2E6C 2?5 8:C=D 5C6DD65 :? D9@CED 2?5 E2?< E@AD 2E ?:89E AFKK=65 96C 65:E@CD[ H9@ 8C6H FA :? A=246D H96C6 E96 E6>A6C2EFC6 24EF2==J 5C@AD H96? E96 DF? D6ED]k^Am
kAmt49@=D 492?865 E96 D6EE:?8 2?5 E96 3@@< H2D AF3=:D965 :? a__f]k^Am
kAmt49@=D 92D 366? AF3=:D965 7@FC >@C6 E:>6D D:?46 E96?] $:>@? !F=D6 C6=62D65 %96 tI v2>6D :? a__h 2?5 t?5=6DD $F>>6C[ 2 7@==@H\FA E@ %96 q@JD }6IE s@@C[ :? a_`_] |%' q@@<D[ 2?@E96C $:>@? 2?5 $49FDE6C 5:G:D:@?[ AF3=:D965 EH@ @7 96C J@F?8 25F=E C@>2?E:4 5C2>2D :? E96 =2DE EH@ J62CDi v@:?8 %@@ u2C 2?5 u@C86E *@F]k^Am
kAmt49@=D D2:5 96C 3@@<D 92G6 366? H6== C646:G65 3J 72?D 24C@DD E96 H@C=5] %96 3@@<D 2C6 D6==:?8 H6== :? t?8=2?5 2?5 }@G2 $4@E:2 2?5 E96J’G6 366? EC2?D=2E65 :?E@ 5:776C6?E =2?8F286D[ :?4=F5:?8 $A2?:D9 2?5 ':6E?2>6D6]k^Am
kAmt49@=D DE:== G:D:ED {2<6 |2CE:? 23@FE @?46 2 >@?E9 H:E9 96C 72>:=J] (9:=6 D96 92D 7@F?5 DF446DD[ D96 92D?’E 7@C8@EE6? E9@D6 564256D @7 HC:E:?8 2?5 C6;64E:@?]k^Am
kAm“(96? x E9:?< 23@FE :E[ x C62==J 42?’E D6A2C2E6 :E 7C@> E96 `d J62CD @7 962CE2496[” D96 D2:5] “x C62==J E92?< >J =F4<J DE2CD E92E x’> AF3=:D965 2?5 x’> 23=6 E@ 5@ H92E x =@G6 2D 2 ;@3]”k^Am
