About Jessica Yinka Thomas
Jessica Yinka Thomas is a novelist with a background in toy design and social entrepreneurship. As managing director of the Center for Sustainable Enterprise at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, she has authored several award-winning academic articles. Jessica has worked as a designer of interactive educational toys, as the director of a social enterprise business plan competition and as a program manager for a community development nonprofit. How Not to Save the World is her first novel. Jessica’s writing highlights her twin passions for technological innovation and for creating significant social change through entrepreneurial ventures.
Growing up in West Africa and traveling around the world has provided her with a rich background from which to draw in her writing. She lives in Arlington, VA with her husband, Jeff Forbes and their son Xavier. Jessica enjoys knitting in the winter and competing in triathlons during the summer. She holds a BS in Engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.
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The Interview
Could you please tell us a little about your book?
Absolutely! How Not to Save the World follows the story of Remi Austin, a fundraiser for the African Peace Collaborative (APC), a conflict resolution nonprofit founded by her late mother. Frustrated by her inability to raise funds and faced with the imminent closure of the APC, Remi turns to a life of crime to keep her nonprofit afloat. From Sydney, to Tokyo, Geneva and Cape Town, Remi transforms from a fundraiser too shy to speak during staff meetings into a daring international art thief who must stop a war from breaking out and figure out how to save herself from a life behind bars. With the help of her best friend, a designer and inventor who creates gadget-packed gowns, Remi eludes a dashing insurance agent and a terrifying stalker, all while redistributing the wealth of the world, one work of art at a time. I like to call it a social justice thriller.
Who or what is the inspiration behind this book?
I started out writing nonfiction travel stories as I traveled around the world in my twenties. I read The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron while traveling across Australia and wrote in big letters at the close of the book, “I WILL WRITE A NOVEL.” That was 13 years ago. I’m inspired to write because I see storytelling as a compelling mode to engage people in big ideas. My hope is that everyone who reads my work will think about how they can find their personal path to leaving this world better than the way they found it. I also just love writing. I’ve never had a moment of writer’s block. The page is the one place I can funnel all of the ideas swirling around in my head. With a generous amount of editing, those ideas can be transformed into a story and even a novel, or two or three.
What are you currently working on?
Sequel. Trilogy.
Great question! I am working on a sequel to How Not to Save the World, which is the second book in the Remi Austin Adventures trilogy. The sequel is tentatively titled How Not to Make Friends. I’m shooting to complete it this year. I don’t want to give too much away but here is a sneak peek. How Not to Make Friends is a suspense novel set in a world of high culture, high fashion and high-tech gadgetry, about a band of three friends who make a pact to solve the world’s problems, big and small.
Do you have any advice for writers or readers?
I certainly wouldn’t consider myself an expert but I do have two pieces of advice for other writers out there.
Write what you love! I’ve taken my inspiration from the world around me and from the parts of life that I love. I weave my travel experiences into my writing, my passion for technological innovation and my personal vision for creating systemic social change. The story in How Not to Save the World evolved from a desire to create a compelling story that would include all of those elements.
Write every day! Even if it’s only 30 seconds of making notes on your phone or 5 minutes on the computer at the end of the day. I discovered a great app called Dragon Dictation that transcribes audio. So, I will “write” on my commute to work, capturing ideas along the way, but only at red lights, of course. The woman who runs my fitness class is probably frustrated that I will often pick up my phone in between sets and make notes about dialogue, character development, settings, etc. She probably thinks I’m texting my friends, but it keeps my mind distracted during the bicep curls and keeps me writing!
Is there an author that inspired you to write?
My father. He is an economist and would never define himself as an author although I have a shelf full of his academic publications. He has committed his life to demonstrating how technology can be a powerful tool for social change. His work has changed many thousands of lives for the better. He is my writing role model in many ways.
Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
I welcome feedback from readers. Part of my marketing strategy includes participating in book club discussions about the novel. The process has actually provided fantastic feedback for me as a writer and as I work towards completing the sequel to How Not to Save the World.
So please connect with me on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/J-Yinka-Thomas-Author/126522400703035), Twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/jyinkathomas), Google+ (https://plus.google.com/u/0/103171471354420883556/posts) or via email (jyinkathomas@gmail.com). Thank you!
About How Not to Save the World
Remi Austin is a fundraiser for the African Peace Collaborative (APC), a conflict resolution nonprofit founded by her late mother. Frustrated by her inability to raise funds and faced with the imminent closure of the APC, Remi turns to a life of crime to keep her nonprofit afloat.
From Sydney, to Tokyo, Geneva and Cape Town, Remi transforms from a fundraiser too shy to speak during staff meetings into a daring international art thief who must stop a war from breaking out and figure out how to save herself from a life behind bars.
With the help of her best friend, a designer and inventor who creates gadget-packed gowns, Remi eludes a dashing insurance agent and a terrifying stalker, all while redistributing the wealth of the world, one work of art at a time.
Tracee – Thanks for the great interview and for kicking off the first day of my virtual blog tour! – Jessica