Jenna Glatzer

Jenna

Glatzer

"Working with Celine is still my favorite accomplishment."

Q. Thanks for interviewing with us. Tell everyone who you are and what you do.

A. Hi! I’m a writer and ghostwriter, and I’ve written more than 30 books. Some with celebrities, some with “regular” people with really interesting stories to tell, some health and business books… I’ve written a wide variety, but my favorite is memoir. People are so interesting, and ghostwriting memoirs means I get to ask really deep, nosy questions. I also write articles and essays for publications such as Washington Post, Parents, Mic, and Healthline.

Q. How was your experience being in the “Be You” book?

A. Loved it. I’ve written for the Chicken Soup series many times; I’ve always loved reading the books because they’re so hopeful and uplifting, so I enjoy writing for them. I also love the e-mails I get afterwards; so often, readers write to say that they related to a story I wrote, and that’s gratifying.

Q. Who or what inspired you to be an author?

A. I was a big reader at an early age—the kind of kid who sneaked a flashlight under the covers so I could read more Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary books. I enjoyed writing, but didn’t plan it as a career until after college. I got a terrible panic disorder at age 21 and wound up housebound for a few years.

During that time, I had to figure out a way to make a living from home, and I thought, “Well, two of my college professors told me I was meant to be a writer— that’s something I can try.” So, I started with magazine articles and screenplays, then I answered an ad for writers for a children’s educational book series, and eventually I began writing books for adults.

Q. Can you give us more details on “The Marilyn Monroe Treasures”?

A. Sure. I had written a book with Celine Dion (Celine Dion: For Keeps) and the same publisher that produced that book wanted to do a similar book about Marilyn Monroe, authorized by her estate. They asked me to write it because they were happy with the work I did with Celine. It was challenging to find new information about Marilyn because there’ve been so many books and articles written about her! I reached out to many unlikely sources—a beauty pageant contestant she’d competed against before she got famous, a police officer’s daughter who had a never-beforeseen photo of her dad with Marilyn… I interviewed anyone I could find who had a connection with her, and found some stories I thought were fascinating. I didn’t end up with a strong theory about her death, though—I thought the research would bring me more clarity about whether her death was genuinely a suicide or not, and if so, what led up to it. But her ending remains a mystery.

Q. What had been your biggest accomplishment in your career?

A. Working with Celine is still my favorite accomplishment. She’s wonderful, warm, down-to-earth, and so much fun.

Q. What has been your biggest challenge in your career?

A. I’m a single mom, and the income of writing can be a real roller coaster. There are great years and lean years, times when clients pay on time and other times when they don’t, or editors take months to get back to me with edits (which pushes my pay back)—it’s unpredictable and takes a strong tolerance for risk and a healthy savings account to get through!

Q. Let’s talk about your latest book and the motivation behind the book?

A. My most recently released book that I’m allowed to talk about (some of them are “deep ghostwriting!”) is Waiting in the Wings with Tiffany Haas, a Broadway actress who starred as Glinda in Wicked. I’m a theatre kid at heart, and I loved working on this book with Tiffany about how people can start and sustain acting careers.

Q. Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

A. Working on more celebrity books and releasing my own memoir. Living somewhere warm, where Covid is a distant memory!

Q. Are you working on any new books or upcoming projects?

A. Right now I’m working with Ginger Minj from RuPaul’s Drag Race on a book about her life and southern roots. It’s been a blast. Ginger is hilarious and really well- spoken.

Q. Where can the readers follow you?

A. Website: www.jennaglatzer.com Twitter: twitter.com/GhostwriterJG Instagram: www.instagram.com/ ghostwriterjenna/

Friendship By: Cece Hymes

What is Friendship A bond between the two A trust within me and you The time that is spent And people we look up too. We have friends that are strong We have friends that be wrong But that friendship We have to build bonds. We have friends for years We have some that last for days But the good thing Is that we have memories. Friendship is important And we all do need That one good friend We can talk to yes indeed. Tell your friend You love them Every chance you get Time is too short So, enjoy the present. I am grateful For the friends that I have And hope you are too This poem is dedicated To friendship So, tell them I love you.

My Journey By: Cece Hymes

My journey is real With up and down hills But I have dreams That I know I have to fill.

My journey is my life Staying positive with Christ Inspiring others to stay sane With all of this pain. We all have a journey We live by every day Let’s support one another With positivity and change. This journey is a blessing Because I learned so many lessons But 2021 has been the deal It changed my life for real. So never give up On yourself and your dreams This is our journey and We all need to believe.

Change is coming And that’s my plead Thanks to my journey I will always believe.