ANNIE ASKS Jeanée Sacken

ANNIE ASKS Jeanée Sacken

Annie McDonnell introduces author and photojournalist Jeanée Sacken

Every once in a while, I’ll meet someone and it’s as if the stars align. That’s what happened when I spoke with author, Jeanée Sacken. I didn’t just interview an author; I met a friend. I hear this about her so often!

I have been following her since the release of her first book, “Behind the Lens”, and I loved it so much I had to follow her. She is such a creative soul!

Her photographs, like her writing, are so vivid and moving. Please watch the interview on Well Read Magazine’s podcast, “Between the Pages”, to see some of these photos and hear the stories behind them.

The idea behind “Annie Asks”, is to ask 10-12 questions from the Proust questionnaire. I first started reading it in Vanity Fair. I found it to be such an intriguing interview. These questions were put together by a French writer in the late 1800s. They were questions he answered himself, and the whole point of the questions is to learn more about your character, learn more about the person's character that you’re interviewing, or better yet (and what I love most) is that it is a tool that authors can use to learn more about the characters they are trying to create for their book. There are actually 35 questions total in Vanity Fair’s interviews, but I ask 10 to 12 questions.So, sit back, relax, and let me introduce the talented Jeanée Sacken.

I love interviewing people in the literary community that I feel go above and beyond in their creative process. Jeanée Sacken is a prime example of this type of person. She’s an author that writes extraordinary books. They are very original, and I love the protagonist, Annie! Jeanée just finished her third book which was released, October 3rd, 2023.

Referred to as “Indiana Jones with a Camera” (I added and pen), Jeannée Sacken is also a college English Professor and photojournalist that travels extensively in Africa, South and Central America, and Asia, capturing images of nature and wildlife and documenting the lives of people who live in some of the most remote and fascinating places on earth.

I honestly fell in love with her eye for photography. I’ll share some with you here and you’ll see how fantastic she is.

These are the books she has released so far:

1- Behind the Lens ~ Introduces Annie Hawkins Green, a seasoned war photographer working in Afghanistan. She returns to Afghanistan, after having suffered a traumatizing event, barely surviving a Taliban ambush eight years prior. You’ll be drawn in by her carefully crafted suspense, danger and intrigue. The story has so much going on, and you can’t stop flipping the pages.

American Writing Awards, 2022 Hawthorne Prize

American Writing Awards, 2021 Book of the Year (fiction), Best Women's Fiction, Best Suspense

Firebird Award, 2021 Fourth Quarter, Best Debut Fiction, Winner Women's Fiction, Winner Suspense

Shelf Unbound, 2021, Winner Notable Book of the Year

2- Double Exposure ~ Follows Annie's new adventures when she returns to Afghanistan to cover peace talks between the government and the Taliban, now that she’s a seasoned photojournalist! Let me tell you there is even more happening here. She is actually under investigation. Her best friend's daughter is missing. I’m not going any further because this book is beyond intriguing.

American Writing Awards, 2022 Finalist Women's Fiction, Finalist Mystery/Suspense

Firebird Award, 2022 Winner Romantic Suspense, Winner Women's Fiction, Winner Suspense

3- The Rules of Thirds ~ NEWLY RELEASED in early October 2023.

The Taliban's takeover of the country is the story of the decade, and Annie is determined to cover it. So, she is headed back to Afghanistan. Despite her PTSD, and all of the other things she is grappling with, being over there may be just exactly where she wants and needs to be. Her 22-year-old daughter is also in Cabo.

Such an exciting trilogy! I can’t get over how refreshingly new and vibrant they are! Every picture does have 1000 words (as they say), and Jeannée proves it! I see pictures flashing through my mind as I read her books. I wonder if you will do the same.

I do suggest that you head on over to Well Read Magazine’s YouTube channel, “Between the Pages” to watch our interview and to see which Proust questions Jeannée answers. How do you get to know someone - really know them beyond surface level things? This is a great tool for that! I also have some fun rapid-fire questions!

Please come meet Jeannée!

You can find Jeannée Sacken at the links below, and I highly suggest you fall down her rabbit hole, as I did. You will learn so much!

Thank you, Mandy Haynes, for this opportunity to interview for Well Read Magazine.

Annie McDonnell, Author of Annie’s Song: Dandelions, Dreams & Dogs, Book Reviewer, Author Interviewer, Teacher, Speaker, Writer, Author Consultant, Co-Admin. At World of the Write Review Book Club, Blogger, Author online event planner.

“The energy from Jeannée Sacken’s The Rule of Thirds hits you right in the face from page one as the story follows Annie Hawkins, Pulitzer Prize–winning photojournalist, back to Afghanistan to record the last days before the Taliban takes over. Annie Hawkins is every writer’s dream character: tough as nails, badass extraordinaire, riddled with guilt, and filled with love for her daughter and the man she adores. Sacken’s words speed through paragraphs and chapters, leaving her readers no choice but to feel the sweat, heat, dust, and dirt as it clings to every part of their bodies as they inhale this book.” ~ Barbara Conrey, USA Today bestselling author of Nowhere Near Goodbye