Interview

A Conversation with new author, Mimi Jefferson

Q: When did the writing bug first hit, and do you have any other published works other
than The Single Sister Experiment?

Mimi: The Single Sister Experiment is my first novel. I guess the writing bug was dormant
for a while. I used to enjoy writing in high school but completing a novel was not something
I had given much thought to. I can remember adults telling me that writing was not a stable
profession. I wished I had not listened to that advice now. Being an author may not be the
most lucrative profession but sitting at the computer creating stories with higly flawed
characters, real life drama, and a forgiving God is where I feel most comfortable.

Q: How did you come by the idea/concept of The Single Sister Experiment?

Mimi: About five years ago I had a conversation with a friend over lunch. Throughout the
lunch my friend's cell phone kept ringing; different women were calling him. After
answering the phone one time he looked at me and said something like, “I haven't spoken
to her in weeks, but I bet I could convince her to have sex with me again. She will probably
resist at first, asking me where I've been and why I haven't I called. But eventually she'll
give in.” Later on he answered the phone again and after hanging up with yet a different
woman he said something to the effect of, "You know, you women don't know your power.
You are selling yourselves too short.”

I was alarmed. I heard how he was talking to the women on the phone. They had no idea
he really believed they had power they had failed to tap into. I wondered if I had failed to
tap into my power. Did all women have it? I know it makes absolutely no sense, but that
night I started writing what is now the first chapter to The Single Sister Experiment. I
believed that if someone gathered all the single women in the world and told them just
how powerful they were, lives would change. I wanted women to meet, talk, and eventually
unleash their undiscovered power. I knew there was no way that all single women could
get together in one place, so I created a fictional meeting place.

Q: When the experiment first begins, Joan and her friends are transported to another
place. The same thing happens with Joan and Samuel later in the book. Why did you
choose this method to get the attention of the women, and do you believe that something
like that can really happen?

Mimi: This is the part best of being a writer. We get to take a blank page and create a
situation, story-line, or circumstance purely from our own imaginations. I had a problem
from the onset of this novel. It is impossible to get hundreds of thousands of single women
in one place at one time. It came very natural for me to create what ended up being a
supernatural experience. Sometimes we can be too close to a situation to see things
clearly and we need someone wiser with more expertise to lead the way. Allowing Joan to
look at herself through the older wiser eyes of the woman leading the experiment added
conflict in the story. Just like Joan, readers never know when the woman was going to
show up and what she was going to say.

Q: Why was it so hard for Joan to stand up to her friends, defending her desire to lead a
Christian life and no longer participate in the activities that she used to?

Mimi: Many of us have a friend in our lives that we talk to daily…maybe even several times
a day. It's the friend we call when something great happens and know that they will be
happier for us than we are for ourselves. It's the person we call when something bad
happens and that person drops whatever they are doing so they can come and cry with
us. Joan, Tisha, and Lila had that type of relationship. Joan was especially attached to
Tisha. They had been best friends since middle school. Joan believed living a Christian
life would mean losing her life long friend.

Q: Are any of the characters based on anyone you know?

Mimi: I thought long and hard about my main character Joan. I wanted a woman every
woman could relate to. She's not based on one woman I know. She's based on every
woman I know. Joan's complicated, she can be confident one moment and insecure the
next. She loves her only child James Jr. but sometimes her actions don't show it. She
would trade the world to have the complete enduring love of one man but you will never
get her to admit it. It's easy for her to forgive other people but she has a hard time
forgiving herself. She loves her mother but does not understand her.

I wanted my characters to be believable. That meant they had to make mistakes, confront
challenges, lie if they thought it was necessary, make wise decisions and sometimes make
really stupid decisions. I have been known to journal through my characters eyes in order
to hone in to what really motivates them and to get closer to that secret part of themselves
that they would never open up to public scrutiny. I once tried to create a character after
one person. But it didn't really work. By the time the character got to the page everything
changed. Most people only show us one side of themselves as a result it is hard for me to
create characters based on one particular individual.

Q: What do you hope readers take away from The Single Sister Experiment?

Mimi: When they reach the last page I want readers to feel as if they connected with Joan,
Tisha, and Lila. My goal was to create characters so human they jumped off the page. I
want readers to cheer for them, to be angry with them, to laugh with them, and to cry right
along with them. I know I've read a good novel when three things happen. First, I start
talking about the characters as if they are friends of mine. Secondly, I'm telling everybody
I know they need to read this book! Thirdly, long after I have finished the book the
characters still cross my mind.

Q: What does a normal day in the life of Mimi Jefferson consist of?

Mimi: I start my days around 8am with prayer, and Bible reading. Then I'm on the
computer researching new ways to promote my first novel, cultivating contacts, preparing
for speaking engagements, or working on my second novel. I also read books directly
related to my field. When I'm absolutely exhausted I stop for lunch and maybe a quick
workout. Then I'm back on the computer for several more hours or just a few depending
on when my husband is scheduled to come home. I try to stay off the computer most
evenings but sometimes I miss the mark especially when I have a looming deadline.

Q: Who are some authors that inspire you?

Mimi: My favorite author is Andy Stanley. He wrote a book called Visioneering , which
happens to be my favorite book. Then there is Shadow of the Almighty : The life and
testament of Jim Elliot by Elisabeth Elliot. Both of these books are close to my heart.
Wherever I am these books are close by. I read them over and over again. Every since I
became a Christian and begin writing Christian fiction I've met people who don't or can't
understand the vision God has given me. These books remind me to stay focused on God
and leave the details to him.

Q: What can we expect in the future from Mimi Jefferson?

Mimi: I'm most excited about The Single Sister Experiment Workshop. A counselor
contacted me about teaching a five week class based on the real life principles mentioned
in the book. In this arena I will be able to fulfill two of my passions, ministry and writing. As I
was writing the book it never occurred to me that I could teach a class based on it. But as I
prepare to teach this class I see it as something I can duplicate again and again. It was
frustrating to meet women who responded to the message in the experiment without
having an avenue to minister to them further. It's hard to have an in-depth conversation
after a speaking engagement or during a book club meeting. This workshop is specifically
designed to empower, encourage, and comfort single women who not only want to read
the experiment but want to be apart of it.

Also, I'm working on my second novel which is based on the question, “What happens
when single men stop having sex?”