PHOTO: Jennifer Haskin, Kansas-based author and professional editor, blends interplanetary romance, dystopian stakes, and vivid world-building with real emotional grit.
YA Fantasy Author Mixing Magic Danger And Romance
Jennifer Haskin shares how her background as a literary agent shapes her writing, why strong heroines matter, and how she balances editing, mentoring, and publishing thrilling YA sci-fi and fantasy.
Jennifer Haskin writes with a spark that defies gravity—quite fitting for an author whose stories often unfold on distant worlds and among the stars. Rooted in the emotional resonance of young adult fiction and propelled by an unflinching gaze into rebellion and survival, her novels carry both heart and heat. Haskin doesn’t shy away from the tension between despair and hope; instead, she leans in, coaxing out the humanity in even the most fantastical of settings.
Her heroines are fierce and wounded, propelled forward by grit and the gut-deep knowledge that change rarely comes easy. From the dystopian battlegrounds of Hierarchy of Blood to the eerie, gear-spun world of The Clockwork Pen, Haskin invites us into intricately constructed realms brimming with stakes, romance, and hard-won revelations. She has a gift for finding the emotional core of a story—and for ensuring her characters, however brave, still bleed.
With experience as both a literary agent and professional editor, Haskin brings a rare duality to her craft. She understands the soul of a manuscript, and the scaffolding that holds it together. It’s this blend—of artistry and acumen, of passion and precision—that makes her voice not only compelling, but enduring.
What inspired you to explore themes of power, rebellion, and survival in Hierarchy of Blood and Hierarchy of Crows?
Initially, my idea was to combine two very popular young adult sci-fi/fantasy series that I enjoyed. From what I remembered of The Selection by Kiera Cass, I created a more dramatic contest with a battle a la Hunger Games. The fun part was deciding how to do that and the politics involved. Once you design a system, it’s pretty common sense when following the plotline. Young adult novels are, by nature, emotional and often romantic, but these are intended to feel dystopian. I knew I wanted to incorporate dwarf planets and space. And out in space, permanence is an illusion—all we have is the power we are born with or manage to glean. I wanted the reader to feel the pull between hope and hopelessness.
How did your background as a literary agent and publishing consultant influence the way you approach writing your own novels?
I had an interesting start to the business, but it took me a while to discover what makes a “good book.” It isn’t a set of items you can easily list out, though I’ve tried in a few of my blog posts for new authors. It is a combination of grammar, voice, pacing, emotional resonance, POV, word usage, etc. that must be recognized. I wrote a post attempting to explain how agents can know if they want your book from reading only the first chapter, and it goes into this. I wanted to write books that people want to read—stories that affect them. My skill is still growing with each novel.
Many of your protagonists are strong-willed young women in perilous situations—what draws you to write characters like Marishel and Fale?
This made me chuckle. Strong, female heroine. That seems to be the requirement for most young adult novels. I love the young adult space, and sometimes if I’m stuck in a scene, I’ll ask myself, “What’s the worst thing that could happen here?” and then I create that situation. It increases the tension and the stakes (what happens if the good guy loses) and makes the best nail-biting action scenes.
Your steampunk adventure, The Clockwork Pen, shifts tone and genre—what inspired you to experiment with that style?
That’s a good question. I do relate more to the female lead in that story, but I felt like it was Wyll’s story to tell. That book started with a writing prompt I got from somewhere, and it intrigued me. The premise: a boy walks through a door to find a new world. I imagined a young man coming through the door to find a Victorian world created with clockwork life. That book definitely dips more into horror than my others.
How do you balance your work as an editor, workshop leader, and writer while continuing to publish regularly?
This is a constant struggle. I’ve heard other authors giving classes on how to use AI to be your business assistant and help authors organize and strategize, but I’m not that brave yet. I usually take editing jobs when they come. And they tend to all come at once, but then you won’t hear from anyone for weeks. In our Monday Writers’ meetings, we read each other’s work aloud every week. It helps to hear how your dialogue flows and how other people may pronounce your character names or perceive your writing style. And as far as my own writing goes, my list is seriously backlogged. I have the third Hierarchy book that I’m working on, the second half of one on book marketing, a couple of children’s books I’m publishing, the next book after The Clockwork Pen, and the one I am percolating in my brain for my next series. I have fallen behind, but I’m trying to catch up.
What part of the publishing journey do you think surprises new authors the most, and how do you help prepare them for it?
All the steps. The biggest issue for new authors is the unknown. It is terrifying the first time. There’s a never-ending list of things to do, and it’s exhausting. As a new author, you don’t know what you don’t know. It seems like everyone else has the secret but you. That’s why I want to help people. Once the lights are on, it isn’t scary, and the surprises die down. Many are confused by the necessary steps to publish and self-publish. They are also surprised at how easy it actually is to follow KDP’s guidelines and use the systems they have created for authors to market. You must learn the steps and do the work up front, but when you set up a book the right way, it is much easier to promote and for your marketing to make a difference in your visibility and sales.
Across your series, world-building is richly detailed—what is your process for creating believable, immersive worlds?
Senses. Involve all five senses. Your reader should feel like part of the scene. But this takes balance with your description. When you walk into a room, you don’t notice everything in the room all at once, so don’t describe it that way. You may walk in and notice the lamp casting a green glow on the side table, and then a voice draws your attention to the man sitting in the shadows behind the desk… And voila! You’re already in the action. I like to see a snapshot in my head as a photo that is a still frame of the scene. Then, as the characters go through the scene, I have them interact with the objects in my snapshot. I have a few blog posts on how I do my world-building as well.
What is the most important piece of advice you would give to aspiring authors trying to break into publishing today?
First, make up your mind to stick with it and don’t give up; then write a great book. Not a good one, a great one. If you realize you aren’t writing to the best of your ability, go learn some more about creative writing and then make the best story you can. Second, do NOT skip the editor. If you are querying, you need an editor to land an agent. And if you are self-publishing, don’t cut corners here. Third is cover. You need a blow-me-away cover. If your cover doesn’t grab their attention online, they never click. But if they do, you’d better have a great description ready or they won’t buy. And if they do, your reviews usually reflect the quality of your work—or at least the general consensus of your story. So, have a great one!
