Writing for a YA Audience: Author Photo Shoot

I’ve done a few photo shoots for my author pictures, and they are always so much fun.  I get to feel like a model.  For FANYA IN THE UNDERWORLD, we decided to do things a little differently.  Aaron Siddall illustrated the book and I wrote it; we both brainstormed the concepts.  Because this was a joint collaboration, we decided to have a joint photo.

A good friend of ours, Monica Reid Keba, met with us at the Utica Train Station, known as Union Station.  The building is beautiful, with marble pillars and chandeliers.  Stepping inside is a little like going back in time.  Many of the fixtures are original from the construction in 1914.  I have a special fondness for the waiting room benches.  Not only do they incorporate the heating system, but they are gorgeous to look at.  The station was designed by Allen Stem and Alfred Fellheimer.  In case you aren’t familiar with those names, they are the architects who designed New York City’s Grand Central Station.

Aaron Siddall and I posed on the benches, beneath the chandeliers, and outside.  The autumn day was crisp, with a light drizzle in the air.  I hiked up my skirt and scaled the side of an old trolley car.  We also explored the park next door.  The train station is located in the historic Bagg’s Square neighborhood.  The quaint park, surrounded by a stone fence, is home to the site of a log cabin known as Bagg’s Tavern.  This log cabin saw esteemed guests such as George Washington and Ulysses S. Grant.

If you are ever in the area and love visiting historic sites, check out the train station and Bagg’s Tavern.  Your eyes won’t be disappointed by the sites.

Jordan Elizabeth is a young adult fantasy author.  She is most likely gazing at something in awe, something she will soon include in one of her novels. You can connect with Jordan – and point her in the direction of some paranormal activity – via her website, JordanElizabethBooks.com.

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