Guest Interview With Miracle Austin!

Today is Valentine’s Day.  It’s a day for love, for flowers, for chocolate, and… for revenge.

Okay, probably not so much that last one, but isn’t revenge so much more fun than the mushy stuff?  At least in the fictional world?

On this day, Valentine’s Day, it is my sincerest pleasure to welcome my friend and fellow author, Miracle Austin, to my blog!  After being featured in several horror anthologies, Miracle is celebrating the release of her first full-length novel, DOLL.

I read this book in one sitting, and you can find my reviews on GoodReads.com AND Amazon.com.  For now, however, please enjoy my interview with

Jacqueline Smith: First of all, tell me a little bit about yourself:

Miracle Austin: I work in the social work world by day and the writer’s world at night and weekends. I’m a YA/NA Cross-Genre author; adults also enjoy my works.

I’ve been writing ever since first hearing Drive by The Cars in junior high, which has been one of her biggest inspirations. I rediscovered my writing passion, recently. My first mini-story, PENS, appeared in http://www.leaves-of-ink.com.

Horror/suspense are my favorite genres, but not limited to. I enjoy writing diverse flashes, short stories, and longer works, while threading various social awareness themes into my stories, at times.

Doll will be my first debut YA/NA Paranormal novel, which will be released on CreateSpace and Amazon on 2-14-16—available both in paperback and ebook.

Boundless will be my second debut work, which will be a YA/NA eclectic short story collection; it will release in the summer.

I’m currently working on future works and reside in Texas with my family.

JS: How did you get into writing?

MA: I started writing in the sixth grade, mostly free-verse poems, and writing out lyrics of my favorite songs, usually love songs, in a notebook.

I did write my first short story about a 13-year-old boy. His name was Jobie. Jobie was spending his last summer with his best friend, kissing a girl for the first time, and coping with his untimely death.

I hand wrote that story and don’t recall the title. I thought I kept it, but I must have thrown it away years ago, accidentally. I still think of the character, Jobie, time from time.

As high school approached, my writing was stop and go. An English teacher shared a writing assignment, and I really enjoyed that assignment. However, distractions popped up, as usual.

I wrote off and on in college. I really enjoyed my English, sociology, and children’s literature classes because I always had writing assignments in.

Later on in my adult life, I experienced a very dark time and found myself almost lost there.

I stumbled upon a private writing group with diverse writing prompts.

I started submitting and discovered something—how much I really loved writing.  In fact, writing, this time around, actually saved me… I found a ladder and began to climb out of my darkness.

A reviewer on the writing group commented me on my writing and suggested I should start to submit to magazines, ezines, anthologies, and etc.

I was hesitant, but I decided to give it a try, after a few months. I submitted and received so many rejections. I almost gave up, until that one day, I had a message waiting in my email box, where my first mini-story was accepted.

My confidence began to blossom. I continued to submit and receive more rejections than acceptances. The rejections made me stronger and the rest is herstory.

JS: What is your favorite book? Or if you can’t pick just one (I know I can’t), top three?

MA: I’m going to list more than three.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Carrie  by Stephen King

To Kill a Mocking Bird  by Harper Lee

“The Man Who Loved Flowers” Short Story by  Stephen King

“The Last Rung”  Short Story by Stephen King

JS: Tell me about your new book, Doll.

MA: Doll is a YA/NA paranormal novel. Doll was never suppose to be a novel, only a short story for adults. I started writing it to distract me from the postponed publishing of my first collection, Boundless.

Doll transformed. It started out as 1,000, 5,000, 10,000, 12,000, 15,000, 18,000, 20,000, 25,000, 30,000, 45,000, and then over 52,000 words.

The characters took over and Doll was created.

Doll is a story about a mean girl who torments three outcasts, one in particular.

The three outcasts decide to band together in an untraditional way to give the mean girl a taste of her own medicine.  However, things don’t always turn out the way wish, so be careful what you wish for…

JS: How did you come up with the idea?

MA: My mom, who has shared other ideas with me for other stories and future ones, told me a story about something that happened years ago with a friend. I absorbed all the information and created my characters.

I recall a publisher, several months ago, sharing how Boundless was geared more towards YA/NA crowd, plus I love the YA/NA world, so I changed my main adult characters to teens.

JS: What was the writing process like?

MA: This is interesting one.

I procrastinated with this one. Believe it or not, I had about one paragraph for the concept, which changed a lot. I even had the cover made before I had one full page written. The cover did inspire me.

I knew that I needed to complete it after I avoided writing for several weeks because I didn’t know where I was going with this story, even though I had the concept down and cover. I just was  so unmotivated.

Therefore, I decided to do something that I never had before—outline.  I’ve read about others completing outlines, but I’ve always been a free bird and didn’t want to restrict myself.

I came to realize that was the best thing I could have ever done without restrictions. The outline ushered me through my writing and kept me focused.

So, I’m now an outline advocate, never would have imagined.

JS: You are also featured in horror anthologies such as Luna’s Children and A Shadow of Autumn.  What inspires you?

MA: Again, I must give my mom credit for many of my current and future stories. She’s my inspiration. She’s always sharing stories about her youth from the 50s and her adulthood. I usually take something from her stories and twist it up to make it my own.

Furthermore, my other inspirations come from conversations (protected of course),  people watching, songs, movies, or something that I’ve read in a book, magazine, Facebook, newspaper, and so on.

JS: What draws you to this genre?

MA: My exposure to horror/suspense arenas occurred prior my middle school years. My mom used to listen to an AM radio station on Friday nights, cannot recall the station, but it would have pre-recorded creepy stories.

I was sold instantly and couldn’t wait until the next airing. Horror/suspense just meshed with me from my first dance with it. I craved it, minus the horror that deals with possession.

JS: Are you working on any other projects at the moment?

MA: I sure am. I am cleaning up Boundless, an eclectic collection of shorts, which was supposed to be published by now. However, I’m a big believer in how certain things must occur before something else, which is why Boundless was postponed.

I still don’t understand it completely, but I accept Doll being released first.

I’m enhancing Boundless and then all the edit rounds.

I’m waiting to see how Doll is received from readers.

I do have a sequel mini outline for Doll 2 already, not sure if it will evolve yet.

I have another story  (20,000 words so far) that’s been on back burner for almost two years called, LoneStar Unordinary Girl. It’s a mash-up of comedy/supernatural elements. A reviewer challenged me to add comedy to a piece and I came up with that one.

Finally, I love writing shorts all the time. I have one that I have been wanting to write called Nightrunners. I plan to soon.

I am currently working on a monster piece for consideration in Sirens Call, a fabulous ezine.

Sine I mentioned Sirens Call, I wanted to share that I’ll be featured with many other amazing women authors in their Women in Horror Month 2016 upcoming issue. My piece is called “The Lock.”

JS: What are your favorite pastimes, other than writing?

MA: I love attending  all types of movies (Marvel/DC Fangirl, by the way) and watching  Netflix.

I enjoy creating playlists that inspire some of my stories and enjoy attending diverse book festivals and comic cons, where I’ve been so honored to be one of the panelists on some.

I’ll be a featured author and a panelist at the upcoming Teen Book Fest by the Bay in Corpus Christie, Texas on 2-20-16. I’m so honored and excited to be part of. This will be my first teen book festival.

The highlights of attending the above functions include opportunities to hang out with great author friends and meet new authors/readers.

I also enjoy collaborating with my amazing colleagues on YAAR (Young Adult Author Rendezvous) , an author group, on Facebook. I’ve learned a lot from some amazing authors and the founder, Patrick Hodges. They have all been so helpful in various ways.

JS: Finally, where can read readers connect with you?

MA: Feel free to contact me anytime and follow me on all the social media outlets.

I enjoy communicating with her readers.

http://www.miracleaustin.com

Email: shadesoffiction@miracleaustin.com

FaceBook: Miracle Austin Author

Twitter: @MiracleAustin7

InstaGram: MiracleAustin7

*BONUS SOUNDTRACK*

Songs that inspired DOLL

#1 You look beautiful tonight-Frank Sinatra

#2 One way or another-Blondie

# 3 Rock with you-Michael Jackson

#4 Every Breath You Take-Chase Holfelder

#5 One Way or Another—Until the ribbon breaks

# 6 Ready to love you forever-Tevin Campbell

#7 I want you to want me-Cheap Trick

#8 Leave-Jo Jo

#9 Count me Out-New Edition

#10 You Belong to me-Taylor Swift

#11 Rich Girl-Hall and Oates

#12 Make me wanna-Thomas Rhett

#13 Going to love you like I’m going to loose you–John Legend and Megan Trainor

#14 Jack and Diane-John Cougar

#15 Kissing Game- Hi-5

#16 Naughty Girl-Beyoncé

#17-All of me-Luciana Zogbi—(cover)

#18-You can do Magic-America

#19-Oh no-Lionel Richie

#21-Bad blood-Taylor Swift

#22-Tender Roni-Bobby Brown

#23-If it isn’t Love-New Edition

#24-Walking after Midnight-Patsy Cline

#25-Blue-Leanne Rimes

#26-Alone-Heart

#27-My baby doll-Toni, Toni, Tone

#28-She’s like the wind-Patrick Swayze

#29My Girl-Temptations

#30-Creep-Radiohead

#31-Everybody Hurts Sometimes-REM

#32-People are People-Depeche Mode

#33-Shake it off-Taylor Swift

#34-Wanna be starting something-Michael Jackson

#35-Walking in my shoes-Depeche Mode

#36-Treasure-Bruno Mars

#37-When I’m with you-Tony Terry

#38-Give Love a bad name-Bon Jovi

#39-We’re not going to take it-Twisted Sister

#40-Waiting for a girl like you-Foreigner

#41-Girl Crush-Little Big Town

#42-I need to know-Marc Anthony

#43-How do you mend a broken heart-Al Green

#44-Unpretty-TLC

#45-Try a little Tenderness-Otis Redding

#46-what about your friends-TLC

#47-All of me-Damien Escobar

#48-With You-Chris Brown

 

You can find DOLL by Miracle Austin here!

Author Interview: Paula Walker Baker

Happy Monday, friends!  It’s the beginning of a new week and I have a special guest on my blog with me this morning!  My dear friend and fellow author, Paula Walker Baker, has a new book coming out next week so I invited her here to talk about it this afternoon!

Paula and I met last year at Camp All Saints, the same camp where I worked for three years and met several of my closest and dearest friends.  It’s a place that has changed my life over and over again and brought the most amazing, wonderful people into my life.  I will forever be grateful for all of my experiences there.  I’m sure there will be many more to come.  Paula is a dear, sweet, wonderful lady and I am so honored to call her my friend.  Please give her a warm welcome!

Tell me a little bit about yourself. 

I was born in Dallas and raised in Richardson, Texas.I went to Arapaho Elementary, West Jr. High and Richardson High School. I lived there until I was 47, then my husband and I moved to Royse City, where we have a little farm. I have three kids- two boys and a girl and four grandsons and one granddaughter.

Your new book, The Conservative Congregant, will be available on August 30.  Can you tell me a little bit about the book?

The Conservative Congregant is about doing something for others. It’s about leaving our comfort zones in order to do something for someone we may not know, we may not love, we may not even like. I believe each time we do that, God blesses us and those around us. Eloise Dowager is a conservative member of the Episcopalian church who likes everything just so. She likes the liturgy the same, the services the same. She abhors change, and is mortified when she hears herself offer to make the Sunday lunch for the City of Hope- the church for the homeless in Downtown Dallas. Doing things for others is not her style, yet, she finds herself being led to do so,

How did you come up with the idea?  

My husband and I attend a church for the “housed” and “unhoused” at Thanksgiving Square in downtown Dallas. Thanksgiving Square is at Ervay and Pacific Streets. The service is called The Gathering and it meets at one o’clock in the afternoon. Once my husband and I began going, I began to feel change within me and in us as a couple. It seemed the more we loved the people there (who might be deemed “loveless” by some ), the more we were blessed.

How did your own work with the homeless community of Dallas inspire you to write The Conservative Congregant? 

I felt that the general population should know and understand that “unhoused” folks are not always the stereotypical “lazy,no account” people.They are God’s people . Some are veterans,who fought for our country, some are mentally ill, some have been in jail and are not able to get housing because of that. Jackie, there are a myriad of reasons people are homeless. God didn’t love only the lovely. Jesus loved the unloved as well. He loved the ones no one else would love and that is what we, as Christians are called to do. But, we have to leave our comfort zones most of the time to do this. In writing TCC, I wanted to show people it can be done. One might be stuck in their comfort zone because of something they’ve done in thier lives or they may be scared. I’m writing to say “Don’t be scared.”

What was it like going on this journey with Eloise Dowager?

Eloise is a combination of my mother and myself. Like my mother, she was a staunch believer, She had her particular ways and thoughts about worshipping and that’s the way she thought it should be. Like me, she has unresolved issues of the past that will resolve by attending the City of Hope.

You’ve mentioned that this novella will be the first in a series.  Can you tell us anything about your upcoming stories?

The next book will focus on the Dowager family and the third on Danielle and David Miller. We will learn how they met and the struggles they’ve encountered in their relationship.

Let’s talk about writing.  When did you begin writing?  How did you get into it?

I had a teacher in high school, Mrs. Howard, who sadly passed away a while ago, who made us write in a joural the first twenty minutes of class. We could write anything we wanted to and I talked about loads of different things.  She often commented in my journal and she really inspired me to keep writing. Over the years, I  kept ongoing journals. Sadly, during a manic phase of bipolar, I cleaned out the house and threw everything away. In my thirties, I freelanced for The Williamson County Sun down in Georgetown, Texas. I was not yet medicated for the Bipolar disorder, so my words flowed freely and the articles were pretty good. Once I was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder and medicated for it, I lost my words and my imaginaton. Since going to theThe Gathering, my words have returned and so has my imagination!

What is your writing routine like?

I have to admit, I don’t really have a routine set. I write for twenty minutes, then get up and do something else, then write for twentyy minutes , do something else. That way, I can get up and walk around, do some chores and think about how I want the story to go.I do not get blocked  that way. I know it sounds weird, but it works for me!

What else inspires you in your writing?

My husband and family are a great source of inspiration. They are like my own cheering squad. Also, I feel like I express myself better in writing than I do orally.

Tell me a little about your children’s book, Jack Learns to Grill. 

Jack Learns to Grill is a story about a little dingo who loves to learn new things. He is adopted and knows that he was chosen especially by his parents. He is a little bit feisty and tries to keep the peace. He feels if he is not learning and growing, then something is wrong. In this , the first series , Jack learns to grill a healthy dinner with his daddy. He has a great time and has learned quite a bit.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

My advice for aspiring authors is exactly what Jack would say- never stop learning, never stop growing. Write often, even if you feel like you don’t have anything to say. Practice really pays off.

The Conservative Congregant is available for preorder TODAY!  Order your Kindle copy now and have it delivered to your device on August 30th!  

Preorder The Conservative Congregant!

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Calling All Writers: Fun Facts

Last night, my friend Jonas Lee (http://jonasleeblog.com), author of The Legend Of Carter Gabel series, invited me to be a part of his online hangout.  I think it’s up on YouTube, but I really hate watching myself, so I haven’t looked!

Anyway, during our discussion, we started talking about how we got into writing and eventually got onto the topic of fun facts that others might not know about our books.  I asked if he would write down the story he told me so that I might share it on my blog and also so that I might invite all you other writers out there to do the same thing!  I love trivia, I love fun unknown facts!

If you would like to participate, you can either write your story in the comments section OR write your own blog post and share it in the comments section!  I would love to read them!

So without further ado, please welcome Mr. Jonas Lee, Author of the Carter Gabel Saga.

As we all find the stories we love to read and befriend the authors who have written them, it is quite surreal to find yourself in their same company. For me, getting to interview the likes of Jacqueline E. Smith, Shannon A. Thompson, Nina Soden and others that I’ve had the chance to read has been wonderful. Little moments we get to share while conversing have made it feel more like a community than an endless space of internet.

What’s better than those little moments of conversation? Finding out the hidden gems behind the meaning of characters, origins of books and so many wonderful things tidbits that comprise our own little Extras portion if we were a DVD menu. For me, I shared one with Jackie last night and I will share it again for anyone who missed out on our YouTube shenanigans. 

Back when I first started blogging, I decided to try and lure hopeful followers in with a weekly story. So, I dug back into my archives and found a one-chapter fan-fiction I dabbled in. I had read The Time Traveler’s Wife and had watched the movie when that spark of “what-if” hit me and I put fingers to keys in order to get the idea out. Many years later it started out as that one-chapter piece I would offer out to fans.

Weeks went by and soon, there were eight chapters fully developed. I decided to bag the idea and continue the story offline. At that moment, the piece had originally been called The Time Traveler’s Grandchild and would evolve into A Time to Reap within a few short months. That first book spawned another and the final chapter in the Legend of Carter Gabel is now underway. It’s amazing where ideas will take us and just how many people we touch with them along the way. I’ve met some great people and I can’t wait to see how many more will be on my journey. I hope you’ll follow me and be one of them.

I just loved that story and I’m so glad to have Jonas as a friend and colleague!  Thank you so much, Jonas, for inviting me to be a part of your hangout last night and for being a guest on my blog this afternoon!

You can find the first book in The Legend of Carter Gabel series here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M8AZBKE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00M8AZBKE&linkCode=as2&tag=jonleesima-20&linkId=KK7K2EHW24G5KWG5

Thanks y’all!  Remember, leave me a story or a link in the comments section below!  I’d love to hear from you!

TV and Pirates

So, I got to do something really cool this morning.

I was interviewed on TV!  My friend and fellow author, James Peercy and I appeared on Denison’s Channel KTEN to promote our Authorfest event next weekend!  I was so starstruck and nervous!  I’m used to being behind the camera, not in front of it!  But I think I did okay and didn’t stammer to much.  I tried to speak slowly and smile and articulate and all that good stuff.  Best of all, I got to talk about my books!

In less exciting news, last night, I discovered that someone had uploaded my books to a pirating website.  Technically, they were on separate websites, but in order to read or download the books, you had to sign up for another website.  All the sites led back to that one website.  I have fired off two Cease and Desist emails to them and have yet to hear back.  But here’s the gist…

I have just found my new Young Adult novel, Boy Band, on one of your websites, which claims to be an open library where readers may download my book for free or read it online.  When I clicked on the registration tab, it relocated me to your site.  A separate website, featured my first book, Cemetery Tours, and again, led me back to you.  Unless you have somehow paid for the rights to my books or I am getting paid for every read or download you recieve, you do not have my permission to use my books on any of your websites, and I politely request that you take them down. If this is beyond your power, I ask that you give me the contact information to the person whom I may contact to address this issue.  

I will be checking back.  

Thank you for your time,

Jacqueline E. Smith

(I included links in the original email, but chose to delete them from this post.)

Here’s the deal.  I’m not stupid.  I know books are going to get pirated.  I know movies and songs and games are going to get pirated.  It shouldn’t happen, but it does.  I’m thankful, however, that most readers understand how much work and love that authors, especially indie authors, pour into their books.  It’s our trade.  It’s our profession.  I’d love to live in a world where money doesn’t matter, where people could just read my books for free and be happy.  But the sad truth is money is necessary if we are to continue on writing.  Moreso, authors deserve to paid for their craft, just like any other artist.  I wish I didn’t need money, but I also wish websites like this didn’t try to take advantage of people who work hard and sacrifice trying to make a living doing what they love.

Have a good weekend, y’all!

Character Interview: Kate Avery

Continuing on with my character interviews in which my characters interview me, I’d like to welcome Kate Avery to the blog!

If you missed my first interview with Kate’s darling and haunted beau, Michael Sinclair, you can check it out here: https://jackiesmith114.wordpress.com/2015/03/23/character-interview-michael-sinclair/

Jackie Smith (JS):  So Kate, what questions do you have for me?

Kate Avery (KA):  I don’t know.  I’m actually pretty happy with my life.  Although, I am curious.  What’s up with the Color Anomia?  Like, is it actually a real thing?

JS:  Yep.  I looked it up on the internet, and as everyone knows, that means it is definitely a real thing.  However, the site I found said it’s more common in men than in women, but I figured a little artistic license never hurt anyone.

KA:  Interesting.  So, am I gonna have this thing for the rest of my life?

JS:  Yeah.  Sorry.

KA:  That’s okay.  It could be worse.  Though I’ve got to tell you, I am kind of ticked off that you erased all my memories of Europe.

JS:  Again, sorry. But if you wait another book or so, I might make it up to you.

KA:  Is that a spoiler alert?

JS:  Think of it more like a teaser.  Gotta keep readers interested.

KA:  Ah.  Gotcha.  Okay, so tell me more about my background.  Like, why am I the way that I am?

JS:  I really didn’t want you to be a typical damsel in distress heroine, but I also didn’t want you to be the melancholy, special-snowflake girl either.  I wanted you to be a bit of a silly fangirl, but also someone who is strong and independent.  I hope I succeeded.

KA:  I like to think you did.  Those are all good things.

JS:  Thank you.  You’re much more appreciative than your boyfriend.

KA:  Yeah.  He’s really sweet most of the time, but he can also be a bit of a smart aleck.  He’s got a really dry sense of humor.

JS:  I know.  I thought I liked that about him.

KA:  So, can you tell me anything about what’s in store for us in the next book?

JS:  It’s going to be a bit different from the first two books.  It’s less of an adventure and more of what it’s like for the two of you living day-to-day as a couple that is constantly surrounded by ghosts.

KA:  But it’s not going to be boring, right?

JS:  I hope not.

KA:  Well, if it starts going stale, you could always throw in some zombies or aliens.  You could write a new character that looks like Norman Reedus.

JS:  I think you and I have both been watching too much Walking Dead on Netflix.

KA:  Yeah, probably.  But what else have I got to do while you take your time getting this next book out?

JS:  Touche.

Character Interview: Michael Sinclair

Back when I first started writing, to get to know my characters, I would interview them.  I’d make up questions, kind of like a survey, and I’d write out responses as those characters.  This is kind of the same idea, except I thought I’d give my characters a chance to interview me for a change.  Up first, the serie’s underdog hero and reluctant medium, Michael Sinclair.

Note: This shouldn’t contain too many spoilers, but if it does, I apologize.

Michael Sinclair (MS):  This is kind of weird.

Jackie Smith (JS):  Yeah, I know. Just go with it.

MS:  Okay. Well, I guess I’d have to start this interview off by asking… Why me?

JS:  What do you mean?

MS:  Why won’t you let me catch a break?  Why do you like to torture me?

JS:  I don’t torture you.  You’ve actually got it pretty good compared to a lot of fictional guys out there.

MS:  I see ghosts, I can’t find a job, I get kidnapped, I get tortured, my girlfriend is always ending up in the hospital…  Why can’t you write a book about me where I win the lottery or I take a romantic, ghost-free getaway with Kate to a tropical island?

JS:  Because you don’t play the lottery and neither of you could afford that. Neither could I, for that mat ter.

MS:  Am I ever going to find another job?  Let’s face it, I’m not going to be able to pay rent much longer.

JS:  I have an idea for you.  I think Luke is really going to like it.

MS:  Oh, great. Of course Luke is going to like it.  You like him so much better than me.

JS:  Not true.  If I did, then he would have ended up with Kate.

MS:  Okay then, here’s a real question.  How come I can see ghosts?

JS:  It was a story I always wanted to write, especially after I experienced a loss myself.  I didn’t really know how to characterize you, however, until I started watching Criminal Minds and discovered Matthew Gray Gubler as Spencer Reid.  You know that’s who you’re based off of, right?

MS:  Yeah, you remind me all the time.  I think you like him better than me, too.

JS:  Wait a minute, I thought you were supposed to be this super sweet, nerd of my dreams kind of guy. Where is all this sass coming from?

MS:  Don’t ask me.  You wrote me like this.  Speaking of which, did you mean to make me so two-dimensional or is that just part of the protagonist’s curse?

JS:  Why do you think you’re two-dimensional?  You’re not two-dimensional.

MS:  All anyone knows about me is that I see ghosts and I feel sorry for myself.  A lot.  Why didn’t you give me more depth?

JS:  I totally gave you depth.  Your problem is that once you discovered you were the only one seeing these spirits, your entire life began to revolve around making sure no one else figured it out.  It didn’t give you a whole lot of room to branch out, and for that, I’m sorry.

MS:  So, while you were thinking up ways to ruin my life, you never thought to maybe make my power a little more, oh, I don’t know, cool?

JS:  What does that mean?

MS:  I mean, you read all these books and watch these TV shows about mediums who can not only see dead people, but predict the future, time travel, read minds, all that stuff.  How come I can’t do that?  How come I only get the ghosts?

JS:  Because all of that would make these books a lot more complicated.

MS:  Oh, okay.  As long as it makes everything easier for you.

JS:  Seriously, are you always this snarky when I write you?  I thought I gave you a pretty good life.  Cool ghost best friend, cute girlfriend, and at least you’re not like Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense.  You don’t see hanging people or kids with their brains blown out.

MS:  I guess I should be thanking you for that.

JS:  You’re welcome.

MS:  I’m still not particularly thrilled with you, though.

JS:  Yeah, I’m sensing that.

MS:  So tell me, are good things ever going to happen to me?

JS:  You are far too melodramatic, you know that?  And I’m not going to tell you if good things will happen or not.  You know I can’t make you any promises.  But if it all works out the way I think it will…  You’ll just have to wait and see.

Indie Author Interview

Huge thank you to my friend and fellow author, Melissa Zaroski (author of the amazing Davenport Manor series – if you like vampires and romance, I highly recommend her books) for featuring me on her blog!

http://davenportmanor.net/indie-author-interview-jacqueline-smith/

You can find Melissa on GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7255267.Melissa_Zaroski

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/melissazaroski

And on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavenportManor

https://www.facebook.com/MelissaZaroski

Interview!

This week, I had the honor of being interviewed by my friend and fellow author, Heather Ellis!  For some reason, WordPress is not letting me reblog the interview, so I thought I’d post it here as well as a link to her blog!  She’s an amazing young lady, a published author at 10, and I have the utmost respect and admiration for her. 

Here is the link to her blog: http://heatherellisbooks.wordpress.com/

Here is the Interview:

A few months ago a very kind lady called Jacqueline Smith from America found me on WordPress. She helped me lots, to review my books and we became friends! She is also an author (but not of the same type of books as me). I was really interested in her books and how she writes and I came up with a list of questions which turned into an interview.

Well, here it is. It’s a very interesting read for everyone. =)

Check out her books and BLOG, the links are below!

First of all I can ask who are your writing inspirations?
One of my earliest writing inspirations was JK Rowling.  Shortly after the fifth Harry Potter book came out, I realized that I needed more Harry in my life, so I started making up my own stories (Yes, I wrote fanfiction…).  Other inspirations include John Green and Meg Cabot. 

At what point did you stop and think about really writing a book?
Spring break of my third year in college.  I had a terrible upper respiratory infection and spent the entire week coughing and reading books on the couch.  I’m not sure if it was the fever or the decongestants, but halfway through True Believer by Nicholas Sparks, I thought to myself, “Hey.  I could do this.”  And from that point on, I decided I was going to write books! 

My books are a bit different to the types of books you do, for younger readers but I have to ask if it is different… I wondered how long does it take for you to write a book? 
It really depends.  Cemetery Tours and its sequel, both around 75,000 words, took about 5 months each to write.  I have another manuscript for a short non-fiction book, however, that I finished in about a week.  Then again, I’m still working on the first manuscript I ever started, back in 2010.  For some reason, I just haven’t found the right formula for that one.  But I think I’m getting closer!    

What are your favourite and most difficult parts of writing your own book?
I love character development and I really love dialogue!  I like to think I’m a witty person, so writing smart, snarky characters with attitude is a lot of fun for me.  The most difficult parts are action scenes.  They’re fun, but they are tricky!  I’m also really bad at coming up with good names! 

What was the biggest thing you learned from your experience of writing your own book?
I learned to stop and breathe.  There is a lot to process when writing and publishing a book, and it is a lot of hard work, but in the end, it is worth it.  It’s very scary and can be intimidating, and I really admire everyone who believes in their work and loves it enough to go through this process, because it is a big job. I’ve also learned pretty much everything there is to know about the publishing process, which is really cool!      

I spend quite a lot of time thinking about my characters and their names and personalities. Can you see any of your family and friends in any of your book characters?
Yes, absolutely.  I especially see my mother in Michael’s mom.  She sees the goodness and beauty in everyone and everything, and in turn, everyone knows and loves her.  I think it was one of the rarest and yet most profound and wonderful gifts.   

Who designed your book covers? 
My good friend and professional photographer/graphic designer, Benjamin Durham. 

I’ve seen some of your paintings on your blog, they are pretty awesome – Have you ever thought about designing your own book covers?
Thank you!  As much as I love to paint, I am a terrible graphic artist! I actually tried to design quite a few ideas for the cover, but Ben took one look at them and said, “Why don’t we start from scratch?” 

What advice would you give to authors starting out writing their own books?
Don’t let anyone discourage you.  Believe in yourself and in your ideas, because they are worth the world. Don’t stress over the details, especially in the first draft.  You’ll have plenty of time to rework them during the editing process.  Most importantly, if you get stuck, keep writing! I’ve met so many writers who succumb to writer’s block because they think that because they get it, they’re not meant to write.  NOT TRUE!  All writers hit bumps along the road.  No one can just sit down and write out an entire book in one sitting.  The only way to get through it is to keep writing!  

You mentioned you are working on a new book, how is that going?
Excellent!  This is a whole new book, not related to Cemetery Tours (though I’m sure I will go back to it one day).  I’m really excited to be working on something new.    

When will we be able to buy it?
The sequel to Cemetery Tours will be out sometime this summer!  As for the new one, I’ve only just started, so it will at least be another six to eight months. I’m really excited about the sequel and I can’t wait until I can talk more about it! 

Link to Jacqueline Smith’s book Cemetery Tours: 
http://amzn.to/1guWp6v 

Link to Jacqueline Smith’s BLOG:
http://www.jackiesmith114.wordpress.com/ 

Thank you, Heather!  I can’t wait to read your next book! 

Interview

We have seven weeks until Cemetery Tours hits Amazon!  In the spirit of shameless self-promotion, I decided to interview myself!

What inspired you to write Cemetery Tours?

There were a lot of ideas that went into creating Cemetery Tours.  I’ve been a fan of ghost stories all my life.  After I wrote my first manuscript (currently under serious revision), I decided that I wanted to write a ghost story.  

It took me a while to figure out how I was going to go about doing that.  I knew I wanted a guy who could see and talk to spirits.  I knew I wanted there to be romance, but I didn’t want it to be with a ghost.  I knew I wanted there to be a ghost best friend.  I knew I wanted there to be some sort of twist.  The real challenge was figuring out how to do all of that in a new way that would make people want to read and keep them interested.         

Can you tell me a little bit about the main characters?

The main character is a young man named Michael Sinclair, who has spent his entire life to keep his ability to see and communicate with the dead a secret.  The female protagonist is Kate Avery, Michael’s new neighbor, whose brother, Gavin, is haunted by a malevolent spirit.  Finally, there’s Luke Rainer, the lead paranormal investigator of the popular television series, Cemetery Tours.  

What was your favorite thing about writing the book?

There are so many things I love about writing.  I love creating dialogue.  I love all my characters.  I love that I can go back and read what I’ve written and think, “Man, I really want people to read this!” and not, “Oh my gosh… this sucks… I can’t believe I wrote this crap.”  I loved writing the creepy scenes.  I loved writing the relationships between the characters.  I always love making up soundtracks and imagining what the movie would look like.    

What was the hardest part of the process?  

Basically everything that wasn’t writing.  It’s all hard.  But looking back, it really wasn’t all that bad.  I think the worst part was formatting the manuscript, figuring out page numbers, and writing the stupid summary on the back of the book were the absolute hardest parts of the entire process.  I also didn’t like having to ride the train downtown to the court house to get the business certified.  

What do you want people to take away from the book?  

Most of all, I want people to read the book and think, “Wow, that was a fun read!  It scared me, it surprised me.  I couldn’t put it down.  I love the characters.  I want to share this book with my friends, and I’d totally read another book that she wrote!”  Basically, I just want people to like it.  I didn’t write it because I wanted to prove a point or make some sort of religious or political or philosophical statement.  I want people to read it and enjoy reading it.  I want it to be fun.   

What do you hope to accomplish through your writing and publishing endeavors?

My own castle in Scotland would be nice, but since that’s sort of a lofty goal, I’d have to say that I’d consider even one book sold an accomplishment.  Seriously, it’s a huge deal to work on something for so long and to finally see all that hard work pay off. I’m not there yet, but I’m close! 

Honestly, though, I would love to be able to make my living as an author.  I have a lot of books in my head, several of which are in the early stages of being written.  Writing is what I want to do with my life.  Well, write, travel, take pictures, and save marine life.    

Will there be a sequel? 

Yes!  In fact, I just finished Chapter 5 of the first draft.  It will hopefully be released sometime next year!  

Do you believe in ghosts?  

Absolutely! 

Are you going to write any other books besides Cemetery Tours?

Oh yeah.  I have a trilogy, my first manuscript, a fairy tale collection, and at least three other ideas for stand-alone novels all in the works.  I plan to be writing for a long time.

https://www.facebook.com/CemeteryTours