Jade C. Jamison's Blog, page 24

A to Z Challenge: C is for CODIE

For the A-to-Z April Blogging Challenge, I am writing a story, aiming for at least 1000 words a day (Sundays off!).  This is part 1 in the beginnings of a story about one Codie Snow.  I hope you enjoy, and please be sure to tune in tomorrow for the next part!  Remember, this is completely unrevised and (mostly) unedited and will likely change quite a bit before publication…but I thought you might enjoy a glimpse into my writing process.

Codie Snow chomped on the ragged thumbnail that had been bothering her the better part of an hour. She was on a ride-along with five-year veteran cop Pete Olson, the former star quarterback from her hometown high school.

A guy she’d dated in high school.

That hadn’t stopped him from pursuing her once in a while since—when he was without female companionship—but Codie’s on-again, off-again boyfriend put the stop to a good many advances from Pete. Right now, she and Slade Stewart, said boyfriend, were once more off-again, and she was considering Pete.

She could see him approaching the glass door from inside Dalton’s one and only McDonald’s, with a paperboard tray in hand, two cups of nuclear hot coffee coming right up. He also had a brown paper bag. He hadn’t mentioned food.

Codie would have spent the last five minutes on her phone, either checking out her Instagram or Facebook or even just taking a selfie in the squad car, but Pete had told her no phones. They weren’t allowed on ride-alongs.

“Why?” Codie had asked, even while she’d been handing it over to the desk lady.

“Because, Codie,” he said in a firm voice, but his dimples belied the seriousness of it all, “if something serious happens, something you shouldn’t be privy to, I can’t have you spreading it all over the internet before we’ve had a chance to do our jobs.”

“But you have dashcams, don’t you?”

He’d raised his eyebrows in mock irritation. “Yeah, our dashcams. Look, do you wanna go on the ride-along or not?”

She’d reluctantly handed over her phone, but Pete had been right. She’d been wanting to do this for a while. Now that she was a quarter of a century old, it was time to get serious about her life. No more messing around. No more waiting for something cool to happen to her. She needed to take her fate into her own hands and make it happen.

Codie had never thought she had a thing for men in uniforms—after all, her biggest crushes were rock stars: guitarists, frontmen, drummers, bassists. It really didn’t matter. If they played hard rock, they were tucked away in the fantasy part of her brain. She’d actually talked Slade into going to a Godsmack concert once—and he’d almost enjoyed himself.

No, that wasn’t true. He’d enjoyed the blowjob in his Maserati before heading to the Marriott that night.

But lately Slade was being his usual prick self, and Codie was enjoying looking at the overly macho guy in the blue uniform. Sure, Slade looked amazing, whether he was in one of his expensive courtroom suits or in his workout clothes, but she was mad at him right now. That’s where Pete came in.

And she suspected his body looked very much like Slade’s underneath the blue. She hadn’t seen Pete with his clothes off since she’d been a junior in high school and they’d dated. She’d been in the color guard—a step below cheerleaders and the dance squad on the jock dating totem pole, but still quite acceptable. She was a year younger than Pete, also quite acceptable and even smiled upon. It was a weird school, probably because there was only one high school in all of Dalton (not counting the online school for kids who needed an alternative), and they were locked in on all sides by agriculture, a small Colorado town on the prairie, one hour away from both Pueblo and Colorado Springs. Kids either went into the family business or stuck around because it was all they knew—but even more kids bailed the second they graduated high school. Well, that wasn’t completely true. Thanks to the community college housed there and the correctional facility in a town farther east, a good many kids stayed and kept the town thriving.

Codie had struggled with the thought of leaving more than once, though, and she had only three reasons for staying. The first was her family. She’d initially stayed behind to help her grandma until the woman’s death, and she’d remained because of her mom and dad. She’d been living with them and stayed with them while attending classes at the community college. She’d thought she was in love with Slade and moved in with him, only to move out again the first time he’d pissed her off. Now she lived with her best friend Matthew and dated Slade when they were on good terms.

And they were the second and third reasons why she stayed in that damned podunk town—Slade (sometimes) and Matthew (always). If Matthew decided to move to Colorado Springs tomorrow (something they considered off and on), she’d go with him in a second.

“Can you grab that?” Pete asked, handing her the tray with the two coffees.

“Oh, yeah, sure,” she said, leaning over to take it out of his hand.

He grinned that disarming smile of his, emphasizing his drop-dead gorgeous dimples. She didn’t know if it was okay for cops to sport stubble, but Pete looked good when he did. He had light brown hair with green eyes to match—and those eyes had a twinkle in them that seemed to say, “I know all the bad things you’ve done. Question is if I approve of them or not.” Seeing him in that uniform that hid all the ripples and valleys his rock hard muscles created in his flesh made her wonder if he’d be worth another go.

She’d lost her virginity to him all those years ago and didn’t remember him being a particularly memorable lover.

But she thought she might want to find out.

She wondered if he’d mind using his handcuffs on her.

“One of them’s for you,” he said, closing the door.

“Thanks.”

“Caffeine’s okay, right?”

Codie stifled a giggle. “Um, yeah. It should be illegal to serve coffee without it.”

“Couldn’t agree with you more.” He pulled open the bag. “You still like cherry pie?”

Oh…with its evilly decadent sweet crust and wicked flavoring. All that shit was bad for her. Then again, Pete probably was too. “Yeah. Why not?”

“Why not? A girl after my own heart.” He handed her a hot rectangular box and asked, “Mind putting two packets of sugar and a couple of those creamers in my coffee?”

“Sure.” She doctored his java while he turned on the car and began backing out. His radio that seemed to have a constant white noise pouring out of it and voices that seemed to want to be anywhere but where they were started blabbering again. Codie wondered how he could identify which calls were for him and which he could ignore, but she had to admit that, deep down, she was impressed.

She’d gone on the ride-along to see if maybe being in law enforcement would be something she’d be interested in, because the medical field certainly was not, but so far, tonight had been dullsville. Pete had pulled over two speeders and had broken up an “altercation” between two high school kids. After that, he’d gone to a convenience store to take a report about a shoplifter—and the store’s camera hadn’t been working. The remainder of the time they’d spent on patrol, driving around town struggling to make small talk. She had no idea as she stirred Pete’s coffee cup before handing it over to him that all that was about to change, though—in a huge way.

More tomorrow!  You might also be interested in reading these posts that explain what these shenanigans are all about:

A is for Accepting the Challenge

B is for Blurb

Author Interview: Sadie Grubor

Sadie Grubor writes rock star romance books just like yours truly.  She and I met through a rock star author group on Facebook that we both belong to!  I recently interviewed Sadie, and this is what she had to say.

Sadie, thank you for answering questions for me today. I first met you through the Rock Star VIP group we’re both part of. Please tell me how long you’ve been writing (both published and unpublished).

Thanks for allowing my trashy self on your blog today.    Yes, we were introduced in the Rock Star VIP group, which has been amazing fun.

I’ve been writing with the intent to publish for about five years now. (Holy crap, I didn’t realize it’s been that long until now.) My first work was small press published in the Y/A category. Unfortunately, the business and my association with them didn’t end well. On a good note, it pushed me to self-publish.

You and I both write rock star romance. Can you tell me how many rock star books you’ve written? What has inspired you to write in this particular romance subgenre?

At the moment, The Falling Stars Series has three full length books (which can be read as standalones) as well as two novellas (which are not standalones).

I’ve always loved music, though I cannot sing nor play an instrument. I read a few rock star romance books and then an idea was born for Falling Stars. Each consecutive book has been inspired by readers and different pop culture happenings.

There are actually further niches in rock star romance. I haven’t yet had a chance to read yours. Do you write sweet rock star romance? Gritty? Realistic? Tell me what makes yours stand out from the crowd.

My rock stars are very much foul mouthed, dirty rockers. There is no closing a bedroom door – or wherever – when they decide to rock out with their… yeah, you get me.

For me, what make my rockers stand out are the differences between each one. You have the asshole alpha, the laid back alpha, the mature ex-rock star DILF alpha, and just an entire case of secondary characters who I adore to write.

Do you have a bestselling or “breakout” book you’d like to tell me about?

Falling Stars (book 1) was my first book to gain a lot of attention and even rank on Amazon, but I wouldn’t consider myself a ‘bestselling’ author. I like to think of Falling Stars as the book that brought some really great people/readers into my life.

Have you written in other genres or do you plan to? Please tell me about them.

I mostly stay in the contemporary romance arena, but I do have other – non rock star – books.

There’s a marriage arrangement trilogy titled The Modern Arrangements Trilogy, a married in Vegas with a twist standalone book titled VEGAS follows you home, along with two more standalones: nanny and boss/father of child story Live-In-Position & next door neighbors to lovers in All Grown Up.

Though, while I’m working on upcoming books for The Falling Stars Series, I am also considering branching out into the paranormal genre…. Maybe *bites nails*

It seems a good many authors struggle with writer’s block. How do you cope with that particular problem?

Oh… writer’s block. I’m afraid we all suffer this at some point. One of my books took me three – that’s right, three – years to fully finish. The second book in The Falling Stars Series took almost two years because the main character decided he wanted to be a bastard and not talk to me.

It happens and, honestly, I don’t have the remedy. It’s been different things to push me out of my different slumps and gets the muse/mojo flowing. For VEGAS it was my husband making me sit down and talk about the entire story with him. He made a couple comments and BAM I was finishing Damon and Liv’s story. For HITS (book 2 in Falling Stars Series) it was my BETA team and me writing a song/poem for the book.

But you asked about ‘coping.’ For that, A LOT of wine and junk food.

Ha!  I hear that.  Any rituals you perform before, during, or after you write? Anything you do to get “in the zone”?

I sacrifice a sharpie, a signed paperback, and a drop of blood to the writing gods before I start a book.   JUST KIDDING!

I’m sort of all over the place, so starting a book usually involves a lot of pre-work – character and story outlines, which I usually end up NOT following.

Music and Sour Gummy Bears put me in my writing zone most of the time.

After I complete a book, I typically allow myself some reading time. I hate missing out on amazing releases from my favorite authors because I’m caught up in my own little world(s). So, I give myself time for that… OH, and I usually end up drastically dying my hair a different color.

Any of your characters you love more than any others? Hate? Any of them “speak” to you more loudly?

At this moment, Sidra and Xavier from Snare (the newest release in The Falling Stars Series) are STILL dominating my brain. I’m pretty sure I can already plan a novella or some blog posts featuring both of them. They are loud and crazy; the banter in my head between these two just never quits.

Christopher (from book 1) will always have a special place. Both him and Mia actually, BUT Sid is such a kindred spirit character – for me. I put a great deal of myself into her and that makes her extremely special to me.

Oh… and I hate them all at some point. Whether it’s for making me cry or just deciding not to talk to me, they endure my hatred plenty.

How much of you can we find in your characters? Can you give us an example?

I just mentioned Sid being the most like me character, but each of my heroines typically get something personal.

Olivia Harlow from VEGAS follows you home is a baker. She makes specialty cakes and so forth. I’m a HUGE baker. Cookies, candy making, and –yes- specialty cakes. I’m talking elaborate three tier custom and shaped cakes.

Mia Ryder from Falling Stars is a girl with tomboy tendencies. Her favorite color is green and she has a Kermit the Frog guitar & tattoo. I don’t have the guitar, but I love green and Kermit is my cartoon soul mate (I do have him tattooed on me).

So, there is a piece of me inside most of my characters, especially the heroines.

If we had to read one book of yours, which one would you recommend and why?

It really depends on what you are into the most. I’ll answer it this way:

I’m pretty pumped about Snare. The humor and dirty filthy behavior makes me happy.

My husband would tell you to read VEGAS follows you home.

The majority of my author group (I hate calling them a street team. It’s just my feeling on the matter) would tell you to start with Falling Stars.

Tell me about something exciting or weird that’s happened to you since becoming an author.

People ‘fan girl’ over me. What the what?!?! When did that start happening? And why? I’m a weirdo that hears voices in her head.   But who am I to judge?

What else do we need to know about you and/or your books?

That they are freaking awesome and everyone should read them. Kidding (not really).

I like to keep my books different from each other, so if you don’t like one, it doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy the others. However, I will warn you that I am inappropriate and immature most of the time. My characters totally reflect that.

Sadie Grubor hears voices in her head that sometimes sing and play music, but they are always loitering in her brain ready to distract and amuse.

AND Grubor Groupies hear things first (though I don’t exactly know what they are hearing or if they REALLY want to hear it):

Grubor Groupies: https://www.facebook.com/groups/GruborGroupies/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorsadiegrubor

Twitter: www.twitter.com/sadiegrubor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6470181.Sadie_Grubor

Websites: www.sadiegrubor.com

www.booknerdrevelation.com

The Falling Stars Series

Falling Stars – Book 1:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008XT3PKM

Stellar Evolution – Novella 1.5: (not a standalone)

http://www.amazon.com/Stellar-Evolution-Falling-Stars-novella-ebook/dp/B009TSNOJI

Hidden in the Stars (HITS) – Book 2:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010R96ZXO

Stellar Collision – Novella 2.5: (not a standalone)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019611FKC

SNARE – Book 3:

http://www.amazon.com/SNARE-Snare-Falling-Stars-novel-ebook/dp/B01B0UACNS

A to Z Challenge: B is for BLURB

Soooo…. I believe a good many writers are able to compose their book’s blurb early on before they start writing their book.  Sometimes I can, but not always.  I have to know my characters and the story, but that’s all I need to get started.  Sometimes I know exactly where the story’s going and that’s when I compose the blurb first.

In the case of the story I’ll be writing for the A-to-Z Blogging Challenge, I have no clue how to write the blurb.  I’m not ready yet.  I’ve only got the beginnings of the plot.  Enough, though, that I can get started.  So, instead of a blurb today, I’m going to give you a tiny idea about the plot–this is the Beginning (ha!  Did you catch that?) of my writing process.  You’re going to see it raw and unrefined–very little editing or revision–long before I “officially” publish.

Like I said, I start out with an idea.  Think of it as going on a cross-country trip.  Sometimes you have it all mapped out–you know exactly where you’re going to go, stop by stop, to your ultimate destination.  You have money set aside for certain things and you know some of the sights you’d like to see along the way.  Well, writing this particular story, I’m making the cross-country trip, but I only know what direction I’m going.  I’m going to hit the highway, turn the car in the right direction, and put the pedal to the metal.  Here are the ideas in my head (the direction!):

The characters…first, we have Codie.  I debated for a while if I wanted to spell her name Cody or Codie (or even Codi) and I might still change my mind, but that’s her name.  I still don’t know for certain what her occupation will be, but I’m considering having her be a CNA.  She lives in a small Colorado town (that I think I’m naming Dalton–because (let’s face it) I’ve had far too many stories in the fictional Colorado town of Winchester).  If you’ve read my Nicki Sosebee series, then you know the type of character Codie is going to be–independent, mouthy, sassy, and free spirited.

Next, we have…her gay roommate.  I have been struggling with his name, but he is her bestie.  I don’t know his name yet!  But they’ve been friends since middle school.  He is a paralegal for one of the biggest law practices in Dalton–which isn’t saying much.  Lucky Codie gets to hear about a good many of his sexcapades. 

A is for ACCEPTING the Challenge

What the hell am I talking about? Let me tell you! For the fun of it, I am joining the “Blogging from A to Z April Challenge” (you can see some of the “official” rules here: http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/a-z-challenge-sign-up-list-2016.html). Basically, I have to post every Monday through Saturday, and each day, I have to blog about something beginning with a letter of the alphabet. Today is A, for example, and B is tomorrow, C is Monday, etc. The past month I haven’t been able to post much (and that’s after posting every single day for a couple of months), so when I signed up for the challenge, I tried to decide what and how I wanted to approach it. So, in addition to blogging about something having to do with the day’s designated letter, I have some “rules” for myself!

I am going to be writing a story, and each day will be a little more of it (the actual story will begin on Tuesday, I think.  The other two A-to-Z posts will set up what I’m doing).
I am going to try (but we’ll see) to write 1000 words per post once I get to the story itself.
I am going to try to write a coherent story.  The biggest problem with that is that I haven’t fully fleshed out the idea in my head.  Usually, I need to be at a certain place in my mind to begin telling a story, but I’m going to be pantsing harder than ever in this challenge!  (If you don’t know what I mean by pantsing, you’ll want to reread the blog post “Labor Pains.”)

The official challenge has other rules.  For instance, I am strongly encouraged to visit at least five other challenge blogs a day, and I think that’s a great idea.  There’s also a theme but it’s not a mandatory part of the challenge, and I’d already had the idea to write a story before I found out there would even be a theme.

My regular readers might be asking what I plan to do with the story.  Well…I do plan to leave it up on my blog–it will be edited like all my blog posts, but the story itself will be unrevised–it’ll be raw.  It will be much like my books long before readers pick them up…but you’ll (maybe) get an idea of my writing process.  I am strongly considering moving it to Wattpad one chunk at a time once I’m done writing the entire story and then, eventually, I will publish it.  I am thinking this book will be the first installment of what I’m calling my “Nicki replacement” series, something for me to write after the Nicki Sosebee series winds up at the end of this year.  I already know the characters and setting and partially know the plot, and I’m excited!  I think this will be loads of fun.  Thanks for joining me!

Oh, yeah, one last thing–Sundays will probably be reserved for interviews and other fun stuff. 

Sunday Q&A: Concepts, Ideas, and Writer’s Block

Jade answers interview and reader questions on Sundays.

About how long does it take you to take for you to complete a novel from concept to completion?

Depends on the book. One book took me over five years to get right, where I felt like I was doing the story justice. Another book, though, I took from concept to complete publication in three weeks. Most books, though, on average take from one to two months to write. The problem is what I call my “germinating” process. I get the idea but that doesn’t mean it’s ready to write or that I have time to do it when I want, so it brews and bubbles in my head until I can get it on paper. Like right now: I’m writing Dead Bodies Everywhere (Nicki Sosebee #11), but I am also itching to start no fewer than four other projects (a semi-autobiographical book tentatively titled Snapped! along with my first MC book, a standalone sci-fi novel, a May-December romance, and a sequel novella to Finger Bang)—oh, I guess that’s five, not four (the problem is I have over thirty projects I want to write as I type this out). So if you consider that time as well (the incubation/idea phase), then some of them take a while. Because I really want to write those other books, I have scenes and ideas constantly flashing in my head that will eventually become parts of those books (some of which I jot down), but the story’s not “set in stone” until I actually get it on paper.

Where do your ideas come from?

My best ideas come to me in two places: when I’m driving long distances, listening to music and letting my mind wander, and in the shower when I’m thinking about a book (sometimes one I’m currently working on or sometimes one I plan to write in the future). Both places are equally difficult to have these ideas, because there’s no paper and pen immediately handy! I sometimes have cool ideas as I’m waking up in the morning, but that happens less often.

Do you ever get ideas at random moments? How do you hang on to them?

A lot, unfortunately. If I’m somewhere inconvenient, like in the shower, I just keep repeating it over and over in my mind until I can write it down. If I’m driving, I turn on the video on my phone camera and speak what’s in my head until I can get home and transcribe it.

How do you overcome writer’s block?

Writer’s block is a bitch, but I just write through it…one word at a time. That’s the best, the only way I know how to really knock it down. If I don’t, it wins.

Can you write on demand and under pressure, or do you need time and space before the creativity starts to flow?

I used to need the perfect conditions but not anymore. I just sit down and write. I think of it as training for the Olympics (and I used to tell my students this)—if you force yourself to do it enough and you do it regularly, your brain, your hands, your “writing muscles” will obey you, and when you sit down to write, they’ll be ready. It works.

Got a question for me? Post it in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer it either here or in a future post!

Author Interview: Bella Jeanisse

Bella Jeanisse is a fellow author of rock star romance.  I interviewed her recently, and this is what she had to say!

Bella, thank you for answering questions for me today. The first is a short and sweet one. I know how I want to say your last name (with kind of a French flair), but can you tell me and my readers how we’re supposed to pronounce it?

It’s Italian and I just say it like: “Jen-ees” (I use a pen name. If you want to know where the name came from, my grandpa always called me “bella,” which means beautiful. The last name is a friend’s maiden name.)

Yay!  I was right!  I love when that happens! 

PINK SHADES OF WORDS: Walk 2016

Pink Shades of Words:

A Fifty Shades of Pink Anthology

by

Ruth Clampett

Cambria Hebert

K.A. Hunter

Jade C. Jamison

Liv Morris

Raine Miller

Emma Nichols

Melanie Shawn

Master Organizer: Glorya Hidalgo

Cover Designer: Regina Wamba

Formatter: Julie Prestsater

Thank you to everyone who has donated their talents and time to this worthy cause!

Friends, I am truly honored to once more be a part of this amazing and awesome anthology which brings thousands of dollars to breast cancer research every year.  I am humbled by the time and effort put forth by so many wonderful people coming together, and I’m proud to be a part of it!  Thank you to all my readers who donate to the cause and also to those of you who get the word out there.

You’ll notice it’s a little different this year–fewer authors but still a huge collection–and less time to buy, so don’t delay if you want to get your copy!

Pink Shades of Words is a collaboration of eight never before seen short stories from Bestselling Authors. These authors come together to bring you a collection of romance that is a must read for book lovers including New Adult, Contemporary, Erotica, and Dark Romance.

Titles are…

Let’s Pretend by Ruth Clampett

Mr. X by Cambria Hebert

Indemnity by K.A. Hunter

Escaping the Cocoon by Jade C. Jamison

Hard Luck by Liv Morris

Filthy Rich (Blackstone DYNASTY 1) by Raine Miller

The Decoy by Emma Nichols

Book Boyfriend by Melanie Shawn

Pink Shades of Words will only be available for purchase from April 1, 2016, to May 31, 2016! So purchase your copy now!

Pre-Order Here:

Amazon: bit.ly/1Pv2Kv6

iBooks: apple.co/1RqWWaG

Nook: bit.ly/1RAWbZz

Kobo: bit.ly/22Ks8Xa

All proceeds will benefit the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer through the Fifty Shades of Pink team.

All proceeds go to Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Last year, $3,500 was raised!!!

Let’s top that this year!

Flash Forward Friday – Teaser from BOILING POINT

Boiling Point (Feverish 1.5) will be here before you know it–next Tuesday!  Here’s a little teaser to tide you over…

“Have a good time?” Jet asked, cool as a fucking cucumber.

Emily shrugged. “I suppose.”

Was she just saying that or were she and Debbie bonding? Was Emily hiding something? Jesus…he was killing himself. Be fucking Jet. Be Jet. He closed his eyes and sucked down a deep breath, channeling that part of himself—and then he slipped his hand on her thigh just above her knee, reminding them both how much Jet loved his woman.

Emily looked over at him and gave him a small smile, but it slowly turned into a frown proportionally as his hand slid up her leg. He raised his eyebrows, unable to stop the amused look from taking over his face, and he mouthed, What?

She whispered, “You know what, Clay. Not here…in front of everyone.” He saw her let out a small sigh. “Last night was bad enough.”

Even though Emily frowned, he wasn’t going to remove his hand…

Book Club Questions for OLD HOUSE

Some readers love being able to talk about books but sometimes don’t know where to start or how to share what they’re thinking with others. That’s why some publishers will list questions at the back of an author’s book, but I decided to share these kind of questions on my blog. My plan is to eventually have questions for all of my books, so stay tuned.

Today’s book is Old House.

Oh! As always…if you haven’t read the book yet, you might want to skip the questions, because they’re likely to be full of spoilers!

The blurb:

From erotic romance author Jade C. Jamison comes a horror story that you won’t want to read after dark… Ghosts can’t be real. Kenzie Sampson is home on Christmas break during her first year in college. She’s had more than the usual trouble adjusting to her new environment away from home, but she’s not about to tell her family, who have had enough to worry about, including plenty they haven’t told her. Worse yet, Kenzie discovers that just because you don’t believe in ghosts doesn’t mean they don’t exist…and she doesn’t know how to deal with them or her own demons as she adjusts to the old house that’s her family’s new home.

The questions:

Even though Jade is known for writing outside her genre on occasion, she herself admits she is not a horror writer and most of her regular readers avoid this book. If you are a regular reader of the horror genre, how do you feel about the book? If you are not a regular horror reader, what were your thoughts?

Let’s talk about the ending. Some readers “get” it; others don’t. Jade says in a note at the back that she struggled with how “esoteric” and evasive it was, prompting her to write another chapter that she hoped explain it without being insulting. Do you prefer the original ending or the one with the additional chapter?

Jade also debated writing what might seem to be a gratuitous sex scene but she knew her regular readers would have no issue with it. It also served as a trigger of some sort for Kenzie. How did you feel about this scene? Necessary or no?

Which character in the book did you feel you could most closely relate to? Why?

In the context of the book, are ghosts real?

How important was the setting in terms of telling the story? Could it have happened in a different location? What would have had to have changed for the story to “work” elsewhere?

What in particular seemed to affect the mood of the book? The setting/location? Characters? Kenzie’s state of mind? What was happening with her family? How did her unknown past play into her present?

What passages or quotes stand out to you?

If you could ask Jade one question about this book, what would it be?

Looking for book club questions for a specific Jade book? You can use the search box at the top of the page to look through tags for the book you’re looking for or you can click the tag below that says (or search for) Book Club questions.

 

Sunday Q&A: Literary Influences, Character Development, and More!

Jade answers interview and reader questions on Sundays.

Do you have any hobbies?

Reading. MUSIC is a huge hobby for me. I used to have lots of other interests, but between work, kids, and writing, I don’t have much time for anything else. Maybe when I retire!

Who or what has been your biggest literary influence?

That’s tough. I’d probably have to say writing instructors, both creative writing profs and academic writing teachers. They were the ones who taught me technique and then I taught myself how to bend the rules. They were the ones who gave me continual feedback and knew me as a writer and as a person. They influenced my growth every step of the way.

As far as authors who have inspired me, I don’t know that I can say I have someone who has specifically influenced me, because I feel that everything I read influences me (whether it’s something I loved or disliked). That reason alone is why Stephen King recommends that writers read widely (in his book On Writing). I suppose you could say that book, and thus King himself, has also been influential. What I love about that book is that King validated for me the way I was already writing. It was nice knowing a published, well-loved author wrote the way I did. It made me feel like I was “doing it right”—although nowadays I don’t feel like there’s a right or wrong way: if a person is writing and getting the words down, that’s the right way for him or her.

How difficult is it for you to come up with one of your plots?

I usually have a snippet of an idea that flushes itself out as a write. It’s usually something simple, such as “What would you do if you woke up, floating down a river, and wondered how the hell you got there and couldn’t even remember your name?” Then I start writing and let the story reveal itself to me—it always does. I usually know the ending, but I don’t always know how I’ll get there.

How about characters? How are they developed?

They are with me when I begin the writing process. I let them tell me who they are. Corny, yes, but they really do feel like they’ve been born and like I’m getting to know them.

Got a question for me? Post it in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer it either here or in a future post!