INTRODUCING AUTHOR JO RAMSEY!

INTERVIEW WITH FABULOUS YA AUTHOR, JO RAMSEY

1.  When and why did you start writing?       I’ve been writing since I was five. When I was even younger, I made up stories and told them to my stuffed animals, and even back then I knew I wanted to see my stories in books someday. Of course, it took me over thirty years to actually make that happen!

 

What’s the strangest thing that’s inspired one of your stories?  Several years ago, I had a friend who thought she was possessed by a demon. Another friend agreed that that was probably the case, and he told me what to do to get rid of the demon. That was one of the inspirations for my Reality Shift series.

 

Have you ever based a character on someone you know? If so, did you tell them? Jonah in Reality Shift is based on a man who used to be a friend of mine. He was still my friend when I started writing the Reality Shift books, and he knew I based Jonah on him. He was happy about it.

 

What do the people in your “real life” think of your writing?   My 15-year-old daughter pretends to be embarrassed by me, but brags about me to her friends. My 12-year-old tells everyone that her mom’s a writer. My husband is very supportive and encouraging, but refuses to read my books!

 

Tell us about your latest book.

My newest book is The Black Bridge (releasing in late May from Jupiter Gardens Press). It’s the first book in a series called The Dark Lines, about teenagers with psychic abilities who become involved in the universal war between the forces of light and the forces of darkness. The Black Bridge was inspired by an old railroad bridge in the city where I grew up. A high school friend of mine told me to stay away from it at night because there was “something dark there.” That stuck with me for over fifteen years until I finally managed to write the story.

 

What’s the most interesting place you’ve ever traveled to?   I spent three weeks in France during my senior year of high school as part of a mini-exchange program. I stayed with two host families; one took me to the Alps for vacation. The families lived just outside Paris, so I was able to see a lot of Paris.

 

What books do you have available now (title and publisher)?   Books 1 through 3 in my Reality Shift series are available: Connection, Filtration System, and Cutting Cords, all from Jupiter Gardens Press. And of course The Black Bridge, which I mention above.

 

What books do you have coming soon?   Reality Shift books 4 and 5, Taking Control and…well, book 5 doesn’t have an official title yet…are scheduled for August and November 2011 respectively. The Dark Lines book 2, When Darkness Falls, will be out in September. Those are all also from JupiterGardens. I also have a novel titled Cluing In, about a boy whose ex-girlfriend commits suicide after becoming pregnant by her new boyfriend, which should be out later this year from Featherweight Press.

 

Which author have you always wanted to meet and why? Susan Cooper, because her books got me started on writing young adult fantasy.