Author Interview with Jess Mountifield

(D.R.) Welcome, Jess Mountifield. It is good to have you here for an interview today and to be able to give readers some insight on you as a person, not just a name on the cover of a book. Will you please tell us a little about yourself, like where you are from and how you started your writing career?

(Jess) Originally I'm from a historic little town called Woodbridge, on the east coast of the UK, but I now live in the Roman built city of Bath. I've probably been writing on and off for most of my life but it wasn't until I'd been in Bath for a few years that I really worked out it was what I wanted to try and do for a career, not just a hobby. I'd tried a few other possible careers and although I did reasonably well, I just didn't mesh with them and enjoy it in quite the way I enjoy sitting down with my characters, a pen and some paper.

(D.R.) I have seen four books that you have authored. Can you tell us a little about those books and where you got the inspiration to write them from?

(Jess) My first two novels, With Proud Humility and Chains of Freedom, came from my love of history and other cultures. One is set in the Caribbean and the other in New Zealand, so I really got to explore their different ways of life and all the things that made those places special.

The other two I've got released stem more from the things I read and watch personally. I love Fantasy and Sci-fi and read and watch a lot in these genres, so it was pretty inevitable that I'd branch into these genres eventually. The Sci-fi is the start of a series set a little bit in the future but not too far, and in the neighbouring city of Bristol and the Fantasy I have out so far is a duo of short stories, called Innocent Hearts, set in the same world. They are the start of a run of short stories I want to publish in the same world. Most of them have come about from me trying to get my head around different parts and races in my fantasy world, leading up to a series later.

(D.R.) Which one of your books is your favorite and how come it stands compared to the other books in your own opinion as the author?

(Jess) I think my favourite is my Sci-Fi, Sherdan's Prophecy. The characters are two of my favourite so far and there's some great dynamics between them. Sherdan is a scientist and wealthy bureaucrat and Anya is a Christian artist. There's a lot of fireworks between the two as the try and work out if science and faith can be aligned or not and exactly what force is dictating the future of the two of them. It's sort of a super power/genetic manipulation meets political thriller meets end of the world prophecy. Lots of interesting and fun topics to explore, coupled with action, romance, science, faith and a lot of things in between. It's in the Sci-fi and Religious categories on Amazon but it's really a genre mash up of lots of things.

(D.R.) Writing for many authors is a way to pass the time or a hobby. Do you write as a hobby or do you write full time as a means to provide an income for you and/or your family?

(Jess) It started out as a hobby but it definitely isn't now. I gave up my job a while back now and get the pleasure of working full time on my writing. It wasn't a tough decision either. There's very little I enjoy more than writing about the characters in my head and what they get up to, getting to earn money from that is an amazing feeling.

(D.R.) Most writers have been influenced by other authors through the years. Can you tell us the author or set of authors that influenced you the most for your particular genre?

(Jess) There's a large number in all sorts of different genres. In terms of my fantasy, most definitely Tolkien, C. S. Lewis and even George R. R. Martin a little plus the author of the Redwall series Brian Jacques. On top of that I think a few writers for TV and film have influenced me, most notably Joss Whedon.

(D.R.) If you could pick one of your books to be made into a movie, which book would you pick? Who do you envision playing the major roles in the movie?

(Jess) Probably my first novel, With Proud Humility. It's got plenty of swashbuckling high seas action. I'd love Sean Bean as my Captain Hayes, although the actor is getting a little too old for the role now, but he's an almost perfect fit for the slightly arrogant sword wielding ship captain, with Anne Hathaway as Marie Woodell and definitely Alan Rickman as my bad guy. That actor just oozes menace when he speaks.

(D.R.) Do you currently have any works in progress? Can you tell us what the book is about and when readers can expect to find it available in ebook or paperback?

(Jess) I've got several works in progress at the moment. Out tomorrow in ebook format is another fantasy short, called Wandering to Belong, about a young girl called Aneira who has been wandering the wilderness of the land for about eight years trying to find somewhere she can call home. Then one day she comes face to face with a fire breathing dragon and almost doesn't live to talk about it.

On top of that I've also got another couple of fantasy shorts on the way and the sequel to Sherdan's Prophecy, which continues about three months after the first left off.

I'm also waiting on one more reviewer for the quote on the back cover to have Sherdan's Prophecy in print so that should be my next print launch, at the moment estimated for May.

(D.R.) Are your books currently available in ebook format and/or in paperback? Where can readers find your books?

(Jess) Purchase Links:
With Proud Humility (ebook and print) - http://www.amazon.com/With-Proud-Humi...
Chains of Freedom (ebook) - http://www.amazon.com/Chains-of-Freed...
Chains of Freedom (print) - http://www.amazon.com/Chains-Freedom-...
Sherdan's Prophecy (ebook) - http://www.amazon.com/Sherdans-Prophe...
Innocent Hearts (ebook) - www.amazon.com/Innocent-Hearts-ebook/...

(D.R.) Where can your fans find information on you and your books on the internet?

(Jess) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jess.mountif...
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Jess-Mountifiel...
Official Website & Blog: http://www.jessmountifield.co.uk/

(D.R.) Is there anything else you would like to say for your fans and readers before we conclude the interview?

(Jess) Thanks for giving me some of your time. I hope you enjoy finding out about me and my books. And thank you for interviewing me, it's been a pleasure.

(D.R.) Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes my interview with Jess Mountifield. Thank you for sitting down with me and conducting this interview. I wish you the best of luck in your writing career and hope readers will enjoy your books for years to come.