Interview with NYTIMES Best Selling Author, Jacquelyn Frank

Some of you who know me know I LOVE Jacquelyn Frank. I was lucky enough to get to read this novel, CURSED BY ICE through Net Galley and with a little bit of luck I was able to snag an interview. I hope you enjoy this question and answer. She's an amazing author and I just hope one day I can be as well known as her.

-- Ashley

INTERVIEW

1)      What made you start this new Immortal Brothers series and how many books do you think you will have in it?

JF: I was in the mood for something different. I wanted to change it up a little from the NIGHTWALKERS series, and this is what came to me. There’s going be 4 books in the series.

2)      Is there any chance we will see more of the Gods playing a bigger factor in all of these worlds? Not just the small roles we have seen thus far.

JF: The Gods generally play the same role as in the first book, but they figure more into the story in the last book.

3)      How did you come up with the different races that you portrayed inside the book? Was it easy or hard? Did you have a clear image of what you wanted or did it evolve as you wrote the stories out?

JF: It was pretty easy for me. It generally evolved as I wrote the story. I have no plans, it just generates itself in my mind as I write.

4)      Are you a plotter or pantser?

JF: I’m a pantser! I write things down as I go only for the sake of keeping track of what I’ve already written. My memory ain’t what it used to be!

5)      What inspired you to start this new series?

(same question as #1)

6)      The NIGHTWALKER series is amazing, I truly love it. I enjoyed the last two books that came out, FORGED and FORSAKEN, how did you come up with that in depth series?

JF: It’s the same as I said before—it just generates as I write. I don’t plan things out, I just regurgitate words!

7)      Was there ever a time when you didn’t think you wanted to continue in the fantasy/paranormal genre?

JF: No- paranormal and fantasy is my niche.

8)      Did you always want to be a writer? Was there someone who inspired you to pick up a pen and start creating worlds?

JF: I always wanted to be a writer—I started when I was 13 years old. The only people who inspired me were the authors I read every day.

9)      Will there be another NIGHTWALKER book?

JF: There’ll be one more, the last book. It’s called FORGIVEN.

10)   Is there anything you have in the way of advice for aspiring and up and coming authors?

JF: Just don’t give up! Keep trying. Take chances. If I had done those things, I would have been published a lot sooner than I was.

11)   What’s your favorite part of living in North Carolina?

JF: Beautiful mountains, beautiful weather…what’s not to love?

12)   I heard a rumor you have some ‘sexier’ writings out there, can you tell me about them?

JF: You might want to check out the books I write as “Jax.”

13)   I like to do a lightning round, so these are quick questions

a.       Light or Dark Dark

b.      Coke or Pepsi Pepsi

c.       Football or Baseball Baseball

d.      Pool or Beach Beach

e.      Winter or Summer Winter

f.        Superman or Batman Batman

g.       Books or Ebooks Ebooks

h.      Movies or Television Movies

i.        Camping or Resort Resort

Thank you so much for this interview. I can’t wait for your next novel!

You’re welcome! Anytime!

An Interview with NYTimes Best Selling Author Angela Knight

Since this is a blog about things Jen and I love this post is about one of my author idols. I can't remember when I picked up my first novel of Angela Knights but let me just say, its a day that I am grateful for! Her writing is fantastic and I am so captivated when I dive into her world.

Last July, (2013) I had the opportunity to travel to Vegas for a writing convention where I just so happened to run into her at the book fair and yeah, totally got my photo with her. After of course, I wigged out and made a total fan girl mess of myself!

She was super nice about the whole thing and signed one of her media items for me (since I was a spaz and left my book of hers on my desk at home!)

So on a whim, I emailed her asking if I could interview her and she said yes! How lucky am I, right?

So with out further delay, here is my fan girl big moment of April - an Interview with Angela Knight!

Ms. Knight, thank you so much for agreeing to let me interview you. You’re the first author that I have followed for years that I get to interview and I am just so touched you said yes! First thing I want to ask you, where do all of your ideas come from? I know that it is said inspiration hits in any place but is there something specific you do to give you such range in your writing?

AK: I am thrilled you asked me, not to mention touched.

My ideas come from all kinds of places. I read  a lot of books and watch a lot of movies and television. Often I'll find something about a character that intrigues me, and I'll think about how to spin that idea in an entirely different direction. For example, I was watching a Bond movie -- one of the Pierce Brosnan ones -- and he was doing something wildly improbable. I thought, "That would be a lot more believable if he we a vampire." So I got the idea for a vampire secret agent who had been working for the American government since George Washington hired him during the Revolutionary War. That book became MASTER OF THE NIGHT, the first Mageverse novel.

My favorite series of yours is the Mageverse world … HOW did you come up with that? Every time I read your novels those suck me in for weeks! 

AK: Thank you so much! The core of the Mageverse comes from two of my childhood/teenage passions: King Arthur and vampires. So I thought, "What if Arthur WAS a vampire?" But I didn't want to do the standard vampire rules, so I spent a couple of days brainstorming how to create my vampires and what rules limited their strengths. I decided that sex was the key to transforming a man into a vampire or a woman into a witch because these were supposed to be erotic romances, and I had to come up with a reason for them to go to bed early and often.

Erotica – now that is a hot topic! What made you branch out into this and do you prefer it to your other writings?

AK: I love writing erotic romance. But I'm not really interested in doing straight erotica without a romance component, because that's just not interesting to me. I love to watch the romance develop between my couple, and find its expression through sex. I like paranormal, but if you told me I couldn't write love scenes or romance, I would really miss it.

How long does it take you to write your stories, on average, and how long (word count) are they? Do you find some series are easier than others to write?

AK: My books are 400 pages or 100,000 words long, and they take about six months. As to which series is easier, it depends on the book. Some books come really easily, but with others, it seems I really struggle. Sometimes I just get blocked, and I have to figure out how to get around the problem before I can progress. 

What about Characters, do you have a favorite of yours that always stands out above the rest, or do you love them equally? 

I really like Arthur and Gwen. Arthur can be a bastard if you piss him off, but at the same time, he's a deeply heroic character despite his temper. He would give his life in a heartbeat to save innocents. 

Do you plot out all of your story lines or does it all grow organically? Do you find one way easier than the other? 

I have to plot my books. Otherwise I get completely stuck and can't write at all. I need to really know what comes next.

How old were you when you first started reading?

I was in the second grade--but I started writing in the third. My first book was the MOUSE WHO WENT TO THE MOON, which I wrote in pencil and illustrated in crayon. 

And do you have a favorite author? 

Nora Roberts/JD Robb. I also love JR Ward and Jim Butcher, as well as Patricia Briggs.

When looking back over your career is there anything you wish you had tried but didn't? 

Urban fantasy. I love urban fantasy. I would like to give that a shot someday.

Any advice for new authors that strive to be like you? 

Don't be too hard on yourself. You have to believe in yourself, because otherwise you can keep yourself from finishing ANYTHING. Remember you can't publish a book you don't finish!

I always do a rapid question round whenever I do interviews so please forgive me but I just HAD to know some of these answers. You have been one of my favorite authors for so long that some of these I have been wondering about for a while.

Lightening round….

Male POV or Female POV which do you prefer to write: That's tough. Male, I guess, though I like both. 

Short Stories or Novels, which do you read. Novels.

Ebook or Print: I'm coming to really like ebooks.

Louisa May Alcott or Charles Dickens. Dickens.

Reading at the Beach or Reading in the Mountains Beach.