ASMSG Scifi Fantasy Paranormal Emagazine April 2015 | Page 21

JK: Hello! Thank you for having me.
I’m going to share the unexpected and
odd experience overall of being a writer.
I had no idea that writing full-time
would consume my life – I’m not
talking about just the hours involved,
but the mental part of writing. I have
forgotten to cook dinner multiple times
and ignored my house for weeks
because I have a million writerly
thoughts swirling around my head. I’ve
never been like that before. I’m in my
3rd year of writing full time and this
“writer brain” syndrome seems to be
getting worse. I love writing more than
anything I’ve ever done before —
which is saying a lot because I loved my
previous job — but being an author is a
strange bubble to live in. The writer
brain is hard to turn off so I can focus
on other things. I try to take 1-2 days
off a week and that really helps and
allows me spend quality time with my
family, and do something other than sit
in front of my computer. This
behavioral change has been extremely
unexpected. I don’t regret it, but it’s
taking some time to get used to.
Maer: That’s really interesting, Jody. As
another “new” writer, I found the same
thing happened to me. Do you use beta
readers and, if so, what qualities do you
look for in a beta?

JK: Angel Dreams is Book 2 in the An
Angel Falls series. (It can also be a standalone novel.) There are 4 novels total in
this series and the last 2 books are
already written. I hope the readers will
love the new novel and want to know
what happens with Juliana and
Nathaniel, because the ending of the
series is worth getting to.
Maer: Which character, other than
Juliana, is one of your favorites to write
and why?
JK: In Angel Dreams, I would have to say
that Corrine is my favorite character.
She’s young and terribly desperate.
Desperate enough to want to end her
own life. She’s a mystery too, because a
lot of the problems she’s having are
totally out of her control and she
doesn’t have anyone to help her…that
is, until she meets up with Juliana.
Her odd sexual tendencies, physical
problems — I don’t want to give away
too much — and her abusive demonwielding warlock stepfather play a huge
part of why she is so miserable. Corrine
is a complicated girl with an amazing
and supernatural talent for finding
precious metals and stones. She wasn’t
necessarily a fun character to write,
more like heartbreaking, but very
interesting.

JK: I have a few beta readers and oddly
enough they do different things for me.
I really want to hear their first
impression of the novel. Did it grab
them and keep them turning pages late
into the night? I really appreciate any
and all feedback, but if they can help
point out plot issues or anything
confusing to them as reader, I find that
very helpful. Grammar, punctuation,
and word choice can be helpful as well.

JK: I have two main characters so
purple for Juliana – it’s her favorite
color! And graphite for Nathaniel – it
matches his eyes.

Maer: What is a one-line synopsis for
your book?

Maer: Who are your favorite authors
to read?

JK: Supernatural boundaries will be
crossed as Angel of Death, Nathaniel
Evans, risks his eternal soul to save the
one he loves, the paranormally gifted
and nature-loving, Juliana Crowson.

JK: I’m a huge fan of Diana Gabaldon,
Tony Hillerman, Anne Rice, and Edgar
Allan Poe. My taste in books is
extremely eclectic. I’ve read just about
every genre and found something that I
love.

Maer: I know the answer but, for our
readers, is this a stand-alone or part of a
series?

Maer: Sounds fascinating. I loved Death
Lies Between Us, and this one sounds just
as good. If you had to pick a color to
describe Juliana what would that be and
why?

JK:Thanks for asking. I’m working on
something entirely new for me. I can’t
tell you the name of my current WIP
(because it will probably change by the
time it is released), but I can tell you
that it is a contemporary coming-of-age
novel about a 19-year-old girl living in
the world of performance arts and sideshow acts. My main character has to
discover her inner strength and personal
power as she faces the many challenges
of an alternative lifestyle, including
traveling on the road with a band,
breaking up with her boyfriend,
homelessness, dysfunctional family
members, and finding the real meaning
of love.
Maer: Sounds like another wonderful
read! So. Jody, what do you do when
you’re not writing?
JK: Hmm…I thought being a writer
meant that you work 24/7. Only
kidding. Even though I can’t turn off
the writer brain, my body does require
that I participate in other activities. I
love to hike and play with my dogs, but
being a mom takes up the majority of
my time, so I’m often doing things like
playing at the park and swimming in the
summer, or sledding and ice skating in
the winter. I also teach Hatha yoga.
Maer: What influenced you to write in
your genre? Do you write in others?
JK: Oh geez…I have oodles of real-life
experience with the paranormal and
supernatural. I’ve been fascinated with
the afterlife, spiritual teachings, and the
metaphysical since I was a kid. It only
made sense to write a novel about
angels, ghosts, and shamanism when I
sat down to pen my first novel.
Maer: Awesome. What music, if any,
do you like to listen to while writing?
JK: I love music and always have. I
listen to a wide variety of music, but
alternative rock and indie music are my
favorites. I love discovering new bands
that move my soul and I am usually on
the lookout for new bands that I
haven’t heard before.

Maer: Can you share a bit about the
project you’re working on now?

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