Author Interview with Will Thomas by Jerelyn (I-F-Letty)

Jerelyn: Will Thomas is one of my personal PBS success stories, I saw his book The Hellfire Conspiracy and wanted to read it.  One of the things I have learned when finding anything on PBS is to check the back list, I realized that the book was fourth in the series.  So I ordered the first book and when it came, devoured it.  Then of course I had to have the others.  There are so far five books in the series beginning with Some Danger Involved.  So please let me introduce you to Will Thomas, author and creator of  the Barker and Llewelyn  Mystery Series.

Mr. Thomas thank-you for agreeing to this interview.

I always wonder if writing isn’t more of a vocation than an occupation.  Is this how it is in your case?

Will Thomas: If by vocation you mean a strong internal inclination, then I certainly agree.  A novel is the pearl in my shell that I can’t help adding to layer by layer.  If I didn’t have that bit of grit to begin with, I’d probably have to inject it there myself.

Jerelyn: Was it always your intention to become a writer?

Will Thomas: My first interest was theater, but eventually I grew tired of acting in other people’s plays.  By that time, I’d had several pieces published, so I got an English degree and began working on my first novel.  Why not a play?  Because I know that novel will still be on a shelf somewhere a century from now.

Jerelyn: One of the members after reading your first book said that it had a “strong Sherlock Holmes flavor”.  Is this a fair statement?

Will Thomas: It’s funny how no one ever says Conan Doyle has a “strong Will Thomas flavor.”  Actually, I grew up among the various Sherlock Holmes societies and might be writing pastiches now if I hadn’t reached critical mass.  I became a purist, believing that only Doyle can render Holmes perfectly.  By that time, I’d memorized Victorian London minutely.  I had to do something with that knowledge.

Jerelyn: Why did you choose to write mysteries, and why this time period?

Will Thomas: One writes what one loves to read.  There was no question in my mind that I would write a mystery.  As for the Victorian Era, I don’t believe one chooses it.  It chooses you.

Jerelyn: I love your characters will you tell us about Cyrus Barker, and Thomas Llewelyn?

Will Thomas: Cyrus is six foot two, two hundred ten pounds of muscle, trained in martial arts, and covered in tattoos from various secret societies.  He’s a Scot who grew up on the streets of China, forced to wear dark spectacles to hide his European ancestry.  He was a soldier, a ship’s captain and a prize fighter from somewhere (he won’t tell me).  He returned to Britain with a fortune and became a private enquiry agent in Craig’s Court, Whitehall.  He is a Baptist, and permanently engaged to a widow who lives in Sussex.  He’s known in London for throwing himself completely into whatever case he is investigating.

Thomas Llewelyn is Barker’s assistant, and at twenty, is half his age.  He’s already spent time in prison, unjustly, and took the position because it was the only one offered to him.  He’s only five foot four, but a good looking lad.  Women are his Achilles heel.  He tends to put them on a pedestal, where they generally fall off, to his chagrin.  He uses humor to hide a sensitive nature, and while he talks a blue streak, he thinks still more.  Before becoming a detective, his chief aim in life was to be a don or a poet.  If left alone, he would read in a chair for the rest of his life.

Jerelyn: Intellectually, I know that London was, and is a great international city, but the history of the immigrant groups that did most of the work of the empire have gone unsung.  Why have you decided to intertwine their histories into your work?

Will Thomas: Each successive wave of immigrants adds a new flavor to the melting pot, a term invented by Israel Zangwill, who I have written as Llewelyn’s best friend.  Who isn’t intrigued by Limehouse or Little Italy or the Jewish quarter?  These are where crimes were committed and revolutions begun.  A private enquiry agent living in London would need to know every street and the languages of the inhabitants, or he’s no better than a common beat constable, who sees things imperfectly.  Ethnicity is the garlic in the marinara, and the powder in the curry.

Jerelyn: Do you see any parallels between the modern day and the late Victorian period?

Will Thomas: I see nothing but parallels.  All the “isms” of today’s society: terrorism, anti-Semitism, Socialism, Communism, etc., got their start in the 1880’s.  Whenever one of my books is published, I’m able to go to the local headlines and find the subject I wrote about is still occurring.  Often, it’s thriving.

Jerelyn: You pretty much tell Llewelyn’s story from the beginning, but Barker’s emerges more slowly and by book five he is still mysterious.  Are you still discovering Barker yourself?

Will Thomas: Barker is still revealing himself to me or rather I’m still discovering things about him.  He’s not really helpful in that matter.  From the beginning, Thomas has been fully available, but then he’s changing.  Barker’s character is set, but being revealed, like peeling the layers of an onion.  He reveals himself at the oddest moments as I write.

Jerelyn: You really get the socio-political mood of London at this time period.  What kind of research brought you to your view of London in the last part of the 19th century?

Will Thomas: The trick to making a modern reader care about an obscure English law or movement is to make a character suffer unjustly because of it.  It’s not as if we’ve perfected society since then, so we can relate to whatever a character has been put through.  I like dealing with firsts: the first bombing by political terrorists; the first child kidnapped by white slavers; the first recorded serial killer.  It is up to the writer to give the reader something recognizable to hold onto.

Jerelyn: Barker is very much a man of many contradictory parts he is very Zen but then a warrior.  I know that you have an interest in the martial arts of this period will you tell us about this I find it fascinating.

Will Thomas: I began martial arts when I was fourteen and still attend classes every week.  When I first began Some Danger Involved the art I wanted to use, Bartitsu, no longer existed.  I created a forum to help locate the original materials, with the help of Tony Wolf and dozens of other historical martial artists, and we’ve been able to compile the Bartitsu Compendium, Parts I and II and film a documentary.  It really has taken on a life of its own.

Jerelyn: Then there is Harm, would you like to introduce us to Harm?  I kind of see him as Barker in a fur coat.

Will Thomas: Harm is a black Pekingese, brought illegally from the Forbidden City.  Pekingese (I have three around my ankles as I write) are generally one person dogs, and as far as Harm is concerned, Llewelyn is not that person.  Harm is one of the challenges he must face every day, and there is the hope someday that the dog will bend and accept him and stop biting his ankles.  But I doubt it.

Jerelyn: Thomas has suffered a great deal; what drew Barker to him?

Will Thomas: Thomas Llewelyn is an Everyman.  His lack of size and an occasional hang-dog attitude makes him nondescript.  Other men don’t give him a second thought.  However, he’s very intelligent, and has a wealth of information stored in his brain.  Also, he is being trained in various skills by Barker which allows him to compensate for his size.  In each novel, he becomes more competent, and is on his way to becoming a top notch enquiry agent.

Jerelyn: Are there any parts of Barker or Llewelyn in you?

Will Thomas: It’s more like are there any parts of either that aren’t me.  Llewelyn is much like I was in my twenties, highly voluble and sensitive.  Barker is an idealized version, how I would like to be, if only I could.  Actually, much of Barker’s character is borrowed from my father, especially the gravelly voice.

Jerelyn: How did you come to know late 19th century London so well?  I mean parts survived the blitz but so much has been lost?

Will Thomas: Obviously, I read a lot of Victorian history and literature.  I like to collect books on London from the 1910’s and 20’s, prior to the war, books by authors such as Sax Rohmer, Thomas Burke, and H.V. Morton.  I especially like the dialogue.  The English language has evolved since then, so the books become a kind of time capsule.

Jerelyn: Barker is Scots and Llewelyn is Welsh, both were groups looked down upon by the English is that why you chose their nationalities?

Will Thomas: First of all, detective work was one of the few trades available to Scotsmen.  Thank Alan Pinkerton, for example.  Many of the people Barker associates with at Scotland Yard are Scots, as well.  As for Llewelyn, he is a storyteller through his DNA.  The main reason I’ve had them be a Scot and a Welshman, however, is that it makes them outsiders, and thus able to voice some of the criticisms concerning the problems of the age, such as Imperialism and xenophobia.

Jerelyn: I love the supporting characters it seems that Barker likes taking in strays, do you have a favorite supporting character?

Will Thomas: You’ve hit the nail on the head.  Barker does take in strays, many of whom have seen time in jail.  I have trouble keeping his chef, Etienne Dummolard, from taking over each novel.  He roams about the kitchen in Newington every morning like an ill-mannered bear, smoking innumerable cigarettes and experimenting with recipes while his wife opens their restaurant.  He likes Barker’s all-male household.

Jerelyn: What is up next ?  I am anxiously awaiting the new novel.

Will Thomas: I’m working on the next Barker and Llewelyn novel and also have part of the next one done, as well.  If you’ve been keeping an eye on the year in each novel, we are getting closer and closer to the day of Jack the Ripper.

Jerelyn: Will you be branching out from Barker and Llewelyn?

Will Thomas: There is a certain gentleman waiting his turn in the queue.  Well, come to think of it, he’s not much of a gentleman, and he isn’t very patient, but he’ll have to wait his turn nonetheless.

Jerelyn: When you get a chance to read for pleasure what and who do you read?

Will Thomas: I love reading about the Victorian Era, but I tend to study more obscure places such as Meiji Era Japan or Colonial Hawaii or Indian Territory.  I never thought of myself as a political writer, but the injustices I read about make me want to seize my pen and write.  Grrr!

Jerelyn: Do you feel comfortable with all the marketing authors have to do now to see their books get noticed?

Will Thomas: It’s part of being a writer these days, but at the same time the blogging, tweeting, and face booking slows the writing process.  It’s all too easy to lose the rhythm, not to mention half an hour trolling the internet.  Wasn’t it originally designed to speed the process along?

Jerelyn: How do you feel about sites like PaperBackSwap.com?

Will Thomas: Sites like yours are a boon to authors as well as readers who want to know who to read next.  It’s better than word of mouth.  I appreciate getting the opportunity to speak to a larger audience and tell them about Barker and Llewelyn.

Jerelyn: Are you a fan of e-readers?

Will Thomas: E-readers are certainly convenient in this day and age where convenience is everything, but they just don’t go with a pipe and smoking jacket, you know?

Jerelyn: What books did you read to your children, and what was your favorite book as a child and teen?

Will Thomas: My wife, Julia, and I read to our daughters from Beatrix Potter and A.A. Milne.  I liked the way our eldest daughter lisped the word “disconsolately” from The Tale of Jeremy Fisher at two years old.  My favorite books as a teen were The Hound of the Baskervilles and Kidnapped. Around that time, I also discovered Dickens and devoured everything he’d written.  Doyle, Stevenson, and Dickens are giants, as far as I’m concerned.

Jerelyn: Thanks Mr. Thomas for giving us a bit of your time.  For those interested in reading more about Will Thomas http://www.willthomasauthor.com/ or on face book http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=100001223661952

Will Thomas books in date order:

Some Danger Involved

To Kingdom Come

The Limehouse Text

The Hellfire Conspiracy

The Black Hand

Will Thomas has generously offered a copy of The Hellfire Conspiracy to a member who comments on this interview. A winner will be chosen at random. Good Luck!

Interview with Emery Lee by Jerelyn (I-F-Letty)

Emery Lee is a new novelist who came to my attention through a friend who had reviewed her book for her blog, and on Amazon.  Also Emery hosted an online 24 hour party on Facebook that I was invited to.  It was a great deal of fun.  Virtual period costumes, prizes, virtual drinks and polls.  Book chat, lots and lots of book chat.

Her debut novel The Highest Stakes is first a love story, set around horse racing in Georgian England and Colonial America between 1741 and 1751.  Ms. Lee is a lifelong equestrienne and history buff who loves a good romance.  I knew very little about horse racing the sport of kings where wagering could often make or break fortunes.  Within this story is the War for Austrian Succession, the continuing Jacobite threat to the Hanoverian King George of England, (The last English King to ride into battle.) Ms. Lee explains it with grace and ease.  Her second novel is due to be released in November, but more about that later.

Jerelyn: Thank you Emery for joining us on the PBS blog today.

First will you tell us a bit about yourself?

Emery: Happily! Although I only began writing in 2008, I have been an avid reader, history buff, and horse lover my entire life. I am still a horse owner, am married for 28 years to a wonderful man who has blessed me with two loving sons. We currently live in NE Georgia.

Jerelyn: Who are your writing influences?

Emery: I have always loved the 18^th and 19^th century classics (Dickens, Thackeray, Austen, the Bronte sisters and … of course Henry Fielding) and fell in love with the historical romances of Georgette Heyer as I was growing up. I believe this combination of authors most influenced me.

Jerelyn: You’re really able to convey the Georgian mind set, what is the most difficult part of this for you?

Emery: It took an incredible amount of time and discipline to research my first novel, and to develop what I felt was an appropriate voice for this story and setting. Because there is nothing I dislike more than reading a “historical” novel that is written in a contemporary voice, or one which adopts modern cultural mores, I made it my mission to immerse myself in the time period I chose to write about. This meant the Georgian era itself, as well as the horse-racing world. I used numerous original 18^th century sources such as letters and memoirs to adopt the appropriate speech patterns and vocabulary of my characters, as well as pouring over history books and 18^th century journals, to learn as much as possible about the world in which my characters lived.

Jerelyn: You have a philosophy about what some call Historical Romance, Historical Fiction and newly described, the Romantic Historical.  Will you explain the difference?

Emery: A Historical Romance according to ROMANCE WRITERS OF AMERICA is a central love story in which the plot revolves around two individuals falling in love and struggling to make the relationship work. Although the author may include other elements and subplots (such as suspense) the romance between two protagonists must always remain the focus of the novel. Additionally, a romance MUST have an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending. (Happy ever after)

Historical Fiction can take many forms. It can be biographical, such as a fictionalized account of a real person, or it can be a fictionalized account of a real event in history in which real characters play a part. In either case, the author takes what is known about the people or event through the historical record, and uses his or her imagination to bring the story to life through the characters- whether real, or fictional, or a combination of both.

In Romantic Historical Fiction we see these genres converge. The novel can be biographical, or can include a real historical event (such as a war) but a romantic relationship between real or fictional characters must play an integral role in the overall story, although the plot is not limited to the romance itself. There can be many characters and the story does not require a happy ending. Two excellent examples would be Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, and An Infamous Army by Georgette Heyer (a romantic story set during the Battle of Waterloo).

I like to think RHF encompasses novels that engage the emotions as well as the intellect.

Jerelyn: How did The Highest Stakes come about?

Emery: I can only call it a gift from above!  Seriously.

Although I loved to read and had done a good bit of technical writing over my professional career, I had never attempted anything, and honestly hadn’t a clue that I had any aptitude for it. But one day an idea for a story struck me and just wouldn’t leave. It would converge three of my lifetime loves- history, horses and romance. I began dreaming scenes for this story and finally told a friend about it. She said “Well- write it!” I said “I don’t know how!” But she wouldn’t let me off the hook, so I began researching and writing, and finished fourteen months later.

At that time, I didn’t know any writers. I didn’t have an agent, and was really even afraid to show it anyone, but I also knew that I had put too much heart and soul into the manuscript to do nothing with it. So… I began to send out email queries. Within a month I heard back from Sourcebooks acquiring editor, Deb Werksman, who was very interested in the manuscript. The rest, as they say, is history.

Jerelyn: Can you tell us about Robert and Charlotte?

Emery: Robert and Charlotte are star crossed lovers whose mutual passion for equines is only eclipsed by their passion for one another! Although they are fictional characters, they were largely inspired by another pair of horse crazy young lovers – Jim Craig and Jessica Harrison in one of my all time favorite films, THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER.

Jerelyn: Your research about horse racing must have been monumental.  Let alone what was a fractious time in European history.   What is your favorite part about researching for your novels?

Emery: I am truly compulsive about research- sometimes to the point that I paralyze myself from actually writing!  I always feel that I don’t know enough!

Having said this, I also feel that this is at sets me apart and makes me shine as a historical author – the obsession with the details that truly bring the world to life. In THE HIGHEST STAKES, this meant knowing the horses, the blood lines, the race courses, the training methods- every aspect of the 18^th century turf world. Because the story is set in both England and Colonial Virginia, it was very important to contrast the two environments as well.

Jerelyn: I was struck by how well you explained life in the Calvary. You do an admirable job in explaining the martial and logistical aspects, without bogging down the story.  Was it as difficult as it seems it would be?

Emery: This was indeed very challenging, but again, it all goes back to the research. I didn’t just read history books but read firsthand accounts of battles, cavalry life, and even actual training manuals for the cavalry. Google books were an invaluable resource, providing me with dozens of out of print books (from the 18^th and 19^th centuries!) that I relied heavily upon.

Jerelyn: I was fascinated by the record keeping, not only of the horse’s blood lines but the races themselves.  Will you tell us about this?

Emery: Amazingly, I was able to find records of specific horses and the races they ran from as far back as the early 1700s! The aristocrats of the Georgian age were obsessive about their horses and kept amazing records- especially the results of the Royal Plate races.

I was thrilled to actually find this information. Other amazing resources were the web sites ThoroughbredHeritage.com and thoroughbredbloodlines.net.

Jerelyn: You have horses of your own do you spend a lot of time with them?

Emery: Regrettably not as much as I used to since my kids have grown and lost interest. At one time we owned six horses. I trained my own and taught all the members of my family to ride. I still own two, a lovely grey Arabian, and a handsome palomino quarter horse. I’m currently training the latter to pull a cart- something I’ve always wanted to do!

Jerelyn: Your second book is coming out in November I have heard it is a sequel, will you tell us about this?

Emery: Absolutely!!! I am incredibly excited about FORTUNE’S SON! It is actually more of a prequel than a sequel to THE HIGHEST STAKES, although does tie up some very loose ends! Here’s a brief description:

Passion, drama and excitement fill the pages of my follow-up to THE HIGHEST STAKES. Set deep in the world of 18th century gaming, FORTUNE’S SON immerses the reader in a time and place where nothing is sacred and virtually anything might be wagered on the turn of a card, or a roll of the dice.

Beginning with their first chance meeting over a Hazard table, and with motives known only to themselves, FORTUNE’S SON chronicles the tumultuous romantic journey between a young but seasoned gamester and a widowed courtier, who refuses to be the next Royal Mistress regardless of the cost.

Experiencing the agonies and ecstasies of the gaming tables, Philip Drake and Lady Susannah Messingham precariously navigate their way in the high-stakes world of card sharps, courtesans, and the intriguers of Georgian England. As their tale of passion and drama plays out, they are led through hardship, heartbreak and loss before final culmination in redemption and enduring love.

With romance, a bit of adventure, and the excitement of gaming coupled with a supporting cast of the wits, gamesters, sporting men, and roués of Georgian England, I promise great fun and a riveting read!

Jerelyn: Many authors now days have to keep their day jobs, with writing and marketing as second and third job.  Why do you feel so compelled to write?

Emery: I was still working full time when I wrote my first two books and am amazed that I functioned on as little sleep as I did, but it truly is a fever in one’s blood! I used to get home at about 6Pm, throw dinner on the table and lock myself in my office by 7PM. I would stay up regularly until at least midnight and sometimes until 3 or 4Am if it was a weekend. It was all-consuming. Now that I am no longer working a full time job, the discipline comes a bit harder to me, but I do hope to be able to write much faster. (THS took 14 months, FS took about 10 months. I hope to be able to complete my current manuscript in 6-8 months.

Jerelyn: What do you like best and least about writing?

Emery: I HATE writer’s block but we all get it. I generally try to write at least 1,000 words per day but can sometimes go weeks without being able to produce a sentence!  When this happens, I now try to go into “deep” research mode until I come across something amazing that kicks me back into gear.

What I like best about writing is that feeling of pure giddiness I get when I discover some obscure thing that I wasn’t even searching for that works beautifully into my story.

Jerelyn: Were you one of those horse mad girls, with ponies everywhere?

Emery: Very horse mad! It kept me away from boys for years!

Jerelyn: Do you have any auto-buy authors, what do you like to read?

Emery: I love to read history (fiction and non- fiction) and historical romance.

I have so very many authors I like that I would hate to leave any out!

I will say I’ve read almost all of Georgette Heyer’s romances (Venetia is my favorite).

Among many others, I love Loretta Chase, Lisa Kleypas, Madeline Hunter, Jane Feather, Diane Gaston, Laura Kinsale, and Judith James and Elizabeth Hoyt.  These are all great romance authors who also do a fabulous job with historical detail. As to historical fiction and romantic historical fiction, some of my favorites are Diana Gabaldon, Elizabeth Chadwick, Karleen Koen, Ciji Ware, and my friend Christy English.

Jerelyn: Have you heard of PaperBackSwap, and what are your feelings about such sites?

Emery: I have and am actually a member. I think it’s fabulous for finding favorite out of print books. I only wish the hard-working authors received royalties on used book as well as new books.

Jerelyn: I am also interested in your views on e-readers?  Do you think they will be the death of printed books?

Emery: I really sat the fence on e-reader until I got one for Christmas. Although I’ll never give up my print books, I LOVE the convenience of my Kindle.  I recently discovered it can sit comfortably on the “lip” of the elliptical machine. I’ve now been able to increase my workout from 30 minutes to an hour!

Jerelyn: Congratulations and best of luck with Fortune’s Son!

Emery: Thank you! It’s been a true pleasure and I’ve very much enjoyed answering such interesting questions!

Jerelyn: I have so enjoyed this. Thank-you for taking the time and talking to us.

If you would like to read more about Emery Lee and her upcoming novel Fortune’s Son Due out in November here a link to her web site http://authoremerylee.com/ and you can also follow her on face book http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=1791903264 and Twitter (authoremerylee).

Ms. Lee has graciously offered a copy of her debut novel The Highest Stakes to be given away in a random drawing from the members who comment on this interview.

Diane G’s (icesk8tr) interview with J Monkeys, author of The Cordovan Vault

Diane G: What inspired you to write this book?

J: So the question of inspiration is a big one.  I’ve always been a writer, or at least a story creator.  As an undiagnosed ADD kid, I couldn’t sit still and do nothing or focus on stuff that I found boring (can’t even today) and I was labeled a ‘daydreamer’.  I had a very safe, mostly happy childhood, so I began to think up disasters and imagine how I would handle them.  What if that kid walking home from school behind me suddenly turned into an alien?  What would I do if I had Samantha’s powers from Bewitched?  What if there was a huge blizzard and I got stuck at work all alone?  For days.  With no food…what would I do.  Things like that.  I didn’t begin to actually write these things down until I was in college.  And I didn’t develop a full story until I was out of college.

The inspiration for The Cordovan Vault came to me because I was annoyed with my Dad. He was a member of the Masons and even when he dropped out (or whatever they call it) for personal reasons, he still wouldn’t tell me ANYTHING about that secret society.  So I thought, the heck with him, I’ll create my own secret society.  Lur Babsel and Denortus came from there and everything else followed along.

Diane: Quinn and Kayla have an interesting bond and rivalry throughout the book. Does some of this come from your own experiences?

J: I’ve certainly experienced sibling rivalry and had to work with people I didn’t like very much, but no, I’ve never had a relationship quite like Quinn and Kayla’s.  They’ll be the first to tell you that they aren’t related, of course.  And I’m excited to see how their relationship develops over the course of the story.

Diane: There are a lot of puzzles to solve in this book by Kayla, is this something you enjoyed doing as a child?

J: I’m actually not really clever enough to solve puzzles, nor am I patient enough.  I love them in other stories, the DaVinci Code and certainly the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys books.  I wanted to include them in my story and they’ll continue to be a part of this series.  It’s much easier to solve puzzles that I’ve created or adapted from things I’ve researched than to solve other people’s puzzles.

Diane: I really enjoyed the relationship between Quinn and Kayla, as well as their special advantages. Is there a reason you represented them as being so young throughout the story?

J: Thanks!  I worked hard to make their relationship seem real.  On the one hand they start out already hating each other, for years prior to the book begins, but now things have changed very quickly.  They are stuck living together, and as the story gets going, they have to work together just to stay alive.  At the same time, the story happens quickly; only two weeks pass from page 1 to page 306.  I didn’t want them to suddenly become best of friends in that short time.  That didn’t seem realistic to me.  So they still struggle with their relationship, balancing working together and the traits that have annoyed them about each other for so long.

The Advantages are their ‘super powers’ of course.  I didn’t want them to be magical or superhero-y, but they are a little different from everybody else they know, and so they have a little something extra.  An advantage, if you will.  But they don’t know how to use them, or what they can really do, or even where they come from and that’s a challenge for them.

Originally, Quinn and Kayla were older.  But as the story developed and I got input from agents and other writers, I decided that this story was at it’s heart an adventure story.  That pretty much puts it in the Middle Grade (“MG”) or Young Adult (YA”) genres, but it’s not angst-y enough to be a true YA novel.  It has more subplots than are often seen in MG books, but no drugs or sex like YA can have.  And the onscreen violence is not inappropriate for a MG reader.  So in the end, I decided that this series is in between MG and YA – an old MG or a young YA.

In the post-Harry-Potter world there is more genre-variety than there used to be, but this ‘tweener-genre doesn’t seem to have a name yet.  The ‘tweener audience would be strong 3rd grade readers to kids who are 12-ish.  And kids like to read about characters who are a little older than they are, but not too much older.  Hence, 14-year old characters.  The long answer to a short question is: It’s hard to nail down which genre the series really falls into, because there is so much gray area in defining the genres.  And the character’s age is an important factor of the book genre.  I call this series a YA adventure story with elements of the paranormal that is fit for anyone 9 to 90.  So far, more adults have read it than kids and it’s been well received.

Diane: What’s next? Do you have other books already published, and are you working on  another book?

J: What’s next? Well, lots! The Peacock Tale is Book 2 in the Livingston-Wexford Adventures. It’s a piratey adventure and should be available in September 2011.

There is a novella called The Pirate’s Mysterious Treasure that will be out around Halloween which tells the back-story of Pembroke Peacock (the pirate whose treasure Quinn and Kayla search for in Book 2).

Then The Orange Trade (Book 3) should be out in the spring of 2012 with another novella a few months after that.

I’m also working on an unrelated series of books for kindergarteners. The first of those is out (Dixie and Taco go to Grandmother’s House) and available on Createspace.com and Amazon.com. This book focuses on the sight words that kindergarteners learn – they are in blue text to make them easy to find. I’ve got the 2nd book with the illustrator now, and I’m going to write 3 more.  Then I’ll advance Dixie and Taco to first grade and write a book that relies on that reading curriculum.

Diane: Do you enjoy reading yourself? If so, what author has influenced you?

J: Do I enjoy reading?!  It’s only my very favorite thing to do in the entire world!  One reason I love my Kindle is that now I can read one handed – none of that bothersome page turning.  I have loved to read ever since I learned how to do it.  I always picture myself as the hero/heroine and books let me have the most incredible adventures.  I can go anywhere, do anything, be anyone.  I love to read.

It’s harder to say what authors have influenced me because probably every author of all the books I’ve read in my life has influenced me in some way.  Sometimes the influence comes in the form of specific writing elements that I like and hope to emulate in some way.  Other times the influence comes as a what-not-to-do type of thing.  I can’t wait to read whatever JK Rowling writes next.  I loved the Twilight books and hope Stephenie Meyer continues that story.  I like Rick Riordan’s stories, especially the Red Pyramid series.  I loved the Hardy Boys/ Nancy Drew stories as a kid, and CS Lewis’s Narnia stories.  I read mysteries, crime dramas, romance and a lot of non-fiction history.  Right now, I’m reading Jessica Andersen’s Nightkeeper series.  Loving it!

Diane: Do you have a website / blog?

J: You name it, I’ve got it.  You can find my website here (https://sites.google.com/site/booksbyjmonkeys/) or just Google me.  I’m working on updating the domain name to make it easier to find me.  I’ve got a fan page on Facebook, just search for J Monkeys and like the page.  I love to hear from readers, and that’s the best place to do it.  Leave a comment and I’ll pick one person to name a character in my next book at the end of the month.  I’m launching a new blog, called the Writing Secrets of 7 Scribes (http://secretsof7scribes.wordpress.com/) with six other authors in just a few weeks.  And I’ll be launching a YouTube Channel by the end of the summer.

Thank you Diane and J Monkeys for a great interview!

J Monkeys has generously offer an autographed first edition copy of her book, The Cordovan Vault to a member who comments on this interview. A winner will be chosen at random. Good Luck!