Saturday 8 June 2013

Author Interview - Jadie Jones



Georgia native Jadie Jones first began working for a horse farm at twelve years old, her love of horses matched only by her love of books. She went on to acquire a B.A. in equine business management, and worked for competitive horse farms along the east coast. The need to write followed wherever she went. She currently coaches a hunt seat equitation team that competes in the Interscholastic Equestrian Association, and lives with her family in the foothills of north Georgia. When she's not working on the next installment of the Moonlit series, she is either in the saddle or exploring the great outdoors with her daughter. Moonlit is her first book.

Tell us a bit about your family. My husband and I have a two year old daughter named Marin. She is truly the light of our lives. My husband is a doctor who specializes in diabetic limb salvage and foot reconstruction. We have a two year old daughter named Marin. She is the light of our lives. She is best buddies with our pound dog named Charley Brown. He mopes when she’s not home.

What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why? “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." - Philo of Alexandria. Kindness is my #1 rule. It’s practically my religion. We have no idea what someone else has been through, what fears are circling their minds like sharks. Life is hard and unforgiving. It is so important to treat each other with patience, respect, and grace.

What genre are you most comfortable writing? I really enjoyed exploring the fantastical elements in Moonlit, which are more prevalent in the sequel (and will dominate the third book.) It’s so liberating when literally anything I can think in my mind can become reality, even if just on paper.

Have you ever had writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it? I’ve gone several rounds with writer’s block. Either I’ve written myself into a corner and I have to cut and redirect my characters, or my mind is short-circuiting and I can’t make my character do something as simple as move from one room to another. In that case, I use one of Anne Lamott’s tricks. She has an empty picture frame on her desk and she imagines the setting, and describes word for word what she sees in the scene to help her see it from all sides. Or I write a short story from that blocked point and intentionally kill off the main character just to get some juices flowing.

Can you tell us about your main character? Tanzy Hightower is a small town farm girl with an epic past. Fiercely independent, dark hair and eyes, tough, hard-working, not afraid to get her hands dirty, sensitive interior, not a girl of many words, gifted rider, keeps her cards close, burning for and terrified of making connections that matter.

Who is your publisher? My publisher is WiDo Publishing, a small press located in Utah. My experience with them has been amazing. They take their authors and books seriously, and I received a tremendous education during the editing process.

Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it? With the first book, I was terrified to let anyone read it. What if they hate it? What if they think I’m crazy? Going through the editing process made me much more willing to make mistakes, and to just go for it and fix it later if it’s terrible. I am not nearly as afraid of failing with the sequel – not because I don’t think I’ll make mistakes, but because mistakes don’t seem so scary anymore.

How important do you think villains are in a story? The villain is everything. Typically, the villain sets up the “why” of the story; it’s the villain’s responsibility to draw tight the proverbial noose. So the villain and his/her goals have to be just as tangible and well thought out as the main character and his/her goals. I really like to explore the gray areas of “good guys” and “bad guys.” Every main character will make decisions that could be deemed good or bad.

Can we expect any more books from you in the future? I am submitting the sequel to Moonlit to my publisher this month, and then I will begin work on the third and final book in the Moonlit trilogy. I’m toying with the idea of doing a few spinoffs, and exploring the past lives of other main characters. In September, I will appear in “Indiestructible,” which is a collection of essays from authors who are with small publishers or who self-published. All of the proceeds will be donated directly to BuildOn, which is a NFP that works to break the cycle of illiteracy and poverty.


Do you have any advice for writers? Never let someone else talk you out of it. If you want it, you have to make it a spot on your own priority list or it won’t get done. This usually means writing when it’s inconvenient (like me, who writes from 8pm – 12am or later.) Do it anyway. And when you’ve hit a stall, read, read, read.

  
Moonlit Eighteen-year-old Tanzy Hightower knows horses, has grown up with them on Wildwood Farm. She also knows not to venture beyond the trees that line the pasture. Things happen out there that can’t be explained. Or undone. Worse, no one but she and the horses can see what lurks in the shadows of the woods. When a moonlit ride turns into a terrifying chase, Tanzy is left to question everything, from the freak accident that killed her father to the very blood in her veins. Broken and confused, she turns to Lucas, a scarred, beautiful stranger, and to Vanessa, a charming new friend who has everything Tanzy doesn’t. But why do they seem to know more about her than she knows herself?


    Praise "Virginia's trees look like they're burning. Most of them blaze crimson or gold, but some still have a chokehold on their green. I wish they'd give it up already. Leaves are more beautiful when they're dying." And so Moonlit begins. From here the story rolls from one twist to another with many vivid characters whose motives are hard to predict. I found myself being suspicious of everyone, wanting to tell Tanzy to be very careful. The deeper I fell into the plot, the more questions kept rising to the surface. But not to worry, all of my questions were answered. Appropriate for all ages, if you love paranormal fantasy mixed with suspense, mystery and other-worldly romance, you'll love this novel! ~Author Julie Ford  

Prologue The first anniversary of my father’s death was even harder on my mother. Back then, I thought she was haunted most by what she didn’t know. I refused to blame her when she raged above me on our staircase that night, drunk and sad and angry. When she made me promise I’d never ride again. When she hurled a half-full bottle of vodka at my face and it exploded on the wooden stairs at my feet. I hadn’t tried to get out of the way. She had just missed. I wanted to tell her that knowledge was no solace, that what you know can burn inside you until there’s nothing left but guilt and ash. I also wanted to protect her from losing the only piece of him she had left. So I didn’t say a word.

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Books Sold - 6 Nov 2011 to 31 May 2012

Some of you have asked me for my total number of books sold to evaluate KDP Select so here it is. Bear in mind, that results will vary based on genre and author. Good luck and remember, Keep Moving Forward.

Total - 120,836

1. Excuse Me, My Brains Have Stepped Out
Amazon Kindle - 42,559
Paperback -
Smashwords -

2. Frequent Traveller
Amazon Kindle - 35277
Paperback -
Smashwords -

3. Dora's Essentials - Books, Blogs & Smiles 1
Amazon Kindle - 462
Smashwords -

4. Mirror Me Martha (Short Story)
Amazon Kindle - 281
Smashwords -

5. Drive On Hope (Short Story)
Amazon Kindle - 190
Smashwords -

6. Blog-A-Licious Directory 2012
Amazon Kindle - 1
Smashwords -

7. Pandora's Reading Room 1
Amazon Kindle -
Paperback - N/A

8. The Cat That Barked (Short Story)
Amazon Kindle -

9. Dora's Essentials - Examining Anxiety
Amazon Kindle -

10. Dora's Essentials - Books, Blogs & Smiles 2
Amazon Kindle -

11. Elevenses from Around the World
Amazon Kindle -

12. Genetically Modified Foods vs. Sustainability
Amazon Kindle -

Blog-A-Licius - Sherbet Blossom

SherbetBlossom

Blog-A-Licious

Dealightfully Frugal

Blog-A-Licious - The Few, The Proud, The Wife

Blog-A-Licious

My Soul Slippers

Blog-A-Licous - Textbook Mommy

Blog-A-Licious - Blue Frogs Legs

Blog-A-Licious - Pretty All True

Pretty All True

Blog-A-Licious - tbaoo

tbaoo

Blog-A-Licious

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Blog-A-Licious - The Invisible Art

Blog-A-Licious - Rediscovering Domesticity

Rediscovering Domesticity

Blog-A-Licious - Quiver Full

Blog-A-Licious - Cori's Big Mouth

Blog-A-Licious - Great Fun

Greatfun4kids

Blog-A-Licious - Busy Wife

Blog-A-Licious - Steps To Happiness

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Blog-A-Licious - Toby & Max


Blog-A-Licious - Amelie

Raising Amelie

Blog-A-Licious - Peas In A Pod

Blog-A-Licious - Riley

Blognostics - Poetry

BlogNostics

My Awards - September 2010

My Awards - September 2010
Awarded By Jo Frances

My Awards - May 2011

My Awards - May 2011
Awarded By Alejandro Guzman

My Awards - May 2011

My Awards - May 2011
Awarded by Kriti Mukherjee

My Awards - April 2011

My Awards - April 2011
Awarded By Roy Durham

My Awards - June 2011

My Awards - June 2011
Awarded By Sulekha Rawat

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