Hello everyone. Welcome to my second interview with American Author, Trish Jackson. A lady who certainly has stories to tell.
Trish, tell us a bit about yourself.
Hi
Claire, it's wonderful to be featured on your blog. I grew up in Zimbabwe (it was called Rhodesia
then), and moved to the US in 1990 with my husband and three wonderful children.
What bought you to the world of writing?
My mother
is a published writer and she always encouraged me to write. From time to time
I submitted my stories to publishers, but that was in the days when publishers
were the muckety muck and writers were the lowest of the low until they had
proven themselves, and rejections were the norm.
What is your first book and what do you
think of it now?
My first
book, 'Way Out of Line' was published
by a print-on-demand publisher before the Internet became part of our everyday
lives. They didn't offer any help with editing, and more recently, when my
second book was accepted by Uncial Press, I realized what a huge difference a
good editor can make. My seven-year contract with my first publisher had
expired at the time, and I submitted the manuscript to my new editor, Jude, who
made exponential changes and whipped it into something so much better than the
version I first sold.
What type of books do you write and do they
fulfil your reader’s needs?
I write
romantic suspense/thrillers and romantic comedy. They all take place in country
settings, and I always feature animals in them, which is fun. I also work hard
to make them extra emotional. My readers are down to earth, outdoorsy animal
lovers -- not the type who want to read about jet-setting millionaires fast
cars, and glitzy places.
Well that certainly shows you know your readers.
Would you like to feature a book, if so
which one? Tell us about it?
My romantic comedy, 'Backwoods Boogie' is about to be released
on November 14th. It's the third book in my Redneck P.I. Mystery Series, about
Twila Taunton, who is proud to be a redneck, her tangled love life, and the
cases she solves as a private investigator in small town USA, together with her
Harley-riding, hard-drinking Great Aunt Essie and her dog, Scratch. In 'Backwoods Boogie' she is determined to
get the British tea shop owner off a trumped-up murder charge. She brings in
computer hacker and farter of note, Gasser Cunha to access certain computer
information. In the course of her
investigation, she discovers an illegal puppy mill, where a bunch of dogs are
being abused. She calls on her long-distance lover, Harland to help rescue
them. I am an animal
advocate, and although the book is written in fun, it carries a series message
about animal abuse. This series is such a
blast to write, and I often find myself chuckling at the quirky characters and
new bizarre scenarios.
How long does it take you to write your
first draft?
My first
draft usually takes about three to four months.
Do you plot or not, if so why?
I don't
plot. I get an idea and I just start writing. If I get stuck, I go for a long
walk and think it out, and usually I can continue when I get back to my
computer. I've tried to plot, but I don't seem to be able to follow the plot. The only thing I do write down is the timeline, because it's so easy to forget
the sequence of events.
Do you write in 1st or 3rd
person, or have you do both?
I have
written in both. I like to include as much emotion in my stories as possible,
and it's a lot easier to do so in 1st person.
How do you edit your work? Do you leave your draft alone for a while or
edit as you write?
Once the
first draft is complete, I leave it for at least two months and start working
on another book. When I get back to the first book, it's no longer fresh in my
mind and I am more easily able to see the flaws in it. Then I start fleshing it
out. I am blessed with wonderful editors who have taught me more than I could
have learned about writing in two years of college.
What type of people/readers do you market
your books to?
Romance
and thriller readers enjoy my serious books, but they are a little too harsh
for some of my romantic comedy readers, so I have two similar but distinct
markets.
Do you self-publish or have you worked with
an Agent/Publisher
I have
two publishers, and the only gripe I have about them is that it takes a long
time for them to get my books published, so I am at a crossroads where I might
self-publish my next novel.
How do you promote your writing?
Promotion
is the most difficult part about writing. Most of us don't want to be bothered
with marketing, but we have to, and I try to make myself spend 50% of my time
marketing and 50% writing. I also have a four-day-week job, so I have to take
that into account.
Where can we buy your books?
Who are your favourite authors?
James
Patterson, John Grisham, Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Anne Rice, Janet
Evanovich, Catherine Coulter, Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs, Nora Roberts,
Danielle Steel. I could go on.
Do you have any more information you’d like
to share with us?
My other series, the
Zodiac Series is seriously scary and sexy romantic suspense. Each primary
character or heroine belongs to a different star sign in this series, and
exhibits the typical traits associated with her sign. Capricorn Cravings was
the first, and the second book in this series, Aquarius Addiction will be
released in January 2015. I have just
completed the third one, Virgo's Variant and it has been accepted by the Kindle
Scout program, whereby readers get to review the first 5000 words, and nominate
the books they like. If the book gets enough nominations to be published by
Amazon, the readers who voted get a free copy. Here's the link to my book,
which goes live on November 7th. https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1JKUU4V1XP5OL
I also offer free downloads of short stories on my website.
Links
BIO
Trish Jackson grew up on a farm in Zimbabwe,
Africa, which sparked a love of adventure and suspense. She moved to the U.S.
in 1990 and currently lives on 81/2 acres in Florida.
Trish
writes provocative and poignant romantic thrillers/suspense and politically
incorrect romantic comedy, focusing on animals, astrology, and the passions,
dreams, and tragedies in the lives of country folk in small towns.
She loves country living, horse riding, chocolate and all animals.
