Welcome to Romance Books 4 Us, a
place for all romance and all genres. We’re very happy to have you here with us
today. First, tell us a little bit about yourself…
I hit the earth at an Air
Force base in Florida, then bounced over to vegetation encrusted vistas of
Oregon, before sliding into the desert climes of Arizona. As much as I loved
Oregon, I didn’t realize how much I’d miss the sky until the trees took over.
There’s just something about wide open skies and streets laid out in a logical
manner (not being diverted because of an old growth tree) that says home to me.
As for the heat, eh, that’s why I have central AC.
As much as I’d love to write
full time, there are these little things called bills that require I punch a
clock, which I do for my alma mater, Arizona State University. I work in one of
their Executive Education units with a focus on public administration. When not
working, I manage a husband affectionately known as Geek Lord, my two
mini-adults referred to as the Prankster Duo (Son 1 and Son 2), while being
herded by my black and white rescue labs, who answer to the Fur Minxes. All
together, they manage to keep me quite busy.
What or who initially inspired you to
become a writer?
I was eight and had just
returned from watching Star Wars at the drive-in theater (yes, the one where
you park the car and the clumsy speaker hangs on your window). When I went to bed that night, I spent a
couple of hours re-writing the story so Han Solo would have a kick ass female
to be with instead of the whiny Princess Leia. Years later, my parents got an
electric typewriter so the six teenagers who were in typing class could
practice their emerging skills. Needless
to say, I took it over and we became inseparable.
When do you write? Early morning? During the day sometime or all
day? After the kids go to bed?
I tend to write either in snatches
through out my RLJ (Real Life Job) day, but the majority of it comes about when
I get home. I tend to take about two to three hours a night to hit my
designated word count so I can make my deadlines. Now that my boys are teens,
they’re occupied with their interests and I don’t feel so guilty indulging in
mine.
Is there any other genre that you
would love to try writing? If so, what
is it?
Urban Fantasy is my first love, with
Paranormal Romance coming in behind it.
I love mixing up magic, love, and mayhem. I wanted to do a series without
magic or the paranormal, so this series takes place in a post-apocalyptic
setting.
As a reader, what types of genres do
you enjoy? And do you think they influence the genre/genres you write in?
Oh heck yeah. In the writing
community, you’ll hear, “Write what you know” a ton. I would amend that to
“Write what you love”. I grew up reading fantasy novels, from Lloyd Alexander,
Susan Cooper, Terry Brooks, Katherine Kurtz, and the list goes on. When I
finished devouring our local library’s fantasy section, I turned to romance and
mysteries. Put it altogehter—romance, mystery, and magic—and you have the basis
for Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance.
What is your favorite method of
writing...as in laptop, desktop, iPad or the old-fashioned pencil and
paper? And do you plot out your story or
go with the flow of your muse?
My favorite method is a toss-up
between laptop and desktop. Both are Macs and I use Scrivener. If I get stuck,
I’ll go back to pen and paper. I tend to write by the seat of my pants, with the occasional GPS checkpoint
of an outline. When I first started out, I was a straight up panster. Only
after I meandered through overgrown paths that led nowhere, did I start to
check in with a rough map of where the story should be at certain points. My
stories are character driven, so much of my story creation comes from
characters, and that’s not always something I can plan out. Now days, I have
sign posts to ensure I’m heading in the right direction, but the journey
in-between never comes out like I imagined when I started out.
Share your favorites:
Favorite color – purple
Favorite dessert/snack –
chocolate anything
Favorite Season – Fall
Favorite sad song – Chasing
Cars by Snow Patrol
Favorite Romantic movie –
Favorite Actor – Tom Hardy
Favorite Actress – Helen
Mirren
Favorite way to relax –
Reading
Where can our readers find you?
Email: jamigray@cox.net
Is there an upcoming or current
release you would like to share with us today and where can we find it?
Latest
Release:
BEG
FOR MERCY (Fate’s Vultures #2)
Choosing a side has never been so dangerous…
The world didn't end in fire and explosions,
instead it collapsed slowly, like falling dominoes, an intensifying panic of
disease, food shortages, wild weather and collapsing economies, until what
remained of humanity battles for survival in a harsh new reality.
An assassin by trade, a loner by nature,
Mercy is sent to infiltrate the Cartels and unmask the identity of their new
silent partner. Instead, she discovers a darker plan threatening to crumble the
entire Southwest and ends up with a hefty bounty on her head. Still, she’s
determined to stop the impending attack at any costs, even if it means
partnering up with a member of the notorious Fate’s Vultures.
After enduring a brutal, blood soaked lesson
on the savagery of civilization’s scavengers, Havoc is well acquainted with the
consequences of battling predators. But as a member of the nomadic band of
arbitrators known as Fate’s Vultures, he’s determined to cement the necessary
allies to oust the biggest threat looming on the horizon. When an enigmatic
woman crosses his path, her secrets and troubling loyalty light the fuse on an
unexpected craving and his insatiable curiosity.
In order to trap a common foe and derail an
impending threat, Havoc and Mercy must turn the tables to hunt a predator.
Can an assassin and a mercenary find their balance on the
thin line of loyalty, or will it snap under the weight of their wary
hearts?
Buy
Links:
Thanks so much Jami for spending the day with us and we hope you'll come back soon !!
So great to meet and learn more about you Jami, thanks for being on RB4U today !!!
ReplyDeleteHI Krista *waves*,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for letting me cover and share. I loved the interview.
Happy Thursday, everyone!
Jami