Jessica James Interview - For One Night Only

Photo Credit: Emily Jones Photography

Jessica James (she/her) writes steamy, heartfelt romance about ambitious women and the people who fall in love with them. Her romance obsession began with strong influences from Jane Austen, Meg Cabot, and early 2000’s rom coms. In November 2021, Jessica was selected as a Pitch Wars mentee for adult contemporary romance. Her romance novels, For One Night Only and For Our Next Song, are available now from Berkley Romance/Penguin Random House in paperback, ebook, and audio. She is represented by Root Literary.

In addition to writing, Jessica has a passion for music—she’s a mezzo soprano with a BA in Music and an equal love of rock concerts and Broadway. Her spare time is spent watching too much TV, trying new cookie recipes, playing cozy video games, and exploring the Pacific Northwest, where she lives with her spouse and their magical reindeer herding dog. She can be found with an iced oat milk latte in hand regardless of the weather.

      

When/how did you realize you had a creative dream or calling to fulfill?
I didn’t realize I had a creative dream in a single defining moment, but rather, it was an innate desire that I gradually learned to recognize in bigger ways. Making up stories was a part of my life from a really young age! My childhood friends and I would take turns dreaming up fantastical scenarios to act out—pretending to be fairies or explorers or Pokémon trainers—and there was something so exhilarating about sharing ideas with others. The role of storytelling in my life shifted and changed over time, whether that meant doodling in diaries about potential characters, or writing fanfiction I never shared with anyone but couldn’t stop thinking about. At some point, I definitely knew I wanted to write books, but I didn’t know what that looked like, so I set that aside during college…and ended up studying music! (My craving for creative pursuits could not be denied.) When I finished my degree, I realized there was nothing stopping me from actually trying to write except my own fear. I’m so glad I decided to go for it!

Beyond your own work (of course), what is your all-time favorite book and why? And what is your favorite book outside of your genre?
I love this question, and my answer is the same for both: The Hunger Games! I read the series at the end of college, and it was the spark that got me back into reading for pleasure. I renewed my library card, discovered a love for dystopian stories, and tore through Divergent, The Selection, Legend, and Uglies in quick succession. Rediscovering my joy of reading really inspired me to get back to writing. The Hunger Games has become a bit of a comfort series for me despite the heavy themes, because I just love the characters so much, and the story is so incredibly compelling. The Hunger Games is a masterclass in pacing and worldbuilding. When I’m looking to up my craft, I return to these books again and again.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
I had an opportunity to meet with a group of booksellers and librarians about four months before my release date. The night was so meaningful to me, because it was my first official event as an author, and I got to experience it alongside writers and publishing professionals I deeply admire. Talking to folks with the power to put my book in readers’ hands was a little intimidating! But everyone was so kind and enthusiastic—book people really are the best people—and it made this author journey feel that much more real. It was a special experience, and I know I will treasure it for years to come.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to have a life in writing?
Elle Woods said it best: “You must always have faith in yourself.” Publishing is a long, winding road full of highs and lows, and there are also lots of stagnant periods where you’re waiting on things outside of your control. You have to learn to be your own biggest fan and fiercest advocate. So ask questions! Seek learning opportunities! Trust your gut! But taking care of your creative self means learning to pay attention to not just what your career needs to thrive, but your mind and body too. Maybe you like to “write the wait” and work on your next project while you’re anticipating news, or maybe you need to spend a lot of time refilling your creative well between projects. Whatever that looks like, figure out what works for you, so you can have a strategy for the long waits. It’s important to take care of yourself—not just so you can keep creating, but because you deserve care!

What was the single worst distraction that kept you from writing this book?
At risk of cliché: life! I wrote FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY while my first romance manuscript was on submission to editors (and that book ultimately did not sell at the time.) I had such a hard time getting motivated to write again, which is unusual for me—I’m usually almost too eager to start working on the next project, because new ideas are shiny and exciting. But this time, I was in a period of deep burnout amidst a lot of change in my personal life. I had to take extra time to rest, and I was deeply frustrated with myself, which was not conducive to the creative process. Expecting myself to write when I wasn’t ready made it worse! But once I had the spark of the idea for FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY, I couldn’t let it go until I got the story on the page, and it made me fall in love with writing all over again. Working on this book taught me a lot about my process and what I need to be productive, even when life is distractingly busy.

What chapter was the most memorable to write and why?
FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY is a second-chance romance about two former rockstars bringing the band back together for the first time in six years. Valerie has remained in the spotlight as an actress, while her ex-love and childhood best friend, Caleb, fled the industry for a life in the suburbs. There’s a chapter early on where the two make music together for the first time in years—doing something as simple as karaoke—and everything between them just starts to click again despite all the tension from being in the same space after a bitter breakup. The moment dregs up all those juicy unresolved feelings from their former relationship, and it affects both of them in a big way. Writing that scene was so special because it really felt like the moment I honed in on a major theme for the book: exploring the way music can bring people together.

Can you tell us when you started FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY, how that came about?
During the pandemic, I developed a bit of an obsession with art that had a musical element. I have a background in music, and not being able to work with other musicians for the first time in my adult life made me really miss those collaborative spaces. So I consumed television, film, and books about musicians, and I was struck all over again by the importance of the found family that is so often formed while making music with others. I knew I wanted to write my own story about people with a shared love for music finding their way back to each other… and eventually, they ended up being sexy rockstars struggling to love and be loved in a world heavy with expectation.

What were your feelings when your first novel was accepted/when you first saw the cover of the finished product?
Overwhelming joy and gratitude. I cried so many happy tears! I started working on my first manuscript about ten years ago, so getting to this point was a long time coming. Finally getting published and seeing my name on a cover was so incredibly special. I still want to pinch myself at least once a day.

TEN RANDOM FACTS ABOUT FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY

• 1. The first detail I had about the book was the band name: Glitter Bats. I don’t exactly remember where it came from originally, but there’s a fun explanation for it in the novel.
• 2. I wrote the first draft during NaNoWriMo in 2022. It wasn’t my first time fast drafting, but it was my first time completing an 80,000-word project in exactly one month!
• 3. When I decided to include song lyrics in the book, I took an online songwriting class. It had been a while since I studied music, and this research was invaluable in developing the Glitter Bats catalog, even though I wouldn’t call myself a songwriter by any means. But I had a lot of fun!
• 4. There’s a lot of mixed media in the book, but my favorite is a fanfiction database listing about the characters. Creating it felt very meta.
• 5. A lot of the social media posts I wrote for the project were inspired by my own experiences in fandom spaces. The names and scenarios are of course different, but all of the comments are based on things I’ve seen online!
• 6. Before we settled on the title of FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY, the working title was WHEN OUR STARS COLLIDED. It was a deep cut for fans of one of my favorite TV shows, but I’m so happy with the final title, so it wasn’t a heartbreak to change it. No regrets!
• 7. Valerie and Caleb’s bandmates are each named in honor of a pop culture reference: one from Jane Austen, one from Star Trek, and one from Ted Lasso. It truly shows the range of my personal tastes!
• 8. While the book is about a pop-punk band, there are a few references for Swifties. I like to describe the plot as “Delicate” meets “Midnight Rain.”
• 9. In addition to Taylor Swift, my FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY playlist has a wide range of music, including songs from Paramore, 5 Seconds of Summer, Yellowcard, Avril Lavigne, Joseph, Lizzy McAlpine, and the Julie and the Phantoms soundtrack.
• 10. FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY isn’t the last you’ll see of the Glitter Bats. Stay tuned!

What is the first job you have had? 

My first job was babysitting! Before I really got started, I took a class that included getting my first-aid certification, and I put an ad in our small town paper every summer. I usually babysat for family friends and neighbors, but it was regular enough that I didn’t get another job until I could drive (when I spent a summer working at a telephone answering service.)

What is your happiest childhood memory? 

I did 4-H and rode horses as a kid, and while the shows were fun, what I loved most were my after-school days spending time at the barn. There was something so peaceful about spending time with horses that made my anxieties melt away. Even though I don’t ride any more, I still think of myself as a horse kid, and I really hope I can get back into it someday.

What was your favorite subject when you were in school and why? 

High school English! I fell in love with Emily Dickinson and Shakespeare, and it’s where I got my first taste of writing (and my first positive feedback! English teachers are heroes.) It took a long time to shift from literary essays to fiction writing, but I’m grateful for every step on that journey.

What decade during the last century would you have chosen to be a kid? 

I was a 90s kid and I wouldn’t change it! I am grateful that I (mostly) grew up without social media and with some of the best Disney films. It wasn’t the worst time to be a kid!

Name one thing you miss about being a kid. 

The luxury of unstructured time without adult obligations. There’s something so precious about the days when I could get homework done and then simply do whatever I wanted for the rest of the day. I read so many more books and played way more video games back then!

Best date you've ever had? 

My spouse and I went to Disneyland for our ten-year wedding anniversary, and it was basically a three-day long date! We spent a ton of time in Galaxy’s Edge, had an anniversary dinner at one of the restaurants, and even got some photos taken. It was also in December, which is a really special time to be at Disney with all of the holiday celebrations. The trip is full of memories I’ll cherish forever.

What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning? 

I’m not a morning person, so honestly, it’s how to get ready for my day—because if I get distracted, I’m genuinely at risk of not making it out the door on time! I have to keep myself focused and keep my eyes on the clock. But…I’m a daydreamer, so I often spend my drive to work manifesting the best-case scenarios of what my near future could hold.

What is your most memorable travel experience? 

Right after we graduated high school, a good friend and I went to New York City. We were barely adults, and being in the city with our future ahead of us made anything seem possible. We saw a ton of Broadway shows (including Wicked and Spring Awakening,) ate a ton of fabulous food, and spent days exploring the city. I loved every minute.

Which incident in your life that totally changed the way you think today? 

Not an incident per se, but two years working in public libraries radically changed how I see the world. I learned a lot about all the ways libraries serve the public beyond making books free to access. I also learned about media literacy and fighting book bans! The freedom to read is so incredibly important to our society, and it’s something I’m committed to advocate for as an author.

Which would you choose, true love with a guarantee of a heart break or have never loved before? 

This feels easy—I would definitely choose true love with a guarantee of heartbreak. I think love is worth it no matter how much time you have with someone, if that’s the kind of thing you’re looking for. As a romance author, that’s one of my guiding principles!

What do you usually think about right before falling asleep? 

Usually I write fanfiction in my head, because it helps me turn off my anxiety brain. There’s something about revisiting familiar stories and characters that is so comforting.

If you had to go back in time and change one thing, if you HAD to, even if you had “no regrets” what would it be? 

I’d go to grad school. I was offered an opportunity to continue in my music program right after undergrad, but I didn’t take it because I was trying to avoid more student loans. That was a sound financial decision, but I also wish I’d gotten my master’s when I had the chance. I’m not sure I’ll ever go back at this point! To this day, it remains my biggest “what if.”

First Love? 

I’m lucky enough to say it’s my spouse! We were college sweethearts, and our love story is honored in my FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY dedication.

Most horrifying dream you have ever had? 

I’m child free to this day, but I started having vivid dreams about being pregnant when I was in high school, and the first one really unsettled me! I later learned it’s a very common stress dream. Go figure!

What is your greatest adventure? 

Being an author! Every step in this process has been full of the unexpected, and it’s both a challenge and a joy.

What were you doing the last time you really had a good laugh? 

It was definitely interacting with my dog. We have an older Lapponian Herder who is very odd and particular, and does things like begging for lettuce and hiding underneath my writing desk when he hears beeping sounds. Recently, he started flopping dramatically near my yoga mat when I’m trying to work out, because he’s offended if attention is not on him at all times. He keeps us entertained!

For Glitter Bats keys player Jane Mercer, writing music helps tune out her self-doubt from a strict upbringing. Composing also distracts from her longtime feelings for her bandmate and best friend, Keeley, who Jane can’t pursue if she wants to keep her bisexuality out of the media. But when an incompetent percussionist quits mid–recording session on one of her major solo projects, there’s only one drummer to call to make the deadline.

Keeley Cunningham is determined to do what’s best for the newly-reunited Glitter Bats—including conceal her incurable attraction to Jane by keeping her distance. Still, when Jane asks for her help in the studio, Keeley drops everything to fill in. They collaborate harmoniously… until their repressed feelings crescendo into a massive argument about the band’s future that leaves them barely speaking.

As music forces Jane and Keeley into increasingly close proximity, the lingering tension finally ignites into the romance they’ve both been craving—and it’s hot, emotional, and fundamentally secret. But after an intimate moment is caught on camera, they’ll have to decide if their duet can survive its debut—both on and off stage.

You can purchase For One Night Only at the following Retailers:

        

And now, The Giveaways.

1 Winner will receive a Copy of For One Night Only by Jessica James.

Please comment below/share on Instagram to enter and tag jeanbooknerd.

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Sandra Griffith Interview - One Beautiful Year of Normal

Photo Credit: Ric Griffith 

Sandra Griffith is a doctorate-level psychologist with extensive clinical and forensic experience, the owner of a large behavioral health agency and an adjunct professor for Marshall University’s Doctoral of Psychology program. One Beautiful Year of Normal is her first novel.

       

  

What is your favorite book and why? What is your favorite book outside your
genre?
I’m showing my age with this one. Boys Life by Robert McCammon has been my favorite book since 1991 when it was first published. It is a beautiful, Southern Gothic, coming of age story with a touch of mystery and magic realism. It’s the only book I’ve read more than twice. My favorite book outside my genre is Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. It’s also a Southern Gothic but is based on an actual murder that took place in Savannah, Georgia in 1981. The book is considered non-fiction, but the writing is so lyrical and interesting it reads like a novel. The thing I love most about it though is how it manages to make the city itself the main character.

Greatest thing you learned in school.
The more you learn the more you realize how little you know.

What were your inspirations for your characters development?
I’ve been a psychologist for over thirty years and have worked with both children and adults who experience severe psychological issues, some of which present in unusual ways. The mother-daughter relationship in the story was largely based on this.

What chapter was the most memorable to write and why?
I think anyone who reads a lot knows how important Chapter One is, so with that in mind, I rewrote that opening pages so many times I can now recite it word for word without looking.

When/how did you realize you had a creative dream or calling to fulfill?
I think most people who become avid readers always secretly dream of writing. I can’t remember a time when that wasn’t my biggest dream and I’m still not sure what kept me from trying it sooner.

TWO OF MY FAVORITE QUOTES/SCENES

One Beautiful Year of Normal are ones that take place with the main character as an adult coming to terms with her mother’s mental illness but still quietly questioning why no one intervened
sooner when it was obvious she had basically been left on her own. The two quotes are:

“The reality of our situation was stark: She rarely left our house, and by the time Helen came to fetch me, my mother wouldn’t even come out of her bedroom. If anyone had seen her curled into fetal position on her bed, it might have made a difference. Or it might not have mattered at all. The delicate mask my mother wore was so beautiful even I hadn’t always been able to see how much damage was hidden behind it.”

“Although my mother did not choose this terrible illness, I’ve always suspected there is a part of her that doesn’t want to get better. She would see this as a betrayal of my father. She lived. He died. She split the difference.”

What was your first job?
My first job was an Avon Saleslady at the age of 15! My only customers were friends of my mom, and she had to drive me around to deliver their orders, but I loved it!

What’s the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?
What it was like to sleep in a bed without dogs piled on me.

What is your most memorable travel experience?
A trip to Italy several years ago. I wanted to squeeze as much as I could into ten days and ended up overbooking tours of different cities. I overestimated my physical ability to walk hundreds of miles, run to catch trains and function with less than five hours of sleep a night.

Name one thing you miss about being a kid.
The ability to jump off something from a high distance without getting hurt.

Best date you’ve ever had.
The best date I’ve ever had, or at least the most memorable, was on my 13 th wedding anniversary. We left a historic inn in Winchester, Virginia and headed to a resort in Charlottsville when our new car broke down. We called a tow truck, and the driver drove us two hours to a car dealership in Charlottsville. From there we took a cab to the resort. After checking in, we were driven from the front office via trolley and taken to a smaller area with golf carts that we then used to get to our room. We needed a way to get home the next morning so after dinner we did same trip in reverse to a bus that took us to a car rental place. So….the date involved riding in a car, tow truck, cab, trolley, golf cart, bus and a huge rental van because that was the only vehicle that was available to rent.

A must-read for fans of character-driven suspense like Liz Moore’s Long Bright River and A. J. Finn’s The Woman in the Window, One Beautiful Year of Normal is a gripping psychological thriller about a woman’s dangerous decision to unearth her family’s darkest secrets.

Some memories protect you. Others imprison you.

When August Caine receives a phone call from a Savannah attorney, she is blindsided by the news—her Aunt Helen has passed away. But how can that be, when August’s mother insisted Helen died in a car accident fifteen years ago? Determined to uncover the truth, August returns to the deep South, where the ghosts of her past—both real and imagined—await her.

Plagued by a memory splintered by her father’s unsolved murder when she was a child and further tangled by psychiatric treatments for the debilitating depression she struggles with, August realizes her survival depends on unraveling the mystery surrounding her father’s death. This means returning to the one safe place she remembers from the childhood she has mostly locked away inside her mind: Aunt Helen’s home, and the ghost tours they created together.

A chilling exploration of mental illness, mother-daughter bonds, and generational secrets, One Beautiful Year of Normal follows August as she pieces together the long-buried truths that shaped her family’s tragic past and confronts the question that has haunted her for years: Can the truth set her free, or will it unravel everything she thought she knew?

You can purchase One Beautiful Year of Normal at the following Retailers:

        

Thank you SANDRA for making this giveaway possible.

Please comment below/share on instagram to enter.

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Lauren J.A. Bear Interview - Mother of Rome

Photo Content from Lauren

Lauren was born in Boston and raised in Long Beach, CA. After studying English at UCLA and Education at LMU, she taught middle-school Humanities for over a decade — and survived! She is a teaching fellow for the Holocaust Center for Humanity, and lives in Seattle with her husband and three young children. She likes crossword puzzles and being on or near the water without getting wet.

        

   

Greatest thing you learned at school.
Brevity and clarity! My eleventh-grade teacher at Long Beach Poly lived by this credo, and I passed it on to my own students when I was teaching middle school Humanities. It’s on par with the Ernest Hemingway/iceberg theory of writing, and it has always served me well.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
Absolutely every single note, post, email, fan art, handwritten letter I’ve received for Medusa’s Sisters. I read them all. Each one is beautiful and humbling (even the criticisms, lol). One reader told me of her plans to get a Stheno tattoo, and I was so touched I couldn’t stop crying!
Also, being invited to Comic-Cons has made me kinda cool with my kids and their friends. I have met the nicest people there!

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to have a life in writing?
Read poetry. Take classes with poets. Stand near them and soak up their lyrical genius through osmosis. A poet’s attention to every word on the page – and the blank spaces, as well – will change the way you put together sentences as a prose writer. And collect words like Pokémon. I love discovering unusual, archaic, esoteric words. I keep a list on my phone.

Why is storytelling so important for all of us?
Connection! I think the pandemic reinforced the truth that we need each other. Especially in this world of screens and AI, genuine human communion is essential. And what is a story if not, what Kazuo Ishiguro says, a conversation between two humans saying, “Does it feel like this to you, too?”

What was the single worst distraction that kept you from writing this book?
I wrote a book about motherhood, but being a mother was definitely the greatest day-to-day distraction. I have three children, (currently) nine years old and younger, so every day is laundry and lunches, homework and tears and cuddles and sports.
They are my inspiration, but my goodness, they require a lot of attention!

TEN RANDOM FACTS ABOUT MOTHER OF ROME

• ⦁ I am mortified to admit this now, but the original inspiration for Antho was Raquel from Vanderpump Rules. After Scandoval, I could no longer abide a doe-eyed passive character. She kept the physical characteristics, but otherwise evolved into a woman of independence and agency.
• Numitor’s three royal children are loosely based on my own. My daughter rests in the middle of the two boys, and I call her my “middle diamond.” Also, like Rhea, she has amazing hair.
• There is a Jane Eyre/”Reader, I married him” allusion hidden in the text. See if you can find it!
• I also included a Medusa’s Sisters/Gorgon reference.
• While the relationship between Numitor and Amulius is Hamlet-esque, I began to picture Amulius as Professor Snape because I was reading the Harry Potter books aloud to my kids while drafting the novel.
• I spent way too long calculating the distance/times a wolf could run on my ancient map of Latium to ensure my plotting was accurate.
• I would cast Pedro Pascal in every male role if I could – Leandros, Mars, and Tiberinus!
• I grew up on sword and sandal epics, but always felt the female characters were too one dimensional (whores or virgins). Writing Mother of Rome was my response to this egregious oversight.
• When Leandros tells Antho, “I will always love you more,” I was referencing the vows from my best friend’s wedding.
• Just like Antho and Rhea, my cousin and I are a year and days apart and our sons are a year and days apart.

What is the first job you have had?
In high school, I worked afterschool at a French/German bakery in the Bixby Knolls/Cal Heights neighborhood of Long Beach, California. I used to help design wedding cakes! I highly recommend anything and everything with cream cheese frosting.

What is your happiest childhood memory?
Family reunions on Martha’s Vineyard with my mom and brother. Watching classic Hollywood movies after everyone else went to bed with my dad.

If you had to go back in time and change one thing, if you HAD to, even if you had “no regrets” what would it be?
Oh, I would have loved myself far earlier! Girls are too hard on themselves in every way. Am I smart enough, am I capable, skinny, pretty? Bullsh*t. We are all enough, exactly the way we are.

First Love?
My college sweetheart, Dan Bear. He’s my husband now, my North Star and lifeline. I feel super lucky.

What is one unique thing are you afraid of?
I hate being in water where I can’t see the ground. My imagination is way too vivid. The oceans are terrifying. Squids? Sharks? Nope. Over 80% of the ocean is unexplored. That’s gonna be a no from me, dawg.

What is the weirdest thing you have seen in someone else’s home?
I think taxidermy is *so* weird. My best friend from childhood and I used to hang our bras from the antlers of her dad’s taxidermized deer head.

A powerful and fierce reimagining of the earliest Roman legend: the twins, Romulus and Remus, mythical founders of history’s greatest empire, and the woman whose sacrifice made it all possible.

The names Romulus and Remus may be immortalized in map and stone and chronicle, but their mother exists only as a preface to her sons’ journey, the princess turned oath-breaking priestess, condemned to death alongside her children.

But she did not die; she survived. And so does her story.

Beautiful, royal, rich: Rhea has it all—until her father loses his kingdom in a treacherous coup, and she is sent to the order of the Vestal Virgins to ensure she will never produce an heir.

Except when mortals scheme, gods laugh.

Rhea becomes pregnant, and human society turns against her. Abandoned, ostracized, and facing the gravest punishment, Rhea forges a dangerous deal with the divine, one that will forever change the trajectory of her life…and her beloved land.

To save her sons and reclaim their birthright, Rhea must summon nature’s mightiest force – a mother’s love – and fight.

All roads may lead to Rome, but they began with Rhea Silvia.

You can purchase Mother of Rome at the following Retailers:

        

And now, The Giveaways.

Thank you LAUREN for making this giveaway possible.

Winner will receive a Copy of Mother of Rome by Lauren J.A. Bear.

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Tim Facciola Interview - The Scales of Balance

Photo Content from Tim Facciola

TIM FACCIOLA: When Tim isn’t writing epic fantasy, he can often be found in his garage-gym or in the mountains where he lives. A virtual fitness professional by trade, he integrates his creative passions into movement, training with maces, clubs, staves, and swords to unlock his inner gladiator. 

More than writing, reading, gaming, playing music, hiking, and paddle-boarding, Tim loves story. If he’s not working on his own story, he’s helping others develop theirs as an author coach. 

Living in Arizona with his wife, Colleen, Tim continues writing epic fantasy novels while exploring different storytelling mediums so he can inspire others to hope. To live. And to believe. 

        

   

Greatest thing you learned at school:
My degree is in Exercise Physiology. If you can imagine, many classes and labs were dedicated to the anatomy of the human body—the form and function of muscles, connective tissues, organs and organ systems, etc. One might suspect that this field of study might not translate all that well to the craft of writing, but learning how and why things work the way they work, the means by which they fulfill their individual roles while interconnecting with the system as a whole—this was the perfect prerequisite course to helping me learn story structure. While I didn’t study story structure in school, I felt like my past academic ventures helped prepare me to identify trends in stories and pinpoint the differences that made certain stories resonate with their audiences while others flopped. Better yet, such an analytical vantage point prepared me to construct my own stories filled with the catharsis that readers love.

What chapter was the most memorable to write and why?
Undoubtedly Chapter 52. Entitled: Double-Edged Sword, the chapter is the culmination of a character’s failure that results in tragedy. Tragedies in general are difficult to write because, subliminally, you know what’s coming; you just don’t know the details of how and when. This tragic point in the story is a heavy turning point in the narrative that changes the futures for several characters, not just for this novel, but the rest of the trilogy to come. This was a chapter that after I finished, I needed a break from writing. So much heart and emotion went into writing it. So many memories of my personal experiences and failings came to the surface. Yet through that vulnerability, I believe there was an intimacy placed on the page that few readers can flip past without feelings being evoked. One of my beta-readers described this scene as the threw-my-kindle-and-cried chapter.

Why is storytelling so important for all of us?
The arts have a way of bypassing people’s heads and actually connecting with that thing that beats in their chest. Stories, and fantasy stories in particular, simply have the ability to lower our inhibitions, allowing us to put aside our natural biases and real world prejudices so we can truly open up our minds. Stories allow us to walk in the shoes of and gain insight from people we may not have the privilege to interact with on a day to day basis. In a world where everything seems to be “spun,” stories can offer unobtrusive and unassuming growth opportunities, even for people disinterested in learning about xyz. Not to mention, our brains are wired for story; it allows us to make meaning of topics and commit them to memory. It’s one of the most powerful modalities of communication.

Can you tell us when you started THE SCALES OF BALANCE, how that came about?
I was fresh out of college, working 70-80 hours/week in the fitness industry in Midtown Manhattan. My band had recently broken up so I wasn’t writing music much, if at all. No lyrics, no melodies, no riffs. In that time, I was having crazy dreams. I told a client about them and she had suggested finding a new creative outlet. At that time I was listening to the audiobook of A Song of Ice and Fire and rewatching Spartacus on Starz for the zillionth time. Spartacus’s fight for freedom and equality, and GRRM’s intricate web of world-building and political intrigue were the first seeds of what became A Vengeful Realm. That was around ten years ago. This project became my baby; I kept working on it until finally, it all came together in the trilogy now being released!

What was the most surprising thing you learned in creating your characters?
I set out with the specific intention that I would not base the characters on anyone in my life (I had tried in a different project and hated the process). Yet over the years of their development, throughout redrafts, revisions, and the editing process as a whole, it became abundantly clear to me that each of them in part were in fact a facet of me. Whether they be ingrained parts of me like my sense of principle (Zephyrus), my stubborn pride (Laeden), or my sometimes dangerous single-track mind (Fenyx), or interpersonal relationships that shaped how I see the world, all of the characters in some way shape or form seemed to reflect a mirror back at me despite my intentions toward the contrary.

Your Journey to Publication
The journey through the writing and publication process is seldom the same for any two writers. Both involve distinctly different skill sets and relationships to navigate effectively and efficiently. Tough questions need answering. Some of them frankly don’t matter; there isn’t necessarily a right or wrong way, but everyone needs to find their own process. Plotting or pantsing? Traditional Publishing vs. Self Publishing? If only it were that simple…

Here’s how A Vengeful Realm survived the perils of the writing journey en route to publication.

Once upon a time I attempted to outline my story. I knew I wanted to include mythology, gladiators, a scarcity for fresh water, and an encroaching super-natural dread, but outside of those big-picture ideas, I had nothing. I wrote out seven or eight pages of notes for character concepts, different settings, scenes I wanted to see play out, etc. and eventually, I felt confident enough to start actually writing my novel. I sat down. Put proverbial pen to paper on my laptop. AND… I began my story twenty years before the events of my proposed outline. Undeterred, I forged forward, blindly navigating my lack of knowledge for storytelling and writing craft. I fumbled and faltered for maybe 20,000 words before I had written myself into enough corners that I decided to turn back and actually plot out my novel.

Instead of a page of notes, I made an excel notebook with each sheet dedicated to a different part of the story. A page for history, a page for geography, a page for religions, myths, and legends. A page for the Great Houses and prominent families of my world, a page for all the POV characters I wanted to include with detailed dossiers, a page for all the secondary characters to flesh out the vast world I’d created, a blank back-log for the tertiary characters who would eventually come up. I made a sheet for individual character moments I wanted them to have, laid them out, matched them up chronologically, then put them in the order in which I wanted to tell them as a chapter by chapter outline. And finally. FINALLY! I was ready to write again.

Working 60+ hours a week as a fitness business owner, I dedicated my free time to writing. I don’t remember how long it took to finish the first draft. If I had to guess— between all the planning, the starting, stopping, starting over, and actually writing it—maybe I’d say three-ish years? Well after three-ish years, book one of the first draft of A Vengeful Realm came in at 278,000 words. It was a wild, untameable mustang that I was trying to ride without a saddle or reins, but I didn’t know that at the time…

Then I asked the age-old question of “What now?” This was when everything started coming together. I searched for an editor via Reedsy and on March 31st of 2017 I met and began working with someone who has become a dear friend. Chersti Nieveen of Writer Therapy was instrumental in my development as a writer and storyteller. Somehow, she was able to wade through my craftless drudgery and actually believed in my story despite its oh so many flaws. She became a mentor of sorts, providing me with resources to study story structure and craft techniques. I ate it up. I couldn’t get enough. Finally, between all the “cool ideas” I had, I was able to tame that mustang of a story into a well-trained warhorse. I was able to cut through the noise, find the compelling throughlines, the narrative voice, and thematic resonance I wanted my story to have.

So I asked myself the next logical question, “What now?” I’d finally figured out my writing process, but the publishing process was an entirely new beast. I realized I needed a community to help me navigate. I started a writing group. We shared our stories, helped each other put pitch packages together, entered the query trenches together… Then I received interest. An offer of publication. I can remember sitting on the floor in my bedroom in December of 2020. Life was on lockdown in my one bedroom apartment in Montclair, NJ, but I had realized my dream! I was going to be a published author… right?

After reading the contract and deliberating, I realized I wasn’t ready to give up the rights. I wasn’t ready to sign away the next two books in the trilogy. I wasn’t ready to release book 1 before book 3 was even written. What if I (not to name names…) wrote a book everyone loved but I couldn’t figure out what needed to happen next? What if I couldn’t bring it all together in a way that befit the passion I’d put into the first book?

I turned down the offer. I spent the next year writing a different story as sort of a palate cleanser. Then in February of 2022 I decided that I was going to finish the full trilogy. Then once it was all done, then and only then would I release it to the world. In 2022 I wrote the next two books. I went back and edited them all, giving them fresh coats of paint. Since book one wasn’t published, I could go back and plant little seeds, little easter eggs for my readers. I could give it the attention to detail that I wanted that no publishing house would have afforded me.

Now here in quarter four of 2023, it has been a blur of navigating all the steps included in self-publishing and recording the audiobooks. But A Vengeful Realm: The Scales of Balance is now out. Book two, The Breaker of Chains is planned to be released in January of ‘24, and the final installment, The Age of the End is set to launch in April of ‘24. I couldn’t be happier with how they’ve come out. It has not been an easy journey, but it has been the right journey for me.

In a world where blood is a short resolution for rebellion, Zephryus only knows two things: he is prophesied to bring peace and balance to the world, and he doesn’t remember anything before his life as an enslaved gladiator. With the fragmented shards of his memory, he is bought by the prince to fight in the gladiator ring, and spy on the queen’s bloody rebellion against the king. Fighting as a gladiator means fighting for his life, and as he faces the prince’s foes and thwarts the queen’s plans, he also discovers that there is more injustice in this world than he imagined. Will Zephyrus be able to stay alive long enough to enact his revenge? Or will the vengeful plot within this royal family keep him from fulfilling his destiny?

You can purchase The Scales of Balance at the following Retailers:

        

And now, The Giveaways.

Thank you TIM FACCIOLA for making this giveaway possible.

1 Winner will receive a Copy of The Scales of Balance by Tim Facciola.

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Tiana Smith Interview - Mr. Nice Spy

Photo Credit: ©Pepperfox Photos

Tiana Smith is a web designer turned novelist who grew up in the Rocky Mountains. She graduated from Westminster University with double degrees in Honors and English with a focus in creative writing. In her spare time she’s learning sign language with her hard of hearing husband and she volunteers with special needs individuals attending the bi-weekly activities for Utah County’s SNAP program.

        

   

Greatest thing you learned at school.
The greatest thing I learned in school was how to be a perpetual student. Rather than memorizing facts or getting easy answers, I find that I’m always inquisitive and interested in learning more. I know how to find information and am constantly learning new hobbies because I love learning new things.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
I think my favorite thing is when I get emails from people who have read and loved my books. It makes my day to read these notes and see what people thought of the worlds and characters I’ve created.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to have a life in writing?
Keep at it! Your odds increase if you don’t give up. Read all the books on honing your craft, keep reading, and soon enough you’ll make it.

What was the single worst distraction that kept you from writing this book?
I have chronic migraines. While I was writing MR. NICE SPY, my neurologist put me on a new medication that made it incredibly hard to focus. It changed my entire writing process because I couldn’t even write a whole sentence from start to end. I had to learn how to bounce around within a scene and write out of order, all while having the memory of a goldfish. I’m super glad to be off that medication now!

What was the most surprising thing you learned in creating your characters?
I always do a lot of research for my books (when your characters are hackers and CIA agents, there’s a lot to learn!) For MR. NICE SPY I learned a lot about how fireworks are made because my main character Andee is a pyrotechnic engineer. I also learned how to recognize a two-way mirror from a regular one. Hopefully I never need to use that tidbit of info.

Your Favorite Quotes/Scenes from MR. NICE SPY
Was I sure that I could trust him? Definitely not. But did I think I’d enjoy kissing him if he were to close the final inches between us? Definitely yes.

The first decent guy to pop up in my life in the past year and I’d repaid him by … getting him kidnapped?

Why was I trying to build a rapport with one of Holt’s henchmen? Henchwomen?
I didn’t have a good answer for that. I just knew I wanted her to like me. Here I was, the lone average girl, adrift in a sea of secret agents and edgy supervillains, and I simply wanted to be one of the cool kids for once.
Maybe I needed to buy a leather jacket.

Play along, play nice, play pretend.
Stay alive.

Here I was in a place where the possibility of death was around every corner, and I was the most alive I’d felt in months. Thousands of people were buried in the catacombs of Paris. Holt kept adding to that body count. But every touch from Chan was like a defibrillator that brought me back from flatlining.

In movies, the coolest characters never look directly at an explosion. They always walk away like they’ve seen it all before. But trust me, in real life, everybody looks.

When a pyrotechnic engineer discovers her biological father is an international criminal, she must work with a sexy CIA agent to take him down in this thrilling adventure rom-com.

Andee Paxton knows she’s good at her job as a fireworks designer. What she doesn’t know is that her biological father is Holt, a dangerous arms dealer who has escaped prison. And now he’s searching for his long-lost daughter-dearest.

After the CIA surprises her with this news, they drop another bombshell: they want to use Andee as bait to capture Holt once and for all. But before the CIA can even attempt to spring their trap, she’s kidnapped along with the very hot Officer Adam Chan—all because they were too busy flirting to worry about silly things like “safety protocol.”

A fake relationship—for their protection, of course—and just a few explosions bring Andee and Chan closer, but there’s more than their growing connection at stake. If Holt’s plan succeeds, the world will be brought to its knees. Andee and Chan must rely on each other to stop him…or else everything (including their feelings for each other) might just blow up in their faces.

You can purchase Mr. Nice Spy at the following Retailers:

        

And now, The Giveaways.

Thank you TIANA SMITH for making this giveaway possible.

1 Winner will receive a Copy of Mr. Nice Spy by Tiana Smith.

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