K.S. Hello and welcome to the blog. I am very excited to have you here. Why don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell us a little about yourself.
J.D. Thanks for inviting me, Katie. I'm happy to be here. Let's see...well, I write, but you knew that. When I'm not writing or doing writing/publishing-related things, I'm either at my day job developing and maintaining web sites, or I'm spending time with my husband and our two dogs. We also have a fancy goldfish, two fire-bellied toads and a leopard gecko named Cleo. I live in Billings, Montana, where I was born, and I'm happiest with a book close at hand.
K.S. Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?
J.D. My only real writing quirk is that I can't know the end of a book before I start writing. Once I know how the story ends, it's finished in my mind and I lose interest in writing the rest. Needless to say, the last 10k words of any draft are the absolute hardest for me.
Other than that, I'm a pretty boring writer. Procrastinate, write, repeat.
K.S. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?
J.D. I've wanted to be a writer forever, seems like. I started my first novel either my last couple years of high school or in college (I forget, it's been a long time). I started reading when I was five, and had read many of the popular classics plus a ton of genre fiction by the time I started high school. I couldn't think of a more perfect career than penning stories for other people to lose themselves in, though I was 34 before I finally decided to go for it.
K.S. What genre do you write?
J.D. My main genre is romantic suspense with an action/adventure feel (think Indiana Jones). I also write erotic romance novelettes as Trinity Marlow, and I'm working on the first draft of a thriller/suspense novel as Alex Westhaven. I like variety.
K.S. What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career? Or, who is your favorite author and why?
J.D. I've had a lot of inspiration in my writing life, but none so potent as that of my readers. There are a few who are constantly cheering me on, waiting for the next serial installment and/or book to be released, and that really inspires me to keep going, and keep improving my craft.
I can't pick a favorite author – there are just too many out there to choose from!
K.S. What does your family think of your writing?
J.D. They're all very supportive, though none of them read my work, which is amusing to me. My husband's afraid he won't like it (not a romance fan), my books are too spicy for my mom, and my dad doesn't do romance either. I'm pretty sure my parents still consider writing a hobby for me, but my husband is cheering me on, preparing for that day when he can quit working and my writing will support us both. We dream big around here.
K.S. What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book/s?
J.D. It never ceases to amaze me how much better my subconscious is at writing than I am. When I just sort of sit back and let the characters act and react in their own way to what's going on around them, the story always turns out far better than when I try to force them into what I think the plot should be.
K.S. What inspires you?
J.D. I can be inspired by anything, really, though more often than not, it's people. Not usually people I know (because I know too much about them for my imagination to kick in), but normally people I've never met, but see across a room, in a photo or out somewhere. Something in the way they look, or their manner will inspire me, and many a character has been "born" in that manner. The trick for me is not to meet them or talk to them – that ruins the "magic".
K.S. Can you tell us a little about any of your novels?
J.D. Certainly. Here's the blurb for my latest novel, Desert Heat:
When Marie Simco finds out that the money for her research is about to be cut, she’ll do anything to keep her lab funded. Pitted against her former professor in a race to publish on deadline, she finds herself in a desert oasis fighting sabotage, drug lords, natives and her attraction to one very hunky lab tech.
Darren Newbury is ready to follow Marie deep into the New Mexico desert if it will finally get her to acknowledge the connection between them. Determined to help her win the competition against his former employer, he fights to protect their work and break down the barriers around her heart.
K.S. Where can we buy your novel?
J.D. My books are available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and several other online retailers in paperback and ebook formats. Purchase links are available at my publishing site, BrazenSnakeBooks.com.
K.S. Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?
J.D. Web site is http://JamieDeBree.com
Blog is http://varietypages.jamiedebree.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NovelistJamieDeBree
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JamieDeBree
K.S. Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers?
J.D. Read a lot. Write a lot. Don't be afraid to share your work, and don't be afraid to hold your ground when you don't agree with criticism. Find out how other authors do things, and experiment. Don't be afraid to find/develop your own personal method of writing, because in the end, only you will be able to know what's best for you.
Now for the fun part.
Jamie is offering up a free copy of Desert Heat
(Print or Ebook, winners choice.)
To enter:
Leave a comment for Jamie
Make sure to include your email so we can contact you if you're the winner.
Leave a comment for Jamie
Make sure to include your email so we can contact you if you're the winner.
Winner will be chosen by Random.org and Jamie will email you with your prize info. (Make sure you give us a valid email address).
It wouldn't hurt your chances to Tweet about this giveaway or share the link with your Facebook friends either (hint, hint, wink, wink.) =)