Ask the Author: Jessica James
Answered Questions (8)
Jessica James
Hi Fred - Thanks for the question and sorry I missed it! My newest novel, The Monarch Alliance, has a Phantom Force tie-in, though it's not considered a Phantom Force novel. I love those characters so much though, I hope to return to it sometime.
Jessica James
The best advice I got when I was first starting out was A-B-C, which stands for Attach Butt to Chair.
Jessica James
Not having to commute to an office and having the freedom to change my schedule at the last minute.
Jessica James
Hi Tiff -- Thanks for the question. Some of the authors that Amazon links with mine as being similar are by Tamera Alexander, Heather Graham, Cindy Nord and Misty Behler. (I don't read as much as I wish I could, but these are the ones I would try).
When I was doing research I read a good bit of OLD fiction, like Kathleen Woodiwiss (Candle in the Wind) and Elswyth Thane (Yankee Stranger).
I also like some of the old classics like The Scarlet Pimpernel and Tale of Two Cities.
Also, I had a copy of Northwest Passage by Kenneth Roberts sitting around that I never read and when I finally did, I LOVED it! I enjoy all of his books as well.
When I was doing research I read a good bit of OLD fiction, like Kathleen Woodiwiss (Candle in the Wind) and Elswyth Thane (Yankee Stranger).
I also like some of the old classics like The Scarlet Pimpernel and Tale of Two Cities.
Also, I had a copy of Northwest Passage by Kenneth Roberts sitting around that I never read and when I finally did, I LOVED it! I enjoy all of his books as well.
Jessica James
Great question! My first novel (Shades of Gray) took 15 years -- only because I never really thought it would become a novel and I only worked on it on and off. If you have the spark of a book based on a true story, then just start writing! Don't wait. Even if you only write one sentence a day, just start, and make it a habit to write every day.
Some people plot out their novels and some people have no idea what they are going to write that day, which is how I write.
You can do research as you go. In fact, stopping to visit a library, a battlefield, or a museum is a great way to recharge your creative juices when you find yourself stuck. (And you will get stuck. It's part of the process, but there's always a path forward).
Hope that helps!
Some people plot out their novels and some people have no idea what they are going to write that day, which is how I write.
You can do research as you go. In fact, stopping to visit a library, a battlefield, or a museum is a great way to recharge your creative juices when you find yourself stuck. (And you will get stuck. It's part of the process, but there's always a path forward).
Hope that helps!
Jessica James
Since I'm working on a new historical fiction novel, I'm re-reading some of my favorite 19th century novels by Randall Parrish, John Esten Cooke and Captain Charles King.
Jessica James
I've often thought of my two great-grandfathers who both rode with the 21st Pa. Cavalry. Did they know each other well? Or know each other at all? I've never combined historical fiction with a mystery, but this has always been in the back of my mind as a starting point for a novel.
Jessica James
Hope you got it through email! ThanksYvonne!
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