Ask the Author: Jane O'Brien
Answered Questions (13)
Jane O'Brien
Hi Beth,
I"m sorry you are unable to comment on my Facebook page. Are you following the newest one? My original page was hacked last May. The only proper one now is under Jane O'Brien Author. If you are still on the one that only shows Jane O'Brien then it may not be functioning properly. Another person cloned my page and took it over.
Please try to follow me on the new page.
I hope you are enjoying Skye. I'm almost ready to publish number 4 in that series, called Finding Cade. I hope to see you on Facebook soon!
I"m sorry you are unable to comment on my Facebook page. Are you following the newest one? My original page was hacked last May. The only proper one now is under Jane O'Brien Author. If you are still on the one that only shows Jane O'Brien then it may not be functioning properly. Another person cloned my page and took it over.
Please try to follow me on the new page.
I hope you are enjoying Skye. I'm almost ready to publish number 4 in that series, called Finding Cade. I hope to see you on Facebook soon!
Jane O'Brien
I would love to know the true story behind my grandmother coming to America in 1918 from Ukraine. She was quite secretive and never talked about herself. Her farm house burned to the ground taking all papers, pictures, and letters with it. I have created stories around her in The Unforgettables in Book 3, Ivy and Fox. In my imagination she is the peasant girl named Anya, in the Carpathian mountains, which is where she was born. As a young girl, she took her cows to graze for two weeks at a time. It's the only true story I have about her.
Jane O'Brien
Once your book is released, you can then look for a narrator who fits your budget and whose voice is what you are comfortable with, which means listening to auditions. Then after choosing your narrator, you need to come to an agreement as to how long it will take him or her to finish the job which includes the mastering. I usually give her six weeks. But that all depends on how many pages are in your book and how many errors need to be fixed along the way. My narrator is a very hard worker, so she completes my job in three to four weeks. After the payment is accepted and you are able to submit your audio, there is a five to six week wait for a first time book from Amazon. Once you're established, it goes much quicker. So all together, approximately two months in total. Hope that helps.
Jane O'Brien
Thank you for asking Karen. We are very close! The book is in the publishing process now, and I hope it will be released shortly after Easter. Be sure to follow me here at Goodreads for the announcement and also on Facebook @janeobrien.author or my blog at authorjaneobrien.com for updates.
Jane O'Brien
Ha ha. And now I missed yours. Yes, I released Georgy and Jack in July. It is selling, but it's a bit slow. Of course, I sort of expected that as it is the 4th book in a series. But what has happened is that I have picked up new readers who are starting with book 1, and I have been watching them move through the first three books. And that's what is good about series. I hope to have book 5 out in January or February. I have a Christmas novella all set to go in October. So there's a lot going on at the moment.
What's new for you?
What's new for you?
Jane O'Brien
How wonderful to have five grandchildren. I feel like I missed out on that, but I love the one I have. Since I finished my latest book a few days ago, this weekend is all about editing and proofreading. I'm hoping to publish in July. I have a lot of work to do.
Jane O'Brien
Thank you, Tesa. I'm glad you enjoyed the interview.
Yes, the last four years have been a bit of a whirlwind, but only because of any pressure I put on myself. Once I decided to write, I was flooded with ideas and I can't seem to write fast enough to get them all out. As far as being a grandmother, I only have one grandchild and he lives in another state far away from me. Unfortunately for us, Facetime, texting, and phone calls are the only way we communicate. I'd love to have the problem of juggling being a grandmother with being an author because that would mean he lived closer to me. So until we see each other again, I live through photos and stories of his day, which at times I have used in my novels. Thanks for asking.
Yes, the last four years have been a bit of a whirlwind, but only because of any pressure I put on myself. Once I decided to write, I was flooded with ideas and I can't seem to write fast enough to get them all out. As far as being a grandmother, I only have one grandchild and he lives in another state far away from me. Unfortunately for us, Facetime, texting, and phone calls are the only way we communicate. I'd love to have the problem of juggling being a grandmother with being an author because that would mean he lived closer to me. So until we see each other again, I live through photos and stories of his day, which at times I have used in my novels. Thanks for asking.
Jane O'Brien
I base most of my stories around my own surroundings. I am fortunate to live only one mile from Lake Michigan, the beauty astounds me still after being here my entire life. It is one of the most romantic settings in the world. My husband and I go to the beach all year long at least once a week, either to have lunch on a park bench in good weather or to watch the sunset from the car in cold weather. The scenery combined with people watching fills me with new ideas every single trip.
Jane O'Brien
My most recent book, Maisy and Max, is book 2 in The Unforgettables series. I had always known that I would someday write about my hometown and an area called Blufton where vaudevillians used to summer in the 1920's. The most famous being Buster Keaton who spent his formative years there. My grandfather knew him, although I'm not sure how well. He was most likely just one of the many boys who played baseball with Buster every summer. It seemed natural to continue the story line I had already started in Whitehall Michigan based around the Prohibition era and Al Capone during the roaring twenties and vaudeville. Little did I know the twist the story would take as the characters took on a life of their own. It's a crazy ride that continue with book 3 which I am working on at the moment.
Jane O'Brien
I am working on to the third book in The Unforgettables series. Book one was Ruby and Sal, set in Whitehall, Michigan during the 1920s, prohibition, and Al Capone, as well as a modern times romance. Book two followed with a 1920s time period also, but it was set in Muskegon Michigan, the summer home of Buster Keaton. It continues to unravel the family tree in a very mysterious way. Book three (title not yet announced) will take place in yet another Michigan town in the 1920s where a very famous person resided. And that's all I can say on that subject :) I am hoping for a late summer or early fall release date.
Jane O'Brien
I love living in other's peoples worlds. I can be anything and anyone I want to be; all I have to do is create that life and I can experience things that I would never have the chance to in my own reality. And I get to work in my pajamas!
Jane O'Brien
I am catching up on books by Jodi Picoult that I have missed. I just read Mercy, and am planning on reading Leaving Time next, followed by Small Great Things. I love to read an author straight through. Once I find his or her rhythm, it is easier to get inside the character's head.
Jane O'Brien
I'm really not one to ask about this. So far I have never had writer's block. As a matter of fact, I have so many story lines floating in my head, I have trouble determining which one to conquer next.
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