I especially wanted to have him on because of his short story in the EVERY WITCH WAY BUT WICKED anthology (Cats and Dogs, what else! Enchanted cookies from a witchy neighbor help connect Sadie with her own pets--and that handsome neighbor she's been eyeing.) For those of you who don’t know Jeff, here’s a bit about him:
J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on the English Renaissance and the Romantic period. He also studied screenwriting at UCLA. He enjoys remixing elements of paranormal, supernatural, fantasy, horror and science fiction into new kinds of stories. He is the author of The Paranormals trilogy (Jenny Pox, Tommy Nightmare, and Alexander Death), the biopunk sf novel Helix, and other works. Fairy Metal Thunder is the first book in his new Songs of Magic series. He lives in Atlanta with his wife Christina, his son John, two dogs, and two cats. His website is http://jlbryanbooks.com
R: Welcome, Jeff!
J: Hi, Rocco! Thanks for having me visit!
R: No intimidation at being interviewed by a cool cat, eh????
J: Um..no.
R: Okay, then let’s start! Why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself and your novels? And your short story in EVERY WITCH WAY BUT WICKED?
J: I have some scattered standalone novels and a complete trilogy called The Paranormals (Jenny Pox, Tommy Nightmare, and Alexander Death). I've just released Fairy Metal Thunder, the first book in a new series about fairies and rock music. My story in Every Witch Way But Wicked is called “Cats and Dogs” and it's closer to the light, funny, magical tone of my new fairy series. It concerns a friendly witch who gives a woman cookies that, when misused, give her pets the ability to talk.
R: In your own opinion what do you think makes your novels different and engaging to readers?
J: From what I've heard, readers like the mixing of genres (the very thing that makes my books less appealing to big corporate publishers) as well as the unexpected twists and turns of the plotlines, the emotional connection readers feel with my characters, the fact that I don't pull punches when it comes to delicate subjects.
R: What do you find is the biggest challenge in writing/publishing?
J: I've found that the biggest challenge in writing is simply getting enough time to do everything I'd like to do. With publishing, the biggest challenge is finding good editors. As an independent author, I'm responsible for picking my own editors and cover artists. While I enjoy the freedom to do this on a per-book or per-series basis, it is more difficult to assess the quality of an editor's work compared to assessing the quality of a cover artist's work, which you can usually tell at a glance.
R: What do you do when you are not writing?
J: I have a four-month-old son, so I spend as much time with him as possible. He likes it when you read to him, when you hand him objects he can hold, and when the dogs do funny tricks. Also, he likes to eat. A lot.
R: What’s a must have for you when you are writing?
J: Coffee! I know that's cliché but it's true. I don't always need to drink it, but there must at least be caffeine in the house just in case.
R: What books are you reading now?
J: I'm reading assorted rock biographies to help me plot the fairy books.
R: Just for fun:
J: My Favorite:
TV show: Breaking Bad
Book: The Odyssey
Actor: Jeff Bridges
Actress: Betty White (Really, mine too J R)
Author: Mark Twain
Character: Mr. T
Drink: Bourbon
Spies or Spook? Spook
Vampire or Zombie? Zombie!
Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica? Battlestar Galactica
Cats or Dogs? All of the above (Heh heh very diplomatic answer – ever think about going into politics?)
R: What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to know about you?
J: I know every line of dialogue from Grease II.
R: O-Kay, then….What is the craziest thing you've ever done?
J: Probably watching Grease II all those times when I was a kid. (BIG EYEROLL FROM ROCCO)
R: Jeff, What can we expect from you in the future? What are you working on now?
J: I'm writing Fairy Blues, the second book in my new Songs of Magic series. I have tons of ideas for that series and it's lots of fun to write, so expect several of those books.
R: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to our readers?
J: Be kind to children and animals.
Meow, Jeff, you are a man after my own kitty heart! Folks, rush to Amazon and Barnes and Noble and check out Jeff Bryan’s books! Right now! Do it! And do pick up EVERY WITCH WAY BUT WICKED and check out his short story, CATS and DOGS!
R: Jeff, a pleasure having you!
J: Me too, Rocco, and thanks!
No excuses now! Get out there and check out these books! I've thoughtfully provided links heh heh heh
Link to buy Every Witch Way: http://www.amazon.com/Every-Witch-Way-Wicked-ebook/dp/B005RELF5S/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318500576&sr=1-1
Follow Jeff’s blog tour for JENNY POX and his Paranormals series: http://www.kismetbt.com/upcoming-tour/the-paranormals-by-jl-bryan
Up next: Misty Evans!
And don’t forget, people! Check out this anthology and help support KIDS NEED TO READ! and you will want to read ALL the interviews...because at the end we will have a contest - three lucky winners will get a free copy of EVERY WITCH WAY!
Very nice interview. I enjoyed learning more about Jeff, and thought his story was great.
ReplyDeleteGreat interview, Rocco, as usual.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of an anthology for Kids need to Read. Wishing you many sales!