This virtual book tour is presented by Bewitching Book Tours.
You can see the entire tour schedule by clicking HERE.
You can see my review by clicking HERE.
Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour.
It is my pleasure to feature an interview with J.D. Brown.
? When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I actually didn’t realize it until I started writing my first manuscript about three years ago. I had toyed with the idea of writing a book on and off for years before that but always dismissed the idea. When I was in high school, I hated writing term papers so I didn’t think I would enjoy writing fiction either. Boy was I wrong. Fiction is so different from non-fiction. Once I got started, I just fell in love with the craft and the creative process. I knew instantly that I never wanted to stop and that I wanted to make this a career.
? How many jobs did you have before you became a writer?
I had a handful of random, totally unrelated jobs. I worked in retail at clothing stores, video rental stores (before DVD’s were the norm), Dunkin Donuts and a gas station, a movie theater, and a veterinary clinic. I was lost and trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. None of those felt right or held my interest for very long. But it did give me a wide range of experiences to draw from.
? How long does it take you to write a book?
I’m a slow writer. I do a lot of plotting and percolating beforehand. I write several drafts and edit several times until everything is as perfect as I can make it.
? What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
Hmmm…I’m not sure I would call any of them interesting, but I do have a few. I always have a cup of coffee and/or some snack food to munch on. When I’m really in the zone, I’ll get up and pace around my house. It’s really strange because I seldom realize I’m doing it! But for whatever reason, I need to move while a scene unfolds in my head. Then I zoom back to the computer and write it. J
? Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?
Oh goodness…there are so many elements that go into the creation of my characters and I’m sure most of them are subconscious. I’m a very character driven author. The characters are always the first thing to pop into my head. They tell me, through slow gradual revelations, about themselves, their world, and their problems. So it’s a journey for me too.
In Dark Heirloom, I will admit Ema and I have a few things in common, but is she me? No. She’s a person with a history all her own.
Jalmari and Jesu, vampire brothers, are based loosely (physically) on two of my favorite Finnish rock stars. But even they took on a personality and a look all their own as soon as I started writing the story.
? How do you decide what you want to write about?
In Dark Heirloom’s case, the story was just so lodged in my brain, I didn’t think of anything else until it was done. Currently I have several new ideas percolating along with the sequel to Dark Heirloom (book 2 is title Dark Liaison). I pretty sure I know which story/series I want to work on next and I picked it because it’s also a paranormal and it’s something I think fans of Dark Heirloom will enjoy.
? What books have most influenced your life?
I would have to say all of them, and I’ll explain why. I’m a hardcore book worm. Ever since I was a child, I had my nose stuck in a book. Though I favor Urban Fantasy and Paranormal, I will seriously read anything from Shakespeare to cereal boxes. I was probably the only kind in school who read the assigned books cover to cover instead of just the cliff notes. Each and every story touches my heart in some way, and I believe that’s what eventually led me to write my own novel.
? What are you reading right now?
Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones.
? What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I read, of course! J I also like to watch The Vampire Diaries pretty religiously, go for walks with my dogs, and have coffee with my friends. I enjoy drawing, painting, sewing, and graphic design, but I don’t do those very often.
? What is your favorite comfort food?
Anything fatting and bad for you - pizza, fries, chips, you get the idea. I don’t have a sweet tooth so I opt for the greasy things, which might be worse. LOL.
? What do you think makes a good story?
Any book that makes me care about the characters or that makes me have an outward reaction - I love screaming at the characters while I read and hope to make a few people yell or laugh along with my characters in Dark Heirloom.
? Who would you consider your favorite author and why?
Oh I have a few, it’s impossible to narrow it down to just one. Anne Rice and Orson Scott Card are definitely my top two. They are masters of their craft, Queen and King of their genres and of the writing world, and I have great respect for them.
Cassandra Clare is my current author crush and I want to be just like her when I grow up. I think her books are amazing and hope mine can be that good. J
Fun random questions:
· dogs or cats? Dogs.
· Coffee or tea? Coffee.
· Dark or milk chocolate? Milk.
· Rocks or flowers? Flowers - but now I’m wondering what I would do if someone gave me a bouquet of rocks….
· Night or day? Night.
· Favorite color? Black.
· Crayons or markers? Markers.
· Pens or pencils? It depends on if I’m writing or drawing. Pens for writing, pencils for drawing.
More About the Author:
J.D. Brown graduated from the International Academy of Design and Technology with a Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her two Pomeranians. Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, her writing is influenced by the multicultural urban society of her youth which she continues to visit each summer. J.D. loves paranormal characters; from vampires and werewolves, demons and angels, to witches and ghosts. Her writings are often a combination of suspense and romance. J.D. enjoys helping and promoting her fellow writers and leads an active life on the web. She also writes erotic romance for the MuseItHOT division under the pen name Danielle Ravencraft.
Links:
J.D. Brown
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Book Blurb:
“You’re a vampire” is so not what Ema Marx wants to hear when she wakes from a two-day coma in a cryptic yet exquisite castle in northern Finland. Unfortunately, it explains a lot. Like why she’s able to see in the dark and walk through solid objects. What she doesn’t understand is why the other vampires expect her to have all the answers. It’s their fault she turned into one of them…right?
Jalmari’s hatred for his old-man intensifies when he’s ordered to bring that troublesome girl to their castle. He has a clan to run; there’s no time for babysitting newborn vampires no matter how they were converted to their culture. But when a two-thousand-year-old premonition threatens to take the crown and his life, Jalmari sees no other choice than to take out the catalyst, Ema Marx. Fortunately for Ema, she could also be the clan’s only savior.
The race to figure out her vampiric origins is on. And maybe she’ll get the hang of the blood-drinking gig along the way…
