Q1. Is "Stranger Among Us" your first published work?
A1: My first published work is a short story titled Victim to Villain that debuted last month in Ink & Sword Magazine. As for my 1st book, yes it is.
Q2. Based on the novel's synopsis and the author bio on the JSmith Publishing website, you and your character, Jean Stone, have very similar careers. Does Jean Stone reflect your own personality?
A2: Definitely! There is a lot of my past, present, and future in these books. Jean Stone is named after my maternal grandmother, sadly she is no longer with us. My life, experiences, and family inspire me to write these stories.
Q3. Why did you choose this genre?
A3: Mystery and crime were my favorite since I was old enough to remember. In 4th grade, I read every Nancy Drew book out there along with The Hardy Boys. Nancy Drew was my idol, I wanted to be just like her! I also was fascinated with anything mystery oriented especially the sinking of the Titanic. My first career choice was to be a Marine Biologist, so I could go down and see the Titanic. Sadly, I suffer from motion sickness so that dream would not become a reality.
Q4. Have you always enjoyed writing or did something particular inspire you to begin writing?
A4: Writing was something I enjoyed at a young age. After the Marine Biology dream went away, I decided I wanted to be a Country Singer like Patsy Cline so I started writing song lyrics. That dream didn’t work out either, but I found a passion for writing and honed my skills in college. After college I became a mom and my focus was raising her until a few years ago when I was able to begin a career as a teacher, which I love. It was a fellow mentor who inspired me to go back to writing and six weeks later, Jean Stone was born.
Q5. What is the most exciting part about having your first novel published?
A5: All of it! It has been a roller coaster ride of emotions and I have been grateful for every part of this. I soak up each moment as it is only once you publish your very first novel.
Q6. The official trailer for your novel aired at midnight on New Years Day. What was that like?
A6: Nerve wracking! We had worked on marketing for months on this and now we were about to see if it all paid off. I had not seen the trailer so my reaction you see on YouTube is genuine. It was so much more than I could have imagined and the response we got back from it was overwhelming! A memory I will cherish forever.
Q7. With regard to publishing, how did you approach finding the appropriate company?
A7: I am pretty stubborn and knew a few things were not negotiable to me. One, I didn’t want to lose my rights to my book. Two, they needed to handle it all as with a full-time teaching job, I am only able to work on things during breaks and weekends. Three, I wanted a lot of control over my book and what I thought was best. I found that in JSmith Publishing!
Q8. Do you have future plans for the continuation of the Jean Stone Mysteries?
A8: Currently I have planned out 20 books for the series. Book 2 is in storyboard editing and I am writing Book 3. I also started work on a young adult series inspired by my daughter so I stay really busy.
Q9. Do you have a favorite crime series yourself?
A9: For a TV Series, it will always be CSI. For book series, my heart belongs to Nancy Drew always and forever.
Q10. When is the release date of "Stranger Among Us?"
A10: February 22nd!
Image: © JSmith Publishing © Morgan Summers (image provided by JSmith Publishing and Morgan Summers)
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