My darling Michelle!
It’s a humdinger, today, folks! That’s because my darling friend C. Michelle Jefferies and I are interviewing each other! She’s in the midst of her blog tour while I’m in the midst of mine. Stop by her site to see my take on stilettos and writing advice, and read on to hear more about her!
Here’s a bit of trivia. We were Facebook friends and had been talking for a while, when she suddenly mentioned a tiny little town out in the boondocks. MY town. She had moved in about a mile and a half away from the house I grew up in. Talk about serendipity!
MMY: Michelle, you ended up moving to my hometown! How is it for you? What’s your favorite thing about it?
CMJ: I keep joking with my hubby that every time we move we go to a smaller town. I’m not moving again! (Castle Dale is a tiny berg of about 1,800 people and about 2 miles square.) My hubby moved us out here and my first thought was “patch of green in the middle of the desert”. I honestly feel a little isolated. The shopping isn’t the greatest but I like the slower atmosphere. My favorite thing about it is my kids love it here and they are thriving. I can’t argue with it.
MMY:Your first book is coming out, but I know you have several more in the works. Share what information you can, will you?
CMJ:My first published novel EMERGENCE will be out in the next couple of weeks. That book is my passion and many years of effort. I do however have my hands in more than one thing at a time. (Kind of ADD that way.) I have a short story in a Christmas Compilation book called SING WE NOW OF CHRISTMAS, Compiled by Michael Young. And I have a middle grade book about manners taught by fairies tentatively called ENCHANTED ETIQUETTE. Both EMERGENCE and ENCHANTED ETIQUETTE will be through Walnut Springs Press.
MMY: What drew you to your particular genre?
CMJ: I’ve always liked the “special team” or “average guy with technology” TV shows, (think A-team, Battle of the Planets, Knight Rider) and would create stories in my head after watching them. I like a good suspense but want a little romance in it. I also like science fiction so my books are a mish mash of these styles. I have also found a new passion (for me) which is Burn Notice. Love ( times ten) that show.
MMY: When you and I met, we hit it off immediately. Why do you think that is?
CMJ: I think we have so much in common, kids, kids with special needs, love the odd and un-normal, and love to write. I do think there’s more to the connection than that though. I believe that souls are bound together in ways not seen. Threads that indicate to me that there was something there from before we existed in physical form.
MMY: I’m amazed by your productivity, especially with children running around the house. How do you do it?
CMJ: I covet naptime. It is one of the few times I can get anything done. I really hate TV and I hate using it as a babysitter but sometimes (like now) I use it when in a pinch. My family is really understanding of the “I have to finish this proof before tomorrow” thing and I get all sorts of cooperation from them if they are available to help. Otherwise my house falls apart and I occasionally stop the madness and we just clean house for a few hours so we can resume the wild ride that is my home.
MMY: Butterflies. I know you’re into butterflies. Share.
CMJ: Butterflies represent change, or metamorphosis. Changing from one level of consciousness to another. Butterflies to me are like my characters, an atheist assassin becoming a prophet, a former DEA agent left for dead who lets thoughts of revenge go in order to serve the more noble path. I like to think of my story characters being “bad boys going good”.
MMY: What are you currently working on?
CMJ: I’m working on a few amazing projects. One is a young adult scifi/steampunk/urban fantasy about a boy who is given a medallion for his birthday and runs away from home when he realizes that monsters are looking for and willing to kill for this tarnished medallion. The second project, and I say “project” lightly is a number of books that all tie into the Emergence story in some way. They’re called parallel books. Same themes. characters, and settings but different stories. I am also toying with a field guide for these parallel novels. That would be a blast to write.
MMY: You and I are doing a joint book signing in Price and Castle Dale on Friday, November 2, 2012. Say that somebody comes up to you at the signing and starts a conversation. What would you LOVE to talk about?
CMJ: I love to talk writing, I love to talk to aspiring writers and tell them the methods I have found that work for me. (My husband would say I just love to talk period. ) Don’t even get me started on Story Structure and Master Chapter Outlines.
MMY: Then I’ll definitely get you started on Story Structure and Master Chapter Outlines! Thanks so much for dropping by, Michelle. Catch you in town next month!