Jana Oliver
First, a little something about Jana.
Jana Oliver has the perfect job—she listens to the voices
in her head and then writes their stories. Her latest creation, BRIAR ROSE, is
a dark steampunk retelling of Sleeping Beauty, complete with Hoodoo, a vengeful
Civil War ghost, and metal magic.
In Jana’s young adult Demon Trappers series, Riley Blackthorne, Atlanta’s first girl Demon
Trapper, takes on a host of Hellspawn and their diabolical masters. This multi
award-winning series has spread across the globe, with editions in ten
countries.
When she’s not daydreaming
new stories, she can be found savoring a growing collection of single malt
scotch and old books. Visitors are always welcome at her website: www.JanaOliver.com
At
what age did you start writing or know that you wanted to write?
I started late – I was in my
mid-forties.
Do
you plot out your stories or just make it up as you go?
I do a little of both. Sometimes I
can see the entirety of the story, sometimes not. Usually I sort of fog-walk my
way through the first draft, then go back and put each scene into an Excel
spreadsheet so I can get a better handle on the story.
Do
you listen to music while you write and if so, what do you listen too?
Yes,
I
listen to music when I write because I need that stimulation. What I listen to
depends on the book. I vary all over the map from Rock to Classical to Celtic
bands. Each book has a playlist and I post them on Spotify for my readers.
Here’s the one for the first Demon Trappers book: https://open.spotify.com/user/1220411649/playlist/0oqv2id7DYUDw4QcIl9zde
Which
of your stories/books/works do you consider the best?
I am immensely proud of two of my
works: the Demon
Trappers series and the Time Rovers series.
The first is the story of a teen taking on Hellspawn in Atlanta and the other
is a time travel/alternate history story set in London during the Autumn of
Terror (1888 – Jack the Ripper). Both have pushed me far out of my comfort zone
as a writer and they’re my best work so far.
What
is your latest project/release?
My latest release is MIND GAMES (Book
#5 of the Demon Trappers). It came out last Halloween and since it’s all about
demons, that was perfect.
Do
you have any signings or appearances coming up?
I’ve cut way back on appearances and
signings, mostly so I can write more books (grin).
My next appearance is at Con Nooga in Chattanooga, TN (Feb. 19-21) http://www.connooga.com/
My next appearance is at Con Nooga in Chattanooga, TN (Feb. 19-21) http://www.connooga.com/
Is
there a book or book series that you recommend to people?
As a devote lover of Urban Fantasy, I
always recommend Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniels series. It’s set in a future
Atlanta which is home to some pretty big bad monsters and Kate and the Curran
(the Beast Lord of Atlanta) takes them all on. The series never flags.
How
much of you is in your characters?
There is some of me in my characters.
It’s hard to incorporate bits of yourself. An example: Jacynda Lassiter, my
heroine in the Time Rovers series, has a few quirks. She hates being in a
tunnel under water. I’m the same. Freaks me out. Still, I forced myself to walk
from the south side of the Thames (London) to the north side in a Victorian Era
tunnel just to experience the anxiety/fear. I don’t usually do that kind of
thing, but it seemed right for the book. Obviously I survived. I still hate
tunnels under water.
What
genre do you prefer to write? To read?
I write across the genres so there’s
not one favorite. As to my reading habits, I’m an omnivore. I adore Regency
romances, love a gritty and badass Urban Fantasy and can thoroughly enjoy a
classic British murder mystery.
Do
you prefer writing short stories or novels?
And why?
I prefer novels and the occasional
novella. Short stories are actually harder as they have so little real estate
in which to tell the story. I’ve written a few, but I just prefer a broader
canvas.
Is
Writer’s Block ever a problem for you?
If so, how do you deal with it.
I don’t have Writer’s Block, per se.
I do get stymied every now and then so I wander off and do something completely
different: clean the cat box, do laundry, something dull. While I’m doing that
mundane task my brain usually spins out the problem and then I go back to work
on the book.
What
3 things do you feel every aspiring writer should know?
This job isn’t easy. It’s hard, then
it gets harder. You have to have that fire in your gut to stick with it, but if
you do the beauty of seeing your words being read by another is incredible.
Not everyone is going to like your work. Build up your writer calluses now because the rejection is going to hurt.
Not everyone is going to like your work. Build up your writer calluses now because the rejection is going to hurt.
Your ability to pen stories is a
gift. Never let anyone take that from you.
Do
you read reviews of your books? If so,
have you ever engaged a reviewer over comments they’ve made?
It’s a no-no to engage with reviewers,
but I have on a couple of occasions when I felt they really went over the line.
I carefully pick my battles and 99.9% of the time I just walk away. Social
Media can exacerbate conflict and the last thing I want is for my author rep to
get nailed because someone didn’t like what I had to say.
Twitter: @crazyauthorgirl
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