First and
foremost, please tell us a little bit about yourself. I live in
Colorado and don’t think I would ever want to live anywhere else. I love a good
story. I burst into flames in the sun and I am prolly the world’s worst
speller. Bad when you need to use words correctly to make a living. My current
favorite song on repeat is Blue Mountains by The Diamond Rugs and it’s about a
stripper.
You tend to
write various types of genres. What's
your favorite to write and why? What are
you most comfortable to write and why? I don’t know that I write various genres. All
my characters are intertwined, live in the same world and interact with each
other. All my books are classified as New Adult, so really I just have tattoo
guys, army guys and rocker guys all in that same classification.
Are you a
plotter or a pantser? I start with a theme. Rule’s was finding your
true path, Jet’s was being true to who you are and not letting the past dictate
the future, Rome’s is forgiveness. Self forgives, forgiveness of others and
learning that asking and taking help is okay.
Once I have
the theme I go from there and figure out the plot points on getting my
characters to where the overreaching theme is explored and developed.
I don’t
outline or brainstorm or take notes. I just sit down and write and write and
write.
What is your
writing routine? I just write. No routine, no rhyme or reason.
That’s why this job is great. I can typically knock out 5,000-10,000 words a
day but I can do it in the morning or at 2 am. I just write when the mood strikes,
but am always very aware of my deadline. I write everyday even if I don’t want
to because it’s my job and it’s a way to stay motivated and keep on top of it.
I don’t always save everything, but I put words on the paper every day. When I’m
finished I revise, reread and then send my MS to my book bestie for feedback
and to throw commas in there because I suck at it! I just recently started
using a proofreader as well, and then I send the finished product to my agent
and my editor.
Where do you
find your inspiration? Life. Music. Colorado. In dreams. My past.
Everywhere and anywhere, which I think is true for all authors.
Where did
the concept of THE MARKED MEN series come from?
That being ‘marked’ means a lot
of different things. People see marks on the outside and make snap judgments,
but life…circumstance…choices we make or don’t make fundamentally mark us along
the way as well. All the guys have marks in different ways, it’s fun to write
each one of them and explore the markings that go beyond the surface.
What is it
about bad boys that attract us to them when we know better? Lol…everyone
always says I write bad-boys. I really don’t. I write guys secure in who they
are, in what they are doing in life and that are just at home in their skin,
marked or unmarked as it may be.
Women like
to think a bad boy will change just for them because they matter that much. The
allure of someone dangerous and slightly hard to handle is sexy and if you are
the one he comes home to it makes you inherently feel special.
Did the
characters come first, or did the storyline?
I couldn’t get rid of Rule. He
was hounding me and demanding I tell his story. When I started his journey the
rest of his crew organically feel into place. I knew he was a twin, knew he and
Shaw had history, knew he was misunderstood but the nuances of the story were a
surprise as I followed him along.
How did you
research rock stars for JET? No, because Jet is a rocker not a rock star.
Totally different kind of guy. Jet doesn’t want adulation or exorbitant fame.
He wants to write songs and play music for people that appreciate it. He’s in
it for the art not the fame and fortune.
I know Jet.
I worked in bars forever. I know the kind of guy Jet is and what ultimately
drives him.
What type of
relationship is your favorite to explore and develop? Complicated
ones. Ones that shouldn’t work but can’t be denied. Ones that have history and
baggage. Ultimately the relationship has to have the characters grow so easy
doesn’t really play into that.
I also like
difficult family dynamics. I think the reason young adults make the choices
they do has a lot to do with becoming untethered from home. It plays a part in
how they grow and interact with others.
What has the
publishing process been like? Interesting. I never thought I would be
learning a new job in my 30’s. I love my editor, but having someone tell you to
change things, move your words around…it can be hard. She’s amazing and I know
she is pulling the best story possible out of me, but I still want to pull my
hair out.
It’s a
business. You have to be patient, you have to be aware. You have to network and
be available to readers and the publisher. You have to WORK at it, just like
any other job and you can’t take any of the opportunity for granted. I’m very
lucky.
Pretty weird
for a girl that was pouring beer for a living this time last year. :)
Would you
recommend advertisements or did you market your books through a different
venue? Social media is a must…readers have to be
able to know what’s going on with you, have to be able to connect. The more
ways for people to find you and see what you have going on book wise and
promotional wise the better.
I have a PR
team: http://literatiauthorservices.com/,
and HarperCollins has a huge marketing team that handles most of my promotional
stuff.
How involved
are you in terms of editing/book cover/release date/marketing process? I’m
fortunate that my publisher lets me pretty involved. HC gets the ultimate say
but thus far they have been super receptive to my feedback. Release dates are
all them and I need an editor so…also they have a massive marketing team that
studies the market…they KNOW what will sell…like I said above, I’m super lucky.
I have no complaints about the publishing process. I think HC really
understands my vision, what I’m about and I think they know what makes my voice
in the NA world unique.
Are you
working on anything now? I am but I can’t talk about it just yet but
if you go snooping around on Goodreads or Amazon or B&N or I-Tunes it’s
pretty easy to find out what it is. I’ll have an announcement coming hopefully
this week or the next about what’s up next!!!!
I’m really
excited about it and I think my readers will be thrilled.
Any upcoming
releases? Again peeps are gonna have to venture out and
see for themselves…my next guy very well might be floating around but I don’t
have the official okay to shout it from the hills just yet!!
Jaycrownover@gmail.com
Jaycrownover.blogspot.com
http://www.goodreads.com/Crownover
http://www.facebook.com/AuthorJayCrownover
Twitter@jaycrownover
facebook.com/jay.crownover
Twitter@jaycrownover
facebook.com/jay.crownover
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