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| SILVER FOX'S DEN
INTERVIEW B. R. Jones author |
| web site : www.brjones.org
e-mail: [email protected]. |
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| SF - When did you start writing creatively? BRJ - I've been writing since I was in high school--we won't talk about how long ago that was! I started writing romantic short stories, you know, the sad, sappy kind where the girlfriend gets killed in a car wreck and her teenage boyfriend has a difficult time recovering. Thankfully, I've gotten a bit more creative since then. (laughs) SF - Where do you get the inspiration for your stories? BRJ - That's a difficult question to answer in a nutshell--mainly from some of the crazy life experiences I've had, I suppose, and from the fantasies that keep rolling around in my head. SF - Are there parts of you contained in your works? BRJ - Sure. Although most of the time, it's not intentional. SF _ What genre(s) are you most comfortable with? BRJ - I'm still writing romance, although I'm most comfortable writing mystery and suspense. They're my favorites to write and building the suspense in a novel can get really exciting. Even my romances have quite a bit of suspense and mystery to them. SF _ Have your life experiences influenced your work? BRJ - Most definitely. SF - How so? BRJ - There are those who would say that my writing can sometimes be dark and foreboding, that perhaps the untimely death of my brother has spurred my writing to such dark corners. But who's to say? Would I be a different kind of writer had my brother lived, or would I write just as I do, anyway? No one can ever know what truly makes a writer write. But surely, the experiences of any writer's life, whether they're happy, sad, tragic, or pleasant, or a combination of these, are what all of our writing is drawn from, because all of these things reside in our souls. Most of them come out on paper. SF - What, if anything, would you like to share about you, the person? BRJ - I'm nuttier than a fruitcake?...A big ol' downhome goober? It's a lifelong battle trying to overcome my quirky personality and strive for sophistication! (laughs) SF - To whom do you seek advice and/or support from? BRJ - From other author friends, of course! One should never take writing advice from family members! Because 9 times out of 10, they don't understand what we writers go through, unless they're writers themselves. SF - When can your fans expect to enjoy your work again? BRJ - I'm currently working to get an anthology of short stories finished. Further, I am working on my next novel, a mystery/suspense tentatively titled "Ulmus Alata," which I hope to have out by Winter of 2006. It's about a baby who survives hidden in the house where its "parents" are murdered, except they're not really the baby's parents. A well-intentioned neighbor stumbles upon the bloodshed at the house before the police are notified, finds the baby, and he absconds with the infant. The mystery evolves from that--where is the baby now, who were the people who were murdered, and what is the fate of all those involved in both the abduction and the search for the missing baby? SF - How can your fans reach you? BRJ - Through my website (www.brjones.org). Readers can email me directly at [email protected]. SF - What books have you read lately that you would like to recommend? BRJ - I am a huge fan of the mystery/suspense genre. Harlan Coben is one of my favorite suspense writers and I would recommend just about anything he writes, especially his stand-alone novels. I also enjoy reading James Lee Burke--not quite as suspenseful, but his writing talent is incomparable, in my opinion. SF - What is your idea of fun? BRJ - Renting a good movie and sitting on the couch with crackers and dip and Vienna sausages! (laughs) I'm actually easily satisfied. I can get more excited about finding a blouse on sale than I can about buying a new car! SF - What places do you still wish to travel to? BRJ - I've been very lucky in that I've visited and lived in a variety of locales, from Alaska to the Marshall Islands, but I've never been to Europe! I'd love to go to Paris, France, one day, since that's the home of my paternal grandmother. She came to the U.S. after World War I and I believe she was only able to return for one visit before her death in 1989. My grandmother was also a great poet. I have some of her poems dating back to the 1930's and I hope to get them published in a collection one day. SF - What type of environment are you most creative in? BRJ - One where I'm sitting alone...alone...alone! Doesn't matter if it's in a closed room or outdoors, as long as I'm alone! SF - What other talents should everyone know you have? BRJ - Well, I have other talents, I suppose, but I doubt anyone would want to know about them! (laughs) And don't think "dirty." I'm talking about cooking, sewing, and, oh yeah, I'm an excellent proofreader. I get very frustrated when I see grammar and spelling errors in public. SF - Where would you like to see your life five years from now? BRJ - I try not to think about that too much anymore! Of course, I'd like to find a certain measure of success with my writing, but I try to just take life one day at a time now. It's funny, when I was working as an administrative assistant, I was always asked during interviews, "Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?" I wanted to scream at them, "Well, let's see, since I'm an administrative assistant, in 10 years I plan to be...president of your freakin' company!" (laughs VERY long and hard) SF - Anyone out there you'd like to acknowledge? BRJ - I owe a HUGE debt of gratitude to other author friends I've made along the way, who have been a tremendous help in showing me the ropes and enlightening me to the world of internet promotion--most especially, Valerie CJ McGee, Regina Paul, Janet West-Sellars, Gregory Bryant, and Pittershawn Palmer (who has the most magnificent name in the universe!) If I've left anyone out, I'm truly sorry! There have been so many who have graciously answered my annoying emailed questions! SF - I am so happy that Ms. B. R. Jones finally (I first asked a year ago) agreed to be interviewed. She is an absolute hoot to talk to. Quick to admit that. she is trying daily to deal with the still raw pain, due to her brother's demise. B. R. Jones has a quick trigger funny bone. I had reviewed her debut novel, All Things Sacred and almost argued with her that it is Not part of my personality to give compliments I do not mean earnestly. She is a remarkably talented writer. I also took it upon myself to inquire about her with the authors (all previously interviewed on this site) about her. They each acknowledged that though she asks for help, Ms. Jones is just as quick to offer it to authors that require her area of expertise. B. R. Jones is very intelligent and hides it behind her jests. I do so much, look forward to reading her books and don't be surprised if years from now she has countless awards for her works. And please visit either of her two web sites and sign her guest books. web site : www.brjones.org e-mail: [email protected]. |
| Paperback
Publisher: Lulu Press (2006) $14. 32 pgs. ISBN: 1411668561 |
| click on the book cover to read my review |