Introductions

I’ve posted on this blog before, but it’s been a while, and since you’re going to be seeing a lot more of me here, I figured I’d do some introductions. These sorts of things are always easier to do in an interview format, but, unfortunately, my husband is busy watching Gettysburg and my pets are, rather fortunately, still without human speech. So, I’ve decided to interview myself.

Me: Thanks so much for being here today, Jackie.
Me: And thank you for having me, Jackie. It’s my pleasure.

Me: So, tell me a little about myself.
Me: Well, I like to tell people I’m first and foremost an author. I have a great book in print, published by Quake, called Surviving Serendipity. It’s a YA fantasy about a young woman who finds out she isn’t who—or even what—she thought she was on her 21st birthday, and then, while she’s still recovering from that little shock, has to save the world.

I’m also working on getting my werewolf thriller trilogy and YA supernatural romance published. Until Oprah starts returning my calls, though, I’m still holding down a day job as a professional vampire; or, to say it in Latin, a phlebotomist.

Me: So, why YA?
Me: Honestly, it’s kind of subconscious. I originally wrote Surviving Serendipity as an adult novel, but my publisher put forth the idea of marketing it as a YA novel. And when I sat down and thought about it, I realized, you know what? This works! I’m still very much a teenager at heart; you can usually find me on the weekends in jeans and a tee from Threadless with some smart alecky saying on the front.
To go a little deeper, I had an absolutely miserable time in high school, so much so that I didn’t even attend my own graduation ceremony—I couldn’t wait another minute to get out of that place. Books were my escape. I could follow along with characters who were ordinary on the outside, but had a special secret or talent that led them on amazing adventures. Imagining I was like that, too, was one of the only things that got me through. Those are the kind of stories I still love, and so I write them, too…and a part of me hopes that it gives a teen who’s currently going through the same stuff I did something to draw on to get them through the next day.

Me: So, what’s it like, being an author?
Me: Well, for me, it’s equal parts rock star and reality check. When I do book festivals and in-person events, I never get tired of hearing, “Wow. You’re the author?” But there’s a lot of work involved, nasty dirty work like marketing and promotion. Writing the book is the easy part.

Me: So, where can people buy your book?
Me: Lots of places! You can go here, which is the direct site of Quake. You can also get it on Amazon, and if your local bookstore doesn’t have it, they can order it for you. And if you’re lucky enough to live in South Carolina, I’ll be at the South Carolina Book Festival in Columbia, SC, February 28-March 1.

Me: So, when will we see you again?
Me: I’ll be here the first and third Monday of every month. I also have my own blog, Serendipitous Times. Plus, you can:
Visit my website, SylvaniaMania.
Be my friend on MySpace and Facebook.

Follow me on Twitter.

And don’t forget—there’ll be lots of other Quake authors showing up here, so make sure you subscribe and click on Follow Me in the left column!