An Interview with Jessica Andersen
The Reading Cafe is thrilled to have the fantastic Jessica Andersen as our guest today. Jess is one of our favorite authors, and we have given you a glimpse into her books all week. So if you have not read them, it’s time you did so.
Without further ado…Jessica Andersen
Jessica, we at the Reading Café would like to thank you for taking the time to answer our questions.
JA: Thanks for inviting me for an interview!
TRC:Your website jessicaandersen.com has quite a bit of information about your foray into the world of writing. Will you tell us something about you-the person?
JA: Well, I like traveling, outdoor sports, long walks on the beach … LOL. Kidding (though I do like all those things.) I guess my big take-home on me-the-person is that over the past few years I’ve gone from being a type A, goal-oriented stress ball to being a far more laid back human being who tries to enjoy each day, put family first, and not sweat the little things. I wouldn’t say I’m a hundred percent on all of it yet, but I’m definitely a much happier human being for learning to stop and take a breath now and then.
TRC: You say that you write ‘smart, sexy, high-impact romance’. Do you consider yourself a ‘romance writer’ first or a writer of paranormal romance and why?
JA: I definitely consider myself a romance writer first and foremost, because the Happily Ever After is incredibly important to me, both as a reader and as a writer. I want to know that no matter what those characters go through (be it in regency, fantasy, romantic suspense, etc.), they’re going to have a wonderful, loving ending. I write lots of romantic suspense in addition to the paranormal romances, but both series are smart, sexy and high-impact romances!
TRC: You have stated that the Nightkeepers idea was basically an ‘ooh, shiny moment’. Was it that simple,-while researching for an idea, and the Mayan calendar and its’ final prophecy, that triggered an entire series?
JA: It really was that simple. I was researching another idea, came across the idea of the 12/21/12 doomsday (this was back in ’06, when it really wasn’t in pop culture yet), and said “wow, I’ve got to write about that!”
TRC: The biography information on your website states you have an undergraduate biology degree and a PhD in genetics. Has your education aided in the research and background information for The Final Prophecy series? Have you been able to apply your education and knowledge to any aspect of your writing?
JA: My background has been invaluable in researching the Nightkeeper books (all my books, really). More importantly, it’s been a good tool for me to figure out when to stop researching. Just as a scientific paper only needs to contain the background info necessary for the reader to understand the experiments in that paper, a story only needs the details that are relevant to the characters’ experiences at that particular moment in that particular story. I try to keep that in mind when I’m writing, because there are lots of really cool details I’d like to include … but if I put them all in, the story would get lost!
TRC: You have a new series, to be debuted in 2013. Will you tell us about your new series-such as genre and some background information? Do you have a set number of books in this new series?
JA: Hm… I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you. LOL- okay, just kidding on the death threat thing, but at the moment the new series is being kept under wraps. The only thing I can really say is OMG, I love writing it!
TRC: TYPOS FROM HELL..a wonderful and apt name for your mistakes and errors. Many are so funny and humorous, and sexually suggestive. Auto-correct is a nightmare and many people suffer at the hands of auto-correct. When and why did you decide to let the readers into your editing hell?
JA: I’ve been Facebooking my typos for several years now (and later upload them to my website at http://www.jessicaandersen.com/Typos-from-Hell.html), and it’s definitely a reader favorite. I don’t really remember when or how it evolved, but I think it’s a fun way to involve people in my (sometimes insane) creative process and the naughty stew that my brain becomes when I’m writing.
TRC: Harlequin Nocturne series-The Royal House of Shadows was a project between 4 very popular and prolific authors. Will you tell us about your experience writing ¼ of a storyline? Will you ever consider doing a similar project again? Was there any problem with compliance, fluidity and story premise between the 4 authors?
JA: The RHOS series was a blast to write! Gena Showalter, Nalini Singh and Jill Munroe are gifted storytellers and a ton of fun to bounce ideas off of. I’ve done a bunch of other continuity series (where authors get together to each write a stand-alone story that fits within a larger story arc told across multiple books), but this was the first one where the authors came up with the world themselves. We had a fab time brainstorming the Kingdom Realm, the Blood Sorcerer, and four royal siblings who must return home to save the day. I would totally do it again! Harlequin even made us our own website, with bonus content and downloads: http://paranormalromanceblog.com/royalhouseofshadows/
TRC: Who is your Muse?
JA: I think I am my own muse … not to be all egotistical or anything, but because there’s a piece of me in each of my characters, and I use that to really put myself in their heads. Rabbit’s character has always been one of the easiest for me to write, because I’ve so often felt like him—the person who has the best of intentions, but who personifies Murphy’s law. 😉
LIGHTNING ROUND:
FAVORITE FOOD- Pizza, as long as it doesn’t have too many veggies or any hairy fish on it.
FAVORITE DESSERT- Chocolate in all forms except covering jalapeno peppers (that is just a cruel joke, in my opinion, especially when one finds its way into an otherwise harmless candy assortment … BTDT).
BOXERS, BRIEFS, COMMANDO- Boxers!
DO YOU HAVE A HOBBY– Mountain biking
FAVORITE AUTHOR- Linnea Sinclair
FAVORITE BOOK- Richard Bach’s BRIDGE ACROSS FOREVER
WHAT BOOK ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING- I’m in-between books right now, but just finished up Suz Brockmann’s latest Troubleshooter/Team Sixteen book, and give it two thumbs up!
LAST VACATION SPOT– Vacation? What’s that? LOL!
Thank you, Doc Jess, for this great interview. It has been such a pleasure working with you, and wish you good luck on Magic Unchained. For all of you who have not read The Nightkeepers….what are you waiting for? It’s a phenomenal series, and Jess Andersen is a wonderful author.
If you would like to find out more about Jessica Andersen, below are links to her sites:
Website: http://www.jessicaandersen.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DocJess
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/270312.Jessica_Andersen
************GIVEAWAY!!*********
Jessica is graciously offering a giveaway to one of our members. She will send a copy of one of her Nightkeeper books to a lucky winner. Please note you must be a member of The Reading Café to have a chance to win (U.S. & Canada only). If you are not a member, please register today. The contest will close midnight April 21, 2012. Good Luck to all.
