JILL ARCHER-Interview and Giveaway with the Author
ABOUT JILL: Raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Jill earned a bachelor of science from Penn State University and later moved to Baltimore to attend the University of Baltimore School of Law, where she graduated magna cum laude. She went on to practice law as a “dirt lawyer” for ten years, specializing in real estate law, municipal development, commercial leasing, and anything involving exceedingly lengthy legalese-like contractual monstrosities.
Jill now lives in rural Maryland with her two children and husband, who is a recreational pilot. Weekends are often spent flying around in the family’s small Cessna, visiting tiny un-towered airfields and other local points of interest.
Link to : Jill’s Website
Jill Archer’s new novel DARK LIGHT OF DAY will be released September 25, 2012.
TRC: Hi Jill and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the release of DARK LIGHT OF DAY.
Jill: Thanks, Sandy! I’m happy to be here.
TRC: We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?
Jill: I live in rural Maryland with my husband and two daughters. When I’m not reading or writing, I like to hike, bike, watch movies, hang out with friends, and take day trips with my family. I love coffee and wine and I prefer chewy sweets to chocolate ones.
TRC: Many authors develop an interest in writing at an early age. What or whom sparked your interest?
Jill: I’ve been a lifelong reader, but didn’t ever think of attempting to write a novel until I went on maternity leave for the first time. (My oldest is now ten).
TRC: What challenges or difficulties have you faced as a writer?
Jill: Many! But I think that’s just how it is. 🙂 When I started, my only goal was simply to finish a novel. Period. For years, that was my sole goal. Initially, I worked on a “novel” that was really just a string of scenes with common characters. With my second attempt, I made it to “The End” but it wasn’t marketable. Shoving that manuscript in the bottom of a desk drawer where it belonged was tough, but necessary.
There was also a time, just before Dark Light of Day sold, when I stopped writing for awhile. My mother had passed away and I needed some time off from writing about dark things and dark places. I found a part-time job at a small, local law firm, helping one of the partners with his cases. Returning to something I’d known for years was very therapeutic. When my agent called to give me the news about the sale, I was ready to return to writing.
TRC: DARK LIGHT OF DAY is the September 2012 release in your new Noon Onyx series. Would you please tell us something about the premise?
LINKS TO ORDER
The Book Depository
Amazon Paper
Amazon Kindle
B&N Nook and Paper books
Jill: In a nutshell, Dark Light of Day is the story of a first year law student who is being trained to represent demons.
TRC: There is plenty of legal terminology and references throughout due to the nature of the storyline. Did your degree and career as a lawyer assist in the writing of this series?
Jill: Absolutely. I used my experiences as a law student, adjunct professor, and legal practitioner to create the character, the world she lives in, and the assignments she and her classmates are given. That said, Dark Light of Day is fantasy. Any real world inspirations were used merely as jumping off points. I did not overly concern myself with legal accuracy. I don’t think anyone will be reading Dark Light of Day to educate themselves on the law. 🙂
The truth is, I find certain legal symbols and concepts fascinating. And if I can use them as the basis or background for an interesting story, all the better.
TRC: Did you ever think your law degree would help in the writing of a paranormal storyline?
Jill: Ha! No! Not one bit. At first, I couldn’t believe I was even considering writing a book based on the above premise. But then — that’s when I knew I probably *should* write it and see how it turned out. I told myself I would figure out what to do with it after I finished it — whether I’d 86 it down deep in my desk like my first completed manuscript, or take a leap of faith and try to sell it.
TRC: How much legal research was required in the writing of this novel?
Jill: I didn’t keep track. It was gloriously freeing in a way, not having to worry about billing the research in six minute increments. 😀 In all seriousness though, a lot of it was just double checking my understanding of terms and concepts before I used them.
TRC: There is a phenomenal amount of information contained within this storyline. How were you able to keep everything and everyone aligned without mass chaos and confusion on the page and in your head?
Jill: At its heart, Dark Light of Day is about Noon’s magical and academic struggles, which are closely related. And there are elements of mystery and romance. Weaving the various sub-plots together was difficult at times. I tried to tie the sub-plots together with common themes, motifs, and/or plot nexuses.
TRC: How many books do you have planned for the series?
Jill: I’ve sketched out a total of 7 books. I’m currently contracted to write 3.
TRC: What do you have planned for the next installment in the Noon Onyx series?
Jill: My general response for all future books is “new assignments, new adventures, new adversaries!” 😀 But I’ll also share that, in Book #2, some characters return, some new ones are introduced, and Noon gets her first field assignment.
TRC: What challenges did you face getting this particular storyline to publication?
Jill: One of the biggest challenges was the character’s age. Noon is a student trying to survive a crushing course schedule. She has parents who don’t get along and boy troubles. The book is also written in first person. So, initially, we pitched it to some young adult editors. But Noon’s twenty-one. She’s very much an adult. And, though she struggles with some of the things that YA protagonists often struggle with, many of the scenes and themes were written with an adult audience in mind. So I was delighted when it sold to Ace, one of Penguin’s adult science fiction and fantasy imprints.
TRC: If you could virtually cast the characters in DARK LIGHT OF DAY, which actors or models do you think would best represent the major players in the storyline?
Jill: I love movies and some TV shows, and I read Entertainment Weekly, but honestly, I have no idea. Casting, like book covers, is an art probably best left to someone other than the writer. That said, it would fun to hear readers’ thoughts on this question. Other people are probably more in tune with who the young stars of today are than I am. Also, one of the *best* things about reading (as opposed to watching) is that every reader has their own interpretation of the characters and world. Each individual fills in the blanks of the story with their own imagination.
TRC: Writer’s Block is a very real phenomenon for many authors. How do you handle the pressure and anxiety of writer’s block?
Jill: It depends on what’s causing the block. I mentioned taking time off from writing after my mother died. That was necessary and I didn’t try to fight it. I knew I needed to get out of my house and do something that was both familiar and routine to me, and yet different enough from what I had been doing to put my mind in a better place. For those times when inspiration is lacking… well, I spend time staring at my computer screen… staring out of my office window… staring into space… It’s frustrating and feels counter-productive, but eventually something breaks loose. Sometimes, though, a change of venue is needed. I go on a hike, or pack up my computer and head out to write somewhere else. Sometimes I’ll watch a movie or read National Geo. Anything that frees the mind and gets you un-stuck. Not panicking is the key.
TRC: On what are you currently working?
Jill: Book #3. (New assignments, new adventures, new adversaries! ;-D)
TRC: Would you like to add anything else?
Jill: My publisher is running a Goodreads giveaway for Dark Light of Day. Tomorrow, September 21, 2012, is the last day to enter to win a free copy. I’m also in the midst of doing a blog tour for Dark Light of Day and am running several giveaways myself. If anyone is interested in hearing more about the prizes, tour stops, or article topics, all of the information is on my website on the page “Dark Light of Day Blog Tour.”
If anyone wants to connect with me, I love meeting new people online. My contact info is below. Please feel free to reach out!
* Website: www.jillarcher.com
* Blog: http://jillarcherauthor.wordpress.com/
* Twitter: @archer_jill * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jillarcherauthor * Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13556956-dark-light-of-day
LIGHTNING ROUND
Favorite Food — anything cooked by someone else
Favorite Dessert — homemade, fresh peach pie
Favorite TV Show — Game of Thrones
Favorite Movie — for summer 2012, Prometheus
Last Movie You Saw — Hunger Games (I saw it opening night, but my husband didn’t so we rented it and watched it together)
Dark or Milk Chocolate — Milk
Last Vacation Destination — Ocean City, New Jersey
Do you have any pets? — a chocolate lab and a gray tabby cat
TRC: Thank you Jill for taking the time to answer our questions. Good luck with all of your future writing endeavors. We wish you all the best. Keep us in mind with your future release in the Noon Onyx series.
Jill: Thank you for interviewing me, Sandy, and for letting me share more about Dark Light of Day with your readers here at The Reading Cafe. Best wishes to you too!
Jill Archer is offering an Ace/Roc Science Fiction and Fantasy Sampler to ONE lucky member at The Reading Cafe.
1. You must be a registered member to qualify for the giveaway. If you are not a member, please register using the log-in at the top of the page, or by using one of the social log-ins.
2. If you are using a social log-in such as Twitter, please post your email address with your comment, as Twitter does not allow for email addresses etc.
3. Giveaway open to continental USA only.
4. Giveaway runs September 20-22, 2012
