Jim Bronyaur-Interview with the Author
The Reading Cafe would like to introduce INDIE author Jim Bronyaur.
Name: Jim Bronyaur
Residence : Pennsylvania
Marital Status: Married
Number of Children: 2
Education/Degree: Bachelor’s Degree
TRC: Would you please tell us something about yourself?
Jim: My name is Jim. Need more? I live in Pennsylvania where I do most of my writing in the corner of our basement. It’s my dream writing place right now and I couldn’t imagine working anywhere else. I write in different kinds of genres including horror, thriller, mystery… and I even have a paranormal romance series coming out soon.
TRC: When and how did you first become interested in writing?
Jim: Two important events.
First… when I was about eight, I read Pet Sematary by Stephen King. That is by far my favorite book and movie. It really changed my life. My parents weren’t thrilled when I started asking to sleep in their bed, but it was all part of the grand scheme to become a writer myself.
Second… when I was in fifth grade, a guest poet came to my school every Friday for a couple months. He was the most eccentric man I had ever met, and because of him, I had my first published piece of writing. It was a poem about a pig with a wig. Don’t ask, it’s not available to be read.
TRC: As a young man, did you parents or teachers support your choice to write ?
Jim: Yes. My parents always pushed me towards the arts stuff. I also play guitar and several other instruments. They had to endure the days and nights of loud guitar playing and drums. Never once did they ask me to turn it down or off and never once did they tell me to stop writing and do something else. In school, I had a guest teacher in tenth grade for a creative writing class. She was honest and open and embraced anything I offered. She allowed me to write what I wanted to and encouraged me to be honest.
TRC:You have self-published several ebooks and novellas including The Nothing Man, The Devil’s Weekend and No Laughing Matter. Which book was your first published novel? Will you tell us something about your first published work?
Jim: My first published work was my three short story collection titled In the Corner. It came out April 2011. The stories are a mix of horror and thriller. The name of the book came because they were stories that were started and never finished but always sat in the back of my mind, waiting. When the chance came to grab them, finish them, and publish them, I went for it. The best part about the book is that everyone chooses a different story as their favorite… I love reading the reviews and hearing the mixed thoughts on the stories.
TRC: You have published several of your novels using Smashwords, as an Indie writer. What is the process to publish as an Indie writer?
Jim: It’s a long process, one you have to learn to love over time. I do EVERYTHING. I do the covers, the formatting, the creation of all the different files (with the exception of Smashwords since their MeatGrinder does it for me!), the uploading, and everything else that comes along with it. One of the keys behind it all is that you have to take your time in the beginning to learn as much as you can.
TRC: What was your decision behind self-publishing?
Jim: I wanted to do it! My dream has always been to own my own business and I love to write, so why not mix the two? I have nothing against traditional publishing and never would, this is just my path right now.
TRC: Which genre do you most identify with your writing style and why?
Jim: A healthy mix between horror, thriller, and mystery. Those are the genres I grew up reading and watching movies. As a kid, I read Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine
TRC: Several writers and artists have friends or family that help bounce ideas back and forth. Who do you go to when you want to jam about ideas etc?
Jim: I have a few select writer friends that I’ll chat with. In the end, we usually end up coming with new projects! I also like sites like Kindleboards where a lot of authors will go and connect not just to talk about writing, but to talk about the business of writing. It’s pretty nice – almost like a break room for authors!
TRC: Is you wife involved with your writing process?
Jim: On certain projects, yes. She was the driving force behind Eve Bailey in the Minivan Mom Mystery Series. I had the idea for a mystery series with a woman as the main character and I thought it would be fun and different to have that woman be stay-at-home mom who drives a green minivan. I imagined her handling things the way my wife does and then have this added bonus of her getting involved with murder investigations. That’s where my wife stepped in to help create Eve and all the small things that happen around her.
TRC: Would you tell us about the premise behind your latest release-IF ERRANDS COULD KILL? (see our review below)
Jim: It follows Eve Bailey as she tries to find out who killed a local resident, Janet. Eve sees Janet leave the bank and open her gas tank, then speed away. Eve follows, curious, and then witnesses Janet’s murder. The cops quickly say it’s a drug deal gone wrong when they find drugs in Janet’s car, but something in Eve just doesn’t believe it. She tries to question and when it appears there’s perhaps no hope, a change of events has Eve starting to wonder if she’s next to be murdered… which drags her right back into the middle of things.
The fun part of the book is that while there’s murder go on around Eve, she still has to find a daily balance with her family. Her husband, Ben, has to get to work, and she has three kids who have to get to school, get home, do homework, eat dinner, and all the normal events of a family. This is what makes Eve so strong and it’s what makes the book and series addicting.
TRC: Eve is the heroine in the novella-If Errands Could Kill, and you are considering writing a series of storylines entitled-“Minivan Mom Mystery Series”. Will Eve and her family, be the main protagonists throughout this series?
Jim: As of right now, YES. My wife and I have four books planned. If Errands Could Kill is obviously available. Next up (due out by Mother’s Day) is called A Mess to Die For.
I want to keep Eve and her family in all the books because I’ve created Eve to be a real woman in real situations. I’ve done my best to try and avoid mystery book clichés and hope that each book is presented and received by readers as a unique story.
What will happen after that fourth book? I’m not sure yet. My wife and I have talked about maybe introducing new characters, changing the setting, but as of now, we are focused on the first four books which feature Eve and her family.
TRC: Have you started writing a second novel in the series, and if so, would you be able to give us the premise for the next storyline?
Jim: The second book is titled A Mess to Die For.
In this book, it’s a normal Friday night for Eve and her family. A woman of habit, Eve goes to the front door to look outside and make sure things are normal. In the distance she sees a car swerving back and forth. Eve waits and watches as the car goes through a stop sign without stopping. Eve thinks it’s a drunk driver and tells Ben to call police. The car then hits the next stop sign and comes to a stop. Eve can’t control herself as she hurries to car to confront the driver. When she opens the car door… the man in the driver’s seat is dead from a stab wound. The man turns out to be the land developer for a casino that just opened in the next town over. Eve isn’t sure what to believe when the news reports that the man was part of the mob… but that’s just the beginning because soon after, another person is attacked. Now Eve can’t help but wonder if it’s someone in the small town of Marysville doing this, but the question is – who?
TRC: What sort of research was involved in writing If Errands Could Kill?
Jim: I had the storyline from day one. All I needed was help filling in the blanks, mostly involving Eve as a wife and mother. There’s a lot of interaction between women in the book and gossip and whatnot… my best research was my wife! I would listen to her and my kids play, get in trouble, and watch how they interacted. She helped me when it came time to read the book and make the scenes stronger.
TRC: The storyline involves a stay-at-home mom, who is witness to a murder and proceeds to do some of her own investigation work, but her family life is your stereo-typical ‘soccer mom’. Do you write from experience about family life at home?
Jim: Well, my wife is basically a stay-at-home mom. I get to spend a lot of time home too so I get to witness what it’s like and have my own hands experience too. We have two boys (ages 4 and 2), so our house is always active, loud, and messy. Except for bedtime… the greatest time of the day!
TRC: Who designed the cover for IF ERRANDS COULD KILL?
Jim: I did! I’ve always wanted to learn EVERYTHING about publishing, including covers. I love creating books, covers, formatting, and publishing. It’s what I do. I had a simple idea for the cover too… a to-do list that included solving Janet’s murder. It’s simple but yet catchy.
TRC: What are you working on today?
Jim: Besides this interview… we are finishing up A Mess to Die For. We also have our proof copy of the first book of our paranormal romance series coming so we can finalize that and get it to publication. I also had a meeting this morning with another writer to work on the details of a new horror series we’re going to write together. I love to stay busy!
TRC: If someone would like to order an ecopy of one of your novels, where would they find your books?
Jim: As of right now, If Errands Could Kill is exclusive with Amazon in both Kindle and paperback formats
At Amazon: If Errands Could Kill
Most of my other books are available on other retailers. The best bet is to head to my site at Jim Bronyaur and check out the books section.
LIGHTNING ROUND
Favorite Food: Tacos!
Favorite Dessert: Cookies n’ milk
Favorite TV Show: The Walking Dead
Favorite Movie: Goodfellas
Last Movie You saw: The Woman in Black
We would like to thank you very much for taking the time to answer our questions. We wish you the best of luck with all of your future books. Let us know when A Mess To Die For will be released. We look forward to writing the review.
