Interview with author Janice Jones
A million thanks to Janice Jones for taking her time to answer this Q&A! I was so excited to get my hands on this book and onto my online shop. I love anything vampire and not of this world.This book is diverse as well and represents the black community. Something that this genre needs more of. I love that there are more stories and story tellers to convey another narrative that this world needs to see! Thank you Janice Jones for being that voice.
"In her blood" is the first book of Janice Jones series "The Dagger Chronicles" followed by "By Blood Sworn." I am excited to see what the future holds for Janice Jones and her book series! Please read on to see to hear more about this author and her future endeavors.
Janice's book "In Her Blood" is available in our paperback collection! If you love action, suspense and super natural twists,this book is for you. Get your copy today!
What was your inspiration behind this supernatural novel that has ‘not’ of this world characters?
I was a big Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan, so when that ended, I decided to see what I could do with the genre. Creating a world led by a black female was first and foremost. Having her be an adult was also a must. Placing her in a world where her existence is always threatened could open the door to doing a lot with the character and this story. It just seemed natural for me to develop a more visual way for people to get a glimpse of Alex Stone’s world, so I started working on a television script and graphic novel ideas.
As an author, having two books under your belt, how do you keep on task? What do you do each day to continue your motivation to write?
Staying on task for these books was easy for me because I hand write everything first. I’m a technical writer by trade, so it was easy for me to jot down ideas and scenes as they came to me, then go home and put them in my computer later. I make time to write almost every day, in some way or another. My motivation comes from the all the ways I can get my work in front of readers, whether its with books, making connections with booksellers and authors or with the television script I’m developing based on the first two books of the series. I’m already pitching and writing the first season with my brother, so who knows, we may see Alex Stone and her world on the small screen very soon. This series was always intended to be a trilogy. But this is a business after all, so getting the first two books out there and seen is top priority right now as well as finishing the television/streaming project.
Who was your favorite character to create?
Tristan Ambrose was my favorite character to create. In fact, he came to me first. His voice was very strong when I first started thinking about what kind of world I wanted to create and who would inhibit it. Not only did I need a strong main character, but a character equally as strong with an opposing view of the world. I don’t see my main character and my main bad guy as opposites. I see them as extensions of each other and therefore more likely to understand the other’s motivation in this world.
What book or books have shaped you into who you are as an author, reader and human?
The Vampire Chronicles by Ann Rice really got me interested in writing in this genre. I’ve always been a reader; anything I could get my hand on, really. Shakespeare, Poe, Butler, Angelou, King; and everything in between. My parents made sure we had access to literature and made sure we understood the importance of a good education. The book that really inspired me to create a black female lead in this genre was Octavia Butler’s Fledgling. It was her last work and I love it!
