Tuesday 2 May 2017

Get to Know - JJ Harper

Book Questions
JJ Harper
Hi thanks for this, I can’t wait to meet you all on the 12/13th May
Tell us your latest news?
Narrow Margins is finally on its way. After a delay while The Reunion Trilogy were re-edited I have finally got my first round of edits back from my editor. So I’m expecting to launch this just after the signing. It’s another book based around the characters in the Reunion/Troy family. This time about Corrie Deschamps, Raff’s brother and Griff Broderick, the usual guys all make and appearance too and this is my first GFY book, I love it and can’t wait to share it.
What book are you reading now?
I’m reading Tillie Cole’s latest Hades Hangmen book Damnable Grace. I haven’t read M/F books for a while but Tillie is always a go-to author for me. I love her style and how amazing her characters are as she brings them so beautifully to life.
Your books are so emotional. How long does it take for you to be able to get the characters out of your mind and move on to the next?
Thank you. They don’t ever really leave my head, lol. All of my books have characters that feature in other. The characters from my M/F series Finding Me have turned up in the Reunion and Troy books, so I don’t mind if the keep talking to me.
Are the names of the characters in your novels important?
Oh, I think so yes, a name can make or break a character. You want the name to fit the description of the character. I want my readers be able to picture the character and a good name can make all the difference.
What are the most important attributes to remaining sane as a writer?
Ha! I don’t think you’ll find a sane writer. We all have far too many voices in our heads!
What is the most demeaning thing said about you as a writer?
Ouch! This is a hard one. I had a review for my first book that said my writing was worse than a second grader.
How do you react to a bad review of one of your books?
Bad reviews come with the territory, I can take a well written bad review if it tells why the reader didn’t like it, if it just wasn’t to their liking and they explain why. But reviews that are personal or aggressive hurt but I have thicker skin now two years on, I can brush them off.
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Oh my, this varies from book to book, in the first Troy Book Into the light I had to let one of the characters die, this had me crying for days and still does now.
But if I generalise it, I always struggle around the halfway mark. I know where I want the story to go and how it will end but the middle always seems to have me stuck as I move the book forward.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
To trust myself and have faith that the characters work. To never give up, I trashed a book at 57K words because it wasn’t working properly and now it’s one of my favourites.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
That true love does exist, it’s not always easy and be a tough road but it’s there and it’s real. As a writer of M/M books I think the most important thing is love is love, it doesn’t matter who you love as long as you love them with everything you have.
Have you ever read or seen yourself as a character in a book or a movie?
No, I don’t think so, I can identify with characters but not seen myself as one. I find it difficult to imagine a specific actor as one of my characters because I know what they look like to me. That’s the best thing about books, you could ask 10 people who have read the same book to describe the main character and they would all have a different idea of what they look like.
Describe in 5 words, your writing:
Sexy love, happy-ever-after
What do you use to write your book?
I use Word on Onedrive so I can work with my editor if we need to.
Do you listen to music while you write or read?
Always, I have either my iPod or Spotify on all the time. I can find an artist that can sum up a whole character or that one line can make the story make sense to me. My latest is named after a song that once I heard it I had to write about a character that fitted the song, so we got Griff and Narrow Margins.
If you could write with any other author(s) who would it be and why?
I have friends that we plan to collaborate and work together in the near future, we have a similar style of writing that I know will work well. Other than that I don’t think I would choose anyone in particular.
NON- BOOK QUESTIONS
When you were a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a nurse.
Did/Do you have a nickname?
No, I don’t ever remember having one.
What are your pet peeves?
Bad manners, I hate rude people.
What is your favourite coffee shop drink?
A hazelnut latte or English breakfast tea.
What's your favourite tv show?
I don’t watch much TV, but loved anything by Victoria Wood. Grey’s Anatomy was a huge favourite of mine and The Big Bang Theory.
What is your favourite kind of cookie?
Oat and Raisin or a granola bar.
If you were stranded on a deserted island, what three things would you have and why?
Marlon Texiera for obvious reasons or Zac Efron.
All my Kindle books in paperback, because I don’t there would be power or an internet connection.
Clinique moisture surge moisturizer, I hate dry skin.

Where would you go if you had a time machine?
I’d go back to the Tudor times, I’d love to be a fly on the wall in Henry VIII’s court.
Which is your favorite quote?
‘I love you’ I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of that.
If you were an ice cream what flavor would you be?
Lemon gelato - something with zing and very moreish 😉
What song best describes you?
My husband just said Never Mind the Bollocks!
THIS OR THAT
Pepsi or Coke
Neither I don’t like them
Michael Fassbender or  Colin Farrell
Michael Fassbender
Cows or Sheep
Cows to look at. Lamb to eat!
. Castle or Town house
Castle
City or Country
Country
Lover or Fighter
Lover
Pop or Rock Music
Pop, mainly Indie
80’s or 90’s
80’s
Singing or dancing
Both, neither very well


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