YAlicious: Author-fest - Meet J. J. Bonds

Only two weeks left of the Author-fest to go. I've so enjoyed hosting these awesome writers on YAlicious. Thanks so much for everyone who has visited and read the interviews. I hope you have enjoyed them as much as I have.

Today, I'm very happy to introduce you to J. J. Bonds. J. J approached me when she heard about the Author-fest and I have so enjoyed getting to know her with our back and forth e-mails.

Welcome along J. J.

When did you publish your first book?

My first novel, Crossroads, a YA Paranormal Romance, was released in November of 2011. It is the first in the Crossroads Academy trilogy. I’ve since released the sequel, Red Dawn, and am hard at work on the final installment, which is currently unnamed. I am quickly learning that saying goodbye to my debut series is much more difficult than I had anticipated. While I am excited to see how the characters have grown over the last few years, it’s bittersweet to let them go and move on to other projects. I’ve become so attached to the characters in Crossroads that I have to make sure my emotional attachment to them isn’t holding the series back. I promised readers an explosive conclusion and I have to deliver on that promise.

What is the best lesson you've learned since starting out in the writing business?

Indie Author is synonymous with Entrepreneur. (Seriously-- Look it up in the dictionary if you don’t believe me.) As an indie author, your job doesn’t end when the writing is done. It’s really just beginning. There’s marketing, networking, editing, design, publicity, and the list goes on. Sure, you can hire freelancers to help with some of the technical work, but even they are going to be looking for direction and guidance along the way. As an indie author you are in complete control-- and it’s a double edged sword with both benefits and disadvantages. Having a clearly defined plan, strong organizational skills and superb time-management are crucial to success.

Don’t get me wrong though. It’s a lot of work, but it’s also extremely rewarding. I’ve met some amazing people- both authors and bloggers- who’ve helped me along the way, and I wouldn’t trade the experience or the relationships for the world.

What is your favourite part of the writing process?

I love brainstorming! It’s so much fun to create the characters and the setting and to know that nothing is off limits. This is the stage where anything goes. And although not every idea will make the final cut, I find myself bouncing all kinds of stuff off of my husband (who I’m certain occasionally wonders if I’ve lost my mind) and my beta readers. Their feedback is crucial to the process and makes my stories and my writing tighter, cleaner, and more effective.

What is your ultimate writing dream?

Growing up, I spent countless hours perusing the shelves of the local libraries and bookstores. My mom and I spent just about every weekend in one or the other as we share a love of reading. It was our ritual and it’s a tradition I intend to continue with my own daughter. I’d love for her to see my work on the shelves of our hometown library and bookstores so she’ll know that with a little hard work and dedication, dreams do come true.

Where is your favourite place to write?

As crazy as it may sound, I do most of my writing at the dining room table. Fortunately, my husband isn’t big on formal dinners so having my laptop, notebooks and drafts spread out all over the table rarely poses a problem. It’s far from ergonomic, but the dining room gets a lot of natural light which outweighs the discomfort of sitting on a wooden chair for hours!

Five Favourites...

TV Show: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Style of Music or Band: Alternative/Punk
Movie: Zombieland
Book: I couldn’t possibly choose just one! ;-)
Item of clothing: An old PSU sweatshirt that belonged to my dad.

Fantastic answers, J. J. I agree that being an indie author is really hard work, but so rewarding at the same time.

If you'd like to connect with J. J., you can follow the links below...