Today, I am chatting with Inker Jess Lourey. Jess is the first Midnight Ink author I met so it's deserving she is the first I subject to random questions! :) Her Murder by Month series starts with May Day, October Fest is now available and November Hunt is scheduled for March 2012. In my opinion, Jess keeps getting better with each book. I love that about her series. And I love Mira James. She is my kind of heroine!
1.) How did the idea of the Murder by Month series come to you?
In 2002, I was living in Battle Lake, a Minnesota town with a population of around 800 people. I was a single mother of a newborn and a three-year-old, working full time, feeling both smothered and comforted by the small town rhythm, and so lonely that I had developed a crush on a 23-foot fiberglass statue. I tried self-soothing by reading Janet Evanovich, Sue Grafton, and Tony Hillerman and drinking lots of wine after the kids were asleep. Eventually, the authors I was reading weren't writing fast enough, and I needed a solid mix of humor and justice to get me through the day. I decided to try writing it myself. Out of this grew the Murder-by-Month mysteries.
2.) What is your proudest publishing/writing moment?
My proudest publishing moment is when I signed the contract for my first book--May Day--with Midnight Ink. There's something about realizing for the first time that your story is going to be a physical book that people can hold. It's indescribable, and a memory I'll always treasure. Incidentally, I was so green when I signed that first contract that I had an actual person fill out the witness signature rather than forging it myself, like I do now.
3.) What is your worst publishing/writing moment?
I haven't had any terrible writing or publishing moments. It still stings when I get a bad review, but mostly, I'm just glad to be published, especially in today's climate.4.) What is your favorite movie, book or artist?
My favorite book is often the last one I read, but if I had to choose three of my all-times, I'd select Gone with the Wind, The Handmaid's Tale, and Main Street. Weird, I know. I don't have any favorite films, but I am a huge fan of b-movie creature features and am working on what I hope will be a SyFy channel original titled Hog! The exclamation point is part of the title and not part of my sentence. Hog!
5.) If you needed to bribe your editor, what would you get/make her?
If I needed to bribe my editor, I'd give her the December manuscript early, dark chocolate, a bottle of wine, and a whole day off. Odd...those are the same things I use to bribe myself. Is this why we get along so well, Terri?
The day off would be fantastic. An early manuscript - fantastic! But chocolate and wine... I'll be in touch!!
I wish I could nap at my desk!! :) Happy Monday.
8 comments:
Jess,
My two favorite books are Gone with the Wind and Robber Bride (also Atwood) I haven't read Main Street but now will have to--along with murder by month. Thanks.
*makes notes for potential bribe material*
Jess, I started writing books for almost the same reason--no book on the shelves was exactly what I wanted, so I decided to write it for myself.
Great interview, Terri. Good to hear more about you, Jess.
I'm making notes right along with Alice!
That's awesome, Shannon! I will have to read Robber Bride, now, too. Funny. Main Street is slow at the beginning but I love the social politics.
Alice, I think she needs a fast drug to replace her coffee, one that isn't technically caffeine but is still street-legal. Enough sleep is out the question--the woman has too much work to do. What does that leave?
Thank you Jess!
Enough sleep. That will never happen.
Let me know if you come up with a new drug! ;)
And Alice, you know what your bribe is, but you may want to consider upping the ante. After all, Jess set the bar pretty high!
Thanks for checking in, Darrell and Beth!
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