Friday, May 18, 2012

Author Spotlight: J.A. Redmerski





 J.A. (Jessica) Redmerski is a Contemporary Fantasy and YA writer - author of 'The Mayfair Moon' and 'Dirty Eden'.
She started her first novel at the age of thirteen and has been writing something ever since. Generally, Jessica loves characters in life and on paper. She pays attention to people, especially those whose personalities make them different from the rest of us: the drug addict roaming the Laundromat that talks to himself, the young, inattentive mother in the park with the meanest kid on the playground - (the entire cast of 'Swamp People') - characters fascinate her and she hopes that it shows in her literary work.
Some authors that inspire Jessica are Neil Gaiman, Cormac McCarthy, David Moody, Philippa Gregory, Max Brooks, Anne Rice, J.K. Rowling, Richard Matheson, William R. Forstchen, Carrie Ryan and Lisa Smedman.

You can find Jessica online here:

Twitter: @JRedmerski




My Review for The Mayfair Moon (Book 1 in the Darkwoods Trilogy), can be found HERE.


Links to Purchase:



START OF INTERVIEW:

Is There a Message in Your Novel That You Want Readers to Grasp?
While THE MAYFAIR MOON was not written with any kind of ‘lesson’ or life struggle particularly in mind, I guess there are a few messages conveyed in the story of Adria Dawson. One is that even coming from a broken family and forced to grow up faster than your friends because of not-so-glamorous circumstances, it’s better to let a bad situation make you stronger than let it beat you down. You just might get a delicious werewolf boyfriend out of the deal. ;-)


Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
I’m impatient. Very impatient. And when it comes to my writing, it’s no different. It’s challenging for me to get through the first 2-3 chapters of every book I write because I have a bad habit of looking at how much I have left to write. I just want to be done with it already so that my readers can delve right in! 


How many books have you written and which is your favorite?
THE MAYFAIR MOON is actually my fourth full-length novel, but was the first published. My favorite used to be the first one I ever wrote, but more and more as I go into the world of Adria Dawson and Isaac Mayfair, the more I’m falling in love with them and their story.


If You had the chance to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick and why?
Michelle Trachtenberg fits Adria Dawson almost perfectly, but I admit I never thought of what actor or actress any of my characters resembled until after the book was published and other people started asking me this question. But I choose Michelle Trachtenberg as Adria because she has long, soft dark brown hair, creamy pale skin and freckles, but most of all because Michelle can look both sweet and innocent as well as hard and fearless.


When did you begin writing?
I started my first novel around the age of thirteen and never stopped. I’ve been writing something for twenty-three years, whether novels or world and character building, to poetry and lyrics. Writing has been the one consistent thing throughout my life.


How long did it take to complete your first book?
Wow, honestly it took a loooong time, about 6 years! I didn’t know what I was doing then, but also I wasn’t writing with any kind of restrictions or deadlines hanging over my head. Nowadays, I can get a book written in about 6 months.


Did you have an author who inspired you to become a writer?
Anne Rice was the first author to inspire me to write and I’m still influenced by her today. Other authors I’m inspired by these days are Neil Gaiman and Cormac McCarthy, to name a couple.



What is your favorite part of the writing process? 
The last sentence. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love getting into the story, living out my character’s lives and crafting their thought and emotions from beginning to end, but there’s nothing like a finished manuscript. It’s a huge accomplishment and I doubt I’ll ever tire of it.


Describe your latest book in 4 words.
Heartbreaking, intense, sexy & unexpected


Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is in the future for your writing?
Right now, I’m halfway through book two in the Darkwoods Trilogy titled, KINDRED. Things are heating up, character’s struggles are getting deeper and there are bigger things in the future for Isaac and Adria than love. Their love might not even make it. After I complete book three, THE BALLAD OF ARAMEI, and finish out the trilogy, my next project will be a standalone about the life of one of the more extraordinary characters in the Darkwoods Trilogy. That one should be fun!












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