Short story collection (horror, humor, & historical)
Date Published: 7/23/2017
Publisher: JME Books
Have you ever noticed that reading a book on the toilet takes forever? Wouldn’t it be nice to have stories suited to your specific potty needs? This collection of short stories ranges from 50 words to more than 50 pages, separated in categories labeled to fit your bathroom needs: NUMBER ONE, NUMBER TWO, and FARFROMPOOPIN. The idea is to give you, the reader, a great deal of material to read, tailored and categorized to the needs of your intestines and bladder. So go ahead, get comfortable, pull out your Squatty Potty® and enjoy some fantasy, science fiction, horror, adventure, and humor from the comfort of your own throne…the john…the latrine…your office…the bathroom, whatever you want to call it. Just be sure to wash your hands once you’re done.
Interview
Is There a Message in Your Novel That You Want Readers to
Grasp?
Thank
you so much for having me on your blog and helping to promote my book release
tour. Since The Toilet Papers is a
short story collection, I guess there’s no “message” weaved into it except that
it’s a sampling of my writing style, tone, and stories or concepts that I find
interesting. Basically, if it’s slanted toward the supernatural or has a
historical element, I’m probably into it.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your
writing?
I find it challenging to write, as
weird as that sounds. Once I get started, I crank out words and never hit
writer’s block (I don’t believe it exists). But the act of sitting down and
making the time to write is a chore to me. I know I have to write 1,000 words 5
days a week, but I can find so much other stuff to do in my house or with my
family before I sit down to do my job.
How many books have you written and which is your favorite?
I’ve published 7 of my
own books, 1 for a client, and have 3 manuscripts with my agent. My favorite is
always whatever I’m working on now, which would be Exposure, a dark YA horror where a boy is trapped in a town that
won’t let him go. My favorite story I’ve written is The Dredge. It’s a novella that was awarded Honorable Mentions in
the Writer’s of the Future competition and one that I plan to expand into a novel
one day.
If You had the chance to cast your main character from Hollywood
For
Exposure, Ross Lynch a few years ago
is the boy I imagine playing Ashton Graymore. I think he’s adorable and I love
his smile, which are the attributes I see when Ashton is falling in love with
Malin Rose. Ross has a great relaxed way about him and seems like the kind of
guy that isn’t afraid to be wrong, question himself, or stick his neck out for
a friend. That’s pretty much Ashton.
When did you begin writing?
I
started writing really bad Shel Silverstein copycat poetry when I was seven. In
fourth grade, I won an award for a poem, taking first place in my whole
elementary school. That poem placed first in the state and became my very first
fiction writing credit as an adult, published by a magazine. In sixth grade, I
wrote a story from the perspective of Christopher Columbus’s first mate, and my
teacher noted on the top that I should save the story for publication. I still
have that story and her note because it was the first moment in my life when I
realized that anyone could publish a book. Up until then, I thought you had to
be born into it, like a princess or Hollywood starlet. That pretty much put the
bug in me.
How long did it take to complete your first book?
From
start to finish, Clifton Chase and the
Arrow of Light took a year, but I’d say the writing part was about 4
months.
Did you have an author who inspired you to become a writer?
As a little girl, I read Alice in
Wonderland and for the briefest moment, I left my bedroom and was walking
in the story. I remember gasping when I realized this had happened, kind of
like when you’re in a dream and you suddenly realize it’s a dream, and then I
was back in my bedroom. I thought that was the coolest thing I’d ever
experienced and decided at seven I wanted to create that same experience for
others.
What is your favorite part of the writing process?
My absolute favorite part of the writing process is connecting
story threads. As my book’s first reader, I get to discover things about the
story world, characters, and plot that no one else ever will. For example, in Dreadlands: Wolf Moon, the boy and this
girl are fighting a werewolf, who runs off. The girl mentions the boy’s sister,
and he rushes back to camp where he’d left her. As he pulls back the curtain of
hanging vines to reveal her hiding place, she is gone. I remember setting down
my pencil, putting my hands on my head, and saying, “Oh, my God! Where is she?
Who took her?” I had no idea and it was one of the coolest moments in my
writing process to date.
Describe your latest book in 4 words.
Horror,
humor, historical shorts.
Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is
in the future for your writing?
Absolutely! My latest series is Exposure, a story of a boy who is
trapped in a town that won’t let him go till he solves a string of clues on a
mystery roll of film. It’s kind of like what Alice in Wonderland might be like if Stephen King wrote it for a
young adult audience. I am in love with this book! I’ve written the second in
the series, something I’ve never done before so it was quite challenging, and
will begin working on book three once I’ve edited book two. My agent, Sartiza
Hernandez, is shopping it with publisher right now, so FINGERS CROSSED! All of
my books have pinterest pages with pictures of settings from each story and the
actors I imagine portraying my main characters pinterest.com/thewriteengle.
The other awesome project I’m
working on is called Wick Bookstm. These are handmade candles that capture
a specific scent of a drink from each of my books. The idea is to burn the
candle while reading the book and experience the entire story. They are so cool
and have been well-received.
Thank you so much for having me on
your blog and allowing me to share my books and what I do with your followers.
I really appreciate the opportunity.
About the Author
Jaimie Engle was once sucked into a storybook, where she decided she would become an author. She has modeled, managed a hip-hop band, and run a body shop. She loves coffee, trivia, cosplay, and podcasting on ORIGINS, where myth and science meet (podcastORIGINS.com). Basically, if it's slanted toward the supernatural or nerdy, she's into it! She lives in Florida with her awesome husband, hilarious children, and the world's best dog. She also happens to have the world’s best literary agent, Saritza Hernandez. Become a fan at theWRITEengle.com. Follow on social media @theWRITEengle and pick up books at jmebooks.com.
Contact Links
Purchase Links
Goodreads Giveaway: July 1 – July 22 (3 paperbacks)
Posts
1 Comments
Thank you for an amazing tour. You have exceeded my expectations with everything you've done, your professional nature, and ease of communication. Thank you!!!!
ReplyDelete