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Q&A session with author Lisa Jackson.
Imagine lying in bed and your entire body feels warm, wet and sticky. As the haze slowly lifts from your mind, you begin to wonder if you got lucky last night and don't remember for some reason. Maybe you shouldn't have had that last drink.
Quietly you open your eyes, and you nearly pass out when you realize why everything feels the way it does. The walls, your bed sheets, the floor and your body are covered in blood.
You are in an immediate state of panic and confusion. Have you been attacked? Have you killed an attacker? Why aren't you dead? Where is the dead body? How could someone bleed so much?
This is the opening sequence of author Lisa Jackson's new book, The Night Before. The Sentinel recently sat down to discuss her latest book (set in Savannah), her career, and her Web site.
1) How long have you been writing?
About 21 years.
2) When did you know that writing was your life's calling?
When I got the call that said Silhouette Books wanted to buy my manuscript. Before then it was pretty much a guess.
3) Please describe your writing/creative muse.
It takes a while for my muse to kick in. I get inspired with a plotline or idea and fiddle around with it and somehow pull together a 50-page synopsis. Then I start writing. Until about page 150, when the plot is set and I've gotten to know the characters, I'm kind of driving in a blizzard, not sure which way the road is leading, but when I'm about a quarter of the way through the manuscript, it all clicks, and I'm off and running, the path is clear and I can write quickly. Until I really know the characters, I'm lost.
4) Sir James is a staple on your website. What's the story behind him?
A few years back I adopted my first cat - afull- grown black alley. I dubbed him "Promise," but my kids' name prevailed - "Jim." When I recreated my website, I wanted a host, something fun, so I came up with Sir James, who looks more like my second long- haired gray cat, "Diablo." "Sir James" is "Jim's" alter ego, the cat "Jim" always wanted to be.
5) What has been your favorite story to work on?
Oh, gee, I love 'em all. But the last few have been great fun. HOT BLOODED, COLD BLOODED and THE NIGHT BEFORE really captured me. I loved the characters and the plots.
6) THE NIGHT BEFORE takes place in Savannah. HOT BLOODED and COLD BLOODED both took place in New Orleans. How would you compare the two cities?
Both cities are steeped in history, and both are sultry and sensual in their own ways. I think of New Orleans as more of a melting pot, a blending of diverse cultures and maybe a little spookier. It boasts the Mardi Gras, Bourbon Street, the French Quarter and voodoo. Savannah, by comparison, seems more genteel or sophisticated, but that is probably just the veneer.
7) How do you do your research for new stories, novels and characters?
My research is from a personal library, the Internet, professionals, television and movies.
8) What words of wisdom do you have aspiring writers?
Read, read, read and then plot out a book - beginning, middle and end. After that, write the entire book. Until you've finished a full book, you don't have any idea what you're getting into. A lot of people can write a good opening, or first chapter, even an ending. It's the whole enchilada that's important.
9) Who are some of your favorite authors and/or books?
I love Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Richard North Patterson, Christopher Moore, Patricia Cornwell, Dick Francis, Tami Hoag and Nelson DeMille.
10) Do you have any particular rituals you follow when writing?
I have a room upstairs that is a sanctuary - one of my kid's rooms converted into a writing place with a faux leopard chaise lounge and soft lights. (My son's bed is still there, though, as he comes home to visit.) In winter, I write downstairs by the fire.
If you're interested in a good
mystery mixed with rich, well-developed characters and an engaging storyline, you should pick up one of Jackson's numerous novels.
To find our even more about this very personable author, you can visit her home site or for interactive fun, you can also visit www.themysterymansion.com, and you will have the opportunity to enter contests, find out more about all of her books and her current works in progress.
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