Check out this author spotlight for J. A. Andrews!
You can find all her links furthest down the page, and don’t forget to check out her books!
1. Hi! Welcome to my humble blog of all things bookish! I would like for us to start by getting to know you. Give us a short bio, please!
Hi! I’m Janice and I live in the Rocky Mountains in Montana – which is the most beautiful place on Earth, if you’re wondering. I live with my husband and our 3 kids.
I never even dreamed that writing was a career option until I was in my late 30’s and discovered that Indie Publishing was a viable way to get stories out in the world. I had started a trope-filled romp of a fantasy story to keep my husband entertained while he was out of town for an extended time, and the characters in that little tale had been hollering for attention ever since.
So I rolled up my sleeves, learned everything I could about storytelling and indie publishing, and here we are.
2. To get to know you just a little bit better, I’d like to ask you some this or that questions. Answer 5 (or more!) of these and explain why you chose this or that, or maybe an entirely different alternative!
Winter, spring, summer or autumn?
Winter! NO! Spring! NO! Fall!!! This is impossible. I live in the mountains where the snow falls in fat, fluffy flakes like I live in a snow globe, and so, as long as I’m in Montana, I think my favorite is winter.
Morning or evening?
Mornings. I do most of my writing before the rest of my family wakes up. (The three kids are homeschooled and spoiled with late-starting mornings.) By about 8:30 at night my brain is mush.
Mountains or beaches?
This is most likely obvious by now, but MOUNTAINS!
Plotter or pantser?
Plotter. I’ve tried pantsing. It’s ugly. My characters literally stand around and chit chat. And that’s all. It’s a little sad.
Pen and paper or computer/phone?Â
Computer most of the time. Pen and paper when things Just Won’t Flow and I need to sort out a scene. (I’d do pen and paper all the time if there was any quick way to get it converted to type.) NEVER, EVER, EVER THE TINY PHONE SCREEN. Phones are mostly a nuisance. (Cue old lady grumbling here.)
3. When you look for books to read, what trope or type of story will always catch your attention?
I love stories that embrace old classic fantasy tropes and bring them to life. I think the danger with tropes is an author can expect the intrinsic interest a trope has to carry the story, instead of using a great plot or characters to bring a trope to life. Give me grumbling dwarves or a mismatched band of travelers or a bard with secret powers any day, as long as it’s well-written.
4. What do you write? Tell us about your current projects and the latest happenings!
I write…I call it epic fantasy, because that’s what I grew up on, and there are world-wide stakes and other such epic-y things. But instead of many points of view and vast battle scenes, my books follow a single individual through all these big events, and I get most excited writing about the personal implications of all the craziness around them.
I’m currently working on the final book of my Keeper Origins trilogy about a young woman who can feel whether people are speaking the truth or lies. She begins indebted to a vicious gang boss, and in the process of escaping, stumbles into a world of much greater problems.
It is complete with the tropes of the mismatched traveling band (a theater troupe), a grumbly dwarf, a half-elf, and the world’s greatest playwright.
5. What is your most recent release? Give us a short presentation, cover, and a link for where to buy it!
My most recent release was book 2 of Keeper Origins. Raven’s Ruin follows Sable as she attempts to navigate the complicated world of the three powerful priories, and figure out the oddly likable actions of the Kalesh Ambassador, whose country is currently staging an invasion
6. Last but not least: where can we find you? Drop those links!
Website: www.jaandrews.com
Facebook:Â https://www.facebook.com/JAAndrewsWriter
Amazon Author Page:Â amazon.com/author/jaandrews
For a free short story set in the same world as all my books, you can sign up for my newsletter here: https://www.jaandrews.com/bookish-things-signup/
