Interview for Jessica Joy

Tell us a little about yourself

Hm...It’s hard to know where to begin, so I’ll start with a brief overview. I’m a mother of three ‘grown’ children, living in Eastern Canada and have been married to the same great guy for 28 years. WOW! I can’t believe it’s been that long! I guess the old adage is true. Time flies when you are having fun. :o) I love writing, reading and crafting.

When my youngest left for university, I went to college and earned a diploma in Human Resources Management. A great field for a writer because so often you have to deal with the idiosyncrasies of people.

I’ve been scribbling stuff all my life, but it was about ten years ago I made a disciplined effort to put all the story ideas swirling around my head into words and started writing a novel instead of just writing down random ideas. Since then, I’ve taken three writing courses, and I’ve been writing part-time ever since. There were two or three years when I didn’t write much at all because I’d rejoined the work force.

What do you write?

I write romance in different flavours. I enjoy mysteries and often find myself writing romantic suspense, but I also enjoy a story that tugs at the heart strings, so I have a few more dramatic romances. I think closest to my heart is paranormal romance. Always a lover of fairy tales, creating tales with mystical creatures in magical location really fires up my imagination.

Why do you write?

Because I can’t “not write.” It’s often the first thing I think about in the morning and the last thing that I think about after I shut my eyes. Characters and their stories and their fictional worlds follow me around, demanding that I write their stories.

What are you writing now?

I’m working on edits of a novella called “Irrepressible”, a sequel to “Incorrigible” that was part of the Crimson Z Anthology. I have a couple other projects on the go. One is a ‘book of my heart’ called “Impractical Magic.” It’s that book that you write from the pure joy of writing it.

What kind of clothes do you like to wear?

I love comfy clothes, nothing that is binding or restricting.

Are you in love? Have you ever been?

Definitely and we’ve been married for almost 29 years

Do you have a dream lover – and what does he look like?

My dream lover is definitely an Adrian Paul twin.

What kind of comfort food do you like best?

Dark chocolate...my #1 favourite is Belgium.

What makes you laugh? Cry?

I laugh a lot with my friends...we’re pretty goofy. I cry when another person is in pain. It just tugs at something inside me and the tears just flow.

What do you do to amuse yourself when not working?

I love being creative – writing, sewing, cross-stitch, scrapbooking, and many other venues. I hate being idle...and sitting with nothing to do drives me crazy.

What is it in a man or woman that turns you on? The clean version please!

Sensitivity and gentleness. There isn’t anything better than a look or a touch that tells you that you are loved. It doesn’t have to be overtly sensual, it could be a simple kiss on the side of the neck or cheek in the middle of a busy day.

What do you hate about life?

Hm...I love living, so it’s hard to think about something that I hate. I really don’t like battling insecurities everyday, which seems to be a never ending battle.

What do you hope to achieve in life and when will you know that you have been a success?

It think this was best said by a ‘great spirit’ who was part of an animated Christmas production...when the youthful fellow who would become Saint Nicholas asked what was the purpose of life, the wise spirit said, “To leave the world a better place than when you came into it.” I hope that I can leave this world a better place – meaning that I can write something that will bring enjoyment to someone, recycle and be aware of preserving the earth, and generally be a support to people in need.

On the writing front, I think success comes every time someone says that they enjoyed your book.

What are you going to write next?

My current project is editing “Irrepressible.” After that, I’m going to spend some time just writing for fun and see if I can finish “Impractical Magic.” That is a story about a gal who finds out she has latent magical powers when she encounters a locket which has been a prison to a wizard for four hundred years.

Jessica is the author of Fool Me Once and also writes as Abby Blythe.