Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a native of Los Angeles and once seriously entertained the idea of becoming a lion tamer. Though I believe strongly in animal rights and am glad to see a trend against forcing animals to perform in circuses, a part of me wants to keep the magic of being close to the magnificent big cats alive in fiction, where no animals can be harmed.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
A Spark of Justice, my Circus Mystery, will soon be followed by Sabertooth, a Suspense Thriller with deep POV tension. It was inspired by enjoying a few jurrassic era books and feeling that the Pleistocene epoch had some interesting animals to offer to literature as well.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m a little random and write around other life commitments, but when I do sit down to write I tune everything out and would forget to eat or drink if family didn’t bring me food.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
So many!
Toby Tyler by James Otis is high on the list. As a child I dreamed of running away with the circus because of this one. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton and Dinosaur Lake by Kathryn Meyer Griffith inspired me to look to history for some interesting animal characters.
What are you working on now?
Sabertooth is coming along and is my primary focus right now.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still establishing that. Marketing is a new arena for me.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Get someone else to read your first edit. You missed some typos. No, really, you missed some!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write where you feel your heart is.
What are you reading now?
A Classic, actually. Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I have ideas for the next couple of books. One of them doesn’t have a big cat.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
How To Build a Tree House by Jason Bertrand
The Prepper’s Water Survival Guide by Daisy Luther
The Ultimate Survival Manual by Donna Carter
Author Websites and Profiles
J.D. Hawkins Website
J.D. Hawkins Amazon Profile
J.D. Hawkins’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account