Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve loved writing and reading as long as I can recall. But I was discouraged from writing in my 20s and sort of stuffed it away. I had the opportunity to return to college in my 30s and was encouraged to write again. I even submitted a (terribly earnest) novel for my senior thesis. I wrote Captain Mary, Buccaneer after I graduated. This was before the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, and no agent would touch a “pirate book for adults,” so I self-published – doing everything wrong. But I learned, and became an expert in self-publishing, started a publishing company that put out 12 books (some award-winning); a publishing consultancy and book packaging company (33 books and counting); and a distribution company that had 42 titles. Somewhere in there I published The Self-Publisher’s FAQ. It wasn’t until I got sick and shut down most of my businesses that I realized all I ever wanted to do was write. But WHAT to write? I went back to ground and wrote a “King Arthur and Merlin from a nobody’s POV” now called The Priestess of Camelot, which is the prequel to the Heirs of Camelot series. The books in the series are The Midsummer Wife (Book 1), The Solstice Bride (Book 2), and coming soon Mistress of the Rose Moon (Book 3), plus the prequel.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest book out in the series is The Solstice Bride (Book 2), which came out November 2019. I never intended to write a series, and didn’t want to. But then I got to the end of Book 1 and realized that there were 2 ways the action suggested things wind up, and I’d committed to one that was… well, the wrong result. That meant I HAD to write Solstice so that I could show the work it takes to correct what went wrong. Book 3 is what goes right… but that has a lot of consequences, too.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nope. I just sit here in my basement domain (my office is in the basement) and type away, listening to music and trying to stay off the internet.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read a LOT, so that’s asking how high is the sky. I’ll go back and read something I devoured some years ago, and think, “Oh, that’s where that element comes from.” A big mistake with new writers is that they are afraid to read in their own genre, fearing they will look too much like others. At first, you WILL look a little “fan-fic.” That’s OK, every writer starts that way. But with practice, you’ll develop your own style.
What are you working on now?
I am finishing the final book in the series, Mistress of the Rose Moon (Book 3). It’s with a betareader. I hope to have it out by mid-year.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am still searching for that magic bullet. Haven’t found it yet. I really enjoy going to cons and connecting personally with readers. My website, which I post to on a rathe whimsical schedule, is http://www.jcsimonds.com
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Your first draft will be terrible. You may think it’s terrific when you finish it, but it’s not. After you’ve rewritten it a bunch of times, there will be little resemblance between it and the final form. Don’t be afraid to completely trash the whole thing and start again. Twice I’ve written books that readers told me didn’t work and I had to split the book in 2 and start over.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t impose stupid deadlines on yourself. I hear many younger authors say that if they haven’t made it by age 30, they’re a failure. I was 40 when I first published my book (and started a whole publishing career). There was a guy who at 90 published his first book, which became a New York Times bestseller. Don’t give up. Don’t buy the lie of “success must come by” X-timeframe.
What are you reading now?
I just finished “Things in Jars” by Jess Kidd. It’s a surprising historical mystery featuring Victorian London and a female detective.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am trying out 2 different ideas for my next novel and hope to develop 1 of them into a completed first draft by the end of the year. I’ve just been asked to help edit an Urban Fantasy anthology, too.
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?
The Mists of Avalon, The Night Circus, The Little Prince
Author Websites and Profiles
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