Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I write suspense fiction with characters who live on the Navajo Nation. I have one book published, Rabbit Moon, and am working on the next!
I grew up in Navajoland, near the Four Corners area of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado. I am not Navajo, and my heroine, Marin Sinclair, is Anglo–though there are many Native American characters as well. The stories I tell are mine to tell through my life and experiences there.
I am a member of the organization “Western Writers of America” as I consider myself to be a writer of the American West.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is called Rabbit Moon, and it was inspired by the ‘rabbit in the moon’ outline that one sees during a full moon.
Many Native American cultures see differing shapes in a full moon, not only the ‘man in the moon’ image, and the rabbit is a familiar motif as a symbol of rebirth or a totem for facing one’s fears. The crafty rabbit must be clever and swift to avoid becoming prey to those who are larger and more dangerous, as Marin Sinclair must be to avoid the dangers in the world in which she lives.
The book I am working on now is called Rabbit Hole.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have one that I’m not sure is unusual…perhaps it’s just not often shared in public! Anyway, my ‘habit’ is that I often write in bed, propped up by big pillows, with my two big dogs, Rudi and Kai, lying next to me. It’s warm and, with a laptop, is usually much more comfortable than sitting all day at my desk.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Too many to mention! I have always been an avid reader of almost every genre…it’s something I think every writer should do if they wish to write…read, read, read.
Of course, growing up where I did, I read all the Tony Hillerman books, as his books are based on the Navajo and Hopi reservations, and all the Louis L’Amour book as well.
As far as writing is concerned, I think the best book I ever read was Stephen King’s “On Writing”.
What are you working on now?
The next book in the Marin Sinclair series, Rabbit Hole.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have an author’s website at jandpayne.com where I promote and sell, and I write a blog that is published there. I advertise on Facebook, Twitter, and Amazon. I also do book signings and sell books at local bookfairs. I do speaking engagements when I am asked, as in libraries or churches, etc.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
As I mentioned above, read, read, read! Other than that, I think it’s important to expand your worldview as much as possible by visiting or living in cultures other than your own. Since leaving the reservation, I’ve lived in a lot of different places–including Mexico, St. Paul Island (a small Aleut island in the Bering Sea), mainland Alaska, and Canada. I’ve lived in the South, on both the East and West coasts, in the Northwest, the Midwest, the North and the West. I can vouch for the fact that every place differs in viewpoint, beliefs, and culture, and every place you live will offer insight for stories and characters you create.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t fall in love with your first draft.
What are you reading now?
Maybe this is terrible, but I don’t read while I’m in the middle of writing a book, as I tend to start using the voice and the sentence structure of the author instead of my own! I even dream in the cadence and language of whichever book I’m deep into at the time, so I have to be careful.
Otherwise, I read constantly. The last book before I went down the rabbit hole of writing was “Big Sky” by Kate Atkinson and “The Hour of Our Death” by Philippe Aries. I also read lots of mysteries, westerns, and urban fantasy!
What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to continue writing the Marin Sinclair series, as well as a non-fiction book I am writing on death and dying in the United States.
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?
I’d bring my Kindle with it’s 1500 downloaded books and pray for electricity!
Or maybe “Boat Building in Your Own Backyard, Written for the Amateur” by S.S Rabl…
Author Websites and Profiles
Jan Payne Website
Jan Payne Amazon Profile
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