Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Jason W. Blair and I am a novelist. But aside from writing captivating tales that tug at the heartstrings, I am first and foremost a reader. I have just finished my second novel with many more to come. I enjoy reading, writing, but not arithmetic. And though the world is fast-paced and consistently busy, I find tranquility in spending at least an hour of my day simply sitting in my reading chair, closing my eyes, and listening to the absence of noise that the world serves up in large quantities.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is entitled, The Garden of Ages, and it is a book about the choices that we all make in life. And how they affect our loved ones when we eventually pass on. Throughout the story, we follow Walter Baines as he enters into the great beyond. And in that vast, new world, he encounters dragons and wolves and many other perils (including an earthquake, a raging inferno, and a massive flood).
The story was inspired by the world’s fascination with death, and the life thereafter. But ultimately, it was also influenced by my own interest in the matter as well. Let’s face it…we are all going to pass on someday. And when we do, what will we encounter? Will our loved ones embrace it as something beautiful (ie. Our going on to a better place) or will they be stricken with grief and guilt over the time that was robbed from both them and I?
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No…I wouldn’t necessarily say that I have any unusual writing habits. There are — as is the case of many other writers, I’m sure — certain things that I absolutely must have in order to write. For example, I need to have a pot of coffee and tobacco. Also, I need to have complete silence; not all the time, but a majority of my time, however. One of the ways I overcome this is to put in earplugs and wear sound-channeling headphones (not attached to any music whatsoever). It is much like double insulation for my brain.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
With The Garden of Ages, I was very much inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis. But I also kept J.R.R. Tolkien in the back of my mind. And Michael Crichton as well. In the midst of this list, I understand that Crichton is in no way, shape, or form, in the same ballpark as Lewis or Tolkien. I hold his writings in high regard. He was a very accomplished writer whose works were lavished with rich examples of higher learning. This was one of my goals in writing The Garden of Ages. And in any of my books. I love to teach others; so in all of my books, I offer detailed historical accounts on places, things, and activities.
What are you working on now?
Well, with the completion of my latest book, I am working on my next project. It is a novel entitled “Snapshot Finish” which is an adaptation of of a much shorter, earlier story I wrote called “The Camera and Mr. Dinsley”. It is a story about a man living in California in the year 1958. His hobby is cameras. And his name is Bernard Dinsley.
Mr. Dinsley hears about a camera for sale, through his pen-pal living in Tokyo named Reuben Taub, and Dinsley desires to acquire it. This takes him halfway across the world. To a little town called Takayama, Japan. But what Mr. Dinsley doesn’t know is that the camera he so desperately desires, will ultimately destroy him as a person. And it will destroy everyone and everything he has ever cared about. It is a camera that can steal one’s soul, making the remainder of their life a desolate existence.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Although I have many outlets to which I outpour information about current and upcoming projects, I tend to use Facebook and Twitter the most. But of course, readers can access all of my online material easily and comfortably from the official website: www.JasonBlairBooks.com simply by clicking on one of several icons at the top and sides of the page.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never lose your dream, no matter what others may tell you. If you have been given a talent, and a true desire, to become an accomplished novelist, then you must stick with it. It isn’t an easy path, but it is certainly rewarding when readers tell you how much they appreciate and enjoy your work.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I believe the best advice I have heard, as of late, comes from the Disney Movie “The Haunted Mansion”. Madame Leota (the gypsy played by Jennifer Tilly) said this: “You try, you fail, you try, you fail. But the only true failure is when you stop trying.” That is pretty much the basis for my entire career as a writer. I have learned that to be a successful writer, you must be open for honest criticism. And always be prepared for failure, because it will come. Even for the most notable authors.
What are you reading now?
I am not reading anything at present, due to my rigorous schedule. However, when I am afforded the opportunity (I intend on taking a few weeks off in the next month) I plan on purchasing several books from several fellow authors that I have collaborated with various outlets: namely Christy Golding and Brian Anderson.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Well, of course I’ll be working hard on “Snapshot Finish”. I hope to have that completely by late October, but I’m not sure if that’s entirely plausible. Then, afterwards, I’ll be returning to my first book, Desperate Shadows, and revamping it. When it was released, the book was around 370 pages. But during the writing of it, I had decided not to include quite a bit of the story.
For this reason, I am including it in the second edition of Desperate Shadows. It will be unabridged. And it will split into a double novel, more than five or six hundred pages. So readers can look forward to the new, unabridged version of Desperate Shadows in 2015. The two parts are entitled “Every Town Has Its Secrets” and “The Midnight Terror”.
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?
Author Websites and Profiles
Jason Blair Website
Jason Blair Amazon Profile
Jason Blair’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account