Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been writing for as long as I have been able to hold a pencil and writing professionally since college. My first novel came out in 2010, followed by another in 2012, and my most recent in March of 2014 (joke is I’m working on a two year cycle). That will break, however, since I have another book coming out this year. Book 2 of the Broken Line Series.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Copper Witch came out in March of this year. The original inspiration actually came from a boring weekend and a free trial of ancestry.com. I’ve always been rather interested in genealogy and lucky for me my maternal great-grandparents were both from huge families meaning there has already been a lot of research done into that side of the family that is available online. Following one line way, way back, I ended up running into some British nobility and a direct ancestor with the name “Adela”. For some reason, the name stuck with me and it got me to thinking what had happened to all these generations of people. Especially the ones where family connections were everything, but you ended up as the seventh son or were so far removed from the “important” line of your family that all you really had was your pride. From there, Adela just stuck around and everything began to take shape.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Apparently I make really funny faces sometimes when I’m working out emotional bits of dialogue. I won’t realize it, but all of a sudden someone in the room will look over at me and ask what’s wrong (or even just what I’m doing). It’s involuntary I swear!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’d have to say my biggest influence for this series was probably Philippa Gregory. I can’t say I much care for her having switched to present tense in her writing, but I was a huge fan growing up, and I think that has come through in my own writing.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on more Broken Line books at the moment (Book 2, The Porcelain Child, comes out later this year, and Book 3 is currently in rough draft more or less). Other than that I have a fantasy novella that I’m working on when I need a break and a Historical Fantasy Series I plan on getting back to one of these days.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think I’m still working that bit out. Goodreads has been a godsend, however, being able to connect with readers and host giveaways through a book-centric social media.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t compare your writing to others, especially not early on. I see a lot of new writers who get discouraged because their rough draft doesn’t sound as good as whatever they’re reading at the time. First, you should never ever compare a rough draft to something that’s already in print. Rough drafts are meant to be, well, rough. Published books are meant to have been edited about five-thousand times by the author, beta readers, and professional editors before it goes to print. Second, every book you write should be a little better, but you’re only going to get better by practicing. So what if your first novel sounds awful? I think most successful authors have an awful first story they keep buried in the depths of their desk/hard drive, only digging it out to see how far they’ve come. Lord knows I do.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Writing a novel is more like a marriage than a romance. You won’t have the shiny butterflies in your stomach throughout the entire process, but as long as you’re willing to put work into it you’ll end up with something you love.
What are you reading now?
I’m actually re-reading The China Garden by Liz Berry. It was one of my favorite novels as a teenager so I’m giving in to the nostalgia factor.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Keeping on writing and hoping people enjoy what I have to say. It would of course be nice to go best seller and get a movie deal and all that jazz, but mostly I just love writing. I’d do it even if I were only sharing novels with friends.
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?
Don’t make me choose…I would likely grab my copy of The China Garden since I’m in the middle at the moment and have been able to read it probably a dozen times without getting sick of it already. Perhaps also a collection of fairy tales because it’s nice to have a compilation of some sort/they’re great for inspiration/writing prompts. The Queen’s Fool by Philippa Gregory would likely also make a strong showing. Then, after all that, I would likely pick up one of the George R. R. Martin books simply because they’re huge and take me forever to get through. It likely would hold me over until I was able to flag down a passing ship.
Author Websites and Profiles
Jessica Dall Website
Jessica Dall Amazon Profile
Jessica Dall’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account