Joni Green

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written 9 novels, and I have written and illustrated 2 children’s books. I have always loved words. My grandmother was a great one to weave stories from her past. She was also an avid reader. She only had a third-grade education, so she advanced her knowledge through her love of reading. I credit her with lighting my creative spark.

I never know where my muse will take me. That is the joy of creating worlds in your imagination. Currently, I am working on the fourth novel in my mystery series, ‘Ashes of Yesterday.’ These novels are set in the 1920s, a time of great change for America. World War One had just ended. Prohibition was allowing the rise of gangsters and corruption all across the country. The Jazz era is so rich and colorful, and I am enjoying writing stories that reflect this time period.

I guess you can say that, like my Granny, I am a lifelong learner whose curiosity takes her down a lot of goat paths!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
‘Beastly House’ is the first of my Cupid/Archer Mystery Series. I also have written ‘Cupid’s Archer.’ My latest book, the third in this series, is called ‘The Dust of Death.’ It begins, as they all do, with a nightmare dream sequence which has become the hallmark of this series. My research into World War One has been an eye-opening experience. I have written a story called, ‘Songs of the Night’, which was set during the years leading up to the American Civil War.

The Civil War was catastrophic, but with World War One, you had mechanized war with tanks, poisonous gas, and flamethrowers. You had a stagnant battlefield – the war lasted for years and was literally fought for inches of territory. The fact that men were sent ‘over the top’ to certain death from their positions in the trenches is horrendous. Yet, they obeyed the order.

Just like the Civil War, a whole generation of young men was lost in WW1. And there were no treatments for many of the survivors who suffered from post-traumatic stress. So, I start out these stories with my nightmare dream sequence. That is my way of trying to convey a sense of the horror of war and paying tribute to those brave souls who fought.

But I love a good mystery, so my two sleuths, Florian Valentine Flix, aka Cupid, and his partner, Phalen Archer, are soon ankle deep in murder. In this way, I try to combine a little bit of seriousness with entertainment for my readers as they try to solve the puzzle of my next whodunit.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have an old computer that I love. I have broken the control key, patched it up with duct tape, and still keep pounding out stories on it. The ‘u’ key is worn out. I have newer devices, but there’s just something about this old machine that is as comfortable as a worn sweater or your favorite old shoes. Although I have a newer computer, it doesn’t have the same feel when I strike the keys on the keyboard. I will mourn this old workhorse on its passing when it finally wears out.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
William Faulker
Eudora Welty

What are you working on now?
My latest novel in progress is ‘Ashes of Yesterday.’ It continues the saga of my two sleuths, Florian Valentine Flix and Phalen Archer. I look forward to letting these two characters grow as this series progresses. And yes, I think I have a few surprises for them up my sleeve.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am grateful to Amazon for allowing self-published authors a platform to get their books out there.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t be afraid to try. Yes, you will make mistakes. Everyone does. But learn from them and move on. Dust yourself off, and keep trying. And most importantly, try to make each effort better than the one before.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Someone who is perfect is someone who is doing nothing.

What are you reading now?
Ayn Rand

What’s next for you as a writer?
I just want to complete as many really good, quality stories as I can. I want those worlds I create to be palpable and real for my readers. I have a slogan that I have placed on my website: jonigreen.com. — Lose yourself in other worlds.

This is the goal that I strive for in my novels. I want my stories to be real in my readers minds. I want my readers to become so immersed in the stories that they lose themselves there.

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 think I would bring 4 anthologies of great literature. That’s a selfish choice, I think. But it would allow me to cram as many of the most talented authors into those few books as possible.

Author Websites and Profiles
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