Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m just a writer who’s in love with making stories, characters, and worlds to share with others. I moved away from my home in America to live and work in Japan. Writing is my passion, and gaining a better view of the world at large was my first step to building a career out of my writing. I have a lovely cat, a supportive partner, and the will to go as far as I can as an author and creative mind.
Starting in November of 2017 and ending in October 2019, I’ll have published 12 unique series through Amazon (even if it kills me to stay on schedule).
As of October 2018, I’ve published “The Darkrock”, “The Labyrinth City”, “The 12 Mile Course”, “The Generational War”, and “The Maydale Hauntings”. The next titles I’ll be publishing this year and next will be, “The Horrors of Redemption”, “The Forgotten Murder”, “The Servants of the Fallen”, “The Curse of the Dog”, “The Dreams of Reality”, “The Week of Karma”, and one untitled series.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest series I’ve published is called “The Maydale Hauntings”. I was inspired to try my hand at writing suspense and horror due to my love of the genre in regards to film and media. Although they may scare me so badly that I can’t sleep soundly for a week, I enjoy watching horror films and reading frightening tales. Many of the scary instances I wrote about are from real life experiences and fears that I generally have in regards to the paranormal.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
To keep all my thoughts on each series in check, I keep several notebooks with spaces for my upcoming works inside. Even if there is no actual outline written down yet, there is a always a rough layout or space for each series so that it has its own place in a notebook for when I begin to flesh out my outlines.
After I finish writing a series, I fold the pages with that series’ outline, tape them into a trangular shape, and cut them out of the notebook they resided in. They are then placed in a special drawer in my desk with other outlines from finished series. By the time I’m down to the last series in a given notebook, there’s only a handful of pages left. I don’t know why I started doing this, but it’s become an unbreakable habit. I don’t even know what I’ll do with the outlines in the future, but they’re there regardless.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Timmothy Zahn has taught me the value of showing rather than telling your reader about the world your book is situated in.
Eoin Colfer inspired me to not be afraid to mix the “real world” with fantasy.
J.K. Rowling instilled upon me the importance of never giving up, no matter how many rejections you may face.
David Thoreau showed me that it’s important to stand up for what you believe in, no matter how much people might not like you for it.
Hilari Bell proved to me that even the simplest ideas can become amazing stories filled with unbelievable twists.
Christopher Paolini made me realize the important of researching and developing for world building.
What are you working on now?
Presently I’m finishing up “The Horrors of Redemption” series. A bit of horror is mixed in with suspense, mystery, gore, and fantasy in this tale of a man who seeks nothing but to escape his past. Teaming up with an untrustworthy guide, Spencer has no clue what the future holds for him; though at the very least, he was promised that redemption would be his. With nothing left to lose and a long road ahead, it’ll be quite the journey of danger and disaster for the unlikely pair to face together.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
At this point in time: word of mouth, Reddit, my personal website (www.wisteriadjones.com), and any other sites I come across with the option to promote my works are all viable options. Since I’m about to reach the halfway mark in my series writing goal, I’ve decided to begin seriously working on marketing and promotion. I’m hopeful Awesome Gang will be a big help.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up. Whether you’re still in the idea process, working on your writing, struggling through the editing and proofreading, or throwing your work at anyone and everyone you can, it’s not an easy journey.
Many authors get descouraged at the first sign of failure. Don’t be. Even the most successful authors have to go through rejections and failures before they finally succeed. If writing and getting published were easy, then everyone would be doing it. If you stay strong and believe in your work, chances are someone else will, too.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice someone has ever given me about writing is that it’s not an exact science. I tend to be very analytical about things, and as such I feel like there’s some set formula I have to follow in order to produce quality work. In reality, there’s no actual structure to creating an amazing piece of work. Not everyone will like something that doesn’t follow the norm, but those that do will be grateful to have it. In a world of mundane, copy-paste types of work, don’t be afraid to let your uniqueness stand out above the crowd.
What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading the Harry Potter series translated to Japanese. This is so that I can 1) revisit a series that I loved as a child and still love today, and 2) practice my language skills due to the fact that I’m living and working in a foreign country where very few people speak my native language.
I’m always looking for translated works to revisit stories I love while also studying a new language.
What’s next for you as a writer?
After I publish “The Horrors of Redemption” at the end of October, I’ll still have six more series to publish before I reach my goal.
After I’ve published 12 series on Amazon, I plan to start writing novels to be traditionally published. The road ahead looks to be paved with rejection and hardship, but I relish the chance to continue writing and hopefully start my career as a full-time author.
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?
This is tough. I love re-reading books, and am not sure I’d chance taking something I’ve never read before with me in case it doesn’t stand up to something I know I love. I’m also a big fan of series, so it’s hard to choose stand-alone pieces. I guess I’d take:
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
The Goblin Wood by Hilari Bell
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
The Clan of the Cavebear by Jean M. Auel
Author Websites and Profiles
Wisteria D. Jones Website
Wisteria D. Jones Amazon Profile
Wisteria D. Jones’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account