Hello, everyone, and welcome to another Monday! Today, I’m delighted to be welcoming Emma Jackson to the blog for an author interview, which coincides perfectly with the release of Emma’s latest book, ‘Summer in the City’, published today by Orion Dash. I’ll provide all of the relevant information and links below should you fancy grabbing a copy of this gorgeous summer treat today. Grab yourselves a cuppa, sit back and enjoy a chat with Emma Jackson, and please join me in wishing Emma a wonderfully happy and successful publication day today.
1.) First thing’s first, tell myself and my readers a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? What do you do for a living if you’re not a full-time writer? And what’s life like for you?
I live on the south coast of England with my partner of nearly 20 years and my two daughters. I’ve been a stay at home mum since my eldest was born and was a PA before that. My youngest will be starting school in September, so life is usually a juggle of playing barbies, school and nursery runs, ballet and swimming classes and trips to the park, and writing is worked around that. Life is a little different at the moment, as it is for everyone, but still a juggle with kids at the centre!
2.) Your first book, ‘A Mistletoe Miracle’, published by Orion Dash, came out November 25th, 2019. How long had you been writing for before the publication of your first novel? Had becoming a published author always been the dream for you?
It is absolutely a dream come true. I’ve wanted to write novels ever since I was a child, although I stopped for a little while as a young adult, but by my mid-twenties I started up again with a real dedication to it. It took about ten years before I got a publishing deal and I completed four novels in that time! One was ‘A Mistletoe Miracle’ and the other was ‘The Devil’s Bride’, which has also now been published under Emma S Jackson by DarkStroke.
3.) Your next book, ‘Summer in the City’, is published TODAY, so massive congratulations, Emma. Can you tell us briefly what this book is about?
‘Summer in the City’ is a second chance romance based in New York City. Stephen is looking for the father who abandoned him but it’s a big city and he has very little information to go on. Noelle, who is a native New Yorker and loves solving mysteries, offers to help – but they have some baggage and as they reluctantly team up, sparks fly.
4.) What inspired you to write this story? And what message do you hope readers will take away from it?
Stephen and Noelle’s story came to me as I was writing ‘A Mistletoe Miracle’. They were both secondary characters and instrumental to the ending, but on opposing sides. I loved the idea of seeing what would happen if I threw them together again. As for the message I hope will be taken from it, one thing I had in mind was how we can judge ourselves according to the image other people have projected onto us and it’s important to think about who we want to be, rather than who people think we are, if that makes sense.
5.) ‘Summer in the City’ is set in New York, a desirable and bustling city. What made you choose to set the story here, Emma? Have you ever visited yourself?
I wanted a really vibrant setting, where you could imagine the heat of the summer and the buzz of that time of year. It made sense for it to be New York as Noelle is from there and a lot of novels visit New York at Christmastime (which looks magical) but I wanted to explore it from a different angle. I haven’t actually been – I would love to one day – so I had to do lots of research. Google maps street view is so helpful and I even watched YouTube videos of people walking across the Brooklyn Bridge!
6.) How strict are you when it comes to working on your books? Do you have a writing routine? Do you start at a set time each day, set yourself word-count goals etc.?
Being under contract has introduced me to the world of daily word counts, which pushes me to get that difficult first draft down. I don’t have a set time to write really – often it’s whenever I can find a spare half an hour while the kids are entertained, or in the evenings once they’re in bed. Before lockdown, a large chunk happened during nursery time, which gave me about ten hours in the week, but even that would sometimes have to give way to household stuff and promotional admin. I’m lucky I can be flexible but sometimes that means I have to work harder to be disciplined too.
7.) What has been your favourite moment of being a published author so far?
There have been so many little moments. Being contacted by readers who have loved my book has been amazing, as was seeing a gorgeous aesthetic someone had made up that was inspired by my story! Clicking onto NetGalley recently and seeing my book on their homepage gave me one of those “pinch-me” moments too. It can be a whirlwind once you’re on the publishing treadmill and physically you’re still working on your own at your laptop so those little moments that remind you your work is out there in the world and people are enjoying it, are fantastic.
8.) Are you a big reader yourself? If so, tell us some of your favourite authors?
I love reading and usually finish a book or two each month. My favourite genres are romance, fantasy and historical. There are so many amazing authors out there, and I love discovering new ones, but some of my favourites are Tessa Dare, Mhairi McFarlane and Terry Pratchett.
9.) When not writing/working, how do you like to spend your free time?
I love find a new series to binge-watch with my partner, and I enjoy baking, walks out at the beach or in the forest, and visiting family and friends.
10.) When it comes to the covers of your books, how much of a say do you have in the final design?
The way it has worked with Orion Dash is that I’ve spoken to my editor about the characters and the setting and then a brief has gone to the designer and they’ve come up with the beautiful cover. I’ve been so happy with the designs, I’ve never had to say anything but, even if they weren’t quite what I imagined, I’d think twice about pushing back on it. They’re the experts in marketing and I trust them to know how to package the book to appeal to the right audience.
11.) Do you plan your books strategically, or do you prefer to write and see where the characters take you?
I like to plan before I start writing, but it’s very much the bare-bones. I know once I start drafting and the characters are talking to each other, new ideas will come and the story will begin moving in its own direction, so I suppose it’s a mix of both.
12.) Are your family and friends supportive of your writing career? Do you talk about your books with them?
I’m very lucky that they are. My partner has put up with me ignoring him a lot in the evenings! I talk about what stage I’m at in the process with them but usually keep the story details to myself.
13.) Reviews are so important for authors. Tell us, if you’re faced with a negative review of a story you’ve written, how do you overcome it?
Before ‘A Mistletoe Miracle’ came out and I was feeling excited but also terrified about people reading it, my editor told me to go look up ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and see if there were any negative reviews. That really helped. I’m not going to lie, it still stings, but if Jane Austen can get a one-star, it’s a good reminder of how subjective it all is. No story, however amazing or classic, will be loved by everyone who reads it.
14.) Would you say that since your first book was published, your writing style has changed at all?
That’s tricky. I’m not sure it has in terms of voice, but I think maybe my style is becoming tighter in terms of plotting – with every book I write I learn more about technique and hopefully that will reflect in my work.
15.) Can you describe your writing style in three words?
Accessible. Fun. Romantic. (I hope)
16.) If you’re ever faced with a particularly tricky plot point while writing, what do you find helps you to figure it out?
Getting away from the manuscript is usually best. Doing some boring housework or going for a walk, so my subconscious can get to work! That can be stressful during editing though, as it doesn’t always feel like there is time to step away even if it might be the most efficient thing to do.
17.) How important is connecting with other authors and readers to you?
The connections I’ve made with other authors over the last couple of years through social media and the RNA have been so inspiring. They’ve kept me going at low points and shown me that we all struggle with moments of self-doubt or eating too many biscuits! We share information that makes life easier and can open up ideas and opportunities. And it absolutely makes my day when I get tagged in a review from a reader who has enjoyed my book. The passion readers and bloggers have is such a boost and always appreciated.
18.) Are you working on anything at the moment? If so, can you tell us anything about it, or is it still early days?
I am working on a new romantic-comedy novel, which is set at Christmastime and very odd to write about as the days get warmer. I won’t say too much more about it because it feels like jinxing it before it’s fully formed!
19.) What’s the best piece of advice you’d pass onto someone who’s hoping to become published?
Hmm… try not to feel bad about the things you can’t control. You can control what you write, how much you read, how many agents you submit to etc, but you can’t control trends in the publishing industry, personal taste, the fact a big name author has just submitted a very similar book to yours, so don’t take it personally when you hear a ‘No’ – there can be a lot of reasons for it, that are completely outside of your control.
20.) And lastly Emma, is there anything you’d like to say to your readers before you go?
Just a massive, massive thank you!
Read on to find out more about ‘Summer in the City’ by Emma Jackson.
Sometimes the one thing you’re looking for is right in front of you…
Stephen is on a very personal mission to find his father as per the wishes in their mother’s will. But he has no idea where to start, not that he’s going to tell anyone that… When Noelle, native New Yorker, daughter of a detective and desperate for a distraction from the novel she’s been struggling to write, offers to help, it feels like the perfect solution.
Except the last time she spoke to Stephen he thought they’d be seeing the New Year in together and instead she stood him up and sold him out! Stephen’s big enough and been around the block enough times to understand that all is fair in love and war, isn’t he? But when Stephen accepts her offer and they begin their search across the city, it soon becomes clear that the weather isn’t the only thing that’s heating up.
You can purchase your copy of ‘Summer in the City’ by Emma Jackson here.
Author of the Best Selling A MISTLETOE MIRACLE, published in 2019 by Orion Dash, Emma has been a devoted bookworm and secret-story-scribbler since she was 6 years old. When she’s not running around after her two daughters and trying to complete her current work-in-progress, Emma loves to read, bake, catch up on binge-watching TV programmes with her partner and plan lots of craft projects that will inevitably end up unfinished. Her next romantic comedy, SUMMER IN THE CITY, is due for release in June 2020.
Emma also writes historical and speculative romantic fiction as Emma S Jackson. THE DEVIL’S BRIDE was published by DarkStroke in February 2020.
You can find out news about Emma via her website and by signing up to her newsletter at http://www.esjackson.co.uk or on: Twitter @ESJackson1 Facebook @EmmaJacksonAuthor Instagram @emma_s_jackson
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