Today, please welcome J.R. Turner, author of Detour 2 Death, who joins in the conversation on her giveaway post.
Carlos Antunes said...
Having such different series, do you ever feel a bit confused, as if one character was entering the wrong universe?
JR: Great question, Carlos! Thanks for asking ;)
I think I worried more about this when I first started the series than I do now. My female leads all seem to share the same sort of characteristics, but each in a very different way--reflective of their ages and circumstances.
Sara Stark, in my Knight, Inc. series, is very tough--almost cold in some ways. She's a black-and-white girl--either you're good or your bad, and if your bad, she's going to hurt you. Yet she's still vulnerable, afraid to trust the wrong instinct, the wrong person, and has a deep need to connect with others.
Kaylee, in my Extreme Hauntings series is much younger and still exploring her belief systems. She's more like a sponge, absorbing the real world and balancing it against what she considers the ideal world. Yet she is also vulnerable, afraid to trust in the same way, and needs to connect with others.
Once I lock into a character though, they are very distinct and separate from each other. Each has that quirk, that one trait, that bit of humanity that makes them different from the other.
AimeeKay said...
Which do you find easier/more fun to write YA or Action/Adventure?
JR: I think I incorporate action and adventure into everything I write, so it’s not an either/or thing. I find it far easier to write books set in a paranormal environment because those sorts of plots lend themselves very well to action and adventure. Stories based on a romantic relationship or set in the corporate world are less inclined to have the fast paced action I really love to write. So, instead of romances—I writer romantic suspense—or instead of a police procedural, I would probably write a thriller.
Jessica said…
Do you know the ending when you start or just have an idea and run with it?
JR: I generally know each event that will happen as I work by synopsis, but I generally do not know how my characters will react to those events and sometimes, they make it necessary for me to revise. I do know that all my books end happily ever after because I truly, truly hate to see great characters die or fail at the end of a book or a movie. Because that makes me angry, I avoid making my readers angry as well.
EVA SB said...
Where did you get the idea for a red reaper?
JR: Originally, Moloki was simply a sort of warden of the prison character. As the story developed more and more, and because I set him apart from the other two reapers by his red robe, it only made sense to continue the death theme and let him be a reaper as well. Moloki is a spirit who possesses an old man or woman to cause death and sickness. In this case, I had him as the creator of Davey’s dream world and the cause of his illness. When Kaylee faces him toward the end of the book, she has to eradicate him from Davey’s ‘life’ in order to triumph over death. Therefore, he became the red reaper.
Aik said…
Where did you get the inspiration to write this book?
JR: Gosh, I’ve been wanting to write this book since I first dreamed up the series. I’m a huge fan of Supernatural and a few years back, one of my favorite episodes is “In My Time of Dying” where Dean Winchester meets Tessa, a reaper who’s come to claim him. There other influences, such as House on Haunted Hill, Kingdom Hospital, Fragile, and many more. If you notice, I’m referencing a lot of movies. I chose to do the Extreme Hauntings books because I found there are so very few great ghost stories available—as in comparison to vampires, werewolves, and other paranormal entities.
Thanks bunches for all your questions. I had a blast answering them all! :)
Warmly,
Jenny:)
Extreme Hauntings
by J.R. Turner
signup to win this book
* Thanks for stopping by J.R.!
ALERT: Get your FREE copy of Extreme Writing by sending an email to jturner4@charter.net with "My Copy" in the subject heading and the email address you wish to recieve the pdf. file at in the body of the email.
