INTERVIEW WITH JESSE PRUITT

GENRE: mystery fiction story

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Immortal Creation: Sister Witches March 2019 Book 1 Come along on this journey filled with vampires, witches and prowling were-panthers where the heartaches of love and betrayal become twisted by the hands of fate. Lenora and Leonia are two very powerful witches, but, more than that, they are closely bonded sisters. When Leonia meets Orin, a hot, steamy man that seems to have stepped straight from a dream, her entire life is turned inside out. Embracing her chance at love could mean having to change everything she is—everything she’s known.

JDBOOKS has the privilege of an interview with author JESSE PRUITT

Where do you live and is that the setting for your novel?

I live in the Willamette Valley in Springfield, Oregon. I was born and raised here and lived in the same zip code my entire life. The setting for my novel is the fictional town of Twin Rivers, Oregon which is most definitely a version of the real town of Thurston that I grew up in.

How did you come up with the premise for Lostopia? Was it something that you experienced?

The premise for LOSTOPIA was mostly inspired by my growing up with a large sense of adventure and love of all types of literature. Growing up with a great group of friends who would wander the countryside seeking adventures is a huge inspiration for the story of LOSTOPIA: DUNCAN AND THE LOST SQUAD. 

How did you come up with an amazing title?

The title for my Novel series LOSTOPIA came to me randomly. It just sounded fun and fit what I was trying to do in my novel. I love Dystopian fiction. Also the fact of being lost in reading, soul searching, and finding solitude in fiction is a huge inspiration in a clever title that fits my story.

Your novel is a mystery fiction story. What drew you to the genre?

I grew up reading Nancy Drew and the Hardy boys novels and then branched out to all sorts of thriller and mystery writers from there. I love being able to read and now write twists and turns creating edge of your seat suspense using mystery elements.  

Do you think writers need to feel strong emotions in order to write a mystery fiction story?

I think deep emotion and connection to characters is important in any novel. Relating to human emotion is where I feel the most important connection between novel and reader happens. Life is much to hard and being able to relate to a character whose troubles parallel our own is a special relationship. 

In one of my blog pieces, I discuss how to approach writing

a novel, but it is mainly targeted towards those who want to

write fantasy novels. What advice would you give someone on

how to approach writing a Paranormal Romance?

My novel is definitely still intertwined with fantasy elements but I would say my best advice is to write the story that you have always wanted to read. That book you have spent forever searching for but never found one quite perfect enough for your own taste. Write that book and others will surely enjoy it. Another piece of advice would be to research and write alot. Practice makes perfect. 

Which of your characters is most like you? And why?

I would say all of the characters in my novel have a small part of me woven into them but most of all my main character Duncan is most like me overall. 

Have any of the characters in  Lostopia?  been influenced by TV or movie figures? If so, which one(s)?

My Villain Beelzabard de Lucifant aka Brutal Bard, is very much inspired by the pirate Blackbeard as well as Captain Hook. The Goonies was also an inspiration for the novel being set in 1984 and having a group of diverse suburban kids.

If you could give your younger self some advice about the writing process, what would it be?

If I could give my younger self advice for writing it would be don't let anyone stand in your way of chasing your dreams. Mine has always been to be an author. It's just taken the right time to finally hit that dream with a full head of steam. 

What time do you usually start writing and what do you find the hardest part about the writing process?

I write best in the evening hours. That is when I find my imagination and drive is at its peak. If I didn't have a day job though I'm sure I would write all day long and well into the night. The hardest part of writing is editing. That's when the real work begins. But I still love doing it. It's great to see the story keep improving with every round of edits. 

How has writing changed you?

Writing has changed me profoundly. I have spent the last two years on YouTube, at the laptop, and reading anything and everything trying to improve my knowledge of the writing process. I feel like it's a part of me that I didnt realize I needed in my life. I'll never look back and will be a writer for the rest of my life. It is dear to me.

What do you like to do when you are not writing?

When I'm not writing I like to spend quality time with my wife, play golf, camping, being with friends, exercising, watching a good movie, but most of all doing artwork. I love prismacolor pencils and doing drawings of my characters and places in my novels.