Wednesday, January 25, 2017

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: J J DiBenedetto

Tell me a about yourself. What got you started in writing?

I’ve been writing since high school, but I got serious about writing for publication four years ago, when a friend of mine sold her first book.  I asked myself “why not me, too?” and it went from there.



How do you schedule your writing time? When do you write?

Whenever I can.  Every night when I get home from work I set aside an hour, but also lunch breaks, any other spare hours I can squeeze in, etc.

How and where do you write? Do you prefer a lap top or some other method of getting your words down?

My desktop PC.  There’d be no point in trying to write by hand in a notebook – my penmanship is so bad, I can’t read my own handwriting.

What's your favorite part about writing? Your least favorite part about writing?

My favorite part is getting into the heads of my characters.  After a while, they become totally real to me.

My least favorite part is trying to sell my books!

Kathryn: You may just want to check out my marketing book. I try to simplify marketing and make the 'grieving process' fun. :)

How did you come up with your book idea? How long did it take you to write your book?

The idea for my latest book came in bits and pieces as I wrote it.  I didn’t really know what the ultimate plot of the villains was, or even who the villain was, until halfway in.  I just began with the idea of my heroine trying to bring her family together – herself, her brother, her father and his fiancée.  Something had to happen to start trouble, and it seemed obvious that the brother (who’s kind of naïve) should get in over his head and find himself in a tight spot, and it went from there.

What types of marketing do you do to promote your writing?

Everything I can think of.  Ads, Facebook promotion, Twitter, reaching out to my mailing list, interviews like this one, you name it!

What are you currently working on? Do you have a new book out?

Get the Book at Amazon
My new book comes out next Tuesday.  It’s called HER BROTHER’S KEEPER, and it’s the third book of the Jane Barnaby Adventures.  They’re lighthearted stories of suspense and international intrigue starring an American archaeology student who keeps finding herself mixed up in bizarre criminal plots.

I’ve just begun on her next book, which will be called SHIP OF FOOLS.

Do you have a project on the back burner? Tell me about it.

I have an idea for a setting, but I don’t know what happens in it yet.  It’s an apartment building where every apartment exists in a different parallel universe.

What would you tell a beginning writer who wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has enough talent?

Keep writing, and believe in yourself.  That’s the only advice I’ve got.

A Question for Me:

Where do you get your ideas?

My ideas come from various places. My favorite surprise came when my husband shared an email he'd received and "Conquering Your Goliaths: A Parable of the Five Stones" was born. 

I also once received inspiration for a book one day when I was in a mode of reflection about my life many years previous. I recalled how much fun I'd had reading Nancy Drew mysteries as a pre-teen. My Susan Cramer Mystery series was born.

I like the idea of series books, because once you have an idea come to you about the first book, the others naturally just gravitate to you. A case in point: Before I'd even written the last word in the fourth book of my Susan Cramer Mystery series, I knew what book was going to come next: My new YA mystery series with Susan's daughter, Brianne. I even knew what the cover would look like. 

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Learn more about James:

http://viewAuthor.at/JJDiBenedetto (my Amazon Author Page)
http://books2read.com/HerBrother – my new book – preorder link

Video book trailer for the first book in this series:
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Read about my writing: www.writingdreams.net
What if you could see everyone else's dreams? Find out with the Dream Series! Available at amazon.com or smashwords


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