Welcome to this week’s Coffee Chat!
Our guest author is Jessica James, a multi-genre writer of suspense, historical fiction, Christian fiction, women’s fiction, and military fiction.
So nice to meet you, Jessica. How do you take your coffee?
JJ: I like it strong (like Black Rifle Coffee-strong) and with just a little cream.
Ally: While I pour, please tell readers a little of your background.
Our guest author is Jessica James, a multi-genre writer of suspense, historical fiction, Christian fiction, women’s fiction, and military fiction.
So nice to meet you, Jessica. How do you take your coffee?
JJ: I like it strong (like Black Rifle Coffee-strong) and with just a little cream.
Ally: While I pour, please tell readers a little of your background.
Bio:
Jessica James believes in honor, duty, and true love—and that’s what she writes about in her award-winning novels that span the ages from the Revolutionary War to modern day.
She is a three-time winner of the John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction, and has won more than a dozen other literary awards. Her novels have been used in schools and are available in hundreds of libraries including Harvard and the U.S. Naval Academy.
To combat the sedentary career of writing, Jessica works as a part-time stagehand at the Majestic Theater in Gettysburg, Pa., the “grandest small town theater in the nation.”
Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio:
“I have a degree in veterinary technology and worked at a state-of-the-art surgical horse hospital in Virginia before writing my first book Shades of Gray. Coincidentally, the main character in that book was based on a real-life Civil War soldier whose center of operation was in the part of Virginia where the hospital was located.”
Contact Links:
Website: https://www.jessicajamesbooks.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001IYTXOG
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/586216.Jessica_James
BookBub : https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jessica-james
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RomanticHistoricalFiction
Twitter: @jessicajames
Jessica James believes in honor, duty, and true love—and that’s what she writes about in her award-winning novels that span the ages from the Revolutionary War to modern day.
She is a three-time winner of the John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction, and has won more than a dozen other literary awards. Her novels have been used in schools and are available in hundreds of libraries including Harvard and the U.S. Naval Academy.
To combat the sedentary career of writing, Jessica works as a part-time stagehand at the Majestic Theater in Gettysburg, Pa., the “grandest small town theater in the nation.”
Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio:
“I have a degree in veterinary technology and worked at a state-of-the-art surgical horse hospital in Virginia before writing my first book Shades of Gray. Coincidentally, the main character in that book was based on a real-life Civil War soldier whose center of operation was in the part of Virginia where the hospital was located.”
Contact Links:
Website: https://www.jessicajamesbooks.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001IYTXOG
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/586216.Jessica_James
BookBub : https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jessica-james
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RomanticHistoricalFiction
Twitter: @jessicajames
INTERVIEW:
Ally: Writing in so many genres must make it hard to decide which avenue to choose next. Why did you write your featured book, Lacewood?
JJ: This is kind of a long story, but I wrote this book because I started to notice sycamore trees everywhere. (They are the trees with snowy white limbs in winter). Most people would ignore this sudden fascination, but I knew it was my writing angel trying to tell me something. After doing some research, I found out it was once called lacewood—and so the book was born. It actually combines all of my favorite things: history, mystery, old houses, small towns, and ghosts!
Ally: Do your characters come to you fully formed with names and backgrounds?
JJ: No…I wish! I’ve learned not to push (it does no good). They reveal themselves to me little by little.
Ally: Why did you start writing? Why fiction?
JJ: I started my writing career as a journalist and never thought I’d be able to make the switch over to writing fiction. It’s a completely different part of the brain and very different skill set. But just like anything else, the brain responds with practice.
Ally: What’s the most meaningful thing a fan could say about your book?
JJ: I get lots of emails (sometimes a little angry) that they stayed up all night reading because they couldn’t put the book down. I love hearing that! (Sorry for the loss of sleep, though).
Ally: What is your next writing project?
JJ: I’m still mulling over my next project. My readers have been clamoring for another Phantom Force Tactical series book, so I’m leaning toward that. Coincidentally, I just received notice that Front Line (Book 3) was a finalist in the Indie Excellence Awards contest.
Ally: It's time to reveal which quick answer questions you chose to answer.
JJ:
Ally: Writing in so many genres must make it hard to decide which avenue to choose next. Why did you write your featured book, Lacewood?
JJ: This is kind of a long story, but I wrote this book because I started to notice sycamore trees everywhere. (They are the trees with snowy white limbs in winter). Most people would ignore this sudden fascination, but I knew it was my writing angel trying to tell me something. After doing some research, I found out it was once called lacewood—and so the book was born. It actually combines all of my favorite things: history, mystery, old houses, small towns, and ghosts!
Ally: Do your characters come to you fully formed with names and backgrounds?
JJ: No…I wish! I’ve learned not to push (it does no good). They reveal themselves to me little by little.
Ally: Why did you start writing? Why fiction?
JJ: I started my writing career as a journalist and never thought I’d be able to make the switch over to writing fiction. It’s a completely different part of the brain and very different skill set. But just like anything else, the brain responds with practice.
Ally: What’s the most meaningful thing a fan could say about your book?
JJ: I get lots of emails (sometimes a little angry) that they stayed up all night reading because they couldn’t put the book down. I love hearing that! (Sorry for the loss of sleep, though).
Ally: What is your next writing project?
JJ: I’m still mulling over my next project. My readers have been clamoring for another Phantom Force Tactical series book, so I’m leaning toward that. Coincidentally, I just received notice that Front Line (Book 3) was a finalist in the Indie Excellence Awards contest.
Ally: It's time to reveal which quick answer questions you chose to answer.
JJ:
- a. an author (living or dead) you'd love to take to lunch: Vince Flynn, creator of Mitch Rapp. (Ally note: One of my very favorites too.)
- b. favorite movie: The Wizard of Oz
- c. favorite accessory: Flip-flops
- d. favorite book boyfriend: Mitch Rapp
- e. Do you believe in love at first sight? I didn’t until I wrote a book that featured it in the plot. (Meant To Be). Now I’m a believer.
Lacewood
Genre: small town romantic women’s fiction/part ghost story/part historical fiction
Release date: June 18, 2019
Rating: PG-13
Sometimes love is just too powerful for one lifetime…
MOVING TO A SMALL TOWN in Virginia is a big change for New York socialite Katie McCain. But when she stumbles across an abandoned 200-year-old mansion, she’s enthralled by the enduring beauty of the neglected estate—and captivated by the haunting portrait of a woman in mourning.
Purchasing the property on a whim, Katie attempts to fit in with the colorful characters in the town of New Hope, while trying to unravel the mystery of the “widow of Lacewood.” As she pieces together the previous owner’s heartrending story, Katie uncovers secrets the house has held for centuries, and discovers the key to coming to terms with her own sense of loss.
The past and present converge when hometown hero Will Durham returns and begins his own healing process by helping the “city girl” restore the place that holds so many memories. As the mystic web of destiny is woven, a love story that might have been lost forever is exposed, and a destiny that has been waiting in the shadows for centuries is fulfilled.
A powerful and poignant tale that vividly conveys the heartache of war, the tragedy of loss, and the fulfillment of destiny…even when souls are separated by centuries. Lacewood takes readers on a journey that connects the past with the present—and the present with eternity.
Rich in emotion and poignant in its telling, Lacewood is an unforgettable story about love and loss, roots and belonging…and spirits of the past that refuse to be quieted.
BUY LINKS: ***Release price is $3.99. Will be $8.99
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PW8BQJ4
Apple Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1447749646
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/mYoj2P
SHORT EXCERPT:
Turning in a circle, Katie studied the room again. Faded wallpaper curled and peeled above the dusty wainscoting, but the walls themselves appeared sturdy. On the far side of the entryway, and dominating the wall, stood a mammoth fireplace with an ornately carved hearth. Her attention was immediately drawn to a painting of a woman in nineteenth century dress that hung prominently over the mantel.
“Who is she?”
The sheriff turned to the dusty, sun-bleached portrait in the heavy carved guilt frame. “One of the previous owners, they say.” He shrugged. “The family history kind of got lost with the house. Everyone around here calls her the Widow of Lacewood.”
Katie stood spellbound. The woman was clothed completely in black, but the magnificence of the gown gave the impression of sophistication and class. Her chin was slightly elevated as if to project strength, yet there was more than a hint of sorrow and pain in her eyes.
“She looks so sad.” Katie spoke without removing her gaze. “And so young. How could she be a widow?”
The sheriff had already started to walk away, but he turned back and glanced at the painting. “Not sure, but they say she never remarried.”
Katie’s heart suddenly struggled to beat. The anguish in the woman’s eyes kept her riveted. She could see the pain. Feel a heart ripped apart. Something was missing that could never be replaced. Katie had felt such loss before. In a way that’s why she was here.
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