And Now, Here's Jackie

Good morning, everyone! Happy Saturday!

Just in case you're wondering who the hell I am and what I've done with Sandra, my name is Jackie Kessler, and I'm the author of HELL'S BELLES, a humorous paranormal/dark fantasy about a succubus who runs away from Hell, hides on Earth as an exotic dancer, and learns the hard way about true love. Sex, strippers, and demons--what's not to like? Sandra asked if I'd like to be interviewed about my writing, and after dutifully thinking it over for all of a nanosecond, I professionally responded with a huge squeal of "YES!"

And so, here we are. Before I tackle your questions, I want to thank Sandra profusely for inviting me here today. THANK YOU! ((insert cyber hug here))

Now, without further ado, onto your questions!

Stacy K. asks:
Have you always written in first person?

Nope. Before HELL’S BELLES and its immediate predecessor (a book that I couldn’t get an agent for, let alone sell, eek), I had always written in third person...and one rather interesting attempt at second person. (Ick. Not recommended, except in very small doses.)

Brenda P. asks:
What made you choose to write about a succubus?

I knew I wanted to write about a demon--­and really, what better female demon is there than a succubus? :-)

Jack A. asks:
Have you written in any other genres?

Heh--­published or unpublished?

I’ve written horror, contemporary, dark fantasy, dark erotica, humorous horror, urban fantasy (both adult and young adult), chick lit, literary fantasy, and paranormal romance. The chick lit didn't sell, and the YA urban fantasy is currently on submission. All others have sold, either as novels or short stories. Oh, and I had a poem published, too.

Andrea S. asks:
How many books do you have planned for this series?

Eight books, plus one novella. The first three books (HELL’S BELLES, available now, THE ROAD TO HELL, available November 2007, and HOTTER THAN HELL, available some time in 2008) as well as the novella (HELL TO PAY, available in April 2008) have been sold to Kensington; the remaining five are what I like to call “pending.” (As in, pending a contract. Heh.)

Pamela W. asks:
What do you have planned for your next project?

I’m in the middle of three projects right now: HOTTER THAN HELL, which I’m gunning to hand in to my editor by this July; the synopsis for the novella HELL TO PAY, which is due in March, and SCHMOOZING THE ALMIGHTY, something different than the HELL books, and more in the vein of Christopher Moore than, say, MaryJanice Davidson. I also have a YA urban fantasy on submission right now; assuming that sells, I’ll really have my hands full. (Yes, I have a full-time day job and a family--why do you ask?) :-)

Diane P. asks:
Did you have an agent before you sold?

For novels, no; after I wrote HELL’S BELLES, I queried for and found agent representation. I didn’t have an agent when I sold my short stories.

Edie K. asks:
Are there any books that have inspired your writing?

Ooh! Tons! I love pretty much everything written by Neil Gaiman and Christopher Moore. Martha O’Connor pretty much redefined writing in first person with her outstanding THE BITCH POSSE. I’m also a huge comic book fan (I have about 9,000 of them--­comic books, not fans), and my work is definitely inspired by Garth Ennis, Matt Wagner, and Neil Gaiman. (Yes, he’s that good, I’m naming him twice.) I will always be grateful to J.R.R. Tolkien. And Toni Morrison left a lasting impression on me with BELOVED. Oh, and Elmore Leonard is a freaking master of dialog. And there’s Dante, Poe, Shakespeare...the list goes on...

Sandra B. asks:
How does your family handle your writing time? Do you think they understand?

Heh. Until I actually got a book sold, my family pretty was supportive, but...let’s say, they were also realistic. So they encouraged me to pursue my dream, as long as I didn’t quit my day job. Now that I’ve got a book on the shelves and two more already sold, they’re very supportive...and very realistic. So while I’m still pursuing my dream, I haven’t quit my day job. Sigh.

But my husband is very, very understanding. So when I’m in the zone, he gives me a kiss around 11 pm and says “Good night.” And he knows that when I say, “I’ll be right in,” I’ll wind up crawling into bed two hours later. During the weekends, there are plenty of times he’ll take the kids on errands and what not, allowing me time to do more writing. I couldn’t do this without him :)

Jennifer T. asks:
Are you reading any books right now? For pleasure? Or to learn the craft?

Holy cats, sometimes it feels like all I’m doing is reading! Sure, it’s for the craft--­seeing how other authors handle certain situations, create certain characters, shape certain phrases...wow. And it’s for enjoyment; I’ve always loved curling up with a book. Plus, on my website’s blog, I interview other authors (well, my character interviews their characters)...and I can’t really do that without reading those authors’ works. (Er, I could. But it would make for a very tough interview!)

I recently finished/am reading now/will be reading: I’M THE VAMPIRE, THAT’S WHY (Michele Bardsley), SHADOWS IN THE DARKNESS and SHADOWS IN THE STARLIGHT (Elaine Cunningham), THE NYMPH KING (Gena Showalter), THE REST FALLS AWAY (Colleen Gleason), VENUS ENVY (Shannon McKeldon), HOWLING MOON (Clamp and Adams), FINN (Jon Clinch), SURVIVING DEMON ISLAND (Jaci Burton), SUCCUBUS BLUES (Richelle Mead), SLEEPING WITH THE FISHES (MaryJanice Davidson)...whew...this isn’t even making a dent in my to be read pile...

Sharon L. asks:
Who are your favorite authors? Are there any new ones you’d recommend?

My favorite authors? Neil Gaiman and Christopher Moore. Read everything by them.

My favorite new authors? Heather Brewer (EIGHTH GRADE BITES, August 2007), Colleen Gleason (THE REST FALLS AWAY), Richelle Mead (SUCCUBUS BLUES, March 2007), Caitlin Kittredge (NIGHT LIFE, fall 2007)...the list goes on. I’m a new fan of Elaine Cunningham and Rachel Caine. Oh, and I lost sleep reading Alexandra Sokaloff’s THE HARROWING. Fabulous stuff!

Denise B. asks:
Have you always wanted to become a published author? Was there a specific time or event that made you decide this is what you want to do?

When I was a little girl, I wanted to draw comic books. Then I wanted to write comic books. Then, in college, I wanted to write stories. That’s when I really got the bug: in college. I don’t think there was any one thing that made me say, Hey, I want to be an author. I think I’ve always been in love with stories, and with telling stories in one shape or form. But I didn’t get serious about wanting to get published until January 2004. Why then? Not sure. But I’m glad I started taking it seriously.

Audra G. asks:
What is the biggest challenge to your writing?

I like taking risks with my writing. In HELL'S BELLES, for example, the heroine becomes an exotic dancer. Contrary to popular belief, I didn't work my way through college by stripping. So I had to do a lot of research to get that part of the story as accurate as possible, not to mention researching demonology and various Hell legends.

Right now, I’m writing a story in first person about an evil male demon who’s the protagonist/antihero. Talk about writing outside of my comfort zone! (For the record, I’m not male, and not a demon. The “evil” thing may be subject to debate.) But tapping into that character and channeling him onto paper (er, electrons) is a true thrill. When I get the words right, they sing. (And when I don’t, I get writer’s block. Ugh.)

So I suppose the biggest challenge is anchoring fiction in reality--making it believable. If I can do that, I've done my job. (And if I can do that in an entertaining way, then I've done my job well.)

Sandra B. asks:
Can you share some writing advice for aspiring authors?

No matter what, keep on writing, and keep on reading. You have to read to see what works--­or, bluntly, what’s marketable--­and the only way to do that is to read what’s selling (in your genre). Read, read, read--­and not just the classics. Read what’s selling today. Joe Konrath (RUSTY NAIL) insists that if you want to make writing your business, you have to treat it like a business. And that means you have to do your research. Read. (I know, I’m hitting you over the head with this. Sorry. READ.)

More advice, this time from Martha O’Connor: Write like there’s no one watching. Don’t ask yourself, “Will this offend someone?” Don’t tell yourself that you need to “write down” to your readers. Write the story that you mean to write. Once it’s done, then work on making it marketable. (Ah, the joy of revisions. But that’s another topic altogether.) Don’t be afraid to try something new.

And never be daunted. :)


Thanks, everyone, for your terrific questions! I invite you (and everyone you know) to come visit my website.

And thanks again, Sandra, for letting me take over your blog this morning!