Hey Guys! Help me welcome UF author Allyson James to the blog! Allyson is Pseudonym to Bestselling author Jennifer Ashley! =D
Hope you enjoy the interview and the great giveaway at the end of the post…
When did you first start writing?
When I was eight years old. I realized that books were make-believe written down, so I started writing down all the little stories in my head. (I even folded the papers in half so it looked like a book and drew a cover with a title and my name.) In the 1990s, I decided to stop dreaming about being a writer and make it reality. I read books and wrote them, learned a lot, and started seriously submitting novels. I got published in 2002, and have had a great time writing ever since!
Have you always enjoyed the Paranormal?
Yes. I grew up reading fantasy: Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Terry Brooks, David Eddings, Barbara Hambly, and many, many more. My shelves were filled with books published by Daw, Del-Rey, Ace, Roc, Baen, and Tor.
When I started writing seriously, I wanted to put more romance in my books, so I checked out romances. About that time, the paranormal romance genre took off, thanks to authors like Christine Feehan and Sherrilyn Kenyon.
It took me a few years to convince my publishers to let me write paranormal (I’d gotten published in historical first, and they wanted me to keep on publishing historicals). But I pitched The Immortals series and got that off the ground, then turned to Shifters. Plus the Urban Fantasy genre beckoned me, so I started the Stormwalker series as Allyson James.
Do you consider your books to fit more into Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance?
The Stormwalker series I write as Allyson James is more Urban Fantasy. There’s a romance between Mick and Janet in there, but I also have a lot of plot and fight scenes! Plus the Stormwalker series follows one couple throughout the series. The Shifter series I write as Jennifer Ashley I consider more paranormal romance. Each book is about a couple who get together in the end. There’s a lot of other stuff going on—Shifter problems, family problems, etc., but they are essentially about the romance between the two people.
Were there any Books, Movies or Writers that have inspired you?
I truly enjoy the Urban Fantasy and paranormal romance of today. I don’t watch many movies, but I read a lot! I enjoy Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs, Ilona Andrews, Carrie Vaughan, Nina Bangs, Sandra Hill, and many others.
Favorites:
Favorite Paranormal themed Movie? Harry Potter series.
Favorite Paranormal themed TV Show? It’s a toss-up between Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Dr. Who, and Eureka (the last two are more scifi)
Favorite Paranormal themed Book? Eeek! A tough choice. I love Nina Bangs's hilarious vampire stories.
Favorite Author? Too many to pick one!
Favorite Urban Fantasy Author? Ilona Andrews and Patricia Briggs (I can't pick just one!)
Favorite Genre that is NOT your own? Murder mysteries. Although I write those too, as Ashley Gardner. My first choice for relaxation reading is mystery.
Favorite one of your Books? That's hard too! Um, I'd say The Many Sins of Lord Cameron (out August 7) and Stormwalker.
Who is your favorite of your own characters?
I have so many characters! I love Janet Begay of the Stormwalker series that I write as Allyson James. I also like Captain Lacey, the hero of my Regency mysteries that I write as Ashley Gardner. I also love the Mackenzies, my dysfunctional historical family. Cameron Mackenzie was a wonderful hero to write (The Many Sins of Lord Cameron will be out in August 2011).
Which was the hardest to write?
Hands-down the hardest book to write was The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie. Getting his character right was tough to pin down. I rewrote every scene he was in at least ten times!
What would you be if not a writer?
A musician. I love music and would love to have the time to devote to it. I play guitar and flute, and I do OK, but I would love to be better, and play professionally.
If you Could be a Paranormal Being, Who would you be?
A wildcat shape-shifter. It would be cool to be a big cat! (But I'm not sharing my cats' litterbox).
If you could meet ay Urban Fantasy Character out there, Who would you like to meet?
Janet Begay of my Stormwalker series. And Mick from the same series. He's hot. :)
Quickies:
Vampires or Werewolves? Werewolves
Stormwalkers or Dragons? Dragons
Reading or Writing? Writing
Print or eBook? Umm, both (depends on my mood)
Hardback or Paperback? Paperback (hardbacks hurt my hands)
Pepsi or Coke? Neither. Sugar. Blech.
Mc D's or Burger King? Neither. Prefer good sandwiches at a family-owned sandwich shop
YA novels or Adult novels? Both
Library or Bookstore? Both
Summer or Winter? Summer. Don't like being cold!
The Movie or The Book? Book.
PNR or UF? Hmm. I like both. Sometimes there's not enough romance in UF for me, sometimes not enough gritty plot in PNR 
for me.
What is your favorite part of the writing process? Finishing.
What is your least favorite part? Re-reading my first draft and thinking it's absolute crap.
The Stormwalker Series in your own words?
Janet Begay is a Stormwalker. Raised on the Navajo Nation, Janet can draw the power of storms to feed her formidable magic. Without a storm, she's pretty powerless. Storm power makes her crazy, and only Mick, her inked biker dragon-shifter boyfriend can ease her down.Janet lives in the small town of Magellan in the middle of the high desert, where vortexes suck magic to them, dangerous magic. She and Mick stand as guardians of the vortexes, as well as solve any magical problems that come their way. They are joined by a cast of characters: Nash Jones the hard-edged sheriff; Coyote, the shape shifting god who likes trouble (and to cause it), dragons (Firewalkers), witches, skinwalkers, Nightwalkers (vampire-like creatures), and Changers (shape shifters). There's a lot going on in Magellan!
Any plans for more Books in the series?
Right now the series is: Stormwalker, Firewalker, Shadow Walker, and "Double Hexed" in the Hexed anthology. There's a prequel about Janet's friend Jamison in "A Little Night Magic" in Hot for the Holidays that come out in October 2009. Those books essentially finish the Janet / Mick arc, but I'm leaving it open-ended so I can do more books in that world.
What is coming up next for you?
Many, many things. As Jennifer Ashley, I have another Shifters book in the works (Wild Cat) and it looks like there will be more Shifters after that. I’m working the Mackenzie series (the next one The Many Sins of Lord Cameron will be out in August). There will be more to come of the Mackenzies after Hart’s book too.
In my Allyson James life, I’ve started working on my Ellora’s Cave series again (so happy about that!). Tales of the Shareem: Braden, will be out soon, and the next Shareem is in the works. Plus I have ideas for more series over there.
As my Ashley Gardner persona, I’m republishing my mystery series that went out of print as e-books (Beginning with The Hanover SquareAffair in Feb., followed by A Regimental Murder in March). I came across a never-published novella in my files, so that will come out sometime this year, plus I am working on new Captain Lacy books.
Plus I will be writing some short stories for anthologies and a novella or two along the way!
What are you working on right now?
Right now: Finishing up Wild Cat and working on the next Mackenzie historical (The Duke's Perfect Wife, which is Hart's book). I'm working on the next Tales of the Shareem book (Justin). Plus I just finished proposals for more historicals connect to the Mackenzies. And more Shifters! Those are in the works.
Do you have any advice or tip to those like me that want to become a published Author someday?
I have a blog: http://www.jenniferonwriting.blogspot.com I haven't updated it lately, but it contains two or more years of advice on agents, publishing, writing, money, and much more. Even with the changes in the industry in the last couple of years, the information is still solid.
To get started on a novel--just start. There is no magic formula for writing a book. The best thing to do is to read voraciously and then write what really speaks to you. Learning to write is a lot of trial and error. Some people sell the very first novel they attempt to write. Some people sell the tenth one. Each writer is different, as is each writer's path to success.
Once you have the manuscript done, research, research, research (which means lots of reading, and paying attention to what publisher publishes what).
Decide what kind of author you want to be as well. All publishers are not the same—you don’t submit just anything to any 
publisher and expect it to sell. If you want to be a star of hardback Young Adult books, you wouldn’t submit your manuscript to an e-book only erotic romance publisher. That seems like “duh” advice, but I’m constantly amazed that people send entirely the wrong thing to entirely the wrong publisher and are upset when they’re rejected!
Make your submissions “unrejectable.” Finish them and polish them, send them to agents / editors you’ve targeted who represent (and successfully sell) that kind of book.
Then write letters, submit, meet agents and editors at conferences, enter contests with agent / editor judges.
And don’t give up!
Anything you would like to say to your fans out there?
Thank you so much! I always brag that I have the best fans. I get the nicest emails. :) I want to thank everyone for their support, especially during this past year, the toughest in my career! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
Thank you so much for being here!
Thank you for inviting me!
Find Allyson James {Jennifer} Online:
Website | Writing Blog | Group Blog
Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook
Buy Allyson’s Books:
My Review of Stormwalker @ Book Lovers Inc.
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