Saturday, August 04, 2012

Interview with Kristi Jones Author of The Corpse Goddess



What inspired you to become an author?

Reading.  I moved around a lot as a kid and reading was my escape, books were my constant, unfailing friends. When you read enough books, you soon find yourself rewriting the endings, adding extra characters, and building sequels in your mind. I started writing it all down somewhere around the age of six.

Do you have a specific writing style?

Not yet. I think I’m getting there. I have a voice, but there are so many different genres I’d like to try. I have commitment issues where styles are concerned.

Do you write in different genres?

Yes! I’ve written two historical novels, a gothic novel, a romance, and a well intentioned young adult novel that doesn’t quite work.

If yes which is your favorite genre to write?

Right now my favorite thing to write about are average people thrown into some aspect of the supernatural. They dig in their heels, refuse to believe and go kicking and screaming into the abyss.

How did you come up with the title for your latest book?

Originally the book was called Meg Highbury and the Curse of the Valkyries. My publisher wanted something shorter, so I came up with The Corpse Goddess. I think I like both titles equally.

Do you title the book first or wait until after it’s complete?

I usually have what I call a ‘working’ title, knowing that it won’t be the final title. Until the book is finished, I really have no idea where it’s going to end up. Once the rough draft is finished, I nail down a single title.

Is the book, characters, or any scenes based on a true life experience, someone you know, or events in your own life?

Well, I’ve lived in west Texas and Germany, so I pulled settings from those places. I’ve never had to walk with the dead, but I do have a German book dated 1715 that gives me the creeps.


What book are you reading now?

I’m re-reading The Stand by Stephen King. I can’t read anything new while I’m writing.

What books are in your to read pile?

Too many to list!

What is your current “work in progress” or upcoming projects?

Right now I’m working on a paranormal romance tentatively titled An Inconvenient Ghost. It’s about a practical, rather rigid young biologist who wants nothing more than to get married to her no-nonsense fiancé and lead a normal life. Problem is, her Dad’s ghost is giving her a good haunting. Desperate to get rid of him and running out of ideas, she reluctantly consults a gorgeous, easy going medium who pushes her way, way out of her comfort zone.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Sure. Here’s an excerpt from page one of An Inconvenient Ghost.

I don’t have flights of imagination. I’m the most practical person I know – and I’ve spent most of my twenty-seven years getting there, I might add. My whole life is about practicality. I’m not superstitious. I don’t throw salt over my shoulder for luck. I don’t avoid ladders or black cats on Halloween or any other day of the year. I stopped believing in Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter bunny twenty years ago. And I most definitely do not believe in ghosts.
But I have one.


Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I’m cursed with a perfectionist streak.  It takes me a while to silence that internal editor and really sink into a story. I have some tricks up my sleeve that I’ve come to depend on, but it’s still a battle.


Do you have to travel much to do research for your books?

I do actually. When it’s possible, I like to visit the settings I’m going to write about.

Who designed the cover of your latest book?

Sour Cherry Designs. They’re just wonderful.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

If you really love writing and want to write, do it. Write as much as you can. When I was younger, I spent too much time reading about writing and thinking about writing. I guess I thought that one day inspiration would just strike, like lightning, and I’d be this great novelist. Writing is like anything else…it takes practice. Lots of practice!


The Corpse Goddess
By Kristi Jones

Genre:Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Evernight Publishing
ASIN:B008EZXJ7E

Number of pages: 274
Word Count: 79,034

Blurb/Book Description:

Party girl Meg Highbury wakes up the morning of her twenty-first birthday with one hell of a hangover – and a walking corpse in her apartment.  Meg turns to her straight-laced neighbor Armando for help and together they discover that Meg is a Valkyrie. 

What’s more, her first duty is to trade places with the corpse.  But Meg is being sent to her Death Duty too soon. In a race against time, Meg frantically tries to find a loophole to her gruesome fate, but while Meg is determined to live whatever the cost, Armando's strict moral principles keep getting in the way of her plans for escape.

Can Meg walk the 'right' and narrow path, possibly sacrificing her mortal life, for love? And if she can, will Armando have the stomach to love a rotting corpse of a girl who is falling apart in more ways than one?



Author Bio:

Kristi Jones spent her childhood exploring European castles, crumbling manor houses and ornate cathedrals, always looking for secret passages and hidden rooms.  She holds a degree in European history and loves to throw ‘ordinary’ characters into extraordinary circumstances. 

She currently lives in south Texas with her husband and two children, who inspire her daily.  She is a member of the Writers’ League of Texas and Romance Writers of America.  She loves old movies, being a Mom, the feel of paper in her hands and things that go bump in the night.






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2 comments:

Roxanne Rhoads said...

thanks for the great interview. I'm adding this book to my kindle it looks fabulous. And I'm checking out Sour Cherry Designs because I love that cover

Kristi Jones said...

Thanks Roxanne!
Sour Cherry really does do some amazing work! I was apprehensive about the cover but I feel like they just knocked it right out of the park!
Thanks so much for having me on your wonderful blog!!!
Kristi