Author's Chats

Author's Chats

by Nicole Givens Kurtz

Cousin Freely
by J.B. Jones

Double Dragon eBooks

ISBN: 1-894841-31-X

1. Where did you grow up and was reading and writing a part of your life? Who were your earliest influences and why?

I grew up in the Ohio town of Celina on the corner of Main and Wayne Streets. I lived just a block from the library. Reading became a big, exciting part of my life when I finally got old enough to cross a street by myself and could walk to the library alone. My library card opened the world to me. I would go to the library and check out 5 or 6 (picture) books, take them home, read them, take them back the next day, and get more.

My father was the biggest influence in my life well into my adult years. He was a physician and surgeon and his office was attached to our house. He knew most everyone in town. Through him, I met plenty of small-town "characters." My father also raced hydroplanes and was always trying to get his T-bird or Corvette to go faster. He was the inspiration for the character of Doc in "Cousin Feely."

2. Why did you write your books?

I wrote "Cousin Feely" because I wanted to send a message about being different and about having courage and the conviction to stick to your principles even when they go against everyone and everything around you. I also wanted to explore the consequences of acting on your principles.

I wrote "Secrets of a Summer Spy" for young adults to address the painful changes that happen around the ages of 9 - 13. Growing up is difficult and I think adolescents can find help in reading about how fictional characters deal with the same problems they might be facing.

I also write because I want people to laugh. Laughter is one of the most vital things one can do. I want my readers to realize that in even the most serious and dreadful situations that humor is there, too.

3. Tell us about your books.

"Cousin Feely" is the story of a dwarf, football-hating misfit, William Feely, growing up in the 50s in a small Ohio town full of football-crazy people. Besides the high football team, the citizens of Grunion Glade are proud of their descent from the town's founding fathers who were twin canal boat captains in the heyday of the Miami and Erie Canal. William is out of step with everyone and everything around him. To the rest of Grunion Glade, William's existence seems an affront to everything they hold sacred. The story is told by William's cousin, Bob Jr., who is a regular guy, football-star and hates it that his family has assigned him to play bodyguard to his oddball cousin. William makes Bob's life miserable and involves him in a plot that ultimately destroys the football team and the town's rigid social structure.

"Secrets of a Summer Spy" is a novel for young adults. It's about three young teens who summer on an island in Michigan. Ronnie (Veronica) and Amy are best friends who are growing up at different rates and compete for the attention of Jimmy. Ronnie feels that she is losing as Amy and Jimmy get closer. Feeling alone, Ronnie makes friends with the Island's eccentric "catlady" who teaches her about friendship, loss, and acceptance while teaching her music. "Secrets" was originally published in hardcover by Macmillan and then in paper by Random House. It is now an ebook from Double Dragon.

4. At book signings, what do readers say to you about their interpretations of your book? '

"About Cousin Feely," everyone always asks, "How does a woman know all those intimate things in the mind of a teenage boy?" Others want to know where those strange characters came from-they especially love Aunt Mil, the town whore, and Doc, the speed demon with an overly prissy wife. My readers sometimes see things in the depths of my writing that I didn't know was there.

5. What general advice do you have for writers who just completed their first book?

Get it published and there are more ways to do this today than ever before. Then promote it. The best way to do this is by personal contact, i.e. book signings, or author visits. If they like you they will want to read what you wrote.

6. Tell me about your publishing experience-- Is it difficult process to promote your own writing?

Unlike many e-publishers, my publisher, Double Dragon, is not owned by a writer. Deron Douglas' interest in publishing ebooks is to bring great reading to the public at a fair price. He believes this is how his company will prosper. And it is. Double Dragon books are winning awards and selling very well at Fictionwise.com, and other distributors. Because I have been published by two large New York houses and now a small e-pub., I can make some comparisons. The large publishers' publicity machines and ability to get reviews is wonderful, but the books have such a short time to find their audiences through the bookstores. They can go out of print before reaching their true potential. At Double Dragon my books are going to stay out there for readers to discover them.

As far as promoting my own writing, it is time-consuming and somewhat difficult, but its part of the game no matter who your publisher is.

7. Are you working on a follow up? Or something totally different?

I am working on a sequel to "Secrets of a Summer Spy," and another mainstream book that will appeal to readers of "Cousin Feely." It takes me quite awhile to write a book. It takes time for the ideas to "hatch" and I also work full-time as a writer of elementary school books.

8. Have you written multiple books? Is it harder every time or does it get easier?

I learn something each time around, but even so, it still takes me a long time to write the next one.

9. What was the last book you read?

I just finished reading "Westchester Station" by Patrick Welch. This is another Double Dragon ebook. In the story, a business traveler has a supernatural adventure in a surreal train station. The story is so mysterious and well written. Welch's metaphors are humorous, so I was amused and scared at the same time.

10. Do you have any hobbies? What are they? How do they enhance your writing?

I have almost an acre of backyard garden. Planting, pruning, and weeding give me a lot of time to think up new ideas and develop them. Sometimes my mind gets too cluttered with ideas, then I play the piano. That usually clears the brain of everything but music. Then the good ideas come creeping back in without the clutter.

11. What advise do you have for those just starting out in their writing career?

Stick with it.

12. As a writer, what is the worst rejection letter you ever received?

I suppose the one from John Irving's editor saying that "Cousin Feely" is as light as a feather. I figure he must have been referring to the outrageous humor in the book and not the subject matter.

13. Why do you write?

I love art, but can't draw a smiley face. But I can write. Therefore, my writing is my art. I think of each book as a painting that captures some piece of the human spirit and its struggle to handle life's problems in an honorable way. I want my readers to ponder a bit on the meaning of life for awhile after they have finished reading the story.

14. Finally, please give our readers a hyperlink to where they can purchase your books. Be sure to include the price for each format.

"Secrets of a Summer Spy" for young adults:
http://double-dragon-ebooks.com/YAdult.html#spy

"Cousin Feely" for a mainstream audience:
http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/fiction.html#cousin

Many people have asked to learn more about the inspiration for the legend of the haunted bridge in "Cousin Feely," and the Miami and Erie Canal. To learn more visit:
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cousinfeely

15. Why do you use two author names?

I write as Janice Jones for young adults. And I write as J. B. Jones for a mature audience. I do this because readers will often search for another book by the same author. I don't want the middle-graders to pick up an adult book and expect the same kind of story they just read.

16. How did it feel to win the 2002 EPPIE for mainstream fiction for "Cousin Feely?"

I was thrilled and surprised and honored. I think that the EPIC Organization has gone a long way to promote the reading of ebooks and ebook authors.

J. B. Jones grew up in the 50s in a small Ohio town near Grand Lake St.Marys and the Miami and Erie Canal. Her father was a physician and surgeon whose office was a part of their home. A very curious child, Jones grew up with a love of local history, a fascination of the Miami and Erie Canal, and surrounded by her father's patients. If she didn't know everyone in town, they certainly knew her. Jones now lives in a very large metro area and is a recent grandmother, but her roots have stayed with her. She combined her love of history, mystery, and canal lore with her knowledge of small town characters of the 50s. The result is Cousin Feely, the 2002 EPPIE Winner for Best Mainstream Novel. She is also the author of Secrets of a Summer Spy, a young adult novel. While Jones loves writing fiction when she can, her "day job" is a freelance writer of elementary school books. She writes and edits Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, and sometimes even Math! Other interests are music and trips to the gym to get that blood flowing after long hours at the computer. She has become adept at editing manuscripts while riding an exercycle.