Monique is the mother of two beautiful children and lives in a small community outside of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She currently works full time as an insurance agent, but her favorite jobs are mother, wife, and author.
On her eighth birthday, her mother bought her a journal and said "write whatever you want, just write." And so, a love affair with words was born. She wrote poetry and short stories in high school and college, until 1993 when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.
After her mother's death in 1998, deep in depression, she found herself unable to write. Nine years passed, and only on rare occasion did she attempt to write, with no luck.
Finally, in 2007, under the urging of friends, she sat down and pecked out her first novel. It was raw and unpolished, but the process had been unquestionably cathartic. The next three years were spent filling her hard drive with seven complete manuscripts.
At the beginning of 2011, Monique decided it was time to edit the work and share it with the world. She hopes you enjoy the ramblings of a deeply southern girl raised in a state rich with heritage and love.
Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance with a Cajun Flavor!!!! Check it out!
>>>Excerpts from each of her books that have been featured this week are available on her website at http://www.moniqueoconnorjames.com/
Interview:
1. Where do you get your writing inspiration
from? My inspiration comes from many different
places. Some of my first books—The Keepers and
Jamais Vu—were based on real life events.
My mother died of breast cancer just like the main character’s in The
Keepers and she also shot herself playing with a loaded gun when I was a child—like
the girl in Jamais Vu. I have two short
stories that are based on dreams I’ve had.
Also, sometimes I’m just listening to a song or watching a movie and one
line can give me the idea for an entire book!
2. Did
you have to do any research for your books? If so what? I’ve had to do lots of research for my books. I always say if the FBI ever confiscates my
computer, I’m going down! I’ve had to
research black market babies, brothels in the eighteen hundreds, kidnapping,
drugs, drug cartels, gods, Templar knights, majic, voodoo, devil worship,
possession, demons, etc… As you can see my browser history may raise a few
eyebrows!
3. What
are you working on now? I literally just finished a
novella/novel called A Knight’s Sin – It’s about a girl who is the
reincarnation of Pandora and about how Christianity and the belief in gods
could be tied in together. There are
Christian knights and pagan gods and it is a really fun story!
4. What
is the hardest part of writing for you? I used to
think editing was the hardest part, but I’ve come to love editing as much as
writing. The hardest part is the plot,
because I’m not a plotter. I tend to
plot a chapter at a time and sometimes I just have to start writing and let the
characters tell the story.
5. What
can readers expect next? In mid-June I’m releasing
The Veil. It’s a story about a girl who
goes missing in Mexico and how her brother and his love interest go about
finding her. There is a paranormal twist
though as her brother was experimented on by the Marines and can leave his
body.
6. What
question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview and how would you
answer that question? I think one of my favorite
questions is…if you could have dinner with any of your characters who would it
be? I have had a mad crush on Matt from
Jamais Vu and Déjà vu since I wrote those stories. I’d love to have dinner with him!
7. If
you were writing a book about your life, what would the title be? Finding Monique – because that’s what life is about
right, finding out who we are?
8. Who
is your favorite author? After all these years, I
still adore Anne Rice. I can get lost
inside her books and for someone with ADHD that’s a huge thing!
9. What
is your guilty pleasure? Laffy Taffy and Coca
Cola!!!
10. Highest
point of your writing career? I would say that
seeing one of my books at the top of the Amazon charts would be up there at the
top. I’ve had two go up that far—The Keepers and
Black Water Bayou and there is nothing like that feeling. Now if we can just
get on the USA Today and NYT Best Sellers lists!
11. Advice
for aspiring authors? My advice is just to write as
much as you can. Don’t let other people
who have no dreams crush your dreams. It
doesn’t matter how old or young you are, if you never put yourself out there,
there is no chance your dreams will come true.
12. Last
song that was stuck in your head? Imagine Dragons -
Demon
Connect with her:
Thank you so much for having me this week! You rock! Don't ask why my name is DIVA on this sign in.....sigh.
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