We’re happy to welcome award-winning Jessica James and her new newest book, Lacewood!
NA: How did you come up with the idea for your book?
JJ: Lacewood came about because I started noticing sycamore trees (once called Lacewood trees). Strange, but true. (You have to read the book to understand the connection).
NA: What is the main thing you want readers to take away from your book?
JJ: Two things: Trust that there is plan for your life—even if you have no idea what it is. And…history should never be forgotten.
NA: A fun fact about writing your book.
JJ: I planted a 10-foot sycamore tree in my yard to celebrate its completion and to remind me of the effort it took write it.
NA: Do you have a day job? What was your job before you started writing full time?
JJ: I work part-time as a stagehand at a local performing arts center as a means of getting exercise. Before becoming an author, I was a newspaper editor and freelance writer.
NA: What do your friends and family think about your being a writer?
JJ: I don’t think they believe it’s a real job.
NA: The biggest surprise you had after becoming a writer.
JJ: That after one book another would follow…and another and another.
NA: Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?
JJ: I absolutely write by the seat of my pants. I never know what is going to happen next.
NA: What has been one of your most rewarding experiences as an author?
JJ: Getting to travel to do research, and winning the John Esten Cooke Award three times. [NA: WOW!]
NA: What are your top three favorite books of all time?
JJ: Scarlet Pimpernel, Northwest Passage, Count of Monte Cristo
NA: A pet peeve.
JJ: That’s easy. People who are late. I believe in the old adage, “better to be an hour early than a minute late.”
NA: Why did you choose the shirt you have on?
JJ: Baggy. Comfortable. Perfect for writing.
NA: First thought when the alarm goes off in the in the morning?
JJ: What day is it?
NA: What are you working on now?
JJ: I’m still mulling over my options. My readers have been begging for another book in my Phantom Force Tactical series, so that’s where I’m leaning.
LACEWOOOD Blurb:
A love story that spans centuries…
Two people trying to escape their pasts find a connection through an old house—and fulfill a destiny through the secrets it shares. Part love story, part ghost story, Lacewood is a timeless novel about trusting in fate, letting go of the past, and believing in things that can’t be seen.
MOVING TO A SMALL TOWN in Virginia is a big change for New York socialite Katie McCain. But when she stumbles across an abandoned 200-year-old mansion, she’s enthralled by the enduring beauty of the neglected estate—and captivated by the haunting portrait of a woman in mourning.
Purchasing the property on a whim, Katie attempts to fit in with the colorful characters in the town of New Hope, while trying to unravel the mystery of the “widow of Lacewood.” As she pieces together the previous owner’s heartrending story, Katie uncovers secrets the house has held for centuries, and discovers the key to coming to terms with her own sense of loss.
The past and present converge when hometown hero Will Durham returns and begins his own healing process by helping the “city girl” restore the place that holds so many memories. As the mystic web of destiny is woven, a love story that might have been lost forever is exposed, and a destiny that has been waiting in the shadows for centuries is fulfilled.
EXCERPT:
Turning in a circle, Katie studied the room again. Faded wallpaper curled and peeled above the dusty wainscoting, but the walls themselves appeared sturdy. On the far side of the entryway, and dominating the wall, stood a mammoth fireplace with an ornately carved hearth. Her attention was immediately drawn to a painting of a woman in nineteenth century dress that hung prominently over the mantel.
“Who is she?”
The sheriff turned to the dusty, sun-bleached portrait in the heavy carved guilt frame. “One of the previous owners, they say.” He shrugged. “The family history kind of got lost with the house. Everyone around here calls her the Widow of Lacewood.”
Katie’s heart suddenly struggled to beat. The anguish in the woman’s eyes kept her riveted. She could see the pain. Feel a heart ripped apart. Something was missing that could never be replaced. Katie had felt such loss before. In a way that’s why she was here.
See the Lacewood trailer.
Lacewood Purchase Links:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Apple Itunes
Other
Author Bio:
Jessica James believes in honor, duty, and true love—and that’s what she writes about in her award-winning novels that span the ages from the Revolutionary War to modern day.
She is a three-time winner of the John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction, and has won more than a dozen other literary awards, including a Readers’ Favorite International Book Award and a Gold Medal from the Military Writers Society of America. Her novels have been used in schools and are available in hundreds of libraries including Harvard and the U.S. Naval Academy.
Contact Links:
Website: https://www.jessicajamesbooks.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001IYTXOG
BookBub : https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jessica-james
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/586216.Jessica_James
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RomanticHistoricalFiction
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/southernromance/
Gibby is no stranger to the perils of romance. Single until the age of 37, she dated many an interesting (dare we say crazy) guy until meeting the love of her life, Jim. They are married and live in the Cleveland, Ohio area with their very spoiled dog, Scoob. Gibby believes there is no true norm when it comes to relationships, and they all take hard work and dedication. When she’s not writing, you can usually find her hiking, at the theatre, or napping.
I have a journal book. In fact, over the years I’ve spent a bit of money on many books for journaling/brain storming/idea keeping. One year I bought a pen with a small recorder in it so I could quickly record ideas as I was driving or just out of the house. Did I ever use it? No. I probably stuck it in my purse and then forgot it when I transferred to another purse. Lord only knows how many great ideas for best-selling books I’ve lost because I didn’t grab that pen, press the magic button and say, “falling leaf, red” or “blue Corvette, hair blowing in wind, girl named Sally Jean Johnson.”
imaginations come to mind while watching the stars cross the heavens, will be interesting reading someday. And maybe inspire that best-selling book after all.
YOU CAN’T RUN FROM ME Meet Anthony Stone. He considers himself a lover. A killer. His trade is killing. Anthony Stone is drawn closer to a woman called Laura, a woman he doesn’t even know. Anthony fell in love at first sight but is soon rejected the first time. He is convinced he can win her heart. Anthony digs deeper into her life when he discovers another man involved. After stalking her round the clock, he slowly learns the truth about her and pays a high price. His sick obsession with Laura gets way out of control, he will do what it takes to be with her and that includes killing anyone that steps in his way.
weren’t a pantser I’d be better at practicing stuff.
of driving wherever the spirit takes me. And like my driving, if I didn’t write by the seat of my pants, I wouldn’t write at all. Being a pantser is for better or worse, just like my marriage.
By cloning here, I mean using traits of friends or family as part of your characters’ personalities. It’s a touchy thing, for sure!
names but some physical and personality features as secondary characters, and two out of three were angry over how she’d portrayed them. They didn’t like the parts in the book she assigned them, didn’t like how she portrayed their personalities, didn’t like… Well, you get the picture.
We all view people around us—their looks, their quirks, their actions—as fodder for rich characterization for our books. We can’t help it! But when it comes to those closest to us, maybe have a talk about what you have planned before writing.
Thanks to those scholars and writers with their quills and artists with brushes, we have priceless records of empires and monarchs, exploration of unknown continents, heroes and traitors and medical breakthroughs. The Magna Carta is an excellent example of history with us today.
was poverty, a rigid class system, bigotry and ruthless punishments for petty crimes. An Irish ancestor of mine was transported in chains to Van Diemen’s Land penal colony (now Tasmania, Australia). The thirteen-thousand-mile journey, with appalling food and conditions, took over three months. Her crime was stealing fifteen shillings. Granted, it was a lot of money then and the penalty of fifteen years transportation was better than a public hanging.
brought home to rest in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Australian War Memorial.
Australian War Memorial with that query. Both very kindly replied that yes it was possible, although the chances of being caught were high and the penalty very harsh. Neither would admit it did happen but it was good enough for me to begin writing my third book, 
with. But the thing I love the most? Getting to the end! By the time I’ve told their stories, my characters go away. I’ve never been interested in carrying on their stories into other books. A reviewer once asked me to write a sequel to my paranormal erotic romance 
cleanup person Often, “the end” means the unknown, which can be pretty scary. Is that light at the end of the tunnel something good, or the 
headlight of a train heading right for you? You might not know until it’s too late!