Author’s
Bio: Jacki Kelly has been writing since her fourth-grade
teacher made her keep a journal for a grade. Now she does it to keep track of
all the fascinating and heartbreaking moments that life throws our way. Poetry,
personal essays, short stories and novels have all occupied space in her heart
and her hard drive.
Jacki loves to read almost as
much as she likes to write. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s walking
her adorable cocker spaniel or on the golf course. Her idea of bliss is
squeezing all this stuff into one day. Happy Reading!
DL: What inspired you to write your book?
JK: I started this book a few years ago because
the female heroine came to me while I was reading another romance. I wanted to
write about a woman that had some baggage, but she remained strong and in
charge of her life. I often hear women talk about the perfect man and began to
wonder if such a thing existed. We all
have our idea of what the perfect man is, but hopefully we don’t overlook the
right man while looking for something that doesn’t exist. After several edits,
I finally got the book to a place where I thought it was ready. The book is due
for release later this summer (August) and I can’t wait to see it in print.
DL: Describe your writing process? Do you use
an outline or let it flow organically?
JK: I am one of those authors that plots out a
book. The more detail I include in the plot the better and easier the writing
process is for me. If I stumble or hit a wall while I’m writing, I know it’s
because I did not do a good enough job of plotting. Some writers say that
plotting takes away the excitement for them, but for me I get excitement out of
the plotting and when I start the writing something new and creative always
comes to mind.
DL: What do you think makes a good story?
JK: A good story for me is one that makes me feel something. If I can empathize
with the characters, then I’m hooked. If I can’t wait to pick the book back up
and read some more, or if I can forget about some chore that’s calling my name
and continue reading, then that’s a good book. I remember once standing in a
line at the airport talking to a stranger about a book, we both had read by Sue
Monk Kidd. We were both gushing about how much we enjoyed that book. Good books
linger with me.
DL: Is there any particular author or book
that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
JK: Yes, Of course. But there isn’t just one
book or one author that influenced me. There were many. I remember reading Maya
Angelou’s book, I Know Why the Caged Bird
Sings. That was a powerful book. I’ve read all the books by J. California
Cooper. I like her style and the way she told a story. I love Langston Hughes.
I can recite some of his poems from memory, still. Today, I like Beverly Jenkins, Jane Green, Liane
Moriarty, Tayari Jones, Harlan Coben, Linwood Barclay. I had better stop or the
list would be a foot long.
DL: If you were hosting a dinner party which
three authors would be your dream guests?
JK: Wow, this is a good question. And since this
would be a dream come true for me and something to put on my wish list, I won’t
include the names of any deceased authors, but there are many I’d like to invite
to my dinner party. For this purpose, I’d select Tayari Jones, Edwidge Danticat
and Beverly Jenkins. There are so many others, I
would love to invite, but I guess this is a small dinner party.
DL: What are the keys to success in marketing
your book(s)?
JK: In today’s market it’s harder to get your
books noticed. Every day thousands of new
books are available. I’m also looking for new, different and better ways of
marketing my books. First the most important thing for me is identifying my
target reader. Then I must determine the best way to reach them. Of course,
social media is on the list. Every year I attend one or two Reader Conferences,
because I like to meet readers face-to-face. I’ve run ads on Facebook and
Amazon, but these two ventures haven’t been as successful as I’d hope. I also have
a Newsletter which I send out quarterly. This is my favorite way to reach my
readers. To keep them engaged, I often offer free reads and I do several
giveaways throughout the year. If anyone is interested in receiving my
Newsletter, they can sign-up at www.jackikelly.com.
DL: What tips would you give to aspiring
writers?
JK: Someone once said to me a writer, writes. So,
I’d encourage any aspiring writer to write. Writing is like a muscle, the more
exercise it gets, the stronger and better it will become. Also, surround
yourself with other writers. Learn from them and share information. Study the
craft. It is not a one and done activity,
its something that must continue because
the industry changes and they’ll have to keep up.
DL: How about sharing an excerpt from In Pursuit of Perfection?
JK:
Here’s an excerpt from Chapter One:
Every minute mattered and traffic on Market
Street in Philadelphia crawled. Walking to the Crowne Plaza might be faster—it
couldn’t be any slower. Did the cabbie
even have his foot on the accelerator? Macy Rollins considered climbing
over the seat of the taxi, strangling the driver, and taking the steering
wheel. She pushed forward to peek at the speedometer. He turned to face her,
his brow raised, then returned his gaze to the snarl of cars in front of him.
“Can you drive faster, go around?” Macy
pointed to the empty right-hand lane.
The driver stared straight ahead. “No ma’am.”
“What if I told you I had an emergency?”
“No ma’am,” he repeated.
“There’s an extra twenty in it for you if you
manage to catch all the green lights.”
The driver locked eyes with her in the
rearview mirror. Her stomach tightened around the knot that began forming
earlier that morning. From the moment she got up, nothing had gone a planned.
“If I don’t get my manager’s signature on
this contract…” Macy reached into her wallet, pulled out a bill and held it
high. “C’mon, mister I could lose my job.”
“If I speed, I could get a ticket. Lose my
license. That ain’t worth twenty bucks.” His clipped tone matched hers.
DL: What’s on the horizon for you?
JK: I’ve
already started the sequel to In Pursuit
of Perfection. The next book is In
Pursuit of Payback. It’s another romantic suspense novel that’s got me
excited. I can’t wait to have it ready for publication. In 2018, I published a
book entitled Pictures from Paradise.
The next book in that series will drop in
2019, so be on the lookout for it, too.
DL: Where can readers learn more
about you and your book(s)?
JK: They can find more information here:
·
Website:
www.jackikelly.com
·
Amazon
Author Page: Jacki Kelly
·
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/JackiKellyBooks
·
Blog:
www.jackikelly.com
·
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/jackikellybooks/
· Book Buy Links: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=jacki+kelly&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Ajacki+Kelly
It’s
been a pleasure having you here with us today. I know my readers will enjoy getting
to know you and your work.
Awesome interview! Thanks for sharing your heart, experience, and knowledge with us, Jackie!
ReplyDeleteHello Shira! Thanks for stopping by and reading Jacki's interview. It's appreciated.
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