She Who Dares Interview

        She Who Dares        

 

 

 

Rad-Reader: What made you decide to become a writer? How and when did you realize you wanted to do it?

Jane: My second child was about 10 months old, and as I emerged from a fog of broken sleep and post-natal depression, I realised that I needed something to mentally challenge myself, something I could do at home that wouldn’t cost any money or require any childcare. I had read an interview with Janet Evanovich saying that she’d written her first novel when she was at home with young children, and I decided that that’s what I was going to do. I was going to write a book. My first novel was a 75 thousand word young adult novel about a girl who discovered she was a witch. It was set in my old school, with a total Mary Sue heroine, and it was so much fun. And when I’d finished, I wrote another. And another. Eventually, after 4 years of writing, I sold my fifth manuscript.

That is where I find myself now with time on my hands.  Three of my four children are grown, one with a grand-daughter.  My fourth child just started Jr. High School.  I too have started writing and am on my 6^th book, with the last being by far my best.  Nothing published but maybe one day.  So, that is nice to know you started basically the same way.

Rad-Reader: What genres do you like to write and which do you write the most of?

Jane: I mostly write contemporary romance, but have also written erotic romance and am currently writing science fiction romance. I like to try new things, and constantly challenge myself.

Rad-Reader: Out of your books do you have a favorite character? And why? If your book was to become of a movie who would you cast as your lead characters? Or was there an actor in mind as you wrote each character?

Jane: There is a secondary character called Rachel who appears in Once a Bad Girl – she is utterly shameless, and I hope that one day she’ll get her own book.

Rad-Reader: How many books do you have out?

Jane: At the moment, I have two books out – Once a Bad Girl and She Who Dares. Both are contemporary romances.

Rad-Reader: When is your next book coming out?

Jane: My third book, The Holiday Survival Guide, will be out in December. It’s the story of a tabloid journalist who books herself a survival holiday in Northern Sweden, only to find herself alone in the wilderness with a TV survival expert who isn’t at all pleased to see her. After all, she did destroy his marriage in the press.

Rad-Reader: Are you a full-time writer? Or as they say, “Do you have a day job that allows you to write and give you great insight into your writing?”

Jane: I have a part time day job, plus I have 2 young children and a husband who works very long hours.  I cram them in around the writing.

Rad-Reader: What do you get to do during you down time for fun?

Jane: I’m an obsessive knitter, and I always have a sweater or a cardigan on the go. I am also a big fan of the Discovery Channel, and Star Trek.

Rad-Reader: Did you self-publish or go to a publisher? If so why? Was it hard and what would you recommend to up and coming writers on how to go about it?

Jane: I am published by Escape, which is a digital Harlequin Imprint. I wanted to go with a publisher rather than self-publish, because I wanted to ensure that the books were the best they could possibly be, and because a publisher has more marketing clout than an individual. For up and coming writers, I would say make the writing your focus, not publishing. Learn how to write better, keep writing, learn how to submit better and keep submitting, and getting published will be the pay-out.

Rad-Reader: Finally: How can we get in touch with you? Do you have a blog, Facebook, Twitter, Web page...?

Jane: I have a website, www.janeoreilly.com, which tells you everywhere you can find me, including my blog. You can also find me on twitter as @janeoreilly – come and chat to me there!

 

Thank you for your time.  We are so glad that you were able to spend time with our readers.  Your book was a joy to read.  It had some things that some may find hard to talk or read about but you were so careful to treat it with respect and care.  Also, you were to thoughtful in the way you treated the way women as a whole look at their bodies through this one character. For myself and all our readers again thank you.

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