TODAY'S BRUNCH SPOTLIGHT IS FOCUSED ON AUTHOR JD NELSON!
First and foremost, it is a pleasure to have you here. Welcome to Harper’s Sunday Brunch Interview!
Thanks for having me! I'm excited to
be here!
So, can you tell us what makes JD
Nelson tick? What got you started on the
path to becoming an author?
I became an author completely by
chance. In Late 2008, I suffered through
a long-term illness that kept me pretty much bedridden for weeks. During this (extremely boring) time, I bought
a Kindle and started to read everything I could get my hands on. One of my favorites of all the books and
series that I read was the Goddess Series and the House of Night Series by P.C.
Cast. On a whim, I emailed P.C. to tell
her how much I enjoyed her series, but partly to complain about the lack of her
newest HON book on Kindle (This was during Amazon's war with some of the big
publishers). She immediately wrote me
back with an email address of the publisher, so that I could make my concerns
known, but she also told me that I had an eloquent way of writing. I'm sure that she was just being nice,
however, what she said, lit a spark in me. I thought to myself, what if I could
write a book? I started a romance that I
intended to send to Harlequin Books that day, and though I never completed that
particular book, I have since completed three more. One of which, has hit the bestseller list on
Amazon numerous times. I will never be
able thank P.C. enough for what she unknowingly did for me that day—ever.
What are you currently working on? Would you care to share a snippet?
I'm working on the second book in
the Night Aberrations Series, which should go into editing in the next couple
of days. I'm really excited about this
release AND to finally be finished with this book, so that I can gear up to
finish a Paranormal Christmas romance, All
I Want For Christmas Are My Two Front Fangs, that's due to release in
November.
Excerpt:
Soren started barking orders. “Jakob
look for the temple. Start with the original site. Nils, find your father, and
then meet up with Jakob. I will visit Thor, my brother.”
“How amazing,” I said, sitting down
before my weak knees buckled under my weight. How could I have forgotten that
Thor was my brother too?
Soren huffed. “He is not that
amazing. Trust me.”
Emelie laughed. “You’re cute when
you’re jealous, Soren.”
He ignored the smattering of
laughter around the room. “Viggo, can you stay with Emelie and Erin?”
“Stay with two beautiful females
instead of fighting the bad guys? I thought you would never ask.”
When the last straggler was finally
gone, Viggo clapped his hands together. “Let us go shopping. Those heels have
to be killing your feet, Erin.”
I was so happy; I hugged him tight.
“You’re a mind reader.”
“True, he bragged. “Which means that
I cannot help but notice that you learned how to block. Come on female, spill.
What going on between you and Captain Serious? He’s smoking today. That means
something big must have happened last night.”
“What?” Emelie screeched. “You and
Jakob? Oh. Holy. Shit!”
I smacked Viggo on the shoulder.
“It’s supposed to be a secret! What’s the point of even teaching me how to
block, if you are just going to blurt things out like that?”
He winked. “We are all girlfriends
here. No one is going to out you to Soren. Give us the scoop.”
Sending a questioning look Emelie’s
way, I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face when she gave me the
“hurry up and spill” motion with her hands. “He thinks that we are true-mates.”
They both froze.
“He said that?” Viggo asked, almost
too calmly.
The atmosphere in the room had turned
serious. I didn’t understand what I’d said to cause it.
“Uh…Em, lay your hands on Erin and
see what you can see.”
She held her hands out and I didn’t
hesitate to put mine in hers.
“Come on Em," he urged.
"Tell us something.”
Her sliver eyes shimmered in the
firelight. “Damn it! It can only be a Väsen. That much I know. I keep seeing
the castle, but that puts you with Kristian.”
My heart full of hope deflated.
“Don’t get discouraged, Erin. My
visions aren’t perfected just yet. Maybe Jakob will be king one day.”
“Maybe,” I acquiesced, but I didn’t
believe it. I remembered what Jakob said about not wanting to get stabbed in
the back by his brother.”
“Yeah, Erin," Viggo agreed, a
slight smirk curling up the corners of his mouth. "I could totally see you
as queen in the future."
“Sure, the dark elves would just
love to have a daughter of Odin as their monarch,” I said, rolling my eyes.
He thought it over for a second. “It
may not be a complete disaster.”
I threw my hands up. “Let’s go get
me a pair of sneakers, or sandals, or whatever elves wear on their feet before
my blisters have blisters.”
Viggo smiled. “I was always a one
problem at a time type of guy, anyway.”
Do you include some of your own
personal experiences in your books or do you prefer to use your imagination?
I think that every author uses, at
least, some of their own experience in their writing. To me, that's what makes
an author's books so recognizable and comforting when you sit down to begin
one. It's like seeing an old friend after a long absence.
Why Paranormal Romance? What made you choose this genre over others?
This is my favorite genre. I doubt
that I will ever write any other genre that I feel more comfortable with, or
that is more interesting to me, though I do love the occasional classic book.
Do you have a specific process or a
ritual you go through when sitting down to write?
Not at all. I have two desks, but I
write most everything sitting on my bed, cross-legged with my laptop.
Sometimes, I have to have complete quiet. Sometimes, the quiet makes me insane,
so I'll turn on some Indie Rock. If all else fails, I'll turn on a movie that
I've seen a billion times, like Pride and Prejudice or Twilight, just for the
background noise.
Where do you find your inspiration for
your plots? Do you have any tricks of
the trade you would care to share?
I wish! Plots are the hardest. Every
outline I've ever written has been tossed by chapter three. I let the story
tell me where it wants to go.
What is the oddest place/situation
where an idea for a book/plot has come to you?
It's not all that odd for me, but
nearly all of my ideas come when I have no pen and paper in the shower. I remedied
this with a waterproof pad and pencil from Amazon.com. It's been the best $3.00
I've ever spent!
What makes a book stand out and peak
your interest?
Honestly? It's usually the cover. If
the cover doesn't grab me, the only way I'll ever take notice is by word of
mouth on Facebook.
We all have our favorite authors. Can you share some of yours and tell us why
you like them?
I hardly have time to read anymore,
but when I do, it's usually from my fellow Indie Authors. My favorite Indie is
Julie Cassar, author of the Ruby Blue
Series. She's a really fantastic writer. She has to be to get a Paranormal
Romance fan to read YA fiction! Another fantastic Indie is Kelley Grealis. I
LOVE her Descendant Series. There are hundreds more I could mention! My
favorite traditionally published author, hands down, is Molly Harper. Her Nice Girls Series is awesome!
We all have a pet peeve, care to
share yours?
I have personal ones...men leaving
the toilet seat up, my hubby leaving the cap off the toothpaste, but as an
author, I'd have to say that it's the authors who employ bullying tactics
toward other authors and bloggers. More and more, I'm seeing this behavior on
Facebook and Goodreads. It's very disappointing, because this isn't a small
pond that we're competing in. There's a huge literary world out there. We all
should be able to take part of it without intimidation.
When you’re not writing, what are
the things you enjoy doing to relax?
I read and watch period movies. I'm
a huge Anglophile, so of course, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, and Sense and Sensibility
are my go-to movies when I'm stressed.
Thank you so much for joining me
here today, JD. I know my followers will
enjoy this spotlight as much as I have conducting it. Good luck on all your future endeavors.
MORE ABOUT JD NELSON
JD Nelson is a scenic artist for the entertainment industry, the author of Night Aberrations and A Night of Wickedness, and the owner of Chaste Moon Publishing.
When she's not spending time with her husband, you can find her writing, reading, or on her commute to work.
WHERE TO FIND JD ONLINE
Twitter OR @NightAberration
JD'S CURRENT RELEASES
When Emelie Andersdotter learns the outcome of a decades-long war hinges on her arranged marriage to an infamous royal known for his dark reputation, she sees no choice but to accept her fate. Resigned to her unavoidable destiny, she travels to her parents’ ancestral home under the protection of a trusted family friend, where she prepares to navigate a world ruled by dark magic, mystery, and intrigue.
Nothing can prepare her, however, for the surprising affection she feels for the man she has always thought of as her uncle, Soren Vidar - or for the alluring reality of her intended mate, Kristian Vasen. Powerful and darkly handsome, her betrothed is far from the nightmare she envisioned, and Emelie finds herself torn between the intense pull she feels for her fated mate, and her heart’s desire for Soren.
Night Aberrations is a romantic tale, set in a complex world, populated with interesting and entertaining characters sure to leave you cheering for the heroes while casting reproachful glares at the villains.
Nothing can prepare her, however, for the surprising affection she feels for the man she has always thought of as her uncle, Soren Vidar - or for the alluring reality of her intended mate, Kristian Vasen. Powerful and darkly handsome, her betrothed is far from the nightmare she envisioned, and Emelie finds herself torn between the intense pull she feels for her fated mate, and her heart’s desire for Soren.
Night Aberrations is a romantic tale, set in a complex world, populated with interesting and entertaining characters sure to leave you cheering for the heroes while casting reproachful glares at the villains.
PURCHASE LINKS FOR NIGHT ABERRATIONS
Obsidian Raines is everything I hate in a new neighbor. He’s smart, sexy, and a wealthy vampire. Now, I know what you’re thinking, he sounds hot, right? Well, he is hot, but that’s not the point. If you were a nymph you would understand. Life for us is no picnic; most of us end up stalkers, sex addicts, and prostitutes. I am no exception to this rule, which is why I was sent to the middle of nowhere Alabama to be alone. How was I supposed to know that he would inadvertently destroy all of my therapist’s progress with the first word that came out of his brooding, sarcastic mouth?
In between Obsidian and my new friendship with Alpha werewolf, Oswin Morris, I’m pretty sure that my 'punishment' will turn out to be a catastrophe only a nymph could be capable of.
PURCHASE LINKS FOR A NIGHT OF WICKEDNESS
