Interview: Crime Writer Works Schedule Around Jeopardy

Hi! I am Carolyn Howard Johnson, your trusty New Book Review blogger and author of the multi award-winning HowTo Do It Frugally Series of books for writers. This blog has heretofore been exclusive for reviews but I thought I’d do a special series of interviews after I chatted with Jeanie Loiacono, President of Loiacono Literary Agency – Where ‘can’t’ is not in our vocabulary!  I thought sharing the interviews would help the many subscribers and visitors to this New Book Review blog, including authors, reviewers, and, of course, readers who just might find a new favorite author among the featured books and authors.

So, today welcome J.J. White.

J.J. White is an award winning author who has had articles and stories published in several anthologies and magazines including, Wordsmith, The Homestead Review, The Seven Hills Review, Bacopa Review, and The Grey Sparrow Journal. His story, “The Adventures of the Nine Hole League,” was published in the Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine, Volume 13. His novels published by Black Opal Books are: Prodigious Savant (2014), Deviant Acts (2015) and Nisei (2016). He was recently nominated for the Pushcart Prize for his short piece, “Tour Bus.” He lives in Merritt Island, Florida with his lovely wife, Pamela.

1. What is your genre? Is it fiction or nonfiction? Crime. Fiction
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3. What made you want to be a writer? It seemed the best outlet for my creative talents without applying too much effort.
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5. Of all the authors out there, who inspired you most? James M. Cain.
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7. What is your writing style? Do you outline? Linearly? By scene? Why? I know the beginning and the end of the story. From there I outline a chapter using bullets and refer to those bullets as I write the chapter.
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9. Do you write every day? How much? How long? Only on weekdays for two hours after watching Jeopardy with my wife. I can’t type, so I usually eek out ten to fifteen hand-written pages a night.

1. Do you think reading is as important to writing for an author? Why? You can’t write anything of quality unless you read prodigiously. I listen to sixty or so books a year and read about ten. I have a long commute to work.
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3. What are some of the things you would like to share with budding authors? Learn how to paint, instead. J Seriously, though, if you insist on self-flagellation, write and read whenever you can and the breaks will eventually come your way.
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5. Do you have any marketing and promotional advice, referrals, tips you would like to share? Try to entice the employees and vendors in your workplace to buy, read, and review your book. If your book is good, they’ll spread the word.
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7. Do you think conferences are beneficial? If so, what have you learned? Which ones do you frequent? Conferences are the best place to find a publisher or agent or both. I’ve learned to attend a variety of conferences in order to get different perspectives on similar subjects. I like the Killer Nashville and Thrillerfest conferences.
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9. Where can we find you, your books and when is your next event? My website is at www.jjwhitebooks.com  My latest novel, Deviant Acts, was released in November by Black Opal Books. I will be interviewed on CrimeFiction.FM, December 10, at 11 am Eastern Time. Represented by Loiacono Literary Agency, Jeanie Loiacono www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com/authors/jj-white  

MORE ABOUT THE SPONSORING AGENT

Jeanie Loiacono, President, Loiacono Literary Agency

A facilitator of dreams, Jeanie Loiacono represents over eighty authors. Her forte is mystery, romance, thrillers, historical/military/southern fiction, and all quality fiction/nonfiction. Her passion is to see her authors succeed.

“There is nothing more rewarding than to hold one of my author’s books and know I helped bring it to fruition. I am so blessed and privileged to be able to work with some of the most talented writers in the world.” Jeanie.L@llallc.net  www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE INTERVIEWS--TO FIND GREAT READING OR TO NETWORK WITH AUTHORS--PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG. YOU ARE A WELCOME ADDITION TO THIS FAMILY WHO LOVES BOOKS! YOU'LL FIND A WINDOW TO DO THIS AT THE TOP OF THIS BLOG PAGE.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.