Hey all;

Well, here we are…two days after Christmas, a day after Boxing Day. The madness is over for another year. Don’t misunderstand me; I love Christmas. But it’s the getting together with family and friends, the great food, the memories that I love. I am frankly sick of the rampant consumerism that has taken over what is one of my favorite days of the year. But it is what it is, I suppose.

However, I didn’t post to rant about Christmas. I just wanted to let you know that my first book in my new series is almost set to be released. I’m just putting the finishing touches on it. The cover has been chosen and is being produced. But I want it to be right so I’m running a bit late with my release date…again. I am sorry about that, but better late and good than rushed and bad, in my opinion. I hope that you are really entertained by this one, as I hope you are with each of my novels.

By the way, the third book in the Titan’s Legacy series is also nearing the finish line. I expect to have it out by the end of January, the writing gods willing.

I hope that you are having a terrific holiday and that your Christmas was everything you wanted it to be. Take care and we’ll talk soon.

J.J.

Hi all;

Sorry I haven’t blogged for a while. Life continues and I thought I’d drop in a note just to catch up.

First of all, I’m working hard to get my next book out by Christmas. It’s the first book in a new YA series and I’m quite excited by the premise. I’ve actually had the first few chapters sitting on my hard drive for a long time, but I got back into it and rekindled my passion for the story and the characters. So there’s that. Also, the third book in the Titan’s Legacy series will be out in January, mid-month (ish). It’s also going quite well and Justin McLeod and company are going to be quite busy in this one, I promise you.

I’ve also been laid up for three bloody days by a miserable cold that just won’t go away. There’s not much worse than being at the mercy of a dry-hacking, nose-blowing, body-aching cold, especially when you’re trying to make a deadline. Stupid viruses.

So that’s about it for now. I’m working on a cover design for the next book, and the one after that, and that’s a bit crazy too. But it’s a good crazy, so that’s okay. Thanks for reading and sticking with me. I’ll try to write again soon. Oh, and I’m still in the thinking stages of a video, but I’ll get to it when I can, if I find the nerve! Take care.

J.J.

Hey all;

Just wanted to do an update post of sorts, mainly because I’m torn several different ways in my writing at the moment. You see, my first two novels have done quite well and the feedback has been lovely, so naturally I want to keep up the pace so that my readers are happy. That’s important to me and should be important to any published author. Yes, I know…writers write for themselves first, because if you aren’t happy with what you are writing, then why are you writing in the first place?

But I want those who read my books to enjoy the experience. Whether people get frustrated by the events in a book or not, if they are enjoying the journey then they will carry on, trusting the author to lead them safely home. So naturally I want to get the third book of my series out and in the hands (or e readers) of my readers in a timely manner. And there’s the rub.

You see, along with the Titan’s Legacy series I have, over the past several years, been fleshing out the stories in two other series; one is YA fantasy and another is more in the horror/fantasy genre. Both are loads of fun to write, both will, I hope, please readers and both are now poking their noses into my current series by taking time away from writing that and putting more time into writing them. And this is because I want to please my readers by presenting them with some stories that I think they will quite enjoy. And it’s frustrating.

Let me clarify that it isn’t the readers who are causing my frustration. Rather, it’s my ridiculous need to please people, which I personally don’t think is a bad thing, which makes me want to finish all three books ASAP. Well, good luck with that! There are only so many hours in the day and I (believe it or not) actually have a life as well. So I’m torn really. I’m determined to get the third book in the Titan’s Legacy series out either just before or just after Christmas. But I’m equally firm on my plan to get the first of one of my other series out in that same time frame as well. Oh man. So that’s why the title of this post is what it is. I want my readers to be happy and it makes me happy to make them happy (does that even make sense?) and so I’m going fast and furious trying to get things sorted out and done.

I will admit that I love a challenge and this whole situation has been challenging to say the least. So there’s that. And as the Canadian winter sets in, I tend to hibernate and write even more because I don’t do any winter sports. (I watch hockey but that hardly counts.)

Anyway, this has rambled a bit but I wanted to keep you all in the loop and also vent a bit so there it is. Hope everyone is well and I’ll post again soon.

J.J.

Hey all;

Just wanted to talk a bit about my current work(s) in progress. I say works because, while I am working on the third book in my Titan’s Legacy series, I’m also working on the first books of two other series. And scatterbrained is the way I feel some days, trying to keep three sets of characters and three story lines straight in my head.

My problem is that I’ve been working on the latter two books on and off for some time now and, for some odd reason, I’ve recently become very excited by both of these adventures. I don’t want to say too much about either one, except that they are both in the Fantasy genre, although one is Young Adult and the other is General Fantasy.

I’m a bit worried that my readers who enjoy YA Fantasy won’t get into my General Fantasy story. But it’s so good (IMHO), that I’m hoping that they will enjoy it regardless.

The YA Fantasy I’m writing is grittier than the world of the Titan’s Legacy, in that the hero is a boy who’s lived on the streets for several years and has experienced more of the dark side of life than a lot of young main characters in YA Fantasy do. But I think it gives the story an edginess that (hopefully) will enhance my readers experience when they read the book. Or maybe not. Who knows?

The problem for any writer is that all we can do is put our best work out there and hope that it is appreciated by you guys, the readers. But it’s only a hope and there are no guarantees in writing.

At any rate, I’m hoping to get the YA Fantasy novel done, shined up and available to readers before Christmas. The third novel in the Titan’s Legacy series will be out early in the new year. Thanks for letting me clear my head a bit. Back at it now!

J.J.

Hey guys;

I’ve decided (perhaps) to do a video in the near future. Not that I’m photogenic (I’m not), but it was suggested by someone that authors should let their readers get to know them on a more (semi) personal level, so I’m mulling it about in my head.

If it happens, I’ll post it on YouTube and leave a link here and on Facebook. Just an FYI!

J.J.

Hey all;

I’m fascinated by stories of how other writers are inspired to write. Sometimes it’s through personal experiences, both good and bad. Other times, friends and family inspire the author by relating interesting facts or stories of events that happened in their lives. It could be something as simple as listening to a conversation on a bus, or seeing a particular ad on TV or the Net. Inspiration comes in many forms and from many sources.

For myself, my inspiration for the stories of Justin McLeod and his adventures, as well as my upcoming series on angels fighting on Earth, comes directly from the fact that these are tales that I would want to read myself. I don’t believe in writing something because you “think” people want to read it or because it’s popular right now. Popularity comes and goes quickly in novels and today’s “big thing” is tomorrow’s trash. So I write what I want to read.

Plus, Justin and my other MCs (main characters) have a bit of me in them too. Like Justin, I was bullied as a kid; as so many people are. Back then, I sure wished that I couldn’t feel pain when I was tripped or smacked around. So maybe Justin is a little bit of wish-fulfillment on my part. The fun of being a writer, I suppose.

My point is that inspiration is fluid. It can and will come from anywhere. Embrace it when it finds you. Keep a notepad on you at all times and jot down your thoughts as you get them. It is so easy to have what you think is a great story idea just to lose it because you did not write it down. Most of all, be open-minded. Accept that you don’t have to come up with all of your own story ideas yourself. There’s a whole world of people and situations out there, just waiting to show you the way.

J.J.

Hey all;

As a writer, I’m often asked questions pertaining to authors. What makes a good writer? How do you come up with plots or characters, etc. But I think a more relevant question should be: what do readers want? After all, we may write for the love of writing (and I would hope most writers approach their craft from that perspective), but if you are published, it would be fairly arrogant to simply throw your work out there and expect readers to flock to your book simply because of your perceived genius.

No, a writer who writes commercially should always be asking themselves how to best serve their readers. And I think what readers want is fairly simple. They want honesty. They want an honest effort from a writer. All they ask is that the creator of a work of fiction has done his or her very best work, every time. We’ve all read something by a favorite author and thought “Wow, they really mailed that one in”, meaning that the writer just threw the book together. Whether because of a dead line, or because they just didn’t care, the reader could tell that the writer hadn’t given it their best effort. Readers aren’t fools and they can’t be fooled easily either.

So if you want to write and release it to the public, think about your audience. Think like a reader. What do they want, what do they expect. All a writer needs to do is their best. Your readers have purchased your work. They deserve your consideration.

J.J.

Hey all;

Just wanted to say a quick thank you to all of my readers who have picked up a copy of my new novel, “The Battle for Sanctuary”. Yes, it’s longer that the first book in the series, but there’s a lot going on and I wanted to do it justice. Book three is chugging along right now, although I expect that I’ll be releasing the first novel in another series in time for Christmas, and then the next in the “Titan’s Legacy” series in early 2014. Thanks again for all your support!

J.J.

Hey all;
My latest novel in my “Titan’s Legacy” series is now live on Amazon. Check out the latest adventures of Justin McLeod and the new Titans! Just click Here to check it out. Hope you all enjoy it!
J.J.