Interview & Giveaway with J.L. Bryan

1. When did you first start writing, and was there something in particular that inspired you?

I started writing in elementary school. I just liked to read a lot and I was pretty amazed at the idea that could write stories, too. My elementary school had a “publishing company” where volunteer moms would come in, type up your stories and bind them in these cheerful little covers. I got addicted to the idea of seeing my stories as finished books right about then!


2. What first attracted you to the paranormal realm when it comes to writing?

I like the freedom to use your imagination! You can stretch and bend reality, or take familiar creatures and find a new slant on them. It’s a combination of escapism and getting to take human nature and explore it in very unusual and extreme situations.


3. In regards to your own characters, who is your favorite and why?

It’s so hard to pick a favorite, but some of my favorites are the minor secondary characters. In the Jenny Pox books, Darcy Metcalf is secretly my favorite character. In my new Songs of Magic series, there’s a huge pop star, a white rapper with truly, truly bad lyrics called DJ Smoov-Moov, who becomes more involved in the story in Book 3. I don’t want to say too much about his background because that third book hasn’t come out yet, but he cracks me up.


4. What other genres (besides your own) do you enjoy reading?

I like all kinds of speculative fiction—sf, fantasy, and horror—and also straight fiction. I’m not a big fan of mysteries or spy novels.


5. If you could not be a writer, what would you be?

Maybe a journalist or a historian. Probably not a professional mountain climber, I don’t like cold weather.


6. As a reader I know how difficult it can be to name a ‘favorite’ book, would you mind listing your top three? (Past or present authors)

It’s still hard to pick! I’m going to go with Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Dune by Frank Herbert, and anything by Gore Vidal.


7. What are some must haves when you sit down to write?

Caffeine, preferably in coffee form, and music. And light. And a computer. I actually prefer writing by hand, but it’s so inefficient to transcribe handwritten pages. I’m dreaming of a tablet that will let me write all my first drafts by hand again.


8. If you became trapped as a character in a book or series, which would you choose and why? (Any book, any series, new or old)

I think one Peter Pan’s Lost Boys. I wouldn’t pick Peter Pan himself, because who wants to be a big target like that? But there’s a lot to be said for life in Neverneverland—you can fly, you don’t get old, you have sword fights with pirates. On the other hand, Wonderland from Alice in Wonderland seems to have a greater variety of creatures and places to explore, so I might rather live there instead, except the political system in Wonderland is just atrocious.

You can read my review of Fairy Metal Thunder here.

About Bryan:

J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on the English Renaissance and the Romantic period. He also studied screenwriting at UCLA. He is the author of five novels and one short-story collection. He enjoys remixing elements of paranormal, supernatural, fantasy, horror and science fiction into new kinds of stories. His goal is to provide highly original fiction like you won’t find anywhere else. His new novel is The Haunted E-book. The sequel to his novel Jenny Pox will be available by summer 2011. He lives in Atlanta with his wife Christina, as well as some dogs, cats, and domestic plants.


Find Bryan:

Website | Twitter | Facebook



Second in the Songs of Magic series:

Fairy Blues:
With their enchanted instruments charming the crowds, the Assorted Zebras attract interest from record producers, and soon they’re off to cut their first album and music video. Jason and his friends don’t know they’ve just become pawns in a sinister plot by a cabal of evil fairies...

Meanwhile, Aoide and her band pursue a new strategy for regaining their stolen instruments, one that will take them into the most haunted region in Faerie.

Giveaway:

Jeff is giving away eBooks of both Fairy Metal Thunder and Fairy Blues to one lucky winner!

Rules for entry:
- Giveaway ends March 23, 2012 12AM EST.
- Open Internationally.
- Leave a comment and fill out the FORM below, entries in the comment section will NOT be counted.