AMoRaR Interview: J.S. Living

A Month of Rain and Reads Interviews4 months ago12 min read

Welcome to A Month of Rain and Reads, a celebration of self-published and indie SFF throughout the entire month of November. To find out how you can take part and view the whole list of content, visit our introduction post.

For today’s bonus interview, we preset J.S. Living, author of The Covenant of Blood.

Describe yourself like you would a character in one of your books.

There she was: J.S. Living. For now, she was stuck working a day job with the federal government, wasting away her talents to pay bills. But, one day, this woman would make millions from her IPs—specifically, her trad and indie published books, though she only had indie books for now. According to her bio, her current hobbies include playing with her cat, reading, writing, and watching TV. I can work with that. Especially since we’re both transplants in Maryland who originated from Georgia. Yes. This should go nicely because my visions are never wrong.

Our theme for November is A Month of Rain & Reads. Do you subscribe to the idea of curling up with a good book while the rain pours down outside? What book would you read? Would you bring tea and a blanket? What would make the moment perfect?

Yes! I love curling up on my couch with a good book during bad weather, especially when my cat joins me. There’s something soothing about it. I have a book collection of over 600 books, so I’d probably choose one I haven’t read yet, either a book by my fellow indies, or one of the trad books I’ve picked up. Smoke and Scar by Gretchen Powell-Fox has been on my mind, but so has Song of Wraith and Ruins by Roseanne Brown. I would definitely drink a cup of hot tea and wrap myself in a blanket. It’s always cold at my place in the winter months anyways, and hot tea and a blanket warms me up and makes me feel cozy. The only other thing that would make the moment perfect is if someone else prepared chicken noodle soup or some other hot meal for me to eat either before or after I finish reading.

What else do you want our readers to know about you?

Sometimes I like to humble brag about my degrees. In undergrad I actually dual majored in English and Anthropology. My MFA is in Writing; but, at some point, I would like to further my education in the anthropology field and get a Masters in something like folklore study or etymology. I think it would be fun to explore the use of anthropology in my books.

Why did you decide to self-publish, and what has been your biggest success so far?

I decided to self-publish for a few reasons. The first was to be able to have a book out there with my name on it that I could have full control over. There are certain freedoms that come with self-publishing that I wanted to enjoy. The second reason was so I could practice writing full length books and improve my writing skills before querying to become a hybrid author. Because that’s the real dream: Become a hybrid author and be able to sustain a living from just that. Last, it’s just really fun to be part of a community and learn from others within it.

What is your favourite thing about being an indie author?

My favorite thing about being an author is connecting with other people in my community. As a transplant in Maryland, I don’t have any close friends, so being able to go to book festivals and conventions has been my way of meeting new people. There are so many supportive people in the Indie community that it’s become a kind of surrogate for my lack of friends. My other favorite thing is the opportunity to sign books, and to know that there are individuals who actually enjoy the things I write.

On your website, you mention you’re a fan of smart retellings, and your debut novel, The Covenant of Blood, features a main character with ties to some rather illustrious figures. Retellings have increased in popularity in recent times, often in quirky and untraditional ways. Where do your books fit in? Are you putting your own spin on older tales, or do you pull from those old tales to make something new? What can readers expect from your books?

So, the main character in my first book, The Covenant of Blood, is a relative to the historical figures Vlad the Impaler and Elizabeth Bathory. Most people have an idea on their stories, so I won’t bore you with details regarding that; but, what I will say is that, while my stories are vaguely inspired by Bram Stoker’s Dracula (in the sense that the Vlad/Vladimir Tepés in my book is also a vampire), that’s about as far as it goes for a “retelling.” What I’m doing is putting my own spin on these particular historical figures and writing stories that reflect who they would be if 1) they were black or mixed race and 2) if they were actually supernatural creatures. I think that would fall into the category of pulling from old tales to make something new. So, yeah. When it comes to my books, readers can expect interesting story lines, majority POC cast members, and narratives that will excite them with slow-burn romances and dysfunctional families.

What themes are important to you, and how are they reflected in your writing?

A lot of my themes revolve around family, love, and cliches I think are important. For example, one of the themes in The Covenant of Blood is be careful who you trust. After all, my character signs a Blood Pact with an individual that she doesn’t know much about. Whether it’s someone she should trust is up to the audience as they read, but it’s stunting to be mindful of as many of us have had our trust broken before by placing it in the wrong people. Or, in some cases, the right people who are in dire straights. Other themes in my books revolve around love, such as in Blood Ties: A Collection of Three Covenant of Blood Shorts. One of the stories shared a similar theme to The Covenant of Blood, which is: Love can result in dangerous but necessary paths. There are several other themes, but I think the one theme that consistently pops up in my books is that decisions have consequences, whether the consequences are good or bad is up to you. The word “consequences” tends to have a negative connotation, but in reality the word is neutral; so, in my opinion, it’s important to add the second part. This theme is important to me because we often forget that we have agency in our lives through the decisions we make, even if so many other things are out of our control. I think it’s important to remind people of that.

What are you working on next? Can you tease us?

I have several projects up my sleeve. The first is running a Backerkit Campaign for the audio version of my book Blood Ties: A Collection of Three Covenant of Blood Shorts. I’m excited to bring the voices of my characters to life in an audio format. The second thing I’m working on is my second short story collection, Blood Lies: A Collection of Seven Brotherhood of Blood Shorts. The campaign for that book has already ended, so I’m in the process of writing and editing it. Last, in working on my second full-length book, The Brotherhood of Blood. I’ve completed a first draft of the book, now I’m in the process of rewriting and revising it. I’ll be posting a campaign for that book after I’ve completed my audio production of Blood Ties and have sent Blood Lies off to be published. Other projects—like short stories, a TV script, and five other novels—are in the works, but these are at the top of my pile.

And a few quick questions. What’s your favourite…

…book, in recent times?

It’s hard to pick a favorite when it comes to books. So, instead, I’ll tell you about the last book I read, which is Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana. The world was immersive; the descriptions of food and settings was **perfection**; and the characters were well developed. I really enjoyed reading it and am excited to finish its sequel, More of the Tides.

…game, in recent times?

I’m assuming by “recent times” you mean something I’ve played recently. The answer to that would be Detroit: Being Human. I recognize the game itself is a few years old, but I only just discovered it. A second current favorite game is Erica. Both games are story based, allowing the player to make decisions for the characters that affect how the game ends.

…writing advice?

My favorite writing advice is learn all the rules, and then break them. Unlike concrete subjects like math and science, writing is abstract. And, while there are rules, they’re arbitrary. They exist solely so writers can come in and bend them in a way that fits the narrative and the world they’ve built. Which is why it’s important to know what the rules are. Because how can we craft immersive worlds without knowing which rules to break?

…advice for someone who wants to publish their own book?

I’m going to give the advice I wish I’d had as opposed to favorite advice here. Here’s a few things I wish I’d known before self-publishing:

Get your ISBN from Bowker because if you live in the United States because you don’t own the “free” ISBNs given by corporations like the zon. This is especially true if you want your books in brick and mortar stores.
Apply for an LCCN before you copyright or publish anything. This will allow you to get your book in libraries a lot easier. Plus, it’s free! Also, you’re not able to receive one post publication.
If you’re writing a series, have it completed before you publish. It will make your life much easier.

…source of inspiration?

I have many sources of inspiration, but I think a lot of my ideas come from books I’ve read, music I’ve listened to, and people watching when I’m stuck in a place without a form of entertainment. Prompt generators, tarot cards, and the Story Engine Deck also help fuel my creativity.

…way to clear your mind when everything gets a bit much?

When everything is too much, I like to sit in silence and ruminate on what I have going on in life. Sometimes, sitting with your feelings and your situation provides better clarity than avoiding your problems with distractions of TV, games, music, etc. Walks, exercise in general, and driving around in my car are also helpful if I have the energy to do it.

Do you have any last words? Any shoutouts to authors who have supported you or whose books have inspired you?

I want to thank the authors who have supported me in my previous Backerkit Campaigns and those who have given me advice, purchased or traded books with me, and who I’ve had beverages conversations with. I’m not going to name anyone because they know who they are. Other than that, I would just like to thank my readers for their support and I can’t wait to write more books!

J.S. Living

Born in Virginia, and raised in Georgia, J.S. Living currently resides in Maryland. She has an MFA in Writing from the Savannah College of Art and Design, and is a huge fan of smart retellings of classic stories that spin outdone cliches and overly used tropes into magic from writers like Tomi Adeyemi, Kalynn Bayron, J. Elle, Patricia Briggs, Lynsay Sands, and Darren Shan. When she’s not working for the federal government, she loves binge-watching television, anime, and movies; spending time with her cat; and, of course, writing like her life depends on it. You can contact J.S. Living via her website www.thejsliving.com; by emailing info@thejsliving .com; or by following her on social media @thejsliving.