GtPGKogPYT4p61R1biicqBXsUzo" /> Google+ Interview: Urban Fantasy Author Jayme Phelps (Devil's Intern) + giveaway | I Smell Sheep

Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Interview: Urban Fantasy Author Jayme Phelps (Devil's Intern) + giveaway

What are your top 10 favorite books/authors?
Definitely Meghan Ciana Doidge, Rachel Caine, Kim Harrison, Genevieve Cogman, Cassandra Clare, Gina Lamanna, Shannon Mayer, Ransom Riggs, Mary Janice Davidson and Charlaine Harris

How long have you been writing?
A little over a year.

Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write?
They all come as I write. I like to think that I am a plotter because I like an outline, but truthfully most of it just comes out on the page, including the characters. They sort of just pop up as I need them, kind of like watching a movie unfold in my head.

What do you think about the current publishing market?
I think the current publishing market is interesting. I didn’t really know anything about writing books or publishing before 2020, so I’m still learning, but there’s so much more to the whole process than I ever would have thought.

I had no idea that there are multiple “paths to publishing.” I just thought that you had to query publishers or agents and you would get published or not. I think that it’s pretty cool to have so many different ways to publish a book. But for me personally, I didn’t want to self-publish because I wanted someone else to think that my work was worthy too. It’s weird how much I value that validation.

Crazy thing is that I pitched my book on Twitter just to see if someone would be interested in the idea the day after I finished the first draft. I had no idea that it would be something that people would want and get me a publishing deal. I think really, I just feel lucky that my book got picked up so quickly by a publisher.

Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?
Ummm yes!!! I have been a reader my entire life, in fact I read at least 2 books a month and my favorite genre is the one I write in, Urban Fantasy.

Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?
Both. I think that there’s something to be said about the emotion that music evokes and when I’m listening to music I find myself writing full scenes based solely on how the song made me feel. However, most of the time I write in silence because I need my fingers to keep up with my thoughts as the story flows.

Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?
Well, right now I’m writing one at a time, though I do have two series that I’m working on, both of them part of the same universe.

A day in the life of the author?
It definitely varies. Right now I’m sort of between projects as my first book launches and my second book is in the beta stage. So, I would say, I spend a lot of time on putting together book teasers and posts, Then I spend time on social media doing “marketing”, and finally I work on editing or new projects like the outline for book 3.

Advice they would give new authors?
Write a full draft as quickly as possible. I know that it’s tempting to want to edit as you go but a lot of times that leads to more editing than actual writing, so finish the first draft and then edit. Also put your work out there. It’s scary and not everyone is going to like it, but it’s truly the best way to get better.

What is your writing process? For instance do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first? What are common traps for aspiring writers?
I definitely start my stories with an outline. I think that it makes the process go faster. Though I don’t give it a lot of details, I know where the story starts and I have a good idea of how it will end, so I like to just put down the big events in the order I see them happening. Then I connect the dots so to speak, moving from on event to the next using as many chapter as it takes to get there.

I think that one common trap for aspiring writers is to never finish a full draft or to keep doing the same thing again and again even if it’s not working. Some people need an outline but don’t use on and some people don’t need one but put one together and try to force themselves to follow it anyway. I think that it’s important to remember that you will always find something that needs to be edited, but if you never finish the book then you can’t publish it, and it’s important to remember that it’s okay to try something different.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?
It takes me around 2-3 days to outline a book and then 3-4 weeks to write a first draft of the story. Then I use another week to do content edits and spelling and grammar checks before I send it out to beta readers for their initial thoughts.

Devil's Intern
by Jayme Phelps
June 8,2021
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Anna Westfall is in her own personal Hell on Earth. After making a deal with the Devil she was sentenced to a place where she is loathed by Witches and Warlocks for being a soulless. So, when she then ends up on house arrest for beating up magical law enforcement, she’s had enough.

Now, all she wants to do is go back to her old life, and when her boyfriend tells her that there’s a way out she goes in search of answers. However, without any guidance she ends up messing the whole thing up. To make matters worse the Devil himself shows up with a new deal for freedom.

It all seems like smooth sailing until her new roommate decides to trade her own soul. Now Anna has to decide whether to save her friend or save herself. With new power comes new opportunity.


About the Author
Website-FB-TwitterJayme Phelps is a wife and a mother of three boys who works as a full-time Educational Sign Language Interpreter. In her spare time, she enjoys baking (specifically cupcakes), painting, and of course writing books!

She lives in Albuquerque New Mexico where the best time of year is the first week of October when the sky is filled with hundreds of hot air balloons, and the best food is smothered in green chile.

Giveaway
$25 Amazon (WW),
Swag pack that includes T-shirt,stickers, poster & book marks (US only)
- 1 winner each
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

8 comments:

  1. This sounds like a terrific read.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Terri,
      I hope you decide to give it a try :)

      Delete
  2. Thanks for the great post. IT sounds very exciting

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Debby,
      I think you will really enjoy it, I hope you give it a try. :)

      Delete
  3. Sounds great and looking forward to reading it.

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    Replies
    1. Sharon,

      Thank you so much I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

      Delete
  4. I love the cover! The colors and graphics are great.

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  5. Thank you Jeanna, it took some time to get it just right so I'm glad you like it. I hope you enjoy the story just as much!

    ReplyDelete