I "discovered" angels when I was sixteen, and after immersing myself in all the books I could find about angels, I started thinking about how I could write stories about them that kept true to the Christian faith. I ended up writing two books that have never seen the light of day, and then I wrote rough versions of the others.
The series is currently six books (with a seventh in process) but they were written out of order. The first one published was #4, originally as The Guardian under the name Jane Hamilton. #5 was published nearly twenty years later under my legal name, and then I got the rights back to The Guardian and did a ground-up rewrite of the whole book--which now has a new title and is published under my name. After that came #1 and #2. A few years later, #3 showed up, and last year, I published #6.
As you can imagine, that means all the books are standalones. They're all in the same universe and use mostly the same characters, but you can jump in wherever you want because they weren't written in order.
Basically, I've been working on versions of these stories for about thirty years. But the last two have actually been NaNoWriMo projects, and I've written the bulk of them in the month of November, then needed a couple of months for finishing, editing, proofreading, getting a cover, and so on.
What is the hardest part of writing for you?
Lately it's been dealing with scenes of high emotion. I tend to put them off because the rest of my life is kind of stressful right now, and I don't always have the emotional resources to pour everything into fictional angst.
What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?
Having people read my work and then tell me about it later. I've had people tell me they cried, or they laughed, or they stayed up all night. One baby was named after a character of mine, and a second very nearly so (until the father negated the name). I once got a rejection letter stating, "I'm afraid we're no longer publishing fiction, but let me tell you how your book changed my life." That was pretty awesome!
Marketing is the biggest key to getting sales. What is the best marketing source you've used that has produces more sales rather than just clicks?
I still tend to have good results with making the first book in the series free, second one $.99, and then hoping for people to read through the rest of it.
What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?
I wish I hadn't worked as hard as I did at landing an agent, and then later on, sticking with an agent who wasn't a good fit for my stories. It would have been better if I'd cut myself loose from traditional publishing and gone independent a bit earlier.
What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?
"Do not take career advice from academics." (That's my advice.)
"Sooner or later, you'll wear the editors down." (That's advice from an academic. Sorry. But it was helpful.)
Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?
I find just about every part of the process fun. I love listening to my characters in the background of my mind, and I love coming up with their situations and their problems and the ways they attempt to solve them. I love the way they fit together with one another and create communities on the page. I love when the characters surprise me by doing something I didn't expect them to do, only it fits perfectly with who they are. Afterward, I think, "Of course he would have offered that," or, "She would never have let anything else happen." They always take the story in a better direction than they would have, even if they leave me scrambling to fix things afterward.
What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?
My next book is called A Thousand Generations. It's about two boys in a line blessed by God, but as they come of age, they're under spiritual attack. Gage is the son of a preacher, and when his uncle is killed doing something that looks like a demonic ritual, and his cousin is struck mute, he knows he has to help somehow. When he sees two innocent creatures pulling a wire out of the ground (they claim it's one of the threads God uses to hold the world together) he believes he can use that somehow to save his cousin and himself. The question is, how?
What is the hardest part of writing for you?
Lately it's been dealing with scenes of high emotion. I tend to put them off because the rest of my life is kind of stressful right now, and I don't always have the emotional resources to pour everything into fictional angst.
What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?
Having people read my work and then tell me about it later. I've had people tell me they cried, or they laughed, or they stayed up all night. One baby was named after a character of mine, and a second very nearly so (until the father negated the name). I once got a rejection letter stating, "I'm afraid we're no longer publishing fiction, but let me tell you how your book changed my life." That was pretty awesome!
Marketing is the biggest key to getting sales. What is the best marketing source you've used that has produces more sales rather than just clicks?
I still tend to have good results with making the first book in the series free, second one $.99, and then hoping for people to read through the rest of it.
I wish I hadn't worked as hard as I did at landing an agent, and then later on, sticking with an agent who wasn't a good fit for my stories. It would have been better if I'd cut myself loose from traditional publishing and gone independent a bit earlier.
What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?
"Do not take career advice from academics." (That's my advice.)
"Sooner or later, you'll wear the editors down." (That's advice from an academic. Sorry. But it was helpful.)
Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?
I find just about every part of the process fun. I love listening to my characters in the background of my mind, and I love coming up with their situations and their problems and the ways they attempt to solve them. I love the way they fit together with one another and create communities on the page. I love when the characters surprise me by doing something I didn't expect them to do, only it fits perfectly with who they are. Afterward, I think, "Of course he would have offered that," or, "She would never have let anything else happen." They always take the story in a better direction than they would have, even if they leave me scrambling to fix things afterward.
What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?
My next book is called A Thousand Generations. It's about two boys in a line blessed by God, but as they come of age, they're under spiritual attack. Gage is the son of a preacher, and when his uncle is killed doing something that looks like a demonic ritual, and his cousin is struck mute, he knows he has to help somehow. When he sees two innocent creatures pulling a wire out of the ground (they claim it's one of the threads God uses to hold the world together) he believes he can use that somehow to save his cousin and himself. The question is, how?
An Arrow in Flight
Sacred Cups.
Shattered Walls
The Wrong Enemy
Annihilation
Perdition's Heirs
one novelette - Once Only, where Gabriel and Israfel have to find a home for an abandoned baby.
That's all for today's interview.
If you'd like to learn more about Jane's books, here's the link to her Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jane-Lebak/author/B004FRUOLY
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And here's a bonus for my readers...Leave a comment on this post and you'll be entered to win an eBook of Perdition's Heirs. One winner will be chosen next Friday. So leave a comment now!
And here's a bonus for my readers...Leave a comment on this post and you'll be entered to win an eBook of Perdition's Heirs. One winner will be chosen next Friday. So leave a comment now!
Wow! What stick-to-it spirit. Thirty years is a long time but you never let life get you down to the point that you quit your writing desire. These books sound a bit scary, but also page turners. I know i' past the deadline, but would love to win a copy of Perdition's Heirs. And congrats to your series!
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