I‘m so excited to have Jo Richardson, a fellow Soul Mate Author, in The Blue Rose Writing Room today.
Jo’s sharing a little about herself and her upcoming release, Curse Be The Wicked.
Welcome Jo!
Do you use a pen name/pseudo name? If so, why. If not, why did you decide to write under your own name?
Nope, no pen name. I figure if I’m going to put a book out, I want it to have my name on the front cover.
I’m thinking of writing a different genre and using my real name. Can you tell, us, how long have you been writing?
Ever since I was in grade school. I loved writing. Middle School is when I really started spending my own time doing it though. I mostly wrote in journals back then, and some poems. I’ve started a ton of stories over the years but could never finish one until a few years ago when I began posting within the fan fiction community. Between the tremendous amount of positive feedback I received and the support from the friends I made, I actually finished a story! The more I wrote, the more I felt like I was stretching my wings until finally, last year, I wrote something of my own and submitted it for publishing. I was over the moon when Soul Mate Publishing offered me a contract. I never thought I’d see the day. This is an exciting part of my life for sure.
I’ll say!
What’s the funniest thing anyone has ever said to you about your writing? Or the unkindest? Or the oddest?
Funniest: That they now curse like a sailor after reading one of my characters (who curses like a sailor)
Unkindest: hmm… that one of my stories was “not worthy of toilet paper”.
Oddest: I would have to also go with the toilet paper reference.
Ouch! I won’t tell you what I’m thinking about a person who’d make that kind of a comment. Let’s move on to something a bit more cheerful. What’s one place you absolutely want to visit before you die?
Ireland. Definitely Ireland.
Me too! Me too! So, why did you choose to write in this genre? Have you ever written any other genre? Do you plan on doing so in the future?
Supernatural/Paranormal is one of my very favorite genres to read. I was hesitant to try it until a very good friend encouraged me (and encouraged me and encouraged me) to give it a go. What I found was that I rather enjoy writing it. I tend to write more of a subtle supernatural presence, though, rather that the scary, horror, in your face type.
As far as other genres… I’m a big lover of comedies and mystery romances. I tend to find humor and sarcasm in just about every situation so I get a kick out of writing characters like that as well.
And futuristically? I am not opposed to trying a little bit of everything and anything at some point. I do think I’d could have fun writing something dark and twisted, some day.
What historical figure do you wish you could have met?
I think maybe Joan of Arc. She was pretty bad ass. Plus we share a name.
Chuckling here! Tell us one unusual, weird, or curious fact you discovered while researching this book.
That the Gallows Hill people visit as tourists in Salem is not the real Gallows Hill. I can’t wait to go there with my husband. I plan to visit the real site (which isn’t at all marked by the way; good luck finding it) and paying my respects to the people who died there.
What are you most proud of about your writing?
That it’s me, all me and nothing but the “me”. I know my writing doesn’t fit into any one specific genre but that’s what I love about it. That’s what I love about Soul Mate Publishing the most, as well. They embrace stories that blur lines. Hopefully readers will too.
I have to agree with you 100%. What is something you are determined to do?
Finish book #2.
Oh, I’m sure you will. Do you have a favorite quote? I have a lot… but one of my favorite fun ones is “Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia” (E.L. Doctorow)
I love that quote! Okay, now for the quickie questions: Answer in three words or less. Ready? Go!
Favorite Disney Character? Flynn Rider
Favorite Fruit? Peaches
Favorite Hero? Iron Man!
Favorite Eye Color? My husband’s blue
Best Vacation Destination? The Beach
Food you can’t stand? Does Not Compute
What annoys you? Ignorance
Coffee, tea, or something else? COFFEE
Nightgown or Jammies? Jammalammadingdongs
Prefer dogs or cats? Meow!
Okay, that was fun. I felt like I was on The Actors Studio.
A bit about Jo
A writer of stories and lover of life.
She grew up in Maryland with four siblings. Today she lives in Florida with her two girls and a husband that shares her sense of humor and basic take on life as we know it.
Life is too short to put dreams on the back burner.
She’s always loved writing, so in her spare time, she wrote a novel that’s been picked up by the good people at Soul Mate Publishing and is due out this winter.
The blurb for Cursed be the Wicked
Cooper Shaw lives his life under a pen name and enjoys the anonymity it provides during his journeys across the globe as a seasoned writer for a travel magazine. When his job lands him in his hometown of Salem, Massachusetts to cover the famous Festival of the Dead, he soon realizes that he can’t stay invisible forever as he faces ghosts from a past he’s been trying to forget ever since he left.
The city holds nothing but bad memories for Coop until he meets a quirky young woman with an old soul and curious insights by the name of Finnley Pierce. While she acts as his tour guide through a town he thought he knew, Finn helps him unearth the truth of his childhood and might even begin to open up his heart.
By unraveling the mystery of his father’s murder, Coop may finally accept who he is, where he came from, and perhaps even realize what he wants for his future.
Enjoy an excerpt from Cursed be the Wicked
“I came by Geneva’s to see you this morning,” I tell her. She slides her hands inside my jacket, around my waist. She holds us together tighter.
“You did?” There’s a smile in her voice. I grin but she can’t see it.
“I’ve gotten used to starting my days out with you in them.”
“You have?” She leans back to look at me. She’s stunned although I have no idea why. I’ve been so transparent even a bat could see through me the past few days.
“Yeah,” I tell her, “I have.” I brush the hair out of her face. Even through the rainfall I can see the blush in her cheeks. This is the most vulnerable I’ve seen Finn since Geneva’s, when she thanked me for handling Dan.
“Most people don’t like the way I’m so pushy sometimes,” she says. “They find it offensive. Some might even say I’ve got a smart mouth. Too smart for my own good, blah blah blah.”
She trails off at the end there and I laugh at the way she thinks I’m buying that none of it bothers her.
“Come to think of it, you did say something I found offensive yesterday,” I tell her half serious. She looks hurt but I can’t stop the smirk from spreading across my face as I back her up against the nearest tree.
She’s caught off guard by the move, I can hear it in the way her breath hitches. “What was that?” She tries to recover but she fails.
“I believe the term you used was friends,” I tell her, narrowing my eyes. Her lips part, just barely. She swallows something down then clears her throat.
“Isn’t that what we are?”
I move my head from side to side. “I don’t think so, Finn.”
Here’s how you can contact Jo
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/JRRichardson
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoFictionFreak
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/JRRFics
Thanks again, Jo for joining me here today.
Thanks for having me!
