Monday 21 November 2016

Author Q&A: Jennifer Amriss



If your book were made into a movie, who would you want to play your main characters?
Hmm. For Morough, I would probably go with Chris Hemsworth because of his body type and face (and I think he would look awesome with waist-length hair). For Ka’lei, probably someone like Anne Hathaway because she does strong, awkward, and bubbly rather well. Danatarius… Hmm… Alexander Mercury or someone of Russian descent. Both Danatarius and his father, Kordan, are of Russian blood. Cyranti… Tinsel Korey or another Native American actress. Sol’kyr, I would definitely want Chaske Spencer or Jay Tavare. I’m surprisingly not that picky, but those are the actors and actresses I had in mind when I saw them in my head. Though, for some of them, I pieced together different aspects of many people.

How do you come up with the titles of your books?
They usually come to me as I’m writing, or as I’m brainstorming. Though, some just won’t come and I have to get help from my awesome friends either at Romance Divas or Forward Motion for Writers.

What does your writing space look like?
A picture is worth a thousand words. My workspace is usually a disaster, but it’s functional. (I’m not going to give you the full glory, since I just cleaned it, but trust me on the disaster bit.) I made the keyboard tray from scrap wood and attached it to the original tray’s brackets. I often lean on the poor thing when I’m reading, so the original tray broke. Oops.

 
On the shelf are some of my favorite books, and two of my own. Guarding them is Brutus the Dargon, and Derpus the Idiot Wizard. Hanging on my computer tower are pictures of my son and a leather book mark. The side consists of my Wacom Create tablet, a host of office supplies, my Kindle and tablet, some notebooks and pens, a reading lamp, incense, and some lens cleaning cloths. The mannequin is Jordan, my Muse’s wooden slave. Underneath, where the disaster starts to accumulate first, is my checkbook, some stuff for my e-cig, and a Folgers can to store my loose change in.

The top of my desk is just a mess. Cell phone, wax burner, e-cig and nicotine juice, bookmarks, my inhaler, and on occasion, it consists solely of my cat, Punks. Since I’m a social creature, I have a dual monitor setup so I can work in Scrivener on one screen, and chat in the other. I find I get more work done if I have someone to talk to. It sounds counterintuitive, but it works for me. If I feel “alone”, I’ll stall and do anything but what I’m supposed to be doing.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing?
I love to play World of Warcraft, Dragon Age: Origins, and Vindictus. Though, I’m also an avid reader, and reading usually trumps games. If I need to get away from the computer, I’ll often take a cup of iced tea out to sit on the front porch and watch the traffic go by. This tiny college town is bustling, and sometimes I just enjoy people watching on this main street. My street is under construction a ways down, so the traffic is often stopped in front of my house. It’s wonderful, because I’m always cataloging people’s features to use in my writing, so I consider that time “research”. Otherwise, if I need to just space out and recharge the writing brain, I’ll park myself in front of my television and binge watch Netflix.

What is your favourite colour?
Colors, music, and writing are the whole of my existence. I really have no absolute favorite color. Though, I suppose living in a national forest, I am partial to the green of new spring growth. In my home, burgundy and royal blue are the main colors, along with black and white. For dress, I tend toward earth tones, though I’m starting to add pink to my wardrobe. I never thought that would ever happen. I feel like a complete traitor to my 90’s gothic past.

What is your favourite pleasure food?
I spent three years in Sigonella, Sicily, and they were the best years of my childhood. I really miss the food there. When I go for comfort food, I tend toward authentic Italian and Sicilian food. Though, I can definitely be bribed with a chocolate cannoli, hot chai latte, and possibly a biscotti or three.

What is your favourite season?
I’m torn between Spring and Autumn. I used to love snow, but after spending years scraping ice off my van’s windshield, I’ve come to loathe it. Summer is too hot because I get heatstroke at the drop of a hat. Spring and Autumn is when I get to enjoy the weather. Though, I suppose Spring is my absolute favorite, as that’s when I get to watch my fourteen year old son have a blast in the Special Olympics. It may only be one day a year, but it’s always tons of fun, and the kids are awesome.

What is your favourite television show?
Believe it or not, I don’t watch television. I have one, but I don’t watch normal programming. Since I spend most of my time writing or reading at my computer, cable television or satellite is just not worth the expense. Every now and then I’ll look for shows on Netflix, but they tend toward the Ghost Hunting and Paranormal varieties.

What is your favourite movie?
Is this a trick question? No? Crap. Uuuh… Avatar is one of my favorites, though I also loved Hunger Games, the Marvel stuff, anything with Jackie Chan (especially Karate Kid), the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Harry Potter series, Twilight Saga (I hated the books, but loved the movies), the Riddick Collection, 300… the list goes on. I’d rather watch movies than episodes of a show, simply for the instant gratification of a full story.

Who is your favourite actor?
You’re trying to kill me, aren’t you? I must be the most indecisive person in my state. I love Kate Winslet, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Emma Watson, Orlando Bloom, and Jackie Chan. …This is almost as bad as asking my favorite movie!

What is your favourite song?
You and your tough questions! I swear I don’t have one. I tend toward Classical, Orchestral (especially Game Soundtracks), Dubchestra, Techno, House, J-Rock/J-Pop, and Korean Pop and Rock. As long as it doesn’t have English lyrics, I’ll usually listen to it. Due to my audio hallucinations, I have to have music on at all times, and when I listen to anything with lyrics I can understand, it gnaws at my bipolar disorder and makes me anxious and angsty.
When I’m writing, it’s almost always ear-blisteringly loud Techno in my headphones (seriously, max volume). It helps me hone my focus into a pinpoint and the words just flow. It also helps boost my mood and makes me feel more awake. Eisenfunk and Instrumental Core are my go-to groups/artists for writing.

What is your favourite comfort clothing attire?
Jammies. If I can’t wear pajamas and fuzzy slippers, I’m in jeans and a t-shirt or some kind of soft, flowy, comfy blouse. If I could get away with it, I’d probably be a nudist. Though, that would be awful with all the itchy cat hair…

What books might we find on your bedside table?
If I ever read in bed (I normally read at my computer), anything by Wen Spencer, Jordan L. Hawk’s Hainted or her SPECTR series, or some kind of M/M Fantasy Adventure, Fantasy Romance, or Paranormal Romance. I sometimes read Het books, but those tend more toward the Fantasy and Science Fiction genres without the romance. Since I tend to read books in one sitting, it varies by the day. Sometimes by the hour.

Describe yourself in three words.
Nerdy wordy hermit.


Over 275,000 words (960+ Pages) of Fast Paced Fantasy Romance!

When three worlds collide, magic happens.

Kings of Kal’brath takes the world as you know it, adds two parallel dimensions, and fast-forwards time a few centuries, to a few millennia. It features fun, intense fantasy romance with tons of adventure, soul-bond romance, gorgeous elves, and strong, capable women.

Readers of light fantasy romps from bygone years rejoice as these books bring those back with a far future, three-dimensional twist and exciting, unforgettable characters. Check it out:

Race Against the Dark
All her twenty short years, Ka’lei thought she was human. But when she’s kidnapped by elves, all she thought she knew ran away on the back of a giant black horse. An elf come home, she must fight for the right to love the man she’s fallen for while trying to save the world she’s stuck in. Can she protect those she loves and still hold on to the only place she ever felt sane?

Healing Wounds: Mother Book One

Mother is angry, and Elan is the only one who can hear the sentient planet that houses the three worlds. After she razes the human world, Elan fights to save what’s left of their endangered race. But the sudden soul-bond to a human woman throws everything into disarray as his adopted children go missing. Will he choose humanity over his missing children?

Twilight's Children: Mother Book Two

As the spell keeping half the world in Twilight wanes, Cyranti must help her friends to recreate it. But on her way to meet them the Architect slits her throat and leaves her to the mercy of the vampir hunting him. Rather than eat her as she fears, they make her one of them, and their leader’s son steals her heart. If she can’t get her new hunger under control, the devastation caused by the Twilight’s fading will last centuries, and the elves will forever hunt her new family.
BIO:


A world traveler, Jennifer spent most of her childhood experiencing the Mediterranean, traveling Europe, and constantly on the move with her military parents. Now, she has settled down in the hilly region north of the Allegheny National Forest where she lives alone with her tortoise shell cat, Pumpkin Spice. With so much culture and scenery ingrained in her psyche, she froths at the mouth to squeeze it all into the different worlds that seem to come to her at the most inopportune times.

When not creating worlds, people, or generally playing God, she plays MMORPG and single player video games, dabbles in website design, digital art, and watches obscene anime. She even sometimes deigns to talk to lesser mortals. However, she is shy, so if you see her, please bring cookies and chai latte, and carefully approach once your offerings have been devoured.

For information on upcoming releases, series timelines, buy links, and other nifty things, head over to http://jenniferamriss.com. She also posts updates to http://www.facebook.com/ jenniferamriss. Be sure to sign up to her newsletter at http://jenniferamriss.com/ newsletter/ to get sneak peeks, awesome deals, and new release information right to your inbox!
 

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