Author Interview - JD Allen + GIVEAWAY!

Happy Friday!

Quick note: Since I'm posting this month's author interview tonight, I'll be publishing Part V of GAVE DIGGERS tomorrow. 

Don't forget, entries are still open for the 19 Souls giveaway until this Sunday (4/29/2018) at 11:00pm EST. Comment here on the blog, or go like the corresponding Instagram post to enter! JD was kind enough to donate a SIGNED copy of 19 Souls, plus some pretty awesome author swag for the giveaway!

I hope you enjoy our interview. If you've already read JD's debut mystery novel, I'd love to know what you think!

Photo provided by: JD Allen

Writing Desk Blog: Hi J.D.! Thank you for agreeing to this blog interview with me! Your debut mystery novel, 19 Souls, was released in February 2018. What has this experience been like for you? Are you doing many public appearances, or has most of the promotion been through social media?  

JD Allen: Oh my gosh. I've had a ball since release day. I was lucky enough for Jeffery Deaver to come and interview me and joke around some. I had a fantastic cake that was a massive book with my cover and an edible switchblade stuck in it.

Since then, I've been to several readers' and writer's conventions. Reno, Boca Raton, Chicago. The support for 19 Souls has been overwhelming. I'm off to Malic Domestic shortly, then have Killer Nashville and Bouchercon in the fall. 

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WDB: For those who aren’t already familiar with your work, if you could describe 19 Souls in one sentence, what would it be?

JDA: Instead of a straightforward missing persons case, Jim Bean's lead a serial killer straight to her most coveted prey. 

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WDB: 19 Souls is the first in the Sin City Investigations series, featuring Private Investigator Jim Bean. Can you share what inspired this PI's memorable name?

JDA: Well, in truth it's not his real name. Don't want to give too many spoilers. I think in the third book we find out why he chose that name. In the meantime, he has to correct people from thinking he's Jim BEAM... and uses sarcasm and butter beans to do so. 

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WDB: What influenced your decision to set this new series in Las Vegas? 

JDA: I needed a place where a guy could go off, change his name and try to forget his past. New York, New Orleans, and LA all qualified. But, Vegas has some grit, an air of desperation about it at times which seemed to fit the character. After all, he's still got an ax to grind with society for ruining his life plans. Vegas seemed the right place for him to do so. 

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WDB: Has your experience as an author been primarily with traditional publishing, self-publishing, or a mixture of both? If the answer is both, is there one avenue of publishing you prefer over the other? 

JDA: I've done a little of both. The self-publishing came after a publisher I wrote romance with collapsed. It's hard work to do it all yourself. With my dyslexia, I much prefer having a publisher to take some of that off my shoulders. The downside is the slower production schedule that selling to major booksellers creates.

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WDB: At the launch event for 19 Souls, (which I was excited to attend!), you mentioned that you previously wrote in a different genre. Was it difficult to switch to a new genre, or did you always have an interest in writing mysteries?  

JDA: I'm an anthropologist by education. I always loved mysteries and thrillers. And I intended to write them from the start. My under-the-bed book is a thriller with some paranormal aspects.  But as it turned out, I fell into the romance genre with a short story written on a challenge. Working with a good editor for those years made me a much better writer. I learned the publishing industry and marketing skills along the way too.

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WDB: These next questions are ones I like to ask in each Writing Desk Blog interview, it’s so interesting to see the range of responses I get!

Where do you typically work from? (Home, office, coffee shop, etc.) Is there any place you find you're more productive than others?

JDA: I used to have to write at home and in quiet. Now I have deadlines and a busy life with promotions and family. I don't have the luxury to go to the perfect spot and wait for the muse to bless me with words. I've trained my brain to be able to write about anywhere I have my laptop. But the best is on the deck on a pretty day.

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WDB: If you are able to tell us, what’s next for you? Will we see the next installment in the Sin City Investigation series?  

JDA: Yes. The second Sin City Investigation book, Skin Game, is due out in February 2019. I am working on number three right now that will be February 2020.  I smell a pattern. 

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WDB: Best piece(s) of writing advice? 

JDA: #BICHOK (Butt in Chair  - Hands on Keys.) 

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WDB: Something about you that people may be surprised to know? 

JDA: I used to show quarter horses in college for the Ohio State Equestrian team. Western Pleasure class. We won the national championships. I have the big shiny belt buckle!

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Have a great weekend, Writing Desk Readers, stay tuned for GRAVE DIGGERS Part V!