Meet The Author... Jane Isaac

 Please welcome Jane Isaac to the mix today...

What motivates Jane Isaac the author? Why do you write?

 I’ve always loved to read and had a pretty over-active imagination. Writing is the perfect channel for this. I like to write about strange events happening to real people; it could just as easily be you or I in my stories.  

What is your favorite genre to write and why?

An avid reader of all types of crime fiction, I relish the pace and twists and turns. My biggest influences, in recent years, have been James Patterson and Jeffery Deaver, so I sought to write a page turner with an original twist.

How many hours a day do you devote to writing? Do you have a set routine or do you write when the mood strikes?

Like many authors, I fit my writing around a day job and a family. Instead of imposing daily word counts, I prefer to write in scenes, when the mood strikes, but my book is never far from my mind. I have been known to pull over on a drive to pen some notes, or wake in the middle of the night to get some lines down, that I later type up.

Is there a certain aspect of the story you begin with? Do you create the characters first or do you come up with the plot?

I usually start with a character that faces an extraordinary event associated with a murder, and explore how that affects their life and the repercussions thereafter, running this story alongside the police investigation. But I’m very much a pantser. My stories and characters develop as I write them.

Tell us about the most intriguing character you've created.

An Unfamiliar Murder contains snippets from the killer’s point of view throughout. Crafting his character required a great deal of research into serial killers and the behavior of psychopaths. Although intriguing, the reality of it all did give me nightmares at times. I only used the best parts for my character.

Who is your favorite author? And, if given the opportunity to meet them, what would you ask them?

    I have been a huge fan Jeffery Deaver for many years now. The Empty Chair is my favorite of his crime thrillers and is a sizzling page turner. He was commissioned to write the latest James Bond novel, Carte Blanche, and I was lucky enough to meet him at the recent UK launch, where he told me that editing and re-writing are at the heart of his work: re-working pieces until he was comfortable with them.

What did you do when you found out your first book had been contracted?

At the very moment the email came through? Well, I’m a very excitable person – I shouted a few whoop whoops, and did a little dance around the lounge with my dog. Then I phoned everyone and we had a big family celebration.

Has there been a person or influence in your life that has helped you reach your writing goals?

My husband and daughter have lived with my characters for years. I couldn’t do this without either of them.

 What advice would you offer a writer trying to publish?

Make sure that you edit your manuscript and it is the best possible work you can produce. Then send it everywhere and don’t be put off by rejection letters. There are a plethora of reasons for rejections: their lists are full, they don’t like the style, they just signed something similar etc… It doesn’t necessarily mean your work is poor, we are in a subjective profession – what one person hates, another may love. Just keep trying. You only need one yes. 

Tell us about your current release.

An Unfamiliar Murder

What secrets lurk beneath a normal, healthy skin?

Arriving home from a routine day at work, Anna Cottrell has no idea that her life is about to change forever. But discovering the stabbed body of a stranger in her flat, then becoming prime suspect in a murder enquiry is only the beginning. Her persistent claims of innocence start to crumble when new evidence links her irrevocably with the victim...

Leading her first murder enquiry, DCI Helen Lavery unravels a trail of deception, family secrets and betrayal. When people close to the Cottrell family start to disappear, Lavery is forced into a race against time. Can she catch the killer before he executes his ultimate victim?

Buy Link:

Paperback US:
 http://www.amazon.com/Unfamiliar-Murder-Jane-Isaac/dp/1937758060/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326864285&sr=8-1Paperback UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Unfamiliar-Murder-Jane-Isaac/dp/1937758060/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1328031646&sr=8-2
 Kindle US:
 http://www.amazon.com/An-Unfamiliar-Murder-ebook/dp/B006YK6U18/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1326864285&sr=8-3
 Kindle UK:
 http://www.amazon.co.uk/An-Unfamiliar-Murder-ebook/dp/B006YK6U18/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326868728&sr=8-1

 Do you have any upcoming projects in the works?

 I am currently writing the sequel to An Unfamiliar Murder, which should be out by the end of the year.

Where can readers connect with you?

 You can contact me on my website at www.janeisaac.co.uk. I love to hear from readers and writers. Sign up to my newsletter for updates on An Unfamiliar Murder and its sequel which should be out by the end of 2012. Alternatively, follow me on Twitter: @JaneIsaacAuthor or on Face Book: Jane Isaac Author.

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Thanks so much for joining us today.