Friday, June 7, 2013

Interview with Jane McBride


Welcome to the Wonderful Jane McBride!

Hi Jane, tell us a little bit about you.

Well, I live with my husband Don, my two little boys and my Mom in Taylorsville, Utah. I’m from a small town called Medina in Western New York. I went back there to live a couple of years ago and the area turned out to be the perfect inspiration for A Little Hair of the Dog.

Is writing your full time career?

I suppose you could say it’s my career. It’s the only thing I do that pays me anything! But really I’m at home full time with my two sons. Both are on the autism spectrum and are definitely full time jobs.

As someone who has spend a lot of time caring for someone with ADHD, I truly know where you are coming from, and full credit to you for still managing to find time and energy for your writing. So, prior to writing your novel what is the worst job you have ever done, and why?

When I was 18 I worked for a few months as an aide in a badly run nursing home. I was disgusted every day by the treatment the residents received. I was never so glad to get out of a place! Now the home is state run and I have heard that it’s much improved.

I also worked in numerous care homes during my younger days, and the care varied vastly from provider to provider. So it would seem that care provision is as much of an issue in the states as it is over here in the U.K...Moving on Jane, what genre is your work and do you have any plans to work outside of it? 

For a long time, I wasn’t sure what on earth to call it! I started out to write a mystery, but the book refused to cooperate with me and took another direction. It turned into a romantic comedy, and that’s what I call it!

Everyone loves a good romcom!! What inspired you to write your first book?

I was walking my dog in the small town mentioned above, and I saw a nicely kept little yard with garden ornaments. I thought there should be garden gnome there, but there wasn’t. I thought, what if there was a gnome there, and what if… I went home, got on the computer and started the story.

I just love how Americans refer to gardens as yards!! Do you ever get ideas at random moments, and if so how do you hang onto them?

I sure do! My best ideas have come at random times. I got an incredible idea when my sons and I went to the library, where we saw a very large man dressed as a woman. He looked perfectly fabulous.

I bet he did. Sometimes men look better when they are dressed as women, than women do when they are just being themselves!! Which was your favourite character to write, and why?

One of the main characters in my series of novels is a Great Dane named Henry. He has been my favorite character to write, I think! He doesn’t speak but is very good at making his opinions clear and looks on with loving amusement at the foibles of his human friends.

Ah, that's so sweet.  Do you read for pleasure or out of habit?

Pleasure, habit and compulsion.  I must have a book with me at all times, even if I know I won't have the chance to read it!  You just never know when you might have a moment!

What are you reading at the moment, and why?

I’m a reviewer for the Kindle Book Review and I currently read about five at once. The only thing I’m reading right now, just because I want to, is a short story called Muffinz by Justin Osborne.

Snow or ice and why?

Snow! I’m from Western New York. We know a lot about snow.

Do you have an opinion on life after death, and if so what?

I’m LDS-a Mormon. My novels are actually LDS fiction. I believe that families are meant to be together forever, that there are unimaginable great things waiting for us after this life.
I have been meaning to do a little further research on the Mormon faith ever since Lenora reviewed your book.  I am fascinated by different faiths/beliefs and will definitely take a look at some point.

London, Paris or New York and why?

London. I can’t explain why, but England and its history has always been a wonderful fascination for me. I love reading anything I can get hold of about England, or by British authors. I love the country (I got to go once) and have a great respect and admiration for the people.
Yeah, I can see why Buck Palace and the tower etc would be appealing to overseas visitors.  I lived in London for a couple of years in my late teens and whilst I loved the experience, for me the city was just too crowded, although I have promised my daughter a trip on the London eye at some point!! 

What do you have in the pipeline?

The Third novel of my Ann and Henry series, and a cozy mystery featuring one of my favorite secondary characters, Tom Tipple.

What is your earliest childhood memory?

When I was learning to walk!  We had a lovely calico cat named Kelly, and she was sweet and friendly.  They were trying to get me to walk to the cat.  I can remember (probably) my mother's voice saying, "Kiss the kitty Janie!  Kiss the kitty!"  And I did.   I walked over and kissed the kitty on the head.

Too cute!!!  How do you overcome writers block?

I just don't sweat it.  Inspiration comes from life.  I get ideas from music, from walking around in store, while walking my dog.  One thing I don't do is stare at a blank screen and wish I could think of something.  When I do get an idea, I have a very good retention and I usually mull the idea over for a long time- sometimes weeks - before I ever start writing it.  The bigger the idea is for  the plot, the longer I take thinking it over.  It has worked well for me!

Where would you like to be in 5 year time?

A legend on the NYT bestseller list!

If you only had 60 seconds remaining on this planet, what would you say, and who would you say it to?

I would take my kids out to play.  Anything I said would be to make sure they had fun.

Do you have any pets – If so what?

I have an Australian Terrier named Harry and a Silky Terrier named Molly (she is introduced as a character in my second book).  My son has a 10 year old cat named Buster, and we have another cat named Archie.  Archie's personality was transplanted into a fictional cat named Baby Kitty in book one.  Harry is the dog I was walking when I was thinking of garden gnomes!

Can you write on demand and under pressure, or do you need time and space before the creativity starts to flow?

I have never tried to write under pressure, so I'm not sure how I would do.  I suppose I'll find out if I ever get signed by a publisher.

THANK YOU JANE FOR A REALLY INSIGHTFUL PEEK INTO YOUR LIFE.

YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS AMAZING LADY BY CLICKING THE FOLLOWING LINKS
 https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/pages/A-Little-Hair-of-the-Dog-by-author-Jane-McBride/422224797814129
http://onbecominganauthor.blogspot.com/ [1]
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0095XN2QW [2]
http://www.amazon.com/Reigning-Cats-Henry-Novels-ebook/dp/B00A8LMSEM/ref=sr
 _1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1353109875&sr=1-1&keywords=Reigning+Cat
 s+and+Dogs[3]

Ingrid Hall is the author of Granny Irene's Guide to the Afterlife - Revenge.  She also offers free interviews and book reviews to indie authors.  You can find out more at http://www.ingridhall.com

2 comments:

  1. This was a wonderful, insightful interview with a former student of mine in Medina NY. Her way with words (as I call it) is as evident here as it is in her writing. She's as natural and enchanting as the characters she allows to inhabit her books.
    Parents of autistic kids will also love her blogs and a book in the making.

    ReplyDelete

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