Hi J.M,
Welcome and thank you for
taking part in this interview. We are excited to be able to talk to you!
For those who don’t know
much about you can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Absolutely! I’m a
wife and mom, which I think are two of the most important jobs ever. I was a
deputy sheriff for nine years until hubby relocated us to Kentucky (I’m a
Buckeye at heart). I’ve written since junior high, but once I moved down here I
started to seriously pursue it. I’ve been published for three years, have 13
books out, and can’t imagine doing anything else now.
How did you choose which
genre to write in? Well, I was always a Harlequin and Desire reader, so I
thought that was what I wanted to write, but when I put pen to paper my
material ended up being very different. More emotional, less driven by standard
rules. I wrote about what I wanted to know about. Because of my law enforcement
experience, veering into writing military seemed natural to me. All but a
couple of my books have law enforcement or former military in them.
What kind of research do you
do for your books? Do you enjoy doing your research? I love doing research
although I can definitely get lost in it. Writing military especially you have
to be super careful with your details. Readers will ding you if you get
something wrong.
But, on the flip side of
that coin, I value the stroy enough that if I get something wrong trying to
convey my message, I should get
dinged. I should have the knowledge to treat the military, and my former
servicemen, with the respect they deserve.
If I absolutely can’t find
an answer or it’s one of those things that only personal experience would
explain, I call a buddy of mine. He’s the husband of a writer friend and a
former Marine, and I’m truly appreciative of all the help he gives me. (Hey,
Bruce!)
Do you draw on personal
experiences for your writing? Definitely. I grew up a tomboy- driving motor
bikes, collecting animals and shooting guns. My dad was an armorer in the Army,
so guns have always been in my life. Then, when I became a cop, my life
depended on them.
To a certain extent, I can
understand the military lifestyle, even without being part of it. I had some of
the same comaraderie and regulation in the sheriff’s department.
Writing fight and action scenes
have always come easier to me because I know the mechanics of what needs to
happen in a fight. I pride myself on being able to articulate those well.
Are the names of the
characters in your books special to you? Sometimes. It took me a long time to
write my Lost and Found series. I knew I wanted to write it but didn’t know if
I could do it justice or not when I first started writing. Anyway, I’ve had
John Palmer’s name for about four years, even though the book just came out at
the beginning of this year. It popped into my head one day and just wouldn’t
leave. Same with Duncan’s name. I’ve had Duncan forever, although the Wilde is
new. His last name used to be Clark, until I changed it to something more
interesting.
So, if you ever spot “Duncan
Clark” in a book, let me know about it. It’s an unintentional typo. ;-)
Did you enjoy writing the
Uniform Desires books? Do you like collaborating with other authors? I did, and
I do. We have a military blog ( For the Love of Military Romance) and we started talking
about an anthology. I loved the group of women I ended up contributing with,
even though I had to work my ass off! Her Forever Hero was a brand new book I
decided to write when we were putting the anthology together. It was a time
crunch, but it all worked out.
Do you have any projects
you’re working on now? My gosh, yes. My LNF readers are demanding Chad’s book
so I’m working on it now. I have Preston’s book in my mind waiting to be put
down, and another book (with a Navy SEAL K9 ) teasing my brain. I have a
contemporary western so close to being done it’s not funny. I just have to find
the time to tie it up. Then I have the follow up book to A Needful Heart
waiting in my head as well. I have no lack of material.
What do you use to write
your book? Physically? A MacBook Pro. I’m a recent Apple convert and I have to
say I love the machine. Then I use a regular old Word program. I write by the
seat of my pants, so I don’t use planning boards or anything like that. Butt In
Chair Hands On Keyboard.
Do you listen to music while
you write or read? I use music sometimes. If the kids are at school, I use the
silence of the house. But if they’re home, I put my headphones on and listen to
Pandora very quietly. If I’m in an active scene, I pump it up with something
with a heavier beat. I think subliminally I try to make my fingers keep pace
with the rhythm.
A lot of times I just put my
headphones on to let the family know I’m in work mode. They leave me alone
then. For the most part...
What are the most important
attributes to remaining sane as a writer? One of the biggest things is having
other writer friends. You need to know you aren’t crazy, (dazing off into
space, yelling at imaginary people in the car). I started out with a local RWA
chapter for the first few years and absolutely loved the camaraderie. Things
changed with the organization, though, and we had to create our own indie
group, and it was one of the best things I’ve ever been a part of. I love the
women in my group because we have SO much in common.
How do you get your ideas
for books? Heck, I have too many ideas! For the Uniform Desires book, I had a
flash of this stunningly beautiful woman puking her guts out in a boardroom
because she’s pregnant (don’t ask me why) and wondering how my hero could save
her right off the bat. That turned into the opening scene for Her Forever Hero.
No, she doesn’t puke right there, but it is a threat and he has to hustle her
out of the room to privacy.
My ideas come from
conversations, real or imagined. Something I might see on TV. The entire Lost
and Found series idea came from a relative of mine cheating on her husband
while he was deployed to Iraq. Sad, but true.
How often do you write and
whats the hardest/easiest part of writing a book? I write every day, literally.
I don’t have a set word count, but I at least get a scene in. Weekends are
hardest because the family likes to do stuff, but I make time with my keyboard
every day. The easiest part? The ideas and putting my appreciation into my
words for the men who serve our country.
Describe in 5 words, your
writing: emotional, steamy, satisfying, heartening, and uplifting.
Who designed your covers? I
have a lovely cover artist by the name of Viola Estrella that does my LNF
covers. I give her an idea of what I like and she comes up with the rest. I’ve
loved every cover she’s done for me and plan on using her for a long time.
What are you currently
reading? I just finished a story called Cold Rage by Jacob Quarterman. I
downloaded it free. Totally NOT what I normally read but it was interesting and
kept me hooked the entire read. I think because the hero was so conflicted, yet
you rooted him on. (Just a warning if anybody goes looking for it- it’s gory
and rough.)
Do you have a nickname? Ha!
Yes. Tumbleweed. I can walk across a room and twist my ankle. I’ve fallen up
stairs more times than I can tell you. Who falls into an empty six foot
swimming pool and gets a concussion? Yep, me. I’ve never been able to live that
name down.
What do you do to relax? I
have horses. I don’t ride much anymore because I really don’t bounce the way I
used to ( see answer above) but I love just being with them. I love to read,
obviously, and Candy Crush Saga is kicking my butt right now...
Series or standalone? Series
ebooks or hard/paperback
books? Ebooks and paperbacks. Some I need
in print.
Favorite Author? Wow. I
can’t name just one. Marjorie M. Liu’s Dirk and Steele guys, Nalini Singh’s
Archangel series, Robyn Peterman’s anything, Donna McDonald’s Cougars. The list
goes on. Thea Harrison, Susan Mallery, JR Ward...
What advice would you give
to aspiring writers? Find other writers! Even if you have to create your own
group, do it, because the exchange of ideas and knowledge is invaluable. Write
like crazy. Don’t be afraid to try new things! And check out my website. I have
some author helps listed that I wish I had had a couple years ago. And read!!!
How can readers get in touch
with you or find out more about your work? I love getting emails from readers.
I really do. I put my email on everything.
Authorjmmadden@gmail.com
I try to keep my website up
to date, but the blog is suffering with my workload. And I love answering
questions for other writers. I’m pretty transparent with anything.
Website http://www.jmmadden.com
Facebook J.M.
Madden
Twitter @authorjmmadden
Amazon Author Page
Goodreads JM Madden
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