Introducing Fantastic Y/A Author Jayde Scott

Jayde Scott is one of my favourite authors of all time and I'm so excited to interview her and introduce her to you. You'll love her book as much as I do. Promise.

Hi Jayde, thank you so much for letting me interview you. First of all, tell us about yourself and where you sit to write your wonderful stories. Do you have an office? Or do you just write anywhere?

Hi Trish , thanks for inviting me. I write dark fiction including the paranormal and mythology. My books are aimed at teens and young adults, though at times, I also venture into women's fiction. I'm very particular about my writing environment and prefer dark spaces with no windows because I can't write with distractions. I don't have an actual office so I'd say I can write anywhere, but there has to be a bed or sofa since I tend to write leaning against a wall with my MacBook cradled on my thighs. Depending on the scene I write, I need either perfect silence or music.

That’s funny, Jayde, but so understandable, especially since you also write dark fiction, which I love of course.  Gee, no way could I write like that though. I love to gaze out of a window occasionally. Now, I have this great image of you writing in a dark room. It sounds cosy though. Now, tell us how long you’ve been writing?

Ever since I could read and write. I started out writing poetry and the endings of my mother's romance novels, then moved on to short stories. In my teens, I figured why not try my hand at a vampire novel. The book was horribly bad and clichéd, but it certainly taught me a thing or two about writing.

It sounds like you’ve always wanted to be a writer then?

Well, not always. At some point I wanted to be a poet. When my aspirations were shattered, I went to uni to get a degree and didn't do much writing because I figured no writer can ever live on royalties alone. It was only two years ago that I really wanted to be a writer and started changing my life in that direction.

Wonderful. You found what you loved and decided to do it, no matter what. I love that. Do you remember your first writing attempts?

Oh, gosh, yes. They were horrible because I had a tendency toward flowery, verbose description. I thought I sounded like Anne Rice, but I was probably just a bad copycat. I still think my poems were great though.

What genre do you write the most?

I prefer to write fantasy and paranormal (mostly YA), but I do dab into contemporary women's fiction at times just to give myself variety.

Great, and they're wonderful, I know because I've read them. What other genres have you written in, or would like to pursue?

At the moment, I don't really see myself writing in other genres. My paranormal fiction may take a darker turn in the future since I'm really drawn in that direction, but I don’t see myself changing genres because I really love what I do right now.

I know what you mean. I love writing children's stories, so that's my genre. I think it's great that you write Y/A because you're so fabulous at it. I love all of your books and would love to read more. What goals do you set out to achieve when you start writing a new story?

I try to write at least 2000 words a day and have the first draft finished in six weeks.

Gee, that’s fast. I’m much slower than that. You must be a fast writer.

Yes, I'm a fast writer and can write up to 5000 words a day, but I tend to break off in the middle and not write for a few weeks and months, then return to a story and finish it.

How long does it take you to write a whole book?

It depends. I'd say anywhere between two and six months. It took me six months to write A Job From Hell, but only two to write The Divorce Club, which might have something to do with length and how much plot is in there.

That’s about the time it takes me, but only if I’m left alone to write. There are always so many distractions to stop me though. Like family, animals, marketing and work. Jayde, how do you cope with certain friends and family that don’t support your writing or believe in your writing?

Easy, I don't tell them about my books.

Great advice, Jayde. I’m getting that way too, but now my family are starting to believe at last. What is your next project?

My next project is Voodoo Kiss, the third book in the Ancient Legends series. I don't want to reveal too much about it, so let say it's much darker than anything I've done before with lots of Voodoo, rituals and betrayal. It's going to be a wicked read.

Fantastic. I can’t wait for that. Do you ever base physical appearance of your characters on people you know, portraits or actors?

Yes, I believe we all do that every now and then, though I wouldn't say it applies to all characters. Aidan from A Job From Hell is a very famous rock star. Everyone else was just a figment of my imagination.

I would love to know what rock star that is, but I know you won't want to reveal that, so I won't ask. Introduce the main character from your latest book. Who are they? Let them speak for themselves. What would they like to say?

The main character from my last book, Beelzebub Girl, is Cass who happens to be Lucifer's daughter. She's a bit of a klutz but very endearing. At just seventeen, she has quite a bit on her plate. Think, parents are separated and she lives with her conventional father. Soon she'll be bound to Hell forever if she doesn't find the love of her life to save her from her curse. Trouble is, said soulmate is mortal and her family isn't exactly thrilled. Now she not only must persuade the family that he's worthy of their approval, she also has to protect him from the psycho causing havoc in Hell. And that's quite a task for a seventeen-year-old.

Thank you so much for answering my questions, Jade, and good luck with your new book and the ones already published. I'm reading BeelzeBuB Girl at the moment and absolutely loving it. The book cover and title are fabulous.

Thank you for inviting me, Trish. I appreciate it.

You can purchase Jayde’s wonderful books online at Amazon, Smashwords and Barnes and Noble. Here is a link and to purchase her books click on >> Amazon.