J.M.Kelley is my seventh author to be featured as part of my 12 Days of Lazy Day Authors feature
Drew In Blue is the story of a thirty-six year old loner unexpectedly saddled with the task of raising a baby while trying to sort out his mess of a life. Problem is, he just keeps making things worse for himself. It’s a running theme in Drew’s life, considering he never does anything the easy way. The River’s View, Pennsylvania gossip mill is watching each misstep as Drew juggles a price-gouging babysitter, a major case of artist’s block, and a best friend with an opinion to share on every bungled choice he makes.
Drew’s love life isn’t faring much better. Despite a long history of relationships that never really get off the ground, he falls head over heels for someone new, hoping that she might be the one to end his romantic bad luck streak. After a few abysmally bad false starts, things finally start looking up for Drew. That is, until he finds out (the hard way, naturally) that this new love interest isn’t the one for him after all. Turns out, it’s actually lifelong pal, and high school girlfriend, Kristina Moser.
Drew’s feelings for Kris intensify as he witnesses her growing bond with his son, and he finally realizes where he belongs. Now all he has to do is convince Kris he’s right… and she’s just not buying it.
Who is your favorite character in your novel, and why?
I love Drew to pieces, but Kris seems to qualify as my favorite. She was really meant to be a bit player in the story, and the girl refused to be a background character. I love how it feels to read over the story and realize that in a way, Drew and Kris as a couple took me by surprise as much as it did them. Her strength as a person is responsible for the path my story took. I kinda love her for that.
Who is the ideal reader for your book?
I think Drew can appeal to a wide variety of readers. If you’ve loved and lost, Drew is for you. If you’ve bunged up a relationship or two, Drew is for you. If you’ve ever felt like the world’s left you behind, it’s for you. I’d even like to hazard a guess that even though Drew is a romance and would appeal to a generally female audience, that men might find it an engaging read as well. My biggest desire in writing the story was to present a believable male main character, and I’d love to have the guys test that attempt for me.
How do you come up with the names for your characters?
In Drew In Blue, I used the name Drew as a filler name until I thought of something better. I’d written another story with a character by that name. Except the name grew on me, and him, so I stuck with it. Names are hard to come up with. I don’t really go for symbolic connotations, and sometimes I will pick up a baby name book and just flip through and try out some names in my mind until something catches my eye.
What was your first reaction when LazyDay Publishing offered you a contract?
Panic. I grabbed a friend on AIM and squealed and discussed, and had her hold my hand as I made the decision to sign. It was a crazy, wonderful day.
What obstacles did you encounter in getting this book published? How did you overcome them?
My biggest obstacle was being completely unclear on what it takes to write a book. I was a total novice, and made many, many mistakes. I may have composed the worst query letter known to man, and burned some agent bridges because of my cluelessness. But I went to the Pennwriters Conference and learned so much. Since then, I attended the SCWW Conference as well. I think conferences are a tremendous resource for authors in the making, and think it made all the difference in my work and how I handled the querying process. Invaluable information is available at such events.
Are you working on your next book?
I’m continuing the theme of life in small-town Pennsylvania, but this time moving the setting to Lancaster County. The main characters are not Amish, but they are surrounded by the culture. The working title, for now, is Daddy’s Girl. Janie, a bit of a black sheep, is called home to care for her ill father. While the story is a romance, with Janie finding love at the most inconvenient time in her life, the story focuses strongly on Janie and her father healing old rifts and discovering how much they have in common after all.
Where can readers learn more about you?
My website and blog are located at: www.jmkelleywrites.com
Where will it be available?
Available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Drew-in-Blue-ebook/dp/B004E1142O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1291297200&sr=8-2
And Barnes & Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Drew-in-Blue/JM-Kelley/e/9781612580098/?itm=1&USRI=drew+in+blue
Drew in Blue sounds great! I’ve never heard of it before now. Loved the interview also. Thanks!
Thanks for having me on the blog, Hayley, such a fantastic idea you had here!