Writing With the Stars; D L Jackson
Today, our star of honor is D L Jackson. It’s so nice to have you here and shining! I’m sure you’re ready to share with us your success and many fun endeavors. So, let’s get on with the party!
BIO: D. L. Jackson is an award-winning writer of urban fantasy, science fiction, military romance and erotic romance. She loves to incorporate crazy plot twists, comedy and the unexpected into her worlds. As a U.S. Army veteran, she naturally adores men in uniform and feels the world could always use more. She does her part by incorporating as many sexy soldiers in her novels as she can. When she isn’t writing or running the roads, you can often find her online chatting with her peers and readers. Grab a cup of iced coffee, pull up your virtual chair and say hi. She loves emails and blog visits from her readers. http://www.authordljackson.com
Let’s get to know you a little better. Why don’t you step over here under the spotlight and shine a little.
First questions: (I’ll go easy on you.)
What made you decide to become a writer? I’ve always loved telling stories. My father called me Windy as a child, because I never ceased to talk. It carried over as I got older and so people didn’t think I was nuts, I corralled it and put it into books.
What inspires you? Where do you get your ideas? Life inspires me. Witnessing the funny, odd and sometimes scary things people do. It’s like I see it, and it flips a switch.
Do you beat your muse? I mean…Wait! Do you have a muse? Does he/she have a name? I have a muse, but she’s on strike at the moment. She’s a little demon that adores shoes, sits on my shoulder and generally annoys the crap out of me. She’s called Bunny. Haven’t seen her around have you? Been looking to net her for a couple of weeks now.
Let’s talk about your writing process. Are you a plotter or pantser? Are there any weird things that you do before you start to sit down to write? (Like stretch those fingers…? Scream at the computer…?) 100% pantser. I write all my novels in my vehicle, even when at home.
Have you always envisioned yourself a writer? What were you doing before you started writing? Has your earlier career influence your current one? I was a soldier in the Army, in Military Intelligence. I wrote before I went in, but not seriously. I didn’t start to write seriously until I got out and my children were older. They are both in the military now too. My oldest is a Marine and my youngest will be leaving for Basic Training in August. So, my mind is always on them. I write a lot of stories about soldiers, so yeah, it did influence me a little. LOL
Where do you see yourself 5 years from now with your writing career?
Hopefully moving forward. My goal has always been to grow my career and readership. I have a story I plan to shop to an agent this summer, if I can find another 20k to add to it.
The gears are turning and I’m getting close.
What is the hardest thing you’ve had to overcome in your writing career so far?
Balancing work, family and life. I think every writer struggles with this. Last year was particularly brutal for me, and I don’t talk about it a lot. I lost six family members, two were my grandparents and while I was under contract and in edits for Seducing Liberty. Along with that, my father was going through chemotherapy and my Marine infantryman son, was deployed to a hot area in Afghanistan. It was hard to keep my focus, but the writing did help me to work through the loss and stress.
Now let’s talk more about you. If you could pick to live the life of a movie star, who would it be and why? Does this person show up in your stories?
If I could pick the life of a movie star, I’d probably run the other way. I can’t imagine the in-your-face aspects of their lives. They have no privacy. Everything they do is under public scrutiny. I’m a serious introvert, and always have been. I don’t like crowds. I prefer to be home, alone or with my family. It’s one of the primary reasons you don’t see me at conferences, why I don’t live in the city, or travel to them often. I want to go and meet people, but I just don’t like large crowds, they spook me. I grew up on a ranch in the open, two hours away from cities and I appreciate the solitude of that life.
Through research, what is the most silly thing you’ve ever done?
I started mixed martial arts for research, but kept going because I loved it. Same thing with Chinese language lessons. I really look kookie talking to myself in my car outside of work in Chinese, but hey, practice makes perfect—I hope.
What genres do you read? Do you read what you write? Sometimes. Hell, okay, I’ll admit it, I’m a book whore. I don’t care what it is, tampon box inserts, electronics manuals. If it’s not nailed down, I’ll read it, and tuck that useless information away to annoy the shit out of my husband later. He always says not to tell him useless facts like, National Arbor Day started in Nebraska, or that the Earth weighs a ton more every day from falling space dust, as it takes up valuable space in his brain for something important he needed to remember. Anyway, I’m reading Sun Tzu’s Art of War right now. Does that tell you anything. LOL
Time to lop the concubines heads off.
What’s the last book you’ve read for fun? Did you read it on an e-Reader or are you still a paperback-kind-of-person?
For fun. For fun. Hmm. The Hunter by Theresa Meyers, a steam punk romance. This last weekend.
What did you wish you had known back then when you began writing?
How better to read contracts. Live and learn.
Is there anything else you’d want your readers and friends to know about you?
I’m really not crazy. That would mean I keep repeating the same mistakes, expecting the same results. There is a method to my madness and I promise you, I will bring the fun with me to my books.
And lastly, where can we find you?
Email: dlareejackson1@gmail.com
Twitter: Dlaree69
Facebook: D L jackson
Website: http://authordljackson.com
Thank you so much for being a star DL Jackson! Please tell us about your giveaway!
I’m giving away a copy of My Boogie Woogie Bugle Guy and a $10.00 Amazon Gift Certificate [to a randomly choosen commenter].
Blurb:
When Grace Daniels goes to the cemetery to visit the grave of her twin brother, she meets a soldier, there for the same reason, or at least that’s what she believes until he tells her about the blind date her brother arranged before he was killed in combat.
It’s the date of her dreams. Big band, brass and sass. Madame Eve from 1NightStand has set her up for an unforgettable night, a WWII swing dance party. Unfortunately she’s having trouble letting go of her past, and is afraid to take the chance given to her.
Sergeant Frank Winters is an Army trumpet player who travels with the color guard, a great dancer and six feet four inches of eye candy that could make her an addict. He’s also a soldier and soldiers can get killed. Grace doesn’t have the heart to lose someone again, but Frank knows a good thing when he sees it, and he’s determined to show her in one night, she’s got more to lose if she walks away.
Excerpt:
Frank sat up, slammed his eyes shut, and pressed his hand over his forehead. “Ah, what did you do last night, Frank?”
“You drank too much, played a horrendous solo on top of the mausoleum, and puked in my car.”
“God. Please tell me I didn’t.”
“Oh, but you did,”
His eyes snapped back open and he searched the strange room for the source of the voice. When his gaze stopped on the strawberry blonde in an overstuffed easy chair, her leg draped over one of the arms, sipping a cup of coffee, he couldn’t look away. She wore a pair of red sweat-shorts and a worn T-shirt that had faded from black down through several shades of gray until it settled into a dingy, well-loved, pewter shade. A big Army logo ran across the front in bright yellow.
Hu-ah.
“You left your bike at the cemetery. When you’re ready, I’ll take you to get it.”
“Who are you, and where am I?” Frank surveyed the room, searching for any memory of how he’d ended up there. The place was cozy, the woman gorgeous, and he certainly could have done worse. “Did we?” His head throbbed as he strained his brain for details. Certainly he wouldn’t forget hitting that.
“My name is Grace Daniels.” She snorted and rose to her feet. His gaze immediately drifted back to a body that rocked the workout clothes she’d donned. “You can rest assured, we did nothing. I had to haul your butt in here on a dolly last night.”
“Damn. Can we get a do over?”
“How about we start with java instead?”
“Yeah.” Grace Daniels. What were the chances? Frank rubbed his temple, trying his best to sooth the monster headache that threatened to split his skull. A dolly? Really? Did she say I puked in her car? There went any chance of a good first impression. He’d have to clean that up as soon as he got his bearings.
Thanks again! 
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