...TJ JONES!
TJ and I met through the Lakes Area Writers Alliance, an organization in the Brainerd Lakes Area with a goal of supporting writers of all styles and genres. We've attended many book events together and have had plenty of conversations about writing fiction, the business, the craft, and life in general. After I took my brief turn as president of LAWA, TJ took the helm and has been doing a phenomenal job. The FDR to my Herbert Hoover if you will. If you want to learn more about the Lakes Area Writers Alliance, go to www.lawamn.org.
Here is his answers to the 7 Questions:
1. What movie, TV show, song, or piece of art that's not writing has recently inspired your writing?
The other night I broke with tradition (because I'm normally a scrooge despite being a sucker for happy endings) and watched a Christmas movie. The hook for me was that the main character was a famous and good-looking writer. As writers tend to be! ("The Noelle Diaries" if you must know.) Not Oscar material, but I thought the way the main character and his love interest were brought together was creative. Both had unresolved issues with family members and shared a common thread that I didn't see coming. (Admittedly, I was half asleep.) Diaries, old letters, and storage boxes are a widely used vehicle for authors. They're always full of secrets and possibilities, past and present, and a plausible way, I think, to explain back story and motivation.
2. Following the success of The Great Gatsby, Leonardo DiCaprio has decided to turn another famous novel by a Minnesota author into his next film project. Which book do you recommend?
The first thing Leonardo must do is call up Chris Pratt and say: "I have a part that would be perfect for you!" This is after he has just read the "Slater Mysteries" by T.J. Jones, of course. Bryce Dallas Howard is the beautiful redhead who would return to co-star with Chris as Maggie Jeffries, and Jamie King would play her equally beautiful but broken older sister. Probably not a small budget film!
3. Tell us about a recent idea that you've had that might turn into a novel or might just take up a line in a notebook.
I have literally known the mayor of our little town since he was born. He is now 6'9" and very close to four hundred pounds. I see him as the mayor of another small town somewhere with something of a mystical history. He would spend his time sorting out people's problems and playing matchmaker-while simultaneously solving crimes and dealing with some long-term and diabolical evil as yet undefined. A horror/cozy. Sort of. Maybe.
4. Favorite beverage to enjoy while you write.
I drink a ridiculous amount of coffee. It's why I'm writing this now instead of sleeping.
5. What do you think your main protagonist will be doing this Christmas? No spoilers, but will it be a merry Christmas?
My current book takes place in the fall, starting a few weeks before Thanksgiving and ending somewhere around Christmas. My tagline is "Happy Endings Guaranteed", so I suspect things will work out for Adam Cain and the Gypsy and that they will have a wonderful holiday.
6. You have a novel coming out! "One Way to Live." What can you tell us about it?
Both "The Gypsy" and "One Way to Live" are a little more serious than my previous stuff, both in content and in style. I think my style is still evolving and my writing keeps getting better, but I'll let the readers be the judge of that. I will say that "One Way to Live" delves into some social issues, and has a ton of characters in it, with storylines that eventually come together. I love writing characters but getting them all to the finish line at the same time has been the challenge of this book. I'm hoping to be ready for release by the end of January. We'll see.
7. How can we find what you’ve written?
My books can be found on Amazon by searching for T.J. Jones or on my website at:
www.tjjonesbooks.com.
Here is his answers to the 7 Questions:
1. What movie, TV show, song, or piece of art that's not writing has recently inspired your writing?
The other night I broke with tradition (because I'm normally a scrooge despite being a sucker for happy endings) and watched a Christmas movie. The hook for me was that the main character was a famous and good-looking writer. As writers tend to be! ("The Noelle Diaries" if you must know.) Not Oscar material, but I thought the way the main character and his love interest were brought together was creative. Both had unresolved issues with family members and shared a common thread that I didn't see coming. (Admittedly, I was half asleep.) Diaries, old letters, and storage boxes are a widely used vehicle for authors. They're always full of secrets and possibilities, past and present, and a plausible way, I think, to explain back story and motivation.
2. Following the success of The Great Gatsby, Leonardo DiCaprio has decided to turn another famous novel by a Minnesota author into his next film project. Which book do you recommend?
The first thing Leonardo must do is call up Chris Pratt and say: "I have a part that would be perfect for you!" This is after he has just read the "Slater Mysteries" by T.J. Jones, of course. Bryce Dallas Howard is the beautiful redhead who would return to co-star with Chris as Maggie Jeffries, and Jamie King would play her equally beautiful but broken older sister. Probably not a small budget film!
3. Tell us about a recent idea that you've had that might turn into a novel or might just take up a line in a notebook.
I have literally known the mayor of our little town since he was born. He is now 6'9" and very close to four hundred pounds. I see him as the mayor of another small town somewhere with something of a mystical history. He would spend his time sorting out people's problems and playing matchmaker-while simultaneously solving crimes and dealing with some long-term and diabolical evil as yet undefined. A horror/cozy. Sort of. Maybe.
4. Favorite beverage to enjoy while you write.
I drink a ridiculous amount of coffee. It's why I'm writing this now instead of sleeping.
5. What do you think your main protagonist will be doing this Christmas? No spoilers, but will it be a merry Christmas?
My current book takes place in the fall, starting a few weeks before Thanksgiving and ending somewhere around Christmas. My tagline is "Happy Endings Guaranteed", so I suspect things will work out for Adam Cain and the Gypsy and that they will have a wonderful holiday.
6. You have a novel coming out! "One Way to Live." What can you tell us about it?
Both "The Gypsy" and "One Way to Live" are a little more serious than my previous stuff, both in content and in style. I think my style is still evolving and my writing keeps getting better, but I'll let the readers be the judge of that. I will say that "One Way to Live" delves into some social issues, and has a ton of characters in it, with storylines that eventually come together. I love writing characters but getting them all to the finish line at the same time has been the challenge of this book. I'm hoping to be ready for release by the end of January. We'll see.
7. How can we find what you’ve written?
My books can be found on Amazon by searching for T.J. Jones or on my website at:
www.tjjonesbooks.com.