1. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Hello, All. As you may have previously read (but I’ll repeat to kick things off with a: “insert-help-group-name-here” anonymous feel) my name is Jemir. Beyond that I’m a writer, editor and professional juggler. “Juggler” being a fancy way of saying I have a million story ideas, way less than that in production, slightly fewer on record and a day job that supports my ability to make things happen as best I can. Don’t really know why I’m linking THAT with “juggling”, but … too late to turn back {laughter}.
2. Describe your book Blind Corners in 30 words or less.
Jay Nova’s a private eye that goes where the powerful and famous won’t to do what they can’t by means that break the law. And,oh she can read minds.
3. What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Getting it “there”. I put that in quotes because every story’s “there” is different and, more often than not (at least in my opinion), something not quite tangible, easy to map or gauge. Sort of like how a composer may not feel the song is complete – even if it sounds good to the ear – until it feels right. The same thing goes with writing. Ideas and structure always seem to come easier than “there” does.
4. What books have had the greatest influence on you?
Not so much the individual books but the writing styles of Walter Mosley, George Pelecanos, Christopher Priest, Max Alan Collins, Octavia Butler, Mickey Spillane have shaped how I approach writing and the way I write.
5. Briefly share with us what you do to market your book?
A majority of the marketing I do for ‘Blind Corners’ involves going to every applicable book show in a reasonable driving distance that I can afford table space at (I try to do at least 10 of these shows a year) to sell my graphic novel to the public directly (which has been the most successful method for me) as well as getting many of the book marks, promotional posters and other things I stock piled in free gift bags and any place I think they may be seen and (hopefully) used. I also utilize my online (website, Facebook, Twitter) presence as best I can to spread the word and convince the interested that ‘Blind Corners’ is a worthwhile purchase and read.
6. How do you spend your time when you are not writing?
Besides engaging in the social familiarities that drive my life from a keyboard and screen on occasion I’m an avid dancer (break dancing, hip hop themed, etcetera) and reader so that’s where I tend to invest my energy when I’m not racing given or self imposed deadlines.
7. What are you working on next?
I have a number of different projects coming (as of this writing) in the near future and down the road. The first will be a full length, magic themed, graphic novel called ‘Little Miss Strange: Curse of the chameleon god’. She’s the black alien sorceress character created by comic industry veteran Winston Blakely who I co-wrote the script with. Then there’s my work in the sword and sorcery anthology ‘Dark Edge Magazine’ and the sci-fi collection ‘Immortal Fantasy’. Following that will be a pulp-crime anthology set in 1930’s Harlem called ‘Midnight Phantom’ and a full length illustrated Jay Nova crime thriller called ‘Chamber Made’. This doesn’t touch on the children’s books and assorted comic book projects I’ll be writing but, again, some of those are further down the road.
