Hey folks, today I have the pleasure
of interviewing J.P. Lane, or Joan as her friends call her. J.P. is an author
of mysteries and thrillers with a romantic element. Let’s see what surprises
she has for us today.
Rachelle: If you had one word to
describe yourself, what would it be?
Joan: Global
Rachelle: Now, why did I say one
word and you actually gave me one word? That usually doesn’t happen to me. Can
you elaborate?
Joan: It means I’m a person who’s
always aware there’s a whole world out there – beyond my immediate community,
beyond this country. I’m addicted to Twitter because when I’m on Twitter I get
the sense the whole world is gathered in one place. A few nights ago a follower
in Scotland retweeted one of my tweets. I looked at my clock, because I was
curious about what time it was in Scotland. It was just after 4:30 a.m. I
tweeted him a thank you and added “you’re up late.” He tweeted back “not late,
it’s early here. Good morning!” I think it’s pretty wonderful to be able to
communicate with people anywhere at any time.
Rachelle: How true that is. I have
to keep remembering my friend in Australia is not just in a different season
from me, but my bedtime is her getting up time and my morning is her bedtime. You
were born in Jamaica and you’ve lived in several other countries. Do you think
that contributed to your global point of view?
Joan: Definitely. And my parents had
a lot to do with my acceptance of other cultures. I traveled with them from an
early age and my father was a big advocate of “When in Rome, do as the Romans
do.” For instance, my brothers and I were never allowed to complain about food
we didn’t like because we weren’t accustomed to it. We just had to go with the
flow. It probably sounds a bit strict, but it gave me the adaptability that
allows me to be reasonably comfortable wherever I am.
Rachelle: I actually agree with
them. Besides, Jamaican food is absolutely to die for. What was it like growing
up in Jamaica?
Joan: For me? Idyllic I suppose,
though I didn’t realize it then. I had a big family – two brothers and
twenty-three first cousins, most of them like brothers and sisters. We were all
close. It’s difficult to describe what my life in Jamaica was like up to the
time I left at 29 years old. You’d have to come with me for a visit. It would
be easier to show than tell. Let’s just say I didn’t have a care in the world.
Rachelle: Hopefully I can read a bit
of that in your stories. Is Jamaica the nameless island in The Tangled Web?
Joan: Yes and no. I use Jamaica a
lot as the backdrop to the story, but some of the locations in the book are
fabricated. And although Jamaica was a major cocaine transshipment center at
one time, the story could be about any Caribbean country. There was a lot of
that going on in the Eastern Caribbean too, and the Bahamas. In fact, a lot of
the stuff about the cocaine industry in the book is factual, like the Medellin
Cartel paying officials in Cuba’s Ministry of Interior six million to transship
six tons of cocaine through Cuba to the States. It was fascinating research. I
had no idea what a huge business cocaine is.
The
Tangled Web ranked #14 in Romantic Suspense in the free Kindle category
about a month ago. So far, this sounds more like a thriller than a romance.
To tell you the truth, it wasn’t
until the book was finished that I thought about what genre it was and even
then, I didn’t have a clue how to categorize it. Now that reviews are starting
to come in, the general perception seems to be that it’s a romantic suspense
novel. And here’s what I find interesting. One review says, “Finally! A noir
thriller that speaks to a woman’s heart” yet not one female reader that I’ve
got feedback from has said a word about the “steamy love scenes” that every
male reader, except one reviewer, has commented on. You’d think it would be the
other way round. Maybe the review should have said, “Finally! A romance novel
that speaks to a man’s heart.”
Rachelle: Nice! I’m sure you can get
several good tweets out of that. Now that The
Tangled Web has been published, are you working on anything else?
Joan: If I could tear myself away
from Twitter for ten seconds, I could get past the 28,000 word mark on the
historical novel I’m writing. But I have big plans to retreat back into my cave
and write for a while. Could be a few months, could be into next year. A book’s
finished when it’s finished. I don’t want to rush this one. It’s got too much
potential.
Rachelle: Again, I agree with you.
You give up depth with rushing. The flavors don’t mingle and absorb, staying on
the surface. Take time out to savor what life offers, eh? So, what do you do in
your spare time?
Joan: That’s a trick question,
right? What spare time? Okay, in an ideal world I’d be painting a canvass or
two, doing a few stained glass pieces, gardening, canoeing on the river,
travelling more, and spending more time with my very smart, absolutely adorable
two-year-old grandson. Grin. I suppose every grandmother thinks their
grandchildren are the cutest.
Rachelle: Definitely. I’m surprised
you didn’t mention reading. Do you find the time to kick back and read a good
yarn or are you always engrossed in your own stories?
Joan: Yes, I read every night, for
an hour or two before I go to sleep. That means I go to sleep late, but I feel
as if something's missing if I don't read every day. I read both fiction and
non fiction. Ironic you should ask that question though, because the book I'm
reading now just happens to be your Michal's
Window. If you think I'm spinning a yarn, go check Goodreads. It's listed
there as the book I'm reading. I don't write reviews, so I'm not going to
review it, but since I mentioned it, I'll tell you I'm enjoying it a
lot.
Rachelle: Cool! I’m glad! I enjoyed
this conversation. The Tangled Web is all the more richer from your varied life
experiences.
Joan: Thanks very much for this
opportunity, Rachelle. It’s been a pleasure.
A drug deal gone sour, an island in
the cross-fire of a drug war, a paid international assassin on the job. Can
entertainment tycoon Logan Armstrong and investigative reporter Lauren Anderson
untangle themselves from the web of intrigue they’re caught in?
Available in Kindle on Amazon
Follow
her blog http://jplanewrites.blogspot.com
Great interview, Rachele & Joan! Interesting observation of how men and women read THE TANGLED WEB differently. I have to go back and read 'the good parts' again, just to think about that!
ReplyDeleteLove the interview. I like romantic suspense, I will have to check out Tangled Web.
ReplyDeleteFun interview. "Tangled Web" is on my wish list.
ReplyDeleteThe gang's all here! Oat Bucket, finally I got your name, but you're still keeping me in suspense with A.D. (: Thanks for popping by everybody. lol
ReplyDeleteWait for her interview, coming up. :)
DeleteInteresting interview Joan and Rachelle. Funny, when I read the book I didn't picture Jamaica. There are so many islands the story could fit and that's what makes the story so intriguing. You said the food is to "die for" and I thought I would die when I tried sprinkling the hot sauce that sat in a bottle on the table. SOOO hot I drank water for two hours. To die for and then some.
ReplyDeleteThat's hilarious, though shouldn't be laughing at your pain. I'm out of that hot sauce right now (: Can't get it where I live. Glad you didn't identify the island as Jamaica. It was intended to be anonymous, because, as you say, the story could fit any island. Thanks again for reviewing the book - and for checking out this interview.
DeleteJoan, congratulations on your high ranking in Romantic Suspense!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Clare, and thanks for this fun interview.
Delete