Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Author Interview with - J. M. Preiss Time Jump - win a copy

To win a copy of this book facebook/tweet this post and leave your contact information in the comments box below.

Contest expires by the 18th of May 2012


Hi Jon, where were you born and where do you call home? 

Born in New Braunfels, Texas. I currently live outside of SW Houston.

Tell us about something that has just happened or is about to happen in your life that you would like to share.

Well, I guess the biggest thing that recently happened was I built up the nerve to push forward and self-publish Time Jump. It was a pretty nervous time for me.

What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 30 or less words, what would you say?

Time Jump - "Something went wrong. Something went horribly wrong..."

If you gave one of your characters an opportunity to speak for themselves, what would they say?

Regarding what happened in the book? Jacob would probably shake his head and be all hardcore. He really is cold and steely, but there is more to him than meets the eye.

Do you have plans for a new book?   Is this book part of a series?

I have recently started work on Eugenic Reprisal which is the second book in the Halcyon Gate series. Time Jump is the first.

What books have influenced your writing?

Wow. That's a long question to answer if I really get down to it. The short of it, though? Dune and the Sword of Truth series. Dune is just such an epic story and what I consider to be amazing sci-fi. Sword of Truth is just one of those series that really gets you in love with the main characters. I only hope that I can do half as good as Herbert and Goodkind.

Is there an Author that you would really like to meet?

Terry Goodkind. That's the first person that comes to mind.

Do you prefer ebooks, paperbacks or hardcover?

I used to be all about the paperback/hardcover book. Ever since I got a Kindle though, that has changed drastically. I love the ease of being able to read one-handed while lounging on the couch.

Where do you prefer to buy your books?

I buy my books off of Amazon.com now. All of them are eBooks.

Are you a self published (Indie) Author?

That I am.
Patti says:  you should come join the Authors Critique Group on Facebook and "First 5 Chapters" - we would love to have you!  Lots of like minded authors!

What book would you like to read again?

The entire Dune series. In fact, I'm probably going to do that here in the next couple of days.

Is there a particular movie that you preferred over the book version?

I can't say that any particular one comes to mind. I did really enjoy the Lord of the Rings movies though.
Patti Says:  Oh, I just finished watching the movies again and now I've started reading the books!  Fantastic! and to think they were first published on the 21st July 1954...

What book are you currently reading and in what format (ebook/paperback/hardcover)?

I'm currently reading Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Conviction (ebook) and The Towers of Sunset (paperback)

Are there any Authors that have grasped your interest recently and why?

Michael R. Hicks, definitely. I read his book on self-publishing, The Path to Self-Publishing Success, and got really inspired.

Who designed the cover of your book?

Ha. Well, I came up with the general look of it, but beyond that, my girlfriend did it all.

Do you buy a book by the cover?

Not really, no. I like how cool some of them look, but flashy covers don't sell me a book. I want that snippet/synopsis to grab me. I'm also a loyal fan of series that I own.


Do you have any advice for other writers?

Don't give up. Just keep plugging away at it and never lose faith. It might take a while to get there, but you will get there if you keep going. One step at a time and all that jazz.

Do you write under a pen name?

Not really, no. J. M. Preiss is my real name....with using my first and middle initial of course.

What date were you born? - you can leave off the year if you like. 

08/12/1987

Do you have a nickname? 

I used to be called 'Jon' or 'Preiss' in high school. 

Did you have a favorite toy as a child?
Man, I don't know. I can't remember any toy in specific that I loved more than the others. That'd be a question to ask one of my parents or my brother. I was very much a child of the gaming age that really kicked off in the early to mid-nineties. I even had roots starting with the Atari, Sega Master System, and an old IBM computer thanks to my brother. I've owned those, a sega genesis, playstation, nintendo 64, playstation 2, xbox, xbox 360, playstation 3, nintendo wii, and multiple computers.....I'm really a big nerd.

An early childhood memory - 

I don't remember it all that clearly, and maybe I'm saying I remember it because I've been told it so many times. I once threw our new pomeranian puppy against a door. Now, mind you, I was extremely young at the time.
Patti Says: Ouch!

Do you ever write in your PJ’s?

Certainly. That's one of the things I love about writing. Your computer doesn't care what you look like.
Patti Says: So true!!

What are your pet peeves? 
People being late or changing plans without telling me. I like to be kept in the loop on what's going on. 

Any pets that you would like to tell us about, share a pic?

Don't really have a good picture of them, but I've got an annoying cat (not really....but really) named Fermi, two parakeets (Peri and Jeri), and a number of fish.
Patti Asks:  Called Splish and Splash??

White wine or red?

Don't drink wine really. Actually, don't drink at all for all intents and purposes.

Coffee or tea?

Tea. With lots of sugar.

So you like to cook?  Do you have a favorite food?

I love cooking as long as I don't have to do the dishes. My favorite definitely has to be pasta. I can eat my body weight in the stuff.

Vanilla or chocolate ice-cream?

Vanilla with chocolate syrup if I'm at home. If I go to Marble Slab or Cold Stone, I get the birthday cake/cake batter. That stuff is so addicting!

What do you normally eat for breakfast, of do you skip it and get straight to work?

On most days I eat a bowl of bag cereal. If I skip breakfast because I woke up late or because I was waiting for the girlfriend to wake up, I jump straight to lunch somewhere near my apartment.

What are 4 things you never leave home without (apart from keys, money and phone)?

Always have a comb in my pocket. My hair loves to rebel against my whims. Um, sunglasses are pretty important to me too. Polarized ones to be specific. Beyond that.....nothing really.

Sleep in or get up early?

I don't know until the morning of. Seems that I always get up super early when the girlfriend wants to sleep in though. :p

Laptop or desktop for writing?
While I can write on my laptop, I greatly prefer my desktop. It's just so much more comfortable for me to relax in my computer chair at my desk and type away. There's also no pesky power cable that I have to worry about since it is with all my other cables against the wall.

Your favorite gadget - 

Toss up between my tablet, my phone, and my kindle.

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?
I write whenever the mood strikes me. Since I prefer writing on my desktop, I do it where my desk is in the dining room.

Your thoughts on receiving book reviews - the good and the bad - 

I love book reviews! I want to know what other people think of the story that I am telling. While I don't care for people that absolutely rip a book to shreds because they just don't like it (not talking about errors in the book here, those bad reviews ARE warranted), I'll them slide. It's up to the other readers to police that stuff, not me.

If you were deserted on an island, who are 3 famous people you would want with you?
Bear Grylls, Survivor Man, and....can't really think of a third.

Where is one place in the world that you would really love to visit someday?

I am going to visit Germany one of these days. Just need to actually get to a point where I can.

One of your favorite quotes -

Do or do not. There is no try.

List 3 books you just recently read and would recommend?
The Omen Machine by Terry Goodkind. I'd recommend it, but only if you really want to continue the story.
The Path to Self-Publishing Success by Michael R. Hicks. Had a lot of great information.
The Magic of Recluce by L.E. Modesitt Jr. Amazing book.

List 3 of your favorite movies?

The original Star Wars trilogy. Stardust (amusing movie to me). Serenity. 

An actor or a book character you have a crush on -

Um...hmm...I guess Cara from the Sword of Truth series. She's pretty awesome.

What is a movie or TV show that you watched just recently and really enjoyed?

Really don't watch TV, and I haven't seen a movie in a pretty good while.

If your book was made into a TV series or Movie, what actors would you like to see playing your characters?  Feel free to add pics.

I've honestly not given that any thought. Would I like for that to happen? Definitely! I think we need more sci-fi movies nowadays, but that dream is a long way off for me. Anyways, who to play my characters? I don't know. We'd just have to see.

Where can your readers stalk you?



Is your book in Print, ebook or both?

Time Jump is available as an ebook from Amazon.com. It is currently $2.99. It can also be found on the other amazon websites for people outside of the .com realm.

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview with me, it has been fun, and allowing us a glimpse into your writing word.  I hope you share this interview with your friends so we can all get to know you a little better.  Patti


 






No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...