Author Bio

Carrie Jones occasionally wears mismatched socks, always loves Great Pyrenees dogs, and never drinks coffee. She also loves Skinny Cow fudgsicles and potatoes, and is the award-winning author of Girl, Hero; Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape); Tips on Having a Gay (Ex)-Boyfriend; and Need. Carrie grew up in Bedford, NH where she once had a séance with uber-comedian Sarah Silverman; she now lives in Ellsworth, Maine.

 

A conversation with Carrie Jones

Rumor has it you had a creepy, Zaralike incident that inspired you to write Need. Tell us about it.

I was at the Common Ground Fair, which is this huge, cool fair in Maine that’s sponsored by the Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association (MOFGA). To get to the main part of the fair you have to walk through this sweet trail that curves through these tall spruce trees.

While I was walking, right in front of me was this guy. He had a weird vibe. He was wearing all corduroy—blazer, pants. And sticking out from his blazer was this long tail-like appendage that was wrapped in different colored earth-toned cloth.

I guess he could tell I was checking him out because he turned his head and looked at me. His eye was this startling silver color. How startling? So startling that I actually gasped and got creeped out.

When we were in line to pay we made eye contact again and his eyes were brown.

I know! I know! I probably imagined the silver eye color.

It doesn’t matter. That was one of the main things that got me started. Then, I just had this image of a man standing outside an airport pointing at an airplane this girl was on.

It also creeped me out.

So, I started writing.

Why pixies and weres?

I kind of have a thing for werewolves. A-hem.

The pixies are because of the incident I just explained, but also because unlike fairies or vampires or even werewolves, they were much less explored. Historically, the myths around them are also less solid. That gave me a lot of freedom to play. I think that by using pixies it allows readers to create their own reality around the characters in a way they might not be able to if it was about vampires or fairies. In that way, they become poets, filling in holes, creating their own truths about the story. I like that.

If you could change into an animal like Nick and Devyn, what animal would you be and why?

I would like to be like Sam in True Blood, and be able to change into all animals because I am greedy like that, but if I had to pick just one .  .  . I think I’d like to be some sort of panther because they’re so beautiful and sleek and powerful. If I could shift, I’d probably end up a goofy, eager-to-please puppy. I like it when people pet my head and give me treats.

Do you have any phobias?

I am terrified of downhill skiing. This is probably because I am the WORLD’S WORST downhill skier ever. Give me rapids to run or a cliff to climb any day. The bunny slope? It makes me shudder.

Need and Captivate are both great, nail-biting thrill rides, but they also include hot guys and romance. Any particular inspiration for Nick, Devyn and Astley—and the sparks that fly?

Yes. I refuse to tell more though because I’ll get in major trouble.

Zara is a totally kick-butt girl; her mother and grandmother are also super-strong women. Did this organically evolve, or did you intended to create strong female characters?

You know, I wanted Zara to be real. She comes across as kick-butt and she is, but she has her moments of humanity, of doubt. I like that she always overcomes that and does the tough, hard-core stuff anyways. I intended her to be tough. I was reading a lot of kick-butt heroines in adult paranormal and not so much in young adult. That blew me away really, because so many of the teens I know are like Zara. They’ll sacrifice for their friends. They’ll be heroes and make tough choices. I wanted to see if I could make a character like that in a romance where the guy is also a totally kick-butt kind of guy.

Do you see yourself, or anyone you know, in any of your characters?

Whenever any of the characters do something neurotic or annoying, that’s totally me.

Honestly, the characters always have aspects of people I know in them. As a writer I think every experience and every interaction I have in my own life informs my characters’ actions and choices. I don’t know how to get away from that.

Do your friends and family try to find themselves in your characters?

My daughter, Em, is always, “That is so me, isn’t it?” Or sometimes she’ll read something and say, “WE DID THAT!”

The funny thing is that whenever I steal anything outright from real life it’s usually romantic dialogue I’ve had with someone, and my editor Michelle will X it all out and say, “Unbelievable. Too schmarmy.”
This of course makes me feel like my life is one big pit of schmarminess.

Yes, I am aware that schmarminess is not a word. Actually, I don’t think schmarmy is either.

You live in Maine. Is that why you choose to set these two books there?

Yeah. Gothic romances tend to have that standard element of the heroine going somewhere desolate and isolated, somewhere totally different from where she is from. It’s part of the setup. I started writing both books in the winter, and believe me, the winter on the northern coast of Maine really can feel isolated and desolate.

By the way, it gets pretty cold in Maine. Do you eat Fudgsicles—one of your favorite foods—all year round up there or are they a seasonal treat?

I do eat them all year round because they are my fifty-calorie, no-fat chocolate fix. They are also unfortunately very expensive. If anyone has any Skinny Cow coupons out there, please send them to me. Yes, I am begging.

Do you have a writing ritual?

Not really. I just sort of sit at my laptop and hope that something will happen. I guess hope is my writing ritual.

What’s been your most embarrassing moment as a writer?

Oh gosh, there are so many.

Top Five:

What’s the worst thing anyone has said to you about your books or your writing?

There was a mean, anonymous commenter on my blog who said that I shouldn’t dare call myself a writer.

What’s the best?

Oh gosh, top three:

Honestly, I can’t believe anyone thought those things, but the fact that they took the time to write to me is just beyond amazing, really. I am constantly surprised by how great and kind people can be.

Who encouraged you most to write?

Joseph Sullivan, my high school creative writing teacher. He would write things in the margins of my papers like, “You are a writer” or “You are killing me!” or “I can quit teaching now.”

I am big into the positive reinforcement.

What’s next?

Sleep and strudel.

What is your favorite kind of pie?

Pie? I am not big into pie. I am an ice cream kind of person, but um . . . . Peanut butter pie. Does that even count as pie?

 

Carrie Jones' Official Website:
http://www.carriejonesbooks.com

Carrie's LiveJournal:
http://carriejones.livejournal.com/

Carrie Jones on Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/345630.Carrie_Jones