Author Interview with J.A. Saare!

As some of you may have read, I have just completed Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between and enjoyed reading of Rhiannon. If you missed it, here is the link to my review. I am pleased to introduce J.A. Saare the author, as she is gracious enough to do an interview with me.

M:  Hello J.A. Saare! Welcome to My World…in words and pages!  Thank you for joining us today.

J:  Thanks for having me! ;-)

M:  I like the name Rhiannon.  The name Rhiannon is different to me.  How did you come up with this name?

J:  Growing up, my Dad was a huge Fleetwood Mac fan.  So when I was trying to think of a unique name that was memorable but not too “out there”, Rhiannon (after the song of the same name) was everything I was looking for. 


M:  Do you have a planned number of books for The Renfield Syndrome series?

J:  Currently, I have the next two installments mapped out in my mind (The Renfield Syndrome and The Ripple Effect).  I also have roughly 33k words written into The Renfield Syndrome, so it’s getting there.

M:  When writing Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between did you plan for multiple books or did you have to go back to add hints, extra ties, or change anything to make it a series?

J:  When I sat down to start writing Dead, I knew it would be a series.  Originally, I intended to explore Rhiannon’s relationship with Goose and her growing powers. There wasn’t supposed to be any romance (I kept swearing I wouldn’t write romance following Crimson Moon) but Disco came along, ruined that, and ultimately changed the entire story (as well as the arc of the series).

I didn’t have to go back and add or change anything to create new ties, thank God!  My subconscious seemed to be aware of things long before I was and made sure to leave little crumbs along the way to use in The Renfield Syndrome.

M:  Who is your favorite character out of your books and why?  Who is a favorite character from a favorite series you have read?

J:  That’s tough. If you’re asking for a female protagonist, it would be Rhiannon.  If you’re asking about a hero, it would be Caleb (from Crimson Moon). ;-)

As for my favorite character from a series – that’s easy.  Lord Mason from Joey W. Hill’s Beloved Vampire snared my heart a long time ago.  He’s so wonderful, in so many ways. 

M:  You have an amazing play list for Dead:

Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between (<~ Click to Listen!)
1. Let's Dance - David Bowie
2. Boadicea - Enya
3. My name is Mud - Primus
4. Closer - Nine Inch Nails
5. Unrecorded - M83
6. Smooth Criminal - Alien Ant Farm
7. Deep - Nine Inch Nails
8. If I was your Vampire - Marilyn Manson
9. A Change in the House of Flies - The Deftones
10. Beauty has her Way - Mummy Calls
11. Love you to Death - Type O Negative

12. Faustrecht - Fiendflug

13. Arbor Vitate - PIG
14. Lights in the Sky - Nine Inch Nails
15. Meet your Master - Nine Inch Nails

I have to say I love the songs.  These are what I went through high school with.  A friend and I use to sit in study hall with a walkman and Nine Inch Nails.  They were my favorite then, and I still love them now.  Do you find music helps set your mood in writing?  Anything new on the play list for the second book?

J:  Music always sets the mood, regardless of what I’m writing.  I know some people need silence to write, but I can’t function with at least a moderate amount of background noise.

Some of the music listed on the Dead playlist came to play as I was writing.  For example: In the first chapter of Dead, David Bowie blasts through the speakers as a stripper takes the stage. Just before I started writing that scene, David Bowie’s Let’s Dance came on my itunes.  I couldn’t have planned it better and incorporated the song into the story.

There are a few songs that will be on The Renfield Syndrome playlist *grin* Expect some Nickelback, NIN, M83, and maybe some old school stuff.

M:  Any books, authors, or movies which inspired you to write?

J:  All books inspire me, even those I might not enjoy. I don’t think people realize just what an accomplishment it is to see a story through from start to finish.

As for personal favorites, I am a fan of the masters of urban fantasy -- Kim Harrison, Patricia Briggs, Laurell K. Hamilton, Jim Butcher -- as well as romance -- Joey W. Hill, J.R. Ward, Kresley Cole, Gena Showalter -- and horror -- Stephen King, Dean Koontz.

M:  I am always curious to know about authors, how long they have been writing.  Some have been doing it since wee little and others just starting not long before they publish a book.  So, how long have you been writing?  Was it something you always wanted to do?

J:  Although I wrote small things here and there when I was younger, I didn’t “start” writing in June of 2008.  I had the idea for a story and decided to take the journey.  It turned out to be the most cathartic experience, and when I finished, the most addictive.  Shortly after I wrapped up Crimson Moon, I wrote Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between. After that, it was on to Eternity and a Day. 

Now, I can’t stop writing.  Although I can say it’s not as relaxing as it once was.  Edits, revisions, and deadlines take it from play to work.

M:  I know you are working on book two, but can you leave us with any hints to it?

J:  Sure can. ;-)  You know, I read a comment in which a reviewer was a bit miffed at the ending of Dead (to be fair, I get that reaction rather often) and complained it took the series into a different genre.  For the sake of remaining spoiler free, I can assure you that while things occur in the not too distant future, The Renfield Syndrome does not have a sci-fi/futuristic spin.

You can expect more of Paine in this installment, as well as several twists and turns you probably won’t see coming.  Everyone seems to have an idea as to what they think will happen, but so far, they’ll all been wrong.

Thanks for having me on the blog!  I really appreciate sharing more about Dead and discussing the characters.  Rhiannon is a hoot and I enjoy every moment I spend writing her.  Feel free to pass along the playlist for Dead if you’d like.  ;-)

M:  Thank you J.A. Saare!  I really appreciate you stopping by to do this interview with me.  I am looking forward to reading more installments of Rhiannon in the future. 

Also, to note if anyone is interested in learning more of Crimson Moon here is the link to J.A. Saares' site, directly to Crimson Moon which will be released June 25, 2010.  And take a look around for a few other books.


I would love to mention you short story as well, called Penance. Please click here to read the short story. Any thoughts you would like to share on it? Very intense feeling for me.