What is your
name, where were you born and where do you live now?
Paul Jones, but
my pen name is Paul Xavier Jones. I was born in Glanamman, South Wales, I live
in Pontardawe, near Swansea in South Wales.
Did you always
want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
No, didn’t
always want to be a writer. I wanted to be an actor, then an astronaut.
When did you
first consider yourself as a "writer"?
When I published
my first book, An Agent For Change.
Did it take a
long time to get your first book published?
Yes, perhaps two
years?
Do you work
another job as well as your writing work?
I run two
businesses as well as write books.
What is the name
of your latest book, and if you had to summarise it in less than 20 words what
would you say?
Ameca J and the
Rise of the Serpii is my latest book, and it’s so new it hasn’t been released
yet. A summary in 20 words…
“A grim
adventure into the unknown where a new threat to the Universe will see the
girls tested as never before”
Who is your
publisher? or do you self publish?
The Ameca J
series is published by Storyteller Publishing. Boundary Limit, my other book is
self published via Amazon and Createspace, and An Agent For Change is published
by Eloquent books.
Do you have a
"lucky charm" or "lucky routine" you follow when waiting
for your book to be accepted by a publisher?
Not really.
How long does it
usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing
it?
That depends on
a number of factors, but generally once I’m committed to the story concept and
ideas around six months.
Which of your
books were easier/harder to write than the others?
My most recent,
Ameca J and the Rise of the Serpii was challenging, as I hadn’t written an
Ameca J book for two years, and it is difficult to get the continuity from
previous books right.
What can we
expect from you in the future? ie More books of the same genre? Books of a
different genre?
I will
definitely write another Ameca J book, possibly two. I want to write a sequel
to my Sci Fi Thriller Boundary Limit.
What genre would
you place your books into?
The Ameca J
Series is Epic Fantasy, while Boundary Limit is Sci Fi/Thriller/Horror. An Agent for Change is adult humour/drama.
What made you
decide to write that genre of book?
An Agent for
Change was written as a form of stress relief at the time, as I was going
through some difficult changes. The Ameca J series was written as something I
would like my kids to read.
Do you have a
favourite out of the books you have written? If so why is it your favourite?
Ameca J and the
Legacy of Menindus is my favourite, as it was my first journey into fantasy
which is my favourite genre.
Do you have a
favourite character from your books? and why are they your favourite?
Major Blake
Trubble is my favourite character, the main protagonist in my Boundary Limit
novel. He’s cool, dangerous and has an awesome name that was great to play
with. For example I could say things like, “you want trouble? You can have
Major Trubble!” I know its cheesy but it is kind of where the genre is.
If you had to
choose to be one of your characters in your book/books which would you be? and
why?
I would love to
be “the One” from the Ameca J series, as he has magical “Super-Speed.”
How long have
you been writing?, and who or what inspired you to write?
I’ve been
writing since 2003, and my inspiration for the first book was a dedication to
my grandfather who passed away in 2001. He was a great guy who raised me, and I
wanted his name on a book written by me.
Where do you get
your book plot ideas from?What/Who is your inspiration?
Not sure where
my plot ideas come from, but I’m definitely influenced by a lot of authors,
Tolkien, Dan Brown, Stephen King, Edgar Rice Boroughs etc.
Do you have a
certain routine you have for writing? ie You listen to music, sit in a certain
chair?
No routine, I’m
on the road every day so its wherever I get a bit of peace with my laptop.
Do you have
anybody read your books and give you reviews before you officially release
them?ie. Your partner, children, friends, reviewers you know?
A combination of
people read my books before they are launched, some are friends, my publishers
Storyteller and a few fans.
Do you gift
books to readers to do reviews?
Yes I do. But I
make it very clear that I want honest feedback, not just what they think I want
to hear because I’ve given them a book.
Do you read all
the reviews of your book/books?
Yes, although I
may not agree or change things afterwards.
What was the
toughest/best review you have ever had?
I had a review
from a publisher who only read a chapter or two once which was quite
uncomplimentary. As for best reviews, I’ve had quite a few good ones, but I was
most pleased with one by Flamingnet teen book reviews where I got awarded their
“Top Choice” book.
Would you ever
ask a reviewer to change their review if it was not all positive about your
book/books?
No I wouldn’t. I
truly believe in honest feedback.
How do you come
up with the Title and Cover Designs for your book/books?Who designed the Cover
of your books?
I never decide
on a title until I’ve written at least half the book, as it isn’t always
obvious from the start. Cover designs for my self-published work are from
Matthew Pugh of “Star in a Jar” and for the Ameca J series via Storyteller
publishing who use a great lady called Kathey Amaral.
Do you choose a
title first, or write the book then choose the title?
Write the book
first.
How do you come
up with characters names and place names in your books?
For the Ameca J
series, character names are either corruptions of the names of people I know or
spelling mistakes!
Are character
names and place names decided after there creation? or do you pick a
character/place name and then invent them?
Usually after
their creation.
Do you decide on
character traits (ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or
as you go along?
Both really.
Do you basic
plot/plan for your book, before you actually begin writing it out? Or do you
let the writing flow and see where it takes the story?
Both again,
however I usually start by drawing a mind map with all the variables the story
is likely to contain.
How do you
market/promote your books?
Any way I can!
No, seriously, I use Facebook, on line community groups, I have brochures, a
pop up display stand, I give talks for libraries and business groups, I write
newspaper and website articles, and I give blog interviews.
What do you
think makes a book a really good/bestseller ?
I think it’s the
writing style and a good plot.
Have you ever
suffered from a "writer's block"? What did you do to get past the
"block"?
Surprisingly no,
I’ve never suffered from it. I usually know what I want in the story, but describing
it accurately can sometimes slow me down.
What do you do
to unwind and relax?Do you have a hobby?
Reading is good,
and cinema, but they are both luxuries when I’m writing and running two
businesses.
Have you ever
based characters on people you know or based events on things that have
happened to you?
Yes, but only
indirectly.
Are there any
hidden messages or morals contained in your books? (Morals as in like Aesops
Fables type of "The moral of this story is..")
The Ameca J
series doesn’t have a moral as such, but does reinforce the strength of family
relationships and why family is such an important concept.
Is there a
certain Author that influenced you in writing?
No, there are
many of them.
Which format of
book do you prefer, ebook,hardback, or paperback?
I like ebook and
paperback.
What is your
favourite book and Why? Have you read it more than once?
Lord of the
Rings must be a contender, and yes, I’ve read it many times.
Do you think
books transfer to movies well? Which is you favourite/worst book to movie
transfer?
Lord of the
Rings transfer to the three movies is pretty good. Hunger Games and Percy
Jackson and the Lightning Thief don’t seem to have made the transition well.
What are you
currently reading? Are you enjoying it? What format is it?(ebook, hardback or
paperback)
I’m reading an
ebook of the “Agent Pendergast” series.
Do you think
ebooks will ever totally replace printed books?
Not totally, but
they will become dominant.
Do you think
children at schools these days are encouraged enough to read? and/or do
Imaginative writing?
No, not really.
My own children don’t seem to be.
Did you read a
lot at school and write lots of stories or is being a writer something newer in
your life?
I’ve always read
a lot, and when I read consistently I averaged four books per week. As for
writing, I guess even then I was preparing for it, because when I was in school
my English teacher used to get really annoyed with my stories as they would
always end in “to be continued…”
Did you have a
favourite author as a child?
No, but I loved
Doctor Who books.
Do you have a
treasured book from your childhood? If yes, what is it?
Lord of the
Rings
Do you have a
favourite genre of book?
Yes, Fantasy
followed closely by Science Fiction.
Is there a book
you know you will never read? Or one you tried to read but just couldn't
finish?
Fifty Shades of
Grey…
Is there
anything in your book/books you would change now if you could and what would it
be?
No, I’m pretty
happy with them.
What do you
think about book trailers?
Don’t have much
experience of them.
What piece of
advice would you give to a new writer?
Be persistent,
and never give up trying to get published, or even self publish if they believe
in their work.
Do you or would
you ever use a pen name?
I already use
Paul “Xavier” Jones. It’s based on an old nickname for when I worked for a
multi-national electronics company.
If you could
invite three favourite writers to dinner, who would you invite and enjoy
chatting with?
Stephen King
would be a must, I’d love to meet Edgar Rice Boroughs and Robert E Howard, the
authors of Tarzan and Conan respectively, but that could never happen as they
are both in “writers heaven.”
Where can
readers follow you?
Your Blog details? http://darkdomains.wordpress.com
Your Web site?
Under construction, but will be www.paulxavierjones.co.uk
Your Facebook page? http://www.facebook.com/xavierbooks
Your Goodreads Author Page? http://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=Paul+Xavier+Jones
Your Twitter details? http://twitter.com/#!/Paul_X_Jones
Linked
In: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/paulxjones
And any other information you wish to supply?
Ameca J and the
Legacy of Menindus will be available from October 9th 2012.
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