Jessa has been creating stories in one form or another for as long as she can remember. Though somehow, even when recognized in college for her writing ability, she never realized she was meant to follow her passion and actually become a writer. Years later, a rediscovered love of reading combined with a heavy love for paranormal romance led to writing her first novel. Jessa began writing seriously in 2009. She has no plans of stopping. When not writing or reading -- or raising the coolest kid ever -- Jessa enjoys making memories with her amazingly supportive family and friends, while secretly planning her next trip to New Orleans. She will always call Southern California home, where she lives with her husband and daughter, and a Great Dane who thinks he's the same size as his cranky sister, the Chihuahua.
As part of her BLOG TOUR for the launch of the second book in the EVER Trilogy, Pens and Peonies has pinned down Jessa for a fabulous interview!
Why are
you a writer?
Why is the sky blue? I think because God intended it.
What is
your writing schedule like?
Schedule? HA!
I wish.
Long answer: Oh geez. My
biggest self-sabotaging hurdle is my lack of patience. I’m always in such a
hurry when it comes to getting published. In every other aspect of my life, I’m
late for EVERYTHING. I take my time writing, and I definitely don’t consider
myself a fast writer, but once the book is done, I want it out, out, out! And
I’ve regretted the rushed decisions I’ve made in this journey, though I will
not go into those in any detail.
Short answer: Be patient, Jessa.
What has
been the most thrilling part of being published?
Holding my books in my hand. My publishing journey has been a bit less
than what I anticipated, which is really okay. Though, I do have my moments of
self-doubt and wishing for more, and my CP’s often have to remind me of what I
have accomplished. In many aspects of my life, I have a hard time with focusing
on what I don’t have, rather than what I have, so this fault tends to bleed
over into my writing career as well. I hope that one day I have other thrilling
moments, like movie deals and NYT best seller status (hey, one can hope!), but
for now, it’s definitely holding my books in my hand. They’re beautiful.
What was
the hardest part of writing EVADE?
Ugh.
The hardest part of writing EVADE was getting past the negative reviews about
EVER. I truly, TRULY, wish I’d ignored them. I should have never logged onto
GoodReads, never had Google alert me to new posts about me, never read any
reviews, good or bad. It changed me. It affected who I was both personally and
professionally, but only because I let it. I had a very difficult time getting
back into Ever’s story, and EVADE took me way longer to finish than it should
have. But, I’d allowed myself to feel so defeated by the people who didn’t like
Ever, that I let that overshadow the people who loved her. Worse even than that
however, is how I let that negativity overshadow MY love for this series. It
won’t happen again.
How many
books have you written, and which one is your favorite?
I have
completed four books now. EVER and EVADE (Books 1 & 2 of the Ever
Trilogy—YA paranormal romance), DIVIDE (YA standalone fairytale redux—Beauty
and the Beast mashed up with a bit of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde), and ARK OF
DREAMS (an edgy new adult contemporary Noah’s Ark retell—evil governments,
conspiracies, false claims of biblical rains, and the two people caught up in
the middle of it all who beat the odds and find love along the way.) ARK is
definitely the best thing I’ve written so far, and I’m very proud of it and so
excited to start working towards getting it ready for submission!
What's one
thing you can't live without?
Aside from
my family, pets and friends? Um . . . if I had to leave my house and take only
ONE thing, I’d grab our little safe/firebox because it has the letter from my
dad that he wrote to me when I was four years old. He was in the hospital due
to his heart condition, and thought he was dying, so he wrote a letter for my
mom to give to me when I turned 18. He died years later, when I was 16, and
that letter is my most precious material possession. Aside from the diamond he
gave my mom, which is now on my finger.
Fast
Facts:
Coffee or
tea? Coffee! Never black, and always with
CoffeeMate creamer. Unless I’m sick, then it’s tea with massive amounts of
honey and lemon, and . . . occasionally . . . whiskey.
Morning or
night? Morning. I love early mornings
with coffee and silence.
Rivers or
oceans? Both. But I have to live within
an hour of the coast.
White wine
or red? Again, both. Red for cool
evenings, white for hot summer days/nights.
Champagne
or liquor? Champagne, definitely
champagne. I love mimosas. *grin*
Cupcakes
or ice cream? Ice Cream.
Laptop or
desktop? Desktop.
Casual or
couture? Um . . . I think I’m a healthy
combo of both. Though I don’t spend a lot of money on my clothes, I do shop
often and always look good. *struts*
Ponytail
or headband? Hairclip. Yup. Now you know
my dirty little secret.
Shower or
bath? Ugh, I hate baths. If I want to
relax, like, with a glass of wine and a book, I shower first, THEN sit in the
bath. I’m sure that’s a huge waste of water, but sitting in dirty bathwater or
shampoo/soap filled water grosses me out.
Summer or
winter? Fall.
Motorcycle
or bicycle? For guys? Motorcycle.
Chopper, if we’re being specific. Unless we’re talking about me specifically,
then neither. I can’t even ride a bicycle. You can laugh.
In this thrilling sequel, Ever Van Ruysdael's
race to beat the odds—and the clock—begins with the introduction of an integral
part of her past. As secrets are revealed, and truths uncovered, she learns her
imminent death is the least of her problems: Ariadne did more than just put an
expiration date on her life; she marked Ever's soul by upping its value for
greedy collectors looking to buy their freedom.
Condemned by the countdown on her life, and hunted by hired Seekers, Ever’s journey leads her to question everything she’s known and everyone she’s trusted, while growing closer to the one person from her past she was determined to avoid—and the one guy she never could—Toby James.
With her ex-boyfriend by her side, and the countdown clock rapidly ticking away, Ever tries thwarting fate’s plans. But as her nineteenth birthday approaches, and desperate Seekers follow her every move, she may be too late.
A marked soul is hard to come by . . . and even harder to escape.
Condemned by the countdown on her life, and hunted by hired Seekers, Ever’s journey leads her to question everything she’s known and everyone she’s trusted, while growing closer to the one person from her past she was determined to avoid—and the one guy she never could—Toby James.
With her ex-boyfriend by her side, and the countdown clock rapidly ticking away, Ever tries thwarting fate’s plans. But as her nineteenth birthday approaches, and desperate Seekers follow her every move, she may be too late.
A marked soul is hard to come by . . . and even harder to escape.
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Buy EVADE: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE
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Connect with Jessa!
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Check out #author #interview w/ @jessarusso!!! http://pensandpeonies.blogspot.com/2013/10/interview-jessa-russo.html #amreading #EVADE
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The interview where Jessa Russo admits to self-sabotage and the one thing she can't live without! http://pensandpeonies.blogspot.com/2013/10/interview-jessa-russo.html
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Click HERE to see Jessa's full BLOG TOUR schedule!
xoxo ~Marisa
