An Interview with Jessica Miller, author of The Wanderers, and a Giveaway too!

Please help me welcome Jessica Miller to the blog, author of The Wanderers!

About the Book:

What do you do when you learn your family is the one who's holding all the secrets. Secrets that could get you killed...

Ella is looking forward to starting college in the fall with her best friend Josie. She’s looking for a place where she can get away from her overbearing parents and two older annoying brothers. Unfortunately Ella realizes that sometimes the past comes back to haunt you. 

Ella soon learns that the man who terrorizes her dreams is in fact real and coming after her. 

When one of her classmates is murdered, Ella slowly recognizes this is not some strange coincidence. Ella fears that the boy she’s falling in love with is the one who stalks her dreams and no longer knows who she can trust. 

When she finally learns the truth of her families deepest secret, Ella has to face her demons by taking out one of the people she thought she could trust…before they kill her.

Interview:

Q. Can you please tell us more about yourself and your book, The Wanderers?

I tend to be a little crazy at times. I live in my own little bubble and even sometimes my friends question my sanity. Heck my own brother told me he was gonna commit me because I was talking to myself. I was really talking to him but he never listens so I just told him I was talking to myself, which I do sometimes – It’s called thinking out loud. Anyway, I love books, writing, music and movies. I love to be outside when it’s nice, but I suffer from allergies so sometimes it sucks. Damn nature. I have a tendency to ramble on so I apologize if these answers get lengthy. I have a lot of random thoughts and tend to make up my own words, part of the reason my friends question my sanity. Usually when I’m not making sense they just pet my head and say, "You’re so pretty." Great friends, I know. I can be very sarcastic and have probably the worst potty mouth in the world, but I’m working on it, sorta, ok not really…

The Wanderers is a paranormal romance that takes you on an adventure through the eyes of a young girl named Ella. She’s trying to get over losing her boyfriend and the nightmares the accident has left behind. In an effort to start fresh and move on, Ella goes to school across the country with her best friend Josie. College life at first is the perfect escape for Ella, but then soon things take an ugly turn. When classmates are murdered and Ella starts seeing the man from her nightmares she has trouble separating what’s real and what’s not. And soon the cute boy from down the hall is on her top list of people not to trust. 

Q. What inspired The Wanderers?

The Wanderers is a series I started after reading so many books and getting tired of the same thing. I was tired of always predicating what was going to happen. So I tried my best to do something different. I had so much fun writing these books and getting into the characters. I know I’m going to have a hard time when I write the final book. 

Q. What have been some of the challenges you have faced during writing and on the road to publication?

I think some of the biggest challenges are learning to have thick skin. You’re going to get rejected and you’re going to get rejected a lot, but you can’t let that discourage you. Things don’t happen overnight. You also need to know how to take criticism. Sometimes people are going to say things about your books that you don’t like and that’s okay. Everyone has a different opinion. That’s what makes us different and unique. I appreciate the honest reviews. It helps me to be a better writer because I get to see what I need to work on in the future. What was good and bad about the books. I've learned to have a lot of patience. It tends to be hard when you’re doing everything on your own, but you just have to do it, and keep going. No one gets anywhere by giving up. 

Q. Did you always know you wanted to write? Do you remember a particular moment when you realized this was what you wanted to do?

No. I change my mind a lot. Of course when I was little I wanted to be a ballerina so my mom put me in dance class. Then I wanted to be a veterinarian until I learned all the things they had to do. At seven I thought it meant you got to play with animals all day and just make them feel better. I’m squeamish when it comes to blood and guts. Then it was a psychiatrist because I was always the advice giver, lawyer because I liked to argue, actress, fashion designer, and then hairdresser. I should have known that one would have been a given since I liked to cut my Barbie’s hair and was always doing my friends hair and makeup. Then one day after advice from a good friend, I started writing and never stopped. It was after I had written my second book that I was like this is what I was meant to do. I have never found so much joy in something that I do except for writing. This was the one thing I have never tried so hard for in my life so I knew this is what I was meant to do. This is what I love to do. I just wish it didn't take me so long to figure it out. 

Q. Does the idea you start with as inspiration for your writing ever turn into something else entirely when you are done?

Yes and no. I always start with an idea and then go from there. I make sure I know where I want the story to go but sometimes in the process it tends to take a different direction. Sometimes I’ll sit there stumped, take a break, and then out of nowhere I’m like OH! I got it! Sometimes I’ll write a whole chapter, read it, and then change my mind and completely change the whole story. What I usually do is write a book and then when I’m done I will read through it and lots of times I’ll add scenes or chapters or wipe out stuff that I feel just didn't need to be there or change the outcome. I’m very indecisive so sometimes I’ll even rewrite a whole book because I changed my mind and decided it needed to go a different way. 

Q. What comes to you first, a voice or a story?

The story. I was always fantasizing about different scenarios growing up so I think that’s why it’s easy for me to write. I play out scenes in my head and then add characters. To me it’s better to have an idea of what’s going on so I can be like, okay, how will this character react to this scene. 

Q. What are you working on now?

I just finished rewriting the third book in The Wanderers series and I am currently reading through it to make sure everything makes sense and flows. There was a lot of rewriting on this one. As soon as I’m done with the read through I’m going to start a whole new series which I’m really excited about. Already have the first few chapters started so I just need to get cracking with the rest. 

Q. What was the book that most impacted your life and why?

I’d have to say my own. When I discovered how much I loved writing and how I much I wanted to do this I've never been so happy. I've never truly had a goal before, but now I have determination and will to make my dreams come true. I've never worked so hard for anything in my life and honestly without my writing I don’t know where I’d be? I’d probably still be wondering what the hell I’m going to do? But now I feel I have a purpose and one that is full of great possibilities. 

About Jessica:

Jessica is a budding new author with a passion for writing in her veins. She stems from the suburbs of Pennsylvania where most of her time is spent writing, listening to new music, or reading a good book. When not busy writing, Jessica works part–time in a salon where she enjoys making people look beautiful. You can catch up with Jessica on her blog or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Purchase The Wanderers:

Amazon

Giveaway:

Three lucky readers are going to win an ebook of The Wanderers! This giveaway is open INT to anyone who can accept a kindle gift from Amazon. Giveaway ends 7/24. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you so much to Jessica for visiting the blog and answering my questions!