Author Interview: J.A. George

Today we're posting the interview of J.A. George, the author of the book Gifted. You can find all her links (and the link to Kailei's Gifted review) below! We hope you enjoy!

1. What should we call you?

J.A. George or Jess if you’d prefer the personal touch.

2. How many books have you written? What are the titles of some of your favorites from other authors?

I've only written one that is published - Gifted. My favourite book is A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini - I think he's a wonderful story-teller.

3. Where are you from?

I was born in London, England and that's where my family home is, but I'm currently studying in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.

4. When did you start writing?

Late 2013

5. What/who is your biggest motivator?

The possibility of new opportunities and having a job that means I'll never have to work a day in my life.

6. What inspires you?

.People who embrace extra-ordinary talents, who persevere and who are different.

7. Do you have any pets (children included)? If so, what are their names?

No, but I plan to adopt a dog one day! I’d like to call him/her Fudge, but adopted dogs usually already come with a name.

8. What’s your favorite genre to read? Write?

I no longer have one! I used to stick to Young Adult, but I'm branching out more and discovering some fantastic books in the process!

9. What’s your favorite movie?

I love Marvel and DC movies, but I couldn’t pick a favourite. Perhaps Avengers Assemble? I really like the Pirates of the Caribbean movies as well.

10. What’s the secret to juggling real life and writing?

Haha! There is no secret! Sometimes I can balance the two really well, and other times one overtakes the other. I just go with it and hope it all works out for the best, and it usually does!

11. What do you tend to snack on when you’re writing?

Snack? I gorge on chocolate!

12. What three words would those closest to you use to describe you?

Weird, kind and funny - although, they tend to laugh at me than with me...

13. When you walk into a bookstore, where is the first place that you go?

Whichever section catches my eye.

14. What is the most difficult part of being an author?

Trying to convince someone to read my novel. I'm not traditionally published, so I don't have a literary agent or a publishing house to market my book for me, and I don't like pushing people into anything. Luckily, I know a few kind book bloggers.

15. Besides being an author, what would your dream job be?

I honestly can't think of anything else I'd rather be.

16. What’s the funniest/oddest thing you’ve been asked in an interview?

Have you ever written naked? My answer was no, it's too cold in Sheffield and London to try!

17. When you have time to sit down and enjoy someone else's work, what/who do you find yourself reading?

Usually something recommended.

18. If you could be anyone, who would you be? Why?

I quite like being me. Inside my head can be quite a fun place to be. But if I could be anyone for a day, I'd pick Beyonce. I just want to know what she gets up to!

19. If you could look back and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Write for yourself because you cannot write a book that will make everyone happy. That nugget of advice would have saved me an entire year, but you live and you learn.

20. What’s your biggest pet peeve?

That some people don't consider self-published authors as real/good authors because if we were really good, then why aren't we traditionally published? That's really frustrating

21. What do you do during your free time (when you’re not writing)?

I like to go to the cinema or out to eat with friends. I spend all of my writing time at home alone, so it's nice to go out and socialise.

22. Assuming you enjoy Starbucks, what do you usually order? (if you don’t enjoy Starbucks, how do you take your coffee/tea?)

I love the smell of coffee but hate the taste. I do like green tea though, especially accompanied by two croissants.

23. What is something your readers would be surprised to know about you?/What’s something you want your readers to know about you?

I hated my Creative Writing course at university. My teacher wasn't very good!

1. Are any of your characters based off of people in your life?Nope! I borrow a few traits from friends and pile them into one, but not one character isbased off of someone in my life.

2. What made you pick your setting? Did/do you live there? Did you visit and fall in love?

Both Huxton (in England) and Hayven are fictional settings, but I would love to visit if they

were real!

3. Where did the idea for the individual colors come from?

I cannot remember how or when I came up with that! However, it’s perhaps my favourite element in the story. I love the idea of individuality so I like to make that come through in the novel as much as I can.

4. Were you always planning on Theo/his girlfriend (I’m terrible at names, sorry!) situation...was it always in the plot?

I was. Summer was there from the very beginning, and I like what she brought to the table. People get frustrated or annoyed with her being in the story, but if it weren’t for her, Ava and Baleigh wouldn’t have gotten so close, and Ava wouldn’t have been able to understand or put into words how she feels about Theo, thus she wouldn’t have realised what’s been secretly bothering her for so long. Because of Summer, Ava got Theo as a friend for life rather than a

boyfriend and that’s always better. Ava actually owes a lot to Summer! Now isn’t that an

interesting thought?!

5. Were you expecting Avery’s ‘old’ friends to turn on her, or were you as surprised as I was?

Oddly enough it was a surprise to me too! But when I was writing it, it just made sense to me.

Some readers think it was a bit sudden, but from the outside, how Ava treated Alfie can be seen as a little crappy of her for people who don’t know about Theo or her internal struggle concerning him. And, they haven’t broken up forever. There is always the possibility of reconciliation.

6. Do you watch YouTube or Netflix? If so, who/what is you favorite to watch?

I’m really into Game of Thrones, but I don’t think that is on Netflix. I have never anxiously awaited a series to start up again. When a good show ends for the season I think about it for the next day or two and then forget until I randomly discover that the next season is out. But I think I’ll be tracking the timeline for the next season of Game of Thrones.

7. What is one book waiting on your bookshelves for you? Why haven’t you picked it up yet?

Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling. I haven’t picked it up yet because I just know I’m expecting some kind of Harry Potter type magic even though I know this book has nothing to

do with that. So I’m just a little hesitant to find out what lurks beneath the pages.

8. What’s a book you would recommend we read (Indie or other)?

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I can’t explain why but this book really did something for me. I read it at the lowest point of my author life, where doubt was all my mind had to offer, and this book really lifted me out of it. And I’ve never felt as low as I did before that book since.

9. What’s the last book you read? How long did it take you? What did you think?

The last book I read was Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic to the Rescue. I really like the Shopaholic series and it’s a wonderful book to read when you want something light and funny and you just need to give your brain a rest. I think I read it in either two or three days and I enjoyed it! It was just what I needed.

10. Would you consider a three-star review good?

It depends what they say. I’ve had a three star review where the person pointed out a lot of things they liked about it and it was one of the nicest reviews I’ve read! But the missing two stars all came down to preference. My book isn’t going to be for everyone who reads it. It’s all about taste and what people enjoy reading.

11. Who was the first person to read Gifted?

Can I say myself?? I gave my book out to multiple beta-readers at the same time so I’m not sure who read it first!

12. What’s one fear you have (or hope to) overcome?

The fear of failing. That’s a scary one. The fear of falling brings along so much doubt and for a self-published author, doubt is the last thing you need! But I’m learning to feel the fear and do it anyway.

13. Can you give us a little sneak-peak into what you have planned for the next book?

Ooooh! I wouldn’t know where to start! Things get very serious. In book one, it was all about Ava coming to terms with her gift, her new friends, Hayven and the threat of Madrina. Now…well, things get very interesting and I CANNOT wait to get it out there.

A Little About The Author:

J.A. George is the author of the four part series, GIFTED - THE HAYVEN SERIES. She spent years of her life reading book after book before sitting on her bed one morning, opening her laptop and typing Chapter One into a Word document. Now, not only does she read book after book, she writes book after book too. Usually with a large bar of chocolate by her side. Want to know more about the upcoming sequel? Follow her blog and twitter for updates.

Feel free to contact her in the following ways:

Email: jess.george@hotmail.co.uk

Twitter: @JGeorgie_

Blog: www.thejourneyofgifted.co.uk

She loves hearing from readers!