The Bookie Monster: Interview: Jodie Pierce

Jodie Pierce lives with her hubby, John in Cleveland, Ohio along with four beautiful step-children. She has been writing since high school where here English teacher took an interest in her and started mentoring her. She has had a fascination with vampires since they were introduced to her as a child and has had a long history with them. It wasn't until she started reading the Anne Rice vampire books that she was truly inspired to write about them. She was an exchange student in Brasil in high school so you can find some of her experiences from there in her stories. Many of her stories have historical or researched facts as she also enjoys research and learning about new places.

She has published five short novels(Eternal Press), a short story in "Midnight Thirst 2", an anthology (Melange Books), has two self-published books and has several short stories that she still works on. She has a new charity anthology with various authors where all the proceeds go to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital due out Halloween 2013. She's always busy with the next great vampire story as her mind is non-stop and even plagues her dreams.

Jodie has recently submitted her new work Crime Bites and So Do I to The Bookie Monster for review. Keep an eye out for it!

Give us a quick bio. A little about yourself, your work and how you got into writing.

I have a fairy-tale marriage to a man I met online 5 years ago. I’ve been writing since I was in middle school but it wasn’t until I read an Anne Rice book, The Vampire Lestat, that I found my direction for writing. Reading a Christine Feehan book that I also tried my hand at vampire erotica.

What five words best describe you?

Loyal, hard-working, lover of much, kind and creative.

If you were to create a writing soundtrack, what artists would be on it?

Godsmack, Disturbed, Metallica, Korn, Halestorm (for sure!!!), Motley Crue and many 80’s bands!

How do you come up with the character names in your books?

I look for names in baby books or on baby name websites to find names with meanings that represent my character. Many times I do research and use Mythological characters.

Have you ever written yourself or people you know as a character in one of your books? I write myself in many of my characters and those around me. I wrote a book with the entire character based on my step-daughter.

Do you write full time or do you keep a day job?

I’m disabled with back and knee problems amongst others so I’m blessed to be able to write full time. Unfortunately, I can’t support myself with my writing but maybe one day.

When did you decide to make a career of writing?

I just started writing. I still have stories waiting to be edited (and often rewritten) to last me a couple years (plus the current charity books I work on). I just started writing and writing and then I wrote my Vampire Queen book and decided that I really wanted to get it published. I worked for over 3 years to find a publisher. Shortly afterward, I learned I could publish books myself online so I started doing that as I got very little from the publisher that I couldn’t have done myself (and had to do).

What do you do when you are not writing?

Watching TV and movies with hubby is the biggest thing I do, I read, I meditate, I try to take care of my health issues and not dwell on them which writing helps me do.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Don’t give up. Writing is a hard business and time consuming. Just don’t give up on your dream.

Who are you reading right now?

I’m pre-reading my friends’ new chapters of his book 2, Ronald Griffin.

OK, so, what’s next, do you already have a new project in the works?

I have a couple charity books that I’m currently working on (almost done-hopefully due out Dec.1st). I’m also working on editing a story and writing a prequel to my Vampire Queen trilogy.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

All the time. I dream a lot of what I write or at least the concept. Sometimes my hubby gives me a concept and I take it from there. I put the story away for awhile until I’m inspired again which usually is only a couple days really.

Did any specific author(s) motivate you to begin writing?

As I said in my bio, Anne Rice is my idol and Christine Feehan also inspired me.

You are hosting a dinner party and must invite 3 famous people. Who would you choose and why?

Well, Anne Rice of course for obvious reasons, Brandon Lee as I was a HUGE fan (make a giant scrapbook and all) and probably Kirk Hammett from Metallica as he’s a huge horror fan and very macabre.

In ten words or less