1. Introduce yourself. Who are you? What genres? What books do you have out?
I am James Garcia Jr. I write paranormal and horror fiction, usually with an edgy or crossover vibe to them. That means there’s some Bible in there; the original good versus evil. I usually use the following promotion slogan: There are things that go bump in the night. Won’t you let me show you? I have published 6 novels so far and just published my latest, entitled The Color of Sound. This one is about a 16-year-old girl who hears voices. She suddenly loses the scales over her eyes, allowing her to be able to see both angels and demons. Neither side is pleased about this. She meets her guardian angel who counsels her as she comes to grips with this special ability. Last week, one wanted her dead. This week, they all do.
I have the Dance on Fire vampire series which is currently 3 books. I have Seeing Ghosts which is my paranormal with romance; and I have Photographs which is a paranormal mystery.
My favorite books are much like my favorite music – they have to hit a certain mood or emotion that I’m feeling at any particular time. In horror, Headhunter by Michael Slade; The Thief of Always, a fable by horror author Clive Barker; The George MacDonald Malcolm series of Malcolm and The Marquis’ Secret; and Beach Music by Pat Conroy. That last one always shocks my audience. They expect me to list King, Rice, Crichton, etc., but no. I defy anyone to offer a better book than Beach Music.
3. When did you know you wanted to be an author?
The way I remember the series of events was I first discovered rock music in the late 70’s, early 80’s. It’s almost all elevator music now, but the early days of heavy metal caught me up. I also discovered that I was old enough to watch horror movies: Friday the 13th, Halloween, The Thing, The Fog, The Nightmare on Elm Street, etc. I soon bought an electric guitar and thought I would be a musician. When I started writing my own song lyrics, I must have realized that I needed much more space than those conventions allowed. I recall killing off all my friends in my first slasher story! That story will never see the light of day. You’re welcome! *laughs* Eventually, as late teens turned into early twenties, I realized that I had the skill.
4. What are your favorite and least favorite parts of the writing process?
My favorite part is the general outlining through the first two drafts when the thing goes from a seed to a fully grown tree. It still needs a ton of pruning, but that’s the fun part. I can tolerate the middle part when I edit and edit and edit again, think it’s damn good and then send it off to my trusty editor. My least favorite part is when I barricade myself in a closed room and read the entire thing aloud to make sure each sentence sings. By then, I’m tired of it – no matter how good it is. Yet, it works. That’s why I keep doing it. I just reserve the right to complain. *laughs*
5. What is your writing routine?
Because I work a ten-hour day job as a Safety Manager – which means I could also receive a phone call and go back to work if something bad happens, I do not write every day. I take on one project every couple of years. I like to tell people it’s like having multiple pots simmering on the stove. Once I decide which one smells the best, I push the others to the back burner, as it were. I then begin meditating on the project throughout the day until I begin to see enough. I then sit down and write a general outline. It’s about 6-10 pages of paragraphs, detailing what happens. I move those around and fill in blanks until I can see the entire thing like a film in my head. Only then do I sit and begin the writing. By then, it basically writes itself. I like to leave space for unexpected magic to occur that surprises even me during the writing.
6. How do you balance writing with the rest of your life?
It was much more difficult in the early days of our marriage when the children were young. Truth be told, I didn’t write at all. I only dreamt of being a writer. I started Dance on Fire but didn’t finish it for twenty years. I’m 55 now, but when I turned 38, I really started to feel the regret I was facing if I never finished that manuscript. So, I did. I found a home for the book and wrote the first two drafts of book 2 in the series in eight months. That publisher soon closed shop. I had a pity-party for a day and then realized it was time to self-publish. My wife will tell you that I was married to my trusty laptop for about five years at that point. I have better balance now, but we’ve also been married thirty-four years, and the children are grown.
7. What inspires you? How do you beat writers block?
I think it’s that monster called regret again. I don’t want any. At the end - God forbid I end up in an old-folks home or banished to the rocking chair in the corner of a room, I don’t want anyone to be able to say that I didn’t try hard enough. When I retire, I look forward to getting up early, pouring that coffee and creating those worlds, every day. It sounds perfect! As for writer’s block, I feel like I always have a couple of extra ideas on that back burner.
8. Does anyone read or edit your work before publication? If so, how did you find them?
I have an editor. She’s a writer also. I found her in the writing community. When my first novel lost its home, I reached out to her, and she’s been editing everything I have done since. I don’t give it to her until I feel it’s good and all the heavy lifting has been done. I then have some beta readers who read it and let me know what we’ve got. They are still too easy with me, I feel. I’ve really got to get them to push me harder. It could be that it is clean and wrapped up well by the time they see it. Perhaps not.
9. Can we have a sneaky look at your future plans?
No, you may not. *laughs* Sure. My latest book is actually Dance on Fire 3.5. That 16-year-old with the ability to see angels and demons is joining the team. There are a few clues sprinkled about, and then in the final chapter Jewel she meets one of the characters from that series and realizes the vampire myth in town was actually true. It’s the same town, you see. In the beginning, I was world-building a fictional town that was essentially my own. I finally realized if Uncle Stevie (King) can write about Bangor, Maine all the time, nothing was stopping me from doing the same. It turns out my town is haunted by paranormal activity. I’m really going to have to explain that one of these days!! My young character will be pivotal to helping my vampire Nathaniel and his mortal family with what’s coming in Dance on Fire 4. I’m outlining that one now because the holiday season is the perfect time for writing.
10. Finally, what advice would you give to other writers?
If you’re passionate about doing something – anything – don’t let anyone stop you. Have no regrets. Dreams do come true. With regard to writing, join the community. Family doesn’t always understand how or why we do what we do. Only other writers know this. Meet and interact with them on social networks, etc. They can encourage and also help. I’m still using the formatting notes that another dear friend of mine in the community shared with me. And I have friends that I have made and actually met a couple in real life.