Monday, July 22, 2013

J. J. Cook Interview

Today I'm excited to announce a new interview and give away! Author J. J. Cook AKA the husband and wife writing team Jim and Joyce Lavene have been kind enough to answer a few questions and offer for give away a signed copy of their latest cozy mystery THAT OLD FLAME OF MINE. #1 in the awesome new Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade series! (Please see my review in a previous blog.)

All you have to do for a chance to win is leave a comment about this interview, the authors and/or That Old Flame Of Mine. A winner will be picked by random drawing on Monday, July 29th. (Please don't forget your contact information so I can email the winner!) Good Luck!

NOTE: To clear things up, you email is the only contact info I need for you to leave here. I just need to be able to contact you.


On to the fun!

Jim & Joyce Lavene
 
 
LKBR:  How did you come up with the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade series?
 
J&J:  We wanted to write something a little more serious with a compelling, determined heroine - and a ghost! Because of our shared family backgrounds with relatives in the fire department, we choose that as a beginning. We were in Tennessee on vacation when we saw a small volunteer fire station and it hit us what we needed. Enter Fire chief Stella Griffin and former chief, the ghost of Eric Gamlyn. Berkley loved the idea and we sold it right away.
 
 
 
 
LKBR:  You have a ghost in your story. Do you believe in ghosts or had any experiences?
 
J&J:  We have both had experiences with ghosts and know several people who are amateur ghost hunters. We also love any books or movies with ghosts. Eric Gamlyn is a fun ghost - he cooks and helps Stella as well as spending time with Hero, the fire brigade's adopted Dalmatian.




 
 
LKBR:  Do you follow the same writing process for all of your books or does each book come into being in different ways?
 

J&J:  The actual writing process - when we sit down at the computers - is always the same. We tell the story to each other, out loud, writing down the words as we go. The lead up, inspiration for each story, is different. The characters usually appear first, even if they aren't completely formed. It usually takes us about a year to get everything ready, but only a couple of months to get the words down.
 
 
LKBR:  Where do you find inspiration for the settings of your stories?
 
J&J:  Setting is so important, isn't it? The characters and plot need exactly the right place. In the fire brigade's case, we knew it had to be in the Smoky Mountains where we came up with the idea. We actually use the cabin we stayed at as Stella's in the books. We like to take pictures we can use as we work.
 
 
LKBR:  Who are some of your favorite authors?
 
J&J:  Barbara Hambly. Anne McGaffrey. Tanith Lee. Sabrina Luna. Lynn Willis. Jim Butcher. Charlaine Harris. We read cross genre, but truly prefer paranormal.
 

 

 
LKBR:  What are 3 things you would like your fans to know about you?

J&J:  Hmm. We prefer e-books to print now. After downsizing, we don't have room for all the books we read and it's sad to give them up. With e-books, we don't have to. We both play musical instruments. Our best ideas come from driving around on old back roads.



 
#2 in Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade series (can't wait!)
 

LKBR:  Is there anything else you'd like to add?

J&J:  We write under more than one name. We know it's confusing, but it's necessary if you write a lot. We write Peggy Lee Garden Mysteries, Missing Pieces Mysteries, Renaissance Faire Mysteries and Sheriff Sharyn Howard Mysteries under Joyce and Jim Lavene. We are writing Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mysteries and Biscuit Bowl Food Truck Mysteries under J.J. Cook. Under  Ellie Grant, we are writing Pie in the Sky Mysteries. 

New books from September to December this year include Plum Deadly (pie shop, September), A Finder's Fee (Missing Pieces, October), Murderous Matrimony (Ren Faire, November) and an e-book novella, Hero's Journey (Sweet Pepper, December)


 
                                              




                            
 
 
 
 
Want to keep up with Joyce & Jim? Check out these great links!
 
 


Twitter: @authorjlavene

 
 
I want to thank Joyce & Jim Lavene for an awesome interview and for the chance to win a copy of THAT OLD FLAME OF MINE.
 
Don't forget to leave a comment and your contact information for your chance to win!
 
 
Note from Lisa: Anyone else excited about Joyce & Jims's new Biscuit Bowl Food Truck Mysteries? The first in the series, MURDER ON EAT STREET, is due out April, 2014. How are we suppose to wait that long!?!
 
 
 

 
 
 
 



40 comments:

  1. Great interview. I love how they're interested in the paranormal. It's great how they put so much thought into characters and a story before sitting down to write it. Will have to definitely read some of their work.

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    Replies
    1. Lisa, the ghost in That Old Flame Of Mine is great.
      Lisa

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  2. Jim and Joyce sure are prolific writers. I started reading one of their series and soon learned how many others that there are. I have ordered a few more of their books and now need to keep a list to keep them all straight. :) I guess if my husband and I were to combine a name for writing it would end up C. J. Read!!! This was a great interview and so enlightening about all the books from this couple. Glad to have all the information in one place right now and will share it with my reader friends. I would be thrilled to be chosen to win the book; thank you in advance if that is happens. Not being lucky at all, I am not holding my breath however. :) Great job Lisa. I really don't like leaving my personal info. that can be read by many, so hope the e-mail address is enough in case I were to win. Thank you.
    Cynthia


    ceblain@tmlponline.net

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    Replies
    1. Cynthia, Sorry, I should have been more clear. Your email address is all I need. My last give away I noticed there was no way to contact so many of the people who left comments. I want to make sure the winner gets their book!
      Thank you for your kind words.
      Lisa

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  3. I already own this book but just wanted to say that I love the Missing Pieces series! Can't wait to read more of their stuff. :)

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  4. I love that Old Flame of Mine and and looking forward to the books coming out this winter. Thanks for letting us know about the other series this duo is writing, I'll have to start looking for them.
    susierobertsmom@hotmail(dot)com

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  5. I love the titles of the sweet pepper fire brigade series and I love they are set in Tennessee and really looking forward to reading them. I can't wait for the food truck mysteries too, I'm a big fan of culinary mysteries. Thank you for the giveaway

    sweething99@hotmail.com

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  6. I have never heard of this author but am interested in checking them out fter this interview. :)

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  7. It's amazing how many GREAT book series you two can do. I love it. I would love to win this

    debredevil@yahoo.com

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  8. A great interview. I love learning how authors write.

    nlb1050@yahoo.com

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  9. I like Joyce and Jim's books but figuring out all of the names they write under drives me crazy.

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  10. Replies
    1. Sandy, congratulations! You won the signed copy of THAT OLD FLAME OF MINE and a book mark! I'll be emailing you for your mailing address.

      Delete
  11. Enjoyed the interview. Love all the books that Joyce and Jim write.

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  12. I really enjoy your books and find it neat that a husband and wife can work together on writing.
    suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

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  13. You have an interesting way to write books, it sounds like fun and I think maybe by both of you working on the same book you may feed off of each other make the stories evolve easier.

    wfnren(at)aol(dot)com

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  14. Loved the interview with Jim and Joyce, Lisa ~ and thank you for the chance to win This Old Flame of Mine ~ It's been on my TBR List since it came out and I can't wait to read it! LOVE the storyline ~ Fire Chief and the ghost along with the mystery! And Plum Deadly looks amazing as well, along with all your other great reads! They are ALL on my TBR List! Happy Reading and Writing~ Cheers~ Elizabeth MacGregor

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  15. I love paranormal cozies, and these sound great! I'm especially looking forward to trying the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade series and the Renaissance Faire Mysteries.

    Don't really wanna leave my email for spambots to pick up, but you can find me at Swanson's Sleuths. :)

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    Replies
    1. I understand. Thanks for letting me know where to find you. It's hard to give things away when I don't know how to get a hold of a person! :-)

      Delete
  16. I love the originality of the story especially with the added bonus of a ghost. The setting is awesome too!

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  17. I really enjoyed reading the interview and I love the cover of That Old Flame Of Mine.

    Katie J.
    johnsonk133[at]yahoo[dot]com

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  18. Good interview, and they are so productive. So many books, so little time.

    annettena@yahoo.com

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  19. Can't wait to read this - everything is better with a ghost:). I love prolific writers as I am a voracious reader. Love the cover BTW. And I can't wait for Murder On Eat Street. We have so many great food trucks in RI these days.

    kateeileenshannon@gmail.com

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  20. Great interview. This book sounds so special and unique. best wishes. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  21. Thanks for this background information on your writing, the locale and ideas and your interest in e-books. Love to read this story. Many thanks. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  22. Thank you for the chance to win this book. I read all of Jim and Joyce's books they make quite the team.

    griperang at embarqmail dot com

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  23. Sounds like a great book and an excellent writing team. Thanks for the giveaway!

    Janet at best3sons@twc.com

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  24. J & J are wonderful folk. [g] I have read everything they have written and loved each one. I would love a chance to win a copy of this book.
    Dorothy at fermentum@gmail.com

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  25. Thanks for the chance in your give away . I have not read anything about the husband and wife team , but it really sounds neat . I would love to win this books . Thanks again.
    lizd225(at)gmail(dot)com

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  26. I loved That Old Flame of Mine and cannot wait for the second book. I love that it is set in the Smoky Mountains since it's basically my backyard.

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  27. Great interview!! My first husband and wife authors and they are new authors to me. Looking forward to reading their books. Please enter me in the giveaway. Thank you!!
    Barbara Thompson
    barbmaci61(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  28. I've had this series on my TBR list ever since I first seen the cover... the whole fire thing attracted me cuz I'm a sucker for firemen! lol One day I will get to it, and those that follow! =) Too many books, not enough hours in the day! :)~

    kidisitor@yahoo.com

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  29. It's on my TBR list! And, I'm tickled to there's a second one in series on its way! Please enter me in the giveaway. Thanks for the great interview!

    Tennisace50(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  30. What a wonderful interview! I feel like I learned a lot about them. :) Thank you so much for visiting and sharing today, Jim and Joyce.

    Brooke
    brooke811[at]ymail.com

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  31. I am amazed at all of the different series this couple has been able to write. I'd heard of a couple of the series and have had them on my TBR list, but now guess I'll need to add the others.
    It would be super to win THAT OLD FLAME OF MINE to get me started on this particular series.
    I think I still prefer books, but like Jim and Joyce, I am running out of room. I have a Kindle with quite a few books on it, BUT I haven't been able to find a way to categorize or find a book -- shelves are still much easier in that respect.

    donna(dot)durnell(at)sbcglobal(dot)net

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  32. This team has written so many good books. I'd just love to win one.
    suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

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  33. Great interview! I love J&J's Missing Pieces and Ren Faire mysteries. Will check out their other series too.

    Dotty K

    dotkel50{AT}comcast{dot}net

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