Interview with Jewel Adams

I am so excited to spotlight a dear friend on my blog today. Her name is Jewel Adams and she is one of my favorite friends and authors.

I met Jewel about five years ago when we were both doing a book signing at the same store. I was drawn to her because of her bubbly personality and fun sense of humor. We hit it off immediately and have been good friends ever since.

Jewel writes totally from the heart. Her stories are packed with emotion, humor and insight. She has experienced a great deal in her life and she brings her wealth of experiences into each story to give it dimension and depth. I love her stories and am so glad she agreed to doing an interview with me.

My interview with Jewel:

M.B.: When did you first know you wanted to be an author?
Jewel: I used to write a little poetry as a teenager, but I never really had an desire to write a novel until I moved to Utah. I met an author who sort of gave me the bug. Now, it's one of my favorite things to do.
M.B.: What was the pathway like for you to get your first book published?
Jewel: It was definitely interesting and I learned a lot. For instance, your work is not done just because your book is published. It's just getting started. My first book was a YA novel which is no longer in print, but from the publication of that book came my burning desire to write others.
M.B.: Were you ever discouraged along the way? If so, how did you deal with it?
Jewel: I had many discouraging moments. Since my first book was published right off, I thought it would be a breeze to get another one published, but that wasn't the case. Each rejection letter brought me down, until I started talking to other authors and found out I wasn't the only rejected author in the world and there was no personal vendetta against me:o)
M.B.: What is your writing schedule like?
Jewel: It used to been a lot of noon and late night writing, but now that half my kids are out and the others are older, I can slip in a little more writing time here and there. I home school, so when they are working on their assignments, I can get a few paragraphs written without interruption. Sometimes when I trying to get a book finished, I go off by myself and either spend a night in a hotel or all day at the library, and get it all done. I have a very supportive husband who gives up his earned hotel points:o)
M.B.: Where did your idea come from for this book?
Jewel: I never thought I would ever dabble in fantasy, but it seems like the best way to get a message across to the youth today is through a fantasy. I wrote the book because of a daughter we are struggling with. I wanted to help the youth understand how importance choice is and that there is always a consequence for those choices whether good or bad.
M.B.: What words of advice do you have for other writers who desire to have their manuscripts become books in print?
Jewel: If it is a work you truly believe in, you should never give up, even if you have to go through several rewrites. Because this last book was so important to me, I decided to self-publish it, and I'm glad I did.
M.B.: What is your process of brainstorming a story? Do you just sit down and write, waiting to see what happens next? Or do you outline first?
Jewel: Since my little imagination is always working, I usually have a story pop into my head when I least expect it. That's why I never go anywhere without a not pad and pen in my purse. I always have little random thoughts and some stick out more than others. If it's one that doesn't leave me, then I go ahead and start writing and see where it goes.
M.B.: Do you ever experience a snag in a story, a form of writer's block? If so, how do you deal with it?
Jewel: All the time. That's why I usually work on two or three stories at once. That way when I can't seem to budge on one, I just move to another one and come back fresh on another day. You should see my notebook. I usually have random thoughts for two or three different stories on one page because I can't turn them off. It's crazy:o)
M.B.: Do you need absolute quiet to write? Do you listen to music when you are writing?
Jewel: When I'm thinking, music is good, but when I begin to write, I turn it off. During the day when the kids are doing their schoolwork, as long as they are sitting apart from each other with no part of them touching whatsoever, it stays pretty quiet for a while and I can concentrate. As soon as the first yell emerges from my ten-year-old, that's it. I'm done for a while.
M.B.: What kinds of inspiration do you use during your story creation periods?
Jewel: Well, when I'm writing romance, I usually give my lead male characters my husband's attributes. They're just a little younger and have more hair:o) He fully accepts the blame for me being such a romantic.
M.B.: Who has made the greatest difference for you as a writer?
Jewel: Really it has been the support of other authors I now consider my friends. (You've always been at the top of that list.) I feel very privileged to know so many talented people and to know if I need any help or even a pep talk, you guys are there.
M.B.: Do you use a critique group during the writing process? Why or why not?
Jewel: I do have readers that I use to give me feedback. They tell me what they like or don't like, what the story needs. They are brutally honest, which is good. I would rather hear the truth than have them tell me how much they like the book because they are my friends. (Although that can be good for the ego at times:o))
M.B.: Anything about yourself that you would like readers to know about?
Jewel: I just love life and I feel very blessed.
M.B.: Any final words you would like to share
Jewel: You can do anything you want to do and be whatever you want to be in life. Never let go of your dreams, because each day that you hold onto them gets you that much closer to achieving them.
M.B.: Where can our readers go to find your books and order them?
Jewel: They are available on my website jadamsnovels.com or on Amazon.com
Please add any other information, like a brief bio or book description, that you would like.The Journey is a YA fantasy set on a world similar to ours. It's about a young woman who goes on a journey and learns the importance of choice.
Against the Odds is a contemporary romance about a black fashion model who divorces her husband after seven years of marriage because he has been unfaithful. She leaves her old life in search of a new one and finds love where she least expects it.
Mercedes' Mountain is also a contemporary romance. It is the story of a successful woman who, when she turns forty, decides to change her life. She begins her quest for the kind of happiness money can't buy.

I hope you'll all go out and buy Jewel's books.