Today, I'm more than pleased to introduce you to Jackson Paul Baer, the charming, humorous, talented author (and all-around great guy). Jackson is a busy bee, splitting his time between writing, reading, being a loving father and husband, and preparing for the release of his newest project The Earth Bleeds Red. How does he find the time? I have no idea, but I have my suspicions that he's a superhero (with a time machine). Thanks for sharing your time with me, Jackson! Lights, camera, action!
You have a literary suspense
novel coming out this month. Quick! Give us the title and genre of your book
and a 30-word or less tagline.
The book is called The Earth Bleeds Red. All
right, 30 words… starting, now :)
Scott and Jessie are a couple in love. Someone took their only daughter,
leaving behind only a pool of blood. Is there any redemption left to be found?
Crime, suspense, and a serial
killer, oh my! What gives you the drive to write literary suspense? Do you have
a favorite crime or suspense novel? You
know, it’s not exactly a scary book. I’m not a big fan of scary books/movies,
though I do enjoy thrills and twists. This book will force you to question
faith, justice, and what is really important in life. I read a lot of literary
fiction and historical fiction, rather than suspense novels (don’t judge me). Too late! Kidding.
The title of your book is unique
(and a little scary!). How did you come up with it? I
can’t say exactly how it came to me, just that it did. I distinctly remember
telling me wife back in February that I was going to write a book called, The Earth Bleeds Red. I sat down, began to write, and
couldn’t stop. The book just poured out of me.
I want to mention that you're hosting a giveaway on Goodreads. Three lucky people will win an autographed copy of The Earth Bleeds Red. Yay! I already entered (and, yes, I'm still going to buy the book). Members of Goodreads can enter here. If people are not members of Goodreads, they can join now. It's free!
Tell us a little bit about your
cover art. Who designed it? Why did you go with that particular image/artwork? The
publishing company did the cover (their graphic design guy). I worked with them
for a while, sharing ideas and pictures, and they captured the perfect
metaphorical picture for the novel. There is a point at the end of a particular
chapter where The Earth Bleeds Red is used as a
metaphor. The cover reflects that moment.
I
know you have projects in the works. Other than this upcoming publication, what
other projects are you working on at the moment? I’m about 50,000 words into a psychological
thriller called The Lights Will Never Fade. It’s
quite different from the first book, and I’m currently editing and revising
what I’ve written so far.
Do
you have a special time when you write? Whenever I can find free time. I can usually carve
out a small amount of time during the day, and then again at night, after
everyone has gone to sleep.
What
are the essentials you need when sitting down to write? I usually sit in my recliner, put my ear buds in,
and type away. If it’s in the morning, I’ve got an orange, sugar-free Rockstar.
If it’s at night, I’ve got water to drink.
Where
do your ideas come from? Various places. Many of the stories I write come from real life
experiences, though usually loosely based. Sometimes an idea will come from a
TV show or another book. I believe that any good writer is also an avid reader.
What
is the most difficult part about writing? Honestly, it’s the editing process, after the book
is finished. It’s such a time consuming and detailed process. Going back and
forth with the editor was a pleasant process, don’t get me wrong, but it was
taxing for sure. It is, however, necessary. Nobody wants to read a book full of
errors or plot fails.
What
is the easiest part about writing? Writing. I get to create a new world, one that
didn’t exist seconds before. That is truly special.
What is your favorite quote and
why? “Love your enemies.” – Jesus; This is my favorite because it’s so simple, yet such a
difficult concept to actually live by.
What
books are you reading now?
Wild, by Cheryl Strayed
Dracian
Legacy, by Priya Kanaparti
Men of
Kent, by Elizabeth
Gibson
Whoa,
a multitasking reader! Excellent. I wish I had that skill.
What
is a novel you think everyone should read? Them, by Joyce Carol Oates. Everyone should read it
right now, if they haven’t. It changed me as a person, reader, and writer.
I
haven’t read this one yet. I’m making a note. Right now.
What
do you do when you’re not writing? I love spending time with my family. We go to the park a couple days a
week and go swimming in the summer. We like going on drives together too :)
Who
wouldn’t love this? Sounds like a great time!
How
do you relax? What do you do for fun? I like to workout, read, watch a good comedy show
on TV, and enjoy sports.
Other
than novels, what else have you written? I self-published a philosophy/theology book in
2011 called What the Hell. I also had two short
stories published in The Rusty Nail
magazine this summer. I run a blog and interview other authors as well, at www.JacksonPaulBaer.com.
You
even interviewed me, which was a lot of fun. Everyone should check out the
other authors you’ve interviewed. It’s a creative, informative way to support talented people
and help spread the word about their craft.
Fun
Zone!
If
you were a superhero, who would you be? Spiderman
If
you were an animal, what would you be? Pug
Do you have any unique talents or
hobbies? I play guitar & bass.
If
you had Doc Brown’s delorean from Back to the Future,
would you drive it into the future or into the past? Where would you go? Probably the past. I’d love to visit America in
her infancy.
Night
owl or early bird? Night owl, by far.
What
is one food you will never eat? Cole slaw. I absolutely hate it.
What
do you want to be when you grow up? A writer and a teacher.
A panda walks through the door right now wearing an
Atlanta Falcons jersey and listening to an iPod. What does he say and why is he
here? How are we 1-2? Did we really just lose to the Dolphins?
Sounds like there’s some deep-rooted frustration
here, Falcons. Get your act together!
And now, before you go, how about
a snippet from your book that is meant to intrigue and tantalize us:
"Jessie stared at the ground with tears in her eyes. We had both grown accustomed to tears. Not just regular tears, but streaming tears, alligator tears, and sprinkler tears; we practiced crying them all."
You must find Jackson. Now. Please :)
Thanks for having me!
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