Interview: "Becoming Jolie" by Monique O'Connor James

I'm happy to welcome Monique O'Connor James to Romance Book Junkies today on her book tour of "Becoming Jolie. I had the priviledge of interviewing Monique recently and I thought I'd share.

I know you get asked this question over and over but can you tell us a little about yourself? Maybe something juicy. ;)  HMMM something juicy?  I’m such an open book.  Here is something people would probably be surprised to know.  I’m very outspoken and opinionated, but when I get myself backed into a corner, I run and hide behind my shy husband and ask him to fix it for me!  I picture myself as the little Chihuahua that has to go hide behind the big dog!

When did you first start writing? Are you a full time author or do you do it on the side?

I started writing when I was about nine.  It was a gift and a curse because I wrote everything down.  Back then we just had diaries and journals and so if my parents ever wanted a glimpse into what was going on in my head all they had to do was find my journal!  Currenly, I write after my full-time job!  But, I truly hope to someday write full time.

Do you have a author that has really inspired you? I was about 13 the first time I read an Anne Rice novel.  I just lost it.  I read everything she wrote after that.  I thought it was very inspiring that someone from Louisiana (where I was born, raised, and now reside) could go out there and make it happen.

How long does it normally take you to write an average book or your last book?  Oh I’m a quick writer.  The fastest I ever wrote one was Becoming Jolie actually.  I wrote it in 18 days during NANOWRIMO.  It usually takes a couple of months and then I have to sit on it and I go back and add things and take things out.

What do you think makes a story great?  Well, I’m a big fan of a love story, but my favorite thing in the world is when a book catches you off guard.  I love twists and turns.  I don’t want to know what hit me!

Can you describe your book "Becoming Jolie" in one sentence?  A girl discovering the truth about herself through love, fear and stepping out of her comfort zone.

Have you done lots of research for your books or do the stories just come to you?  I’ve had both kinds of books.  I didn’t research at all for the first three novels I wrote.  For Becoming Jolie, I had to research black market babies and a bunch of haunting information.

What are you currently working on?   I have lots that need to be edited and I actually started three stories recently (3-4 chapters each).  I had two books coming out in July, so I took a bit of a break.  I’ll be back on it soon!

Can you tell us about some of your prior achievements?  I’m very proud that my first novel, The Keepers, was a #1 best seller on Amazon.

Is there anything that I didn't cover that you would like to talk about or say to your potential readers?  No!  Just enjoy the reads!

Just for fun:

Hardback or Paperback?  paper
Dog ears or Bookmarks?  Lol dogears!
YA novels or Adult novels?   Both
Library or Bookstore?  Both
Reading glasses or No glasses? No glasses
Snack while reading or No snacks?  Oh yeah!
Beach or Mountain?   BEACH!
Vampire or Werewolf?  Vampire!
Hot or Flirty?  Flirty
Movie 1st or Book 1st?  BOOK!!!!
Contemporary or Historical?   Contemporary
Page-Turner or Tear Jerker?  aRGH  BOTH?

 Becoming Jolie

Monique O’Connor James

Jolie Bourque is trying to finish her thesis and get on with her life.  She wanders into Folette, Louisiana, a place plagued by ghost sightings, convinced they are all crazy.  No one wants to help her, no one except Hutch Landry and his brother Tucker. 

Will she find the monster that is preying on the town's children?  Can she stay sane surrounded by madness?

What are her ties to the small town?  How will she choose between the brothers?

This is the nightmare that is her life and all just a part of Becoming Jolie.

Monique is the mother of two beautiful children and lives in a small community outside of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She currently works full time as an insurance agent, but her favorite jobs are mother, wife, and author. On her ninth birthday, her mother bought her a journal and said, "Write whatever you want. Just write". And so, a love affair with words was born.

She wrote poetry and short stories in high school and college, until 1993 when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. After her mother's death in 1998, deep in depression, she found herself unable to write. Nine years passed, and only on rare occasion did she attempt to write. Finally, in 2007, under the urging of   friends, she sat down and pecked out her first novel. It was raw and unpolished, but the process had been unquestionably cathartic.

The next three years were spent filling her hard drive with seven complete manuscripts. At the beginning   of 2011, Monique decided it was time to edit the work and share it with the world. She hopes you enjoy the ramblings of a truly southern girl raised in a state rich with heritage and love.

In June of 2011 her first book, The Keepers, was published by Astraea Press and it has been a world wind of excitement ever since.  Please check out her website and feel free to contact her at any time via her email, facebook, or twitter.

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