Here is our interview with the lovely J.R. Turner:
Did you always want to be an author?
Yes! But like many authors, the way toward publication was long and winding. In second grade I wrote my first poem, then shortly after, my first play. The play was actually performed by other students for the entire school. I think at that point, I was hooked on the idea of becoming an author. I was a precocious child, which wasn’t always good for me. I understood adult concepts far too early and had difficulty just having fun as a kid. In eighth grade, I was caught reading a dictionary for fun—and the teasing didn’t end!
There was definitely an upside though. I excelled in school with little effort, which left me ample time to pursue writing and reading—my two loves.
What is your reaction whenever you see your books in the shelf of a store?
Oh gosh, this sounds weird, but I get a little freaked out. Normally when I go shopping I’m dressed in sweats, my hair in a ponytail, and usually I’m in between carpooling for my kids separate events. I always fear someone will recognize me and I’ll have to stand there like a doofus wishing I had dressed up a little. I live in a small town and having everyone know who you are makes it a little hard to relax in a book store.
I once dropped in to pick up a copy of Stark Knight to mail to someone. I had run out of those at home and figured it was faster and easier to just grab a copy from the bookstore. The gal behind the register chuckled and said, “I’ve never sold an author a copy of their own book before!” And yes, I was wearing sweats with my hair in a ponytail! ;)
What gave you the idea for a character like Kaylee Hensler?
All the books I had written before I began the Extreme Hauntings series featured strong female leads. They were the kick-butt, Lara Croft type gals who punched first and asked questions later. When my publisher asked me to write a YA series, I was a little stumped, until I figured I’d take one of my heroines back in time and see what she might be like as a teen.
Since there is a lot of physical action needed, I wanted to give Kaylee a chance to have some practice. Making her skater and captain of her swim team really pulled out the sort of elements in her character I thought were necessary for the upcoming battles she faced. Giving her a shrink for a dad and a social-worker mom with a history studying angelology gave Kaylee the necessary understanding of human nature to help her get through the more emotional aspects of the series.
Did you base your characters from real live people?
In some cases, yes. Mostly on secondary characters. The elderly man in the hospital in Detour 2 Death is based on my father. In DFF: Dead Friends Forever, Frank is based on a friend of my husband’s who helped us paint our first apartment and Will is based on a boy I dated when I was sixteen. In School’s Out 4-Ever I went a little different, since I had never been to a boarding school. I based the headmistress on Carol Lombard and Destiny is actually based on Destinee from Rock of Love with Brett Michaels.
The premise of Detour 2 Death is very interesting and gives only a bit away, can you tell us more about the third installment of your series?
This book was interesting to write because so little of it takes place in the real world. Most of it is in two different realms—a haunted “dark side” of the main location, a hospital, and a placed called Feverland that is deep inside the mind of Davey, her best friend who is in a coma.
Exploring all the aspects of the more primitive side to a person’s character, in this case Davey, created a much more violent overtone than I expected. Kaylee is torn between keeping her promise never to abandon him, and protecting herself from his rage. This dynamic was exceptionally difficult to write.
What gave you the idea to use ghosts, reapers and such?
Well, I didn’t feel comfortable giving Kaylee and Uzi to battle terrorists and bad guys, so I figured going supernatural would be truly awesome. She can blast monsters and evil entities to hell and back with the power of her mind—and the power that she’s gained from being healed by an angel in the first book.
QUICKIES:
Angel or Demon?
Angel, of course! But my horns hold up my halo ;)
Coffee or Hot chocolate?
Coffee, but did you know if you mix Vanilla Carmel Latte from International Coffee and hot chocolate, it tastes fabulous?
Cold or Warm?
Both—love my iced coffee. Currently, I’m addicted to McDonald’s Caramel Frappes.
Romance or Thriller/Mystery?
Gosh—love the mix of both!
Comedy or Horror?
Definitely horror ;)
Left or Right?
I’m a Righty :)
Up or Down?
I’m tall—and usually in a great mood—so I’d say up!
Movies or Books?
Both—but of course if I had to choose one, it would be books ;)
Fiction or Non-Fiction?
Fiction, totally.
Writing Indoors or Outdoors?
Oooo—I love writing outdoors—but I get soo distracted. So, for my pleasure—outdoors. For productivity—indoors ;)
Check out her new book Detour 2 Death! :)
