How do you find/make time to write?
It's funny how you always find time for the
things you're passionate about, right? So, for me, when I'm deep in a book –
which is most of the time nowadays – I try to be super disciplined. When I
can’t write full-time, I basically steal all those 'idle' hours, like early
mornings or after dinner, and just write. I aim for around two thousand words a
day. And honestly, sometimes I get so into it, the biggest challenge isn’t
finding the time to write, it's battling to actually shut down and go to
sleep!"
What was the hardest part of writing this
book?
You know, even though I love writing,
'hardest' is still a thing! This book, 'In the Joining of Souls,' is seriously
emotional. And a deep dive into the characters. So, as inexperienced as I am, I
found that quite hard to manage. But honestly, the real challenge was keeping
the characters from going completely rogue. They just wanted to run the show! Even
so, it ended up being this 160,000-word monster. And, of course, the
ever-present writer's struggle: one minute you're convinced it's total garbage,
and the next, you're like, 'Wait, maybe... just maybe...?
What did you enjoy most about writing this
book?
Easy. The sheer innocence of it. Especially
Jordie and Hannah's relationship. So pure, you know? It took me back to those
simpler times, when things felt...truer. I love writing about that kind of
world, where life just moved a little slower. It was like stepping into this
perfectly innocent bubble.
What do your plans for future projects
include?
Well, you know, being a late starter, I'm
just trying to write as much as possible. The stories almost tell themselves,
and I'm just along for the ride. Honestly, I'd write even if no one ever read a
word. I'm on chapter eight of something new, still figuring out the genre and
where it's going. It's very different from my previous one, though. I'm hoping
to have it done early in the second half of the year.
Where can readers find out more about you and
your books?
I’d love for them to visit my website https://jograybooks.com
(and please join my mailing list, I promise I won’t spam you!) or my Amazon
Author page. I also have pages on most major platforms: Goodreads, Amazon, all
social media platforms.
Let’s Add Some Fun!
If you could choose three people to invite
for a dinner party, who would they be and why?
Ooh, difficult one. They’d all be writers, I
think. Let me see… if I invited Markus Zusak, Ayan Rand and Harper Lee, it
would end up being a dinner party for six, because I’d probably need a referee
and a therapist there, too! And a lot of wine! Imagine Stephen King dropped in
unannounced… it would be like a literary multiverse collision! But seriously,
apart from their absolute genius there’s some specific quality I love about each
of their writing: Ayan Rand’s unapologetic complexity, Harper Lee’s profound
expressiveness, Markus Zusak’s way of describing, of setting a scene… and
Stephen King, well, for me he’s just one of the greatest storytellers ever.
Read by a cozy fire or on the beach?
Definitely by a cosy fire anywhere… even on
the beach! Preferably with a great Grenache in hand!
