Q&A with J.Q. Anderson

J. Q. Anderson is a debut author who loves stories of all kinds, cooking food from her home town, Argentina, and hanging out with friends and family. When she is not working, she is writing relentlessly, or hanging out with her husband and three kids.

Writing is a multi faceted passion. You are in love with making stuff that wasn't there before. You think, you create, you obsess, and then you obsess a little more. Before the words even get to the page they have been roaming in all corners of your mind, trying to shape themselves.

I would have never dared to write a word had it not been for the people that love and suck in those stories. Find out more at http://www.jqanderson.com/

Meet Jake and Natalia.
Jake was once a water polo Olympic Gold Medal Winner.
Now he is an Escort. The lucky few women he selects as clients pay small fortunes for a weekend with Jake.
Natalia just graduated from culinary school in Buenos Aires. She works the ski season in Aspen. She needs the money.
The moment they meet a sudden attraction grips them.
It can’t be: She’s engaged. He’s a hooker.
A story about passion, deception and what lies hidden in the darkest corners of love.  

1. What inspired you to write Intercepted?

I was working on another novel, much longer, and the editing was taking me a while. I think the creative part of my brain needed a break and to work on something new. So I put that novel aside for a while and wrote Intercepted. It was fun and just poured out of me!

 

 

2. What was your development process like?

I didn’t plot it at first, just started writing. Then as I got into it I drew a main storyline to stay on track. I wanted to see where the story went, so I built the characters and let them dictate some of the plot as well.

 

3. What was the drive that drew two characters, like Jake and Natalia?

I wanted to represent what it is like to be in a relationship today. It is difficult to connect with other human beings because people in general are not emotionally available. Jake being an Escort and detached from his own feelings is an extreme example of that disconnection, but I thought it showed it well. Natalia is a typical example of a woman that has to fight for what she wants and is faced with multiple obstacles, internal and external.

 

4. What did each character aspire to achieve?

I think it was the need for something deeper. Jake avoided interacting with people on a deep level because it connected him to painful memories of his past. Natalia was driven by the need to have control over her life, including her relationship with her fiancée, so she didn’t give in to feelings that could make her lose that feeling of security.

 

5. What do you hope readers will gain from your book?

I want them to have fun reading the story. This novel was meant to be fun and light, but with characters you can connect with on a deeper level. Natalia wasn’t afraid to dive into another culture and make it her own, without forgetting who she is and where she came from. I wanted to show what that is like as well.

 

6. What do you like best and what do you like least about being a writer?

I LOVE that there are no restrictions as far as what kinds of stories I can write. My next story can always be whatever I want it to be without any limitations whatsoever. I write the stories that I want to read, and hope others will like them as well, but it is a very personal journey. Real life is full of obligations, restrictions and yellow tape blocking the way. The world of books opens the door to wherever you want to go, and that is truly amazing.

The hardest thing is when I realize a turn I took with the story isn’t working and I have to do it all over again, but I have to say, those are the times when I grow the most as a writer.

 

7. Who are some of your favorite authors?

Gosh, I have so many. Two of my absolute favorites are Carlos Ruiz Zafón (El Juego del Ángel), and Jorge Fernandez Díaz (El Puñal), for fiction that takes you to another world. I also like contemporary romance ones, many from the U.S. like Colleen Hoover or Stephenie Meyer. I love different authors according to each genre. My likes are very diverse. I read one or the other depending on what I enjoy, but also what I think I need to learn. Reading is a great way to grow as an author.

 

8. If your book would be turned into a movie, who would you imagine playing the part of the main characters? (Actor can be ANYONE, living or dead.)

I am not going to pretend I didn’t think of that! I would love Natalia to be played by professional ballerina Julie Doherty and I’d like Jake to be someone unknown but super hot!

 

9. Are you working on anything right now?

Yes! Always! I went back to my original novel, Kings of Midnight, and will be done editing soon. I want to publish it by spring. That is the first of a two-book saga. The second book is also almost finished. After that, I have a very different fiction novel in the works about trafficking. It is darker, but I hope it will be a compelling story that will show the readers what trafficked women endure and how many of them there are everywhere.

 

10. And, finally, what do you think is in store for the future of Latino literature?

I believe Latinos are smart, educated and cosmopolitan people. Their knowledge and awareness of the world goes way beyond what is around them. In that respect, they are different from other readers and expect more. They also have to interact with different cultures and leave their mark. Latinos feel deeper and make their decisions based on their personal values and not some trend. I think that also reflects what is inside of the books we read. They have to be relevant to our lives and we have to feel that deeper connection. But we also like having fun!