Today I’m pleased to welcome author January Bain to Off the Page, chatting about her new book The Forever Man.
January Bain hails from Ashern, Manitoba, Canada. Married to the love of her life, her husband Don, she has combined her love of romance with her interest in the paranormal and vampires to produce the FOREVER SERIES of books. She teaches English and Computer courses during the day, and writes at night and in very spare moment she has. She hopes to touch your heart with this first book in the series, Forever Man and would very much enjoy hearing from her readers.
You can find her online in the following places:
www.januarybain.ca
www.ChampagneBooks.com
http://thewritersvineyard.com/
http://january-bain-science-fiction-musings.blogspot.com/2012/03/planet.html
First, Suzanne, I want to say what a pleasure and an honor it is to be visiting with you today! – It’s a pleasure having you! Now onto the questions…
- Tell a little about yourself, what you do when you’re not writing, what are your aspirations for the future?
I start my summers days with coffee in bed brought to me by my romantic husband (I know, I’m a lucky woman!) while I answer my e-mail in preparation for a day of writing. The other ten months of the year I teach at the local high school so I’m up by myself to follow my muse because it’s way too early for man or beast! In the summer I write most of the day and then break to work out on a treadmill and a weight machine. I LOVE to write! When I’m not writing I’m immersed in my characters following their journeys. I also do a lot of research. I read ten plus physics books in preparation for writing one time travel book! Of course, I also enjoy reading other author’s work to keep up with what’s going on in the industry.
The future looks wide open! I find that for the first time in my life I am prolific with words. It seems every day I gather more steam to create more and more characters to inhabit my imaginary worlds and I am beyond grateful for the opportunity.
I am also becoming acutely aware of how very much my writing has changed since writing Forever Man. My first book in the Forever Series is a sweet romantic tale while later books are far more complicated. It’s like my journey has been speeded up for some unknown reason. I feel like an old soul in a young body…
- When and why did you start writing?
My first book was written well over ten years ago but I did not have the courage to send it out to anyone. But with a little time and the support of my loving husband I finally got the courage to send out my second book, Forever Man, the first in a long series I’ve been writing for some time to three publishers. I chose smaller presses as I did not want to get lost in the fray and I think it was a good idea in hindsight. Champagne Books has been a good fit for me. (I actually got 2 positive responses but I went with the first that responded.) I then felt horrible about it when another nice editor contacted me with interest in publishing Forever Man. Made me re-think multiple submissions. I love to write love stories with happy endings, like I want real life to be for everyone!
- If you could only read one book over and over again for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
That’s a toughie! I guess I would have to go with something inspiring, yet thought provoking and long… and though I gave this question the most thought of all your questions, I could not come up with the ONE!
4. Give us some back story about Forever Man, where and when did you write it?
Three years ago this fall, a cool October night I remember very well, I watched a movie that spoke to me. I decided there and then to begin writing again in earnest. I wrote before school, at lunch hours, and into the evenings and in about five months I had the first book that I felt I could approach a publisher about. It originally was over 100,000 words but I managed to cut it back to 80,000 before sending it out. I rewrote it four or five times before I was somewhat satisfied. I’m an annoying perfectionist which I cannot help!
- What inspired your story?
The Green Mile of which I will tell you more about directly. It was a truly great moment and one I will never forget as the light went on for me and has been shining ever since!
- Where did the idea come from?
I remember it as clear as if the moment had just happened: I was watching the movie, The Green Mile, and was mesmerized by the idea that the gentle giant, imprisoned unfairly in jail for a crime committed by an another, could heal others by taking on their illness and then just letting the evil flow back into obscurity by exhaling through his lungs. I coveted that gift with every fiber of my being. I had just lost two beloved brothers to cancer and had to stand by and watch it happen. My heroine, Ellie Hightower, was going to have it so much better than me! She was going to have the gift of healing and save those she loved. I know why I write romantic stories—the happy, guaranteed ending.
- What was your favorite part of Forever Man to write?
That’s easy! The HEALING scenes!!! I want that ability so bad I can taste it at times!
- Are you working on any other projects at the moment?
I have two books on the go right now so many characters are vying for attention. One is an intense sci-fi story that’s set in the 27th century and the other is a fun Zombie number set in present day that is exciting me because it’s a new concept for this genre that just might get me the attention a writer so desperately needs to get anywhere in this business. When I look at how many books are being released out in the big wide world each day I’m floored at how anyone gets noticed! Just makes me want to write more though which is a good thing, I guess. Balance is the most difficult thing for me as I like to write way too much and my other duties suffer for it, like the dreaded housework, etc…
- Are you a Pantser or Plotter? Why?
Pantser mainly which I know is strange for a perfectionist as it takes some of the control out of my hands. But mostly my characters direct the story. I keep thinking it’s supposed to be more plotted, but other than the first story concept that comes to mind (I write all these down as they come quite often!) I let my characters have full reign. So far with five finished books and three underway, they have not let me down.
- Do you have any tricks to your trade, bottomless coffee, a magic pen, a special muse?
I just need peace of mind to write. My husband inspires my heroes, I’m very lucky in that regard. Once I’m in the story, because it has a way of taking over, I’m good to go!
- If you could be any fictional character for a day, who would it be and why?
I would be Ellie Hightower from Forever Man and try to heal the world.
Thank you January, and don’t forget to check out The Forever Man:
What if you had been given the gift of healing and could save those you loved? And furthermore, discovered you could save the one you love from a vampire’s kiss. There is a catch; of course, the cost of such a healing could mean your own death…
Ellie Hightower is discovering such gifts in the novel, Forever Man by January Bain. She is telepathic, young and bright and has been running from these new found gifts all the way to Nome, Alaska where she encounters the man of her dreams, Mike Stone and an ancient evil force out to take him away from her. Will having goodness and light on her side be enough to save them from Katrianna, a newly resurrected vampire that looks to enslave Mike in her nefarious web?
To find out the truth you will need to read, Forever Man, the first in the FOREVER SERIES by January Bain.
