Well after a few hiccups we can finally say we are very lucky to have Author Jessica Smith with us today
Hi Jessica
Tell us a little about yourself.
Hi Trina! I'm Jessica Smith, from
Herefordshire in the English countryside - famous for cider and bulls. By day I
sell massive corporates Big-Brother style analytics software, and by night I
write about the Devil.
I live in a lovely country cottage with my
partner, Jon, our two dogs and the one solitary Cory catfish left in our
tropical tank.
I am the author of the Godcorp novels.
How did you become a writer, and did you always want to write?
Actually I wanted to be a cat when I grew
up, but I did always enjoy writing. I completed a creative writing course with
the Open University some years ago, and began working on a novel (Seventh Son -
it was terrible) around the same time. What really made it all happen was the
death of my long term on-off-on-off again boyfriend Malcolm when he was just
24. When Malcolm died I questioned everything. I imagine it's something a lot
of people can relate to, but it just didn't feel right. I was convinced there
had been some horrible, crazy mistake. That was the beginning of the Godcorp
story. I finally wrote the first draft last year, found John Hudspith (my
editor) to help it along its way, and that was the beginning of being a book
mother. Now I have two healthy offspring and a third on the way.
How do you hope your readers react to the stories you write?
I hope they feel something. The grief in Godcorp is all real, it was all mine.
Evie's pain at losing Malcolm is real, because he was real and I miss him as much as she does. I hope readers feel
that from the book - it's authenticity.
I also hope they fall in love with Lucius
Devlin just like I did… The Devil has well and truly stolen my soul!
What responses to your writing have affected you the most and why?
A lovely reader messaged me to say that
Evie's grief had really affected her, and told me that she could relate to it
having lost her father to cancer a few years ago. Her story brought a tear to my
eye. People have messaged quite often to say the book made them cry. I'm always
sorry I upset them, but happy they could relate to Evie's loss in such a
personal way.
The reaction to Lucius has also affected me
a lot. It always takes me aback when people make teasers and fan art about him,
and I really hope it always, always does - it's incredible.
Other than writing great stories, what other goals do you have for your
life?
Outside of writing I am a big fan of
Jungian psychology. I'm a qualified NLP practitioner, and want to expand on
that by taking a four year course in hypno-psychotherapy (hopefully beginning
next year).
Eventually I'd love to study at the Jung
Institute in Zurich.
I ticked off several of my major goals this
year - to meet Marti Pellow and go and see the blue whale at the Natural
History Museum in London - so I really need to formulate some more now!
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Like almost every author I know, I love to
read. I have an amazing family, so I spend as much time back home in Ledbury as
possible. I don't really watch TV, but I do have a terribly addictive
personality around games. I probably spend too much time playing Hungry Shark
at the moment…
What can you tell us about your latest works?
I'm currently writing Godcorp III. It's
really the next phase in the Lucius Devlin story, and I hope readers will be
pleasantly surprised by how things are turning out. There is still a lot of
drama, and the regular darkness you'd have to expect around Lucifer, but it's
definitely taking an interesting turn. I'm hoping to have the book out by
Halloween.
What stories can your fans expect from you in the days ahead?
Godcorp III is going to be the next
release. There will be four in total, but the final book is set a little way in
the future. I've also been toying with / working on a darker novella, written
from the Devil's POV. That may or may not make it into the public arena though!
What would you like to say to your fans in New Zealand
I'd like to say one massive thanks.
Everyone's support and enthusiasm continually blows me away. A big wave from me
from way over in England!
Do you have any parting words?
Thank you for having me, and I hope
everyone loves the Devil!
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