I am so excited to kick off the first Saturday Spotlight here at Rainbow Lyrics and Mellow Mushrooms! Let's welcome MM Romance Author Angelique Jurd, whom I had the privilege of meeting in Melbourne earlier this year! We were rockin' out the kitty cat ears! Angelique writes stories about slightly broken boys falling in love and is simply awesome to sit down and chat with. We engaged in a little written Q and A session, and OMG, check out the answers below.
Q. What are some of the
quirks you share with your characters?
A. Alex from The San Capistrano Series is terrified of spiders because I too am terrified of spiders. I’m not entirely sure why I did that to him other than it has provided some comic moments as Alex is 6ft 5…. Most of my MCs share my love of coffee and whiskey and nearly all of them have pets because I have pets.
(I too am terrified of spiders and think this is an utterly awesome way of adding in comedic moments, especially with a large character)
Q. Of all the characters
you’ve written, which one do you like the least and why?
A. Well if we’re talking in
general it’s a tie between Blake from Joey: The Complete Unabridged Story
and Janice, Alex’s mother, from The San Capistrano Series. They’re both
a sadistic, cruel, horrible people who did hideous things to sweet men. Ugh,
they’re vile. If we’re talking about MCs – Noah from Daisy, Yellow. Don’t get
me wrong I like Noah but he’s a bit spoiled in the beginning, so you know….I
had moments when I wanted to shake him and tell him to get his head out of his
ass.
Q. What was your most difficult character or story to write? Why?
A. Definitely Joey from Joey:
The Complete Unabridged Story. Joey is the survivor of an abusive
relationship that involved a lot of horrific sexual and physical abuse. I
interviewed quite a few men who had been raped by partners and it was
heartbreaking and horrible and writing it was just as challenging. I hated
making poor Joey suffer.
Q. If any of your books were to be made into a movie, which one would you like to see on the big screen and who would you like to see play your main characters?
A. I think Jesse’s Smile would
make a great movie – I mean yeah, I’m biased but Jesse is such an adorable
character, I’d love to see him brought to life. For Jesse I think Michael Urie
would be perfect but Nicholas Galitzine from Red White and Royal Blue could
also do a good job I think. They both have such an innocent yet cheeky look and both have great
smiles. But the first choice would be Urie. Drew is a bit more difficult…but Scott
Evans is probably my first choice.
Q. Describe your writing space? Is there anything you have to have when you write? A favorite type of pen, certain music, a stuffed critter that always keeps you company?
A. At the moment, my office
is also my craft room as my daughter and her boyfriend are moving home for a
few months. But I have a big desk and I usually like silence or classical
music, potato chips, and a lot of coffee. A whiskey later at night sometimes –
especially when I’m finishing a book. When I’m in the depth of a project I
don’t tidy up in my office and by the time I write The End the place looks like
it was hit by a tornado. I then spend a day restoring order.
(Wow, sounds about like my space and routine, actually. The chaos at the end of a story always feels like a surprise, it's like I can't see it when I'm in the middle of working on something, but as soon as I've finished, the blinders come off and it's like ohhhh crap, time to clean.)
Q. Is there a particular genre that you have always wanted to dabble in but haven’t had the opportunity to explore yet?
A. My first love is horror,
followed by thriller and I would love to write a queer horror/thriller one day.
Q. Is there a particular book that you’ve written that you wish more readers knew about? If so share a little about it here:
A. Probably Belkin Lake – a second chances novella. I wrote it very quickly because I was just driven to get it down and I adore both MCs. It’s written in two parts – the first in Shaun’s POV, and the second in Jason’s. In Part One, both guys are 19 and getting ready to leave for college. Shaun is quiet, nerdy, and lives with his mom and his brother Troy who has mental delays in a loving home. Jason comes from a wealthy, very dysfunctional family. Shaun’s POV takes us through the week they spend together before Jason just … leaves.
In Part Two, fifteen years later Jason is coming home for the first time since
leaving. He wants to tell Shaun why he did what he did, that he knows he was
wrong, that he made a terrible mistake. This time…he won’t run.
Q. If you were to write a spin-off book featuring one of your side characters, whom would you choose and why? Can you tell us a little about the story you’d like to feature them in?
A. Well…. I can tell you
that a spin off is coming from a book that will be out soon but aside from that
the one I wish I could do is Maisie from Joey: The Complete Unabridged Story.
Maisie is gender fluid, uses they/them pronouns, and becomes Joey’s best
friend. I get asked about Maisie more than any other secondary character.
Maisie is really complex though and for their story to be given true justice I
feel it would be better if it was an #ownvoices story so I won’t be writing it.
Q. Do you celebrate when you finish writing a book? If so, how?
A. Do tidying my office and
starting the next book count?
(Sounds like a celebration to me! Add in a bottle of wine or several shots of whiskey and that's pretty much the same celebration I have at the end of book.)
Q. What are some of the things you wished you knew about becoming an author before you headed down that path?
A. That you will always find
a typo the day after you publish. That you will tear your hair out over
characters because they never behave. That it’s as simple as sit down and write
– and as complicated and difficult as sit down and write. No matter how thick
your skin is, one star reviews sting. Some *really* sting; some just in
passing. There will always be a book you think you’ve done a great job of and
readers ignore – and one you think you messed up that they love. It’s just how
it works sometimes.
Q. If you could have dinner
with any author, living or dead, who would that be and what would you like to
talk to them about?
A. Can I pick two? Well, I’m
picking two. Stephen King and Bruce Springsteen (he has written a lot of op-eds
and two books as well as all of his songs). I discovered them both on the same
day when I was 12 and fell in love with both. They’re the reason I became a
writer. I’d like to know how they do what they do – make me see images in my
head with such clarity that I forget my actual reality. Before anyone protests
about how they’re both genre/pop culture writers - so am I. My Masters is in fandom and pop
culture. I write genre fiction. Theirs are the views I’m interested in.
Q. A lot of writers cut their teeth on fan fiction. Has there ever been a book, movie, or tv show that you’ve been so passionate about that you wanted to change certain parts in order to make the storyline go in the direction you’d hoped it would and if so, what changes would you make to it?
A. So my aforementioned
Masters in pop culture is focused on Dean Winchester so you can probably guess
my answer. Supernatural. Spoiler alert: Destiel is not my ship (no shade at all
– I love Cas as much as anyone). I’m not sure I’d be allowed to air my version
of SPN …. Just sayin’…
Q. As a writer, what would you choose as your spirit animal or the animal that best reflects your writing style?
A. Chaos gremlin. Squirrel
on speed. Same thing.
(OMG I love it!)
Q. If you couldn’t be an author, what do you think you’d be doing for a living?
A. I used to be a journalist
and sometimes I’m tempted to go back to it but in honesty I probably wouldn’t.
Maybe a nail technician – I love nail art. Jensen Ackles’ PA?
Q. Do you attend author events? If so, what’s the most amusing thing that ever took place at one that you attended, or your most amusing experience as an author attending one of these events?
A. I went to my first two
events this year (2023). I’m not sure if it’s amusing or not but at the first
one I was sharing a table with a fellow kiwi author, Zoe Piper and it was my
turn to do the coffee run. I made it all the way back to our table only to drop
both cups – on Zoe’s books and tablecloth. I was mortified. I still feel awful
– but Zoe was wonderful about it.
Q. What projects do you have in the works and would you be willing to share a snippet of one of them here?
A. I’m currently completing
the San Capistrano series, finishing up Hidden Strom for The Road to
Rocktoberfest, and working on Tennessee Whiskey – the first in a trilogy.
Snippet from Tennessee Whiskey – Jackson and Liam are our MCs and Jarred is a
secondary character:
Jarred, thinks Jackson,
can be a lot to cope with for people who do know him.
As if to underline this
the elevator doors open and Jackson finds himself with an armful of quivering,
chattering, pink clothed blond. Before
Jackson has a chance to say anything, Jarred, dressed head to toe in pink –
where in the hell did he find pink skinny jeans? – has his arms and legs wrapped around him
and his face buried in his neck. That at least has the welcome effect of
cutting off the stream of incomprehensible babble, though it somewhat like
being hugged by a pink koala.
Personal boundaries and
Jarred Elliot are not on a first name basis; something Jackson has learned to
work with. Drama, on the other hand, is
Jarred's stock in trade. Sighing Jackson grips Jarred’s thighs and walks him
out of the elevator. Who cares if Mister I’m Probably Here To Give You Bad News
sees them? Right now, Jackson really couldn’t care less.
Once out of the elevator,
Jarred leans back and starts babbling again.
“He insisted on waiting
and he didn’t want coffee, but he asked to use a bathroom, so I showed him
where it is and he looks like a big city lawyer and oh my fucking god Boss he
is so hot.” He flutters his heavily
mascaraed lashes so hard, Jackson worries he’ll hurt himself.
“Get off me, brat. And
take a breath before you pass out. Your eyeliner is smudged.”
“What?” Jarred lets his
feet drop to the floor, steps back and drags his fingers beneath his lower
lashes. He peers at the tips, then frowns. “No, it’s not. Don’t be mean. You
know I'd never come to wo -”
Oh God, so much for
distraction.
“Jarred. Focus.” Jackson
glances down the corridor toward the bathroom but there’s no sign of Mister
Whoever The Hell He Is. “What did he say?”
Jarred taps a pink
sparkly tipped finger against his lower lip and shuts his eyes. Jackson sigh and herds him toward the office.
“He said he needs to
speak to you, that he didn’t need coffee, and could he use the bathroom?”
“His name Jarred. Did he
give you his name?”
“Liam Bradford." The
voice behind him is deep and smooth. Whiskey that's been aged in the best oak;
just a hint of heat.
Q. What is the worst piece
of writing advice you’ve ever received?
A. Write What You Know. Even
if you don’t take it literally, it can really trip you up. Well, it trips me
up. I know the spirit of the advice is probably sound but sometimes even sound
advice can be a minefield. I just try to write honestly now – and yeah I know
how that sounds but *shrug* it’s the best I’ve got.
(Two thumbs up!!!)
Q. If you could spend a week
writing anywhere in the world, where would you want to go?
A. Jensen Ackles’ kitchen? Okay maybe not… somewhere warm with a great internet connection, great champagne, coffee, and whiskey, and just me. I love my family but a week of uninterrupted work would be awesome.
Thank you so much for taking the time out to answer these questions and talk more about your books, your process, and what you've got coming out soon! It was a joy to have you on Rainbow Lyrics and Mellow Mushrooms!
Check out Angelique on social media and look for Hidden Storm and Tennesse Whiskey to go live soon!
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