Interview with J.E. Sanders
Published 2014-06-20.
What is your writing process?
Basically I get an idea in my head and I daydream on it. I spend any extra time contemplating the characters and the plot. Once I get a general storyline and sense of characterization I then plot out an outline.
Most of the actual writing occurs late at night with music blaring in my ears.
What are your five favorite books, and why?
Only five? Wow. I have hundreds of favorite books, but the five books that have inspired me the most is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin, everything written Colleen Hoover and Abbi Glines, and The Inside Out series by Lisa Renee Jones.
Why? Frankenstein and Pride and Prejudice are two of the first books that really got me hooked on literature. These books enthralled me and, still to this day, won't let me go. Colleen Hoover and Abbi Glines started out as Indie authors who made a career for themselves off of self-publishing. They are two amazing ladies who can write a damn good story. I have laughed, cried, and wanted to slap someone silly reading their books. The Inside Out series by Lisa Renee Jones is one of the first mystery romance series I read and it amazed me. The amount of depth and detail she puts into this series in mind-blowing. If I could have a third of the awesomeness these authors have I would consider myself lucky.
What do you read for pleasure?
I love New Adult fiction, Young Adult fiction, Contemporary Romance, and Paranormal/Dystopian themed books. I love anything that will transport me into another world completely.
What is your e-reading device of choice?
I have an iPad so I have a lot of reading apps. Kindle app, Nook app, iBooks, and audible are my primary apps I use for reading.
Describe your desk
Ha! I big fat mess. I have sticky notes everywhere, random calendars scattered about, and notebooks galore. On top of my desk I have a board that contains signed bookmarks and "swag" from authors I fangirl over.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in rural Mississippi and I was considered, what some would call, trailer trash. My family was on the poor end of the economic status and I learned that from a very young age. It was mostly my mom and me and we bounced around from trailer park to trailer park until we moved in with her now husband.
My background and past has a huge impact on my writing and I believe it shows mostly through some of my characters.
When did you first start writing?
I first started writing back in 2006. I remember sitting in my room journaling and writing free verse poetry. In my pre-teen and teen years I needed an outlet from the crap life had thrown my way and writing was it for me.
Who are your favorite authors?
Colleen Hoover
Abbi Glines
Lisa Renee Jones
Ella James
Jamie McGuire
Shaunta Grimes
I seriously could keep going. Plus, I have to add in classics such as the Bronte sisters, Thomas Hardy, Jane Austen, and Mary Shelley because, come on, they are pretty kick ass.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
My family. I have a daughter who was born with brain damage and because of it has a mild form of cerebral palsy. She is such a strong person. She's my inspiration for everything that's good in my world.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
Snuggling with my English bulldog and my military husband when he's not deployed. Playing with my daughter, reading, and absorbing myself in Netflix.
How do you discover the ebooks you read?
I'm a book blogger so I've come to find a lot of the books I read from other bloggers or book promoters. I also have authors I religiously stalk via social media haha.
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