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The Romance Reader's
Connection
JANUARY AUTHOR OF THE MONTH
by
Lora McDonald
This month TRRC
would like to introduce to you Ms. Katherine Jones,
author of LOVE WORTH FIGHTING FOR. While this is her
first BET book, she is off to a good start in
presenting the crazy issues that sometimes prevent
men and women from letting nature take it's course
in matters of the heart. I hope you enjoy learning
more about this new romance writer and her first
work of art.
Lora McDonald: Welcome Ms. Jones. As a
woman just starting in the field of romance writing,
how did you decide on a career in writing?
Katherine Jones: Actually, I didn't decide on a
career in writing, it decided on me. When I first
started writing the book, it was a way to pass the
time. I have a history of difficult pregnancies and
so my doctor decided I would be on hospital bed rest
as soon as I entered my second trimester.
Consequently, I was in the hospital doing absolutely
nothing from 14 weeks of pregnancy until the birth.
I started writing about six weeks into my stay, out
of sheer boredom.
LM: Please share with us something about
yourself?
KJ: Now that I am in this place in my life, I love
it! I enjoy the creative process; it seems like I
find story ideas in everything. Sometimes when I am
joking around with my sisters, we'll just go with a
sample setting and create dialogue. Most of which
would probably have us arrested!
LM: How did you come up with the idea for your
first book, LOVE WORTH FIGHTING FOR?
KJ: The idea came from watching a cooking show set
in New Orleans. The original title was Love in New
Orleans. I was in my hospital room after just having
a baby, flicking through the channels and came upon
this show with all this wonderful food. Later in the
day, I watched a news report about eleven police
officers who were arrested in New Orleans and my
imagination just took off. I just started writing
down notes at first, and then as the days went by I
started to really get into it. I had a complete
idea/first draft by the time I took my baby home. Of
course, it was in the wrong format, was missing
everything, and was in general just wrong. I didn't
even pick it up again until my son was two years
old.
LM: After you completed this book, did you have
any thoughts about changing anything concerning the
storyline?
KJ: Not about the storyline as much as about the
characterization. I would at this point add more
sexual tension and more love scenes. At the time I
wrote it, I wasn't in the same place as I am now
spiritually and emotionally. Also, during the
revision process I had to cut about 100 pages. If
I'd had more time, I would have liked to rework some
of the deleted scenes. In the original manuscript,
Rodney did not cheat on Tangie with another woman
and he committed suicide when he found out he had
HIV. That twist was inspired by another real life
event. So, a lot changed from what was submitted to
BET and what was accepted.
LM: How did you determine the characteristics of
the people in your book?
KJ: I used bits and pieces of just about everybody I
know. My friends from Hampton will know exactly whom
I am talking about with each character because of
either the name or the personality. I had great fun
doing that!
LM: I enjoyed your book, but I was curious why
there were so few romantic scenes in your first
book?
KJ: In 1997, I was just so thankful to God for
allowing me to keep my baby. I was in a place where
I didn't even want to curse in the book. I suppose
what I really should have done was taken a look at
writing an Inspirational. It was important to me for
the characters not to make love until after
marriage. The story I wrote then and what I write
today are just very different. I'm very different, I
am still very thankful to God and of course want to
live right, but I do believe when the characters
make that spiritual connection to each other, if
they have relations before marriage it is up to
them. I let the characters dictate what is going to
happen now.
LM: What advice would you give to anyone trying to
get his or her first book published?
KJ: Write! Follow your heart to produce the work
that is in you. The only way to become a better
writer is to write more. My agent is fond of telling
me that. I love that piece of advice. We learn and
grow every day as people, so should our writing.
Finish the book you are currently writing submit it
and then get cracking on the next one while you are
waiting to hear back from an editor or publisher.
LM: If there was one thing that you could change in
your career what would that be?
KJ: That I would have started earlier. I didn't make
the decision to even try to sell the book until
after my 35th birthday. And then I made the decision
only because I knew we were about to transition
again because of my husband's career. It hit me like
a ton of bricks that I wouldn't ever work in the
same place for 20 years, so what was I going to do
for myself? I dusted off the handwritten pages and
started on it again. I bought format books and
started reading my eyes out. Now my goal is to write
4 books by 40.
LM: What can our readers look forward to in the
future from you?
KJ: In July 2004, the next book will be out. It has
a lot of action and suspense, but my hero and
heroine are very likable and a nice story line.
Whereas it took me six years to complete Love Worth
Fighting For, it took less than six months to
complete Worth the Wait. I definitely kicked it up a
notch in the romance department too. Look for la lot
more steam! Also, I am near completion with the next
installment of the Special Corruption Unit story,
which will be book three. This one was so hot, I had
to write the love scene in stages :o)
Thank you Katherine for taking time to answer my
questions. I look forward to reading your
future works. For more information about this
talented author, you can visit her website at: http://www.katherinedjones.com/
(Click
here for a review of LOVE WORTH FIGHTING FOR)
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