Jo’s work has
been well-received by critics and readers alike. The first Maggie O’Bannen
novel, Days of Evil, was called
“absorbing” with “smooth writing, real characters, and a great story” by novelist Paul Bishop. Her writing has also been hailed as “fun”, “fast moving, hard
hitting”, and “unputdownable”.
Jo was kind
enough to take a break from her writing and answer a few questions. The
questions are italicized, and as always, the answers are so much more
important.
What’s your latest novel?
It’s
called Wanted - Dead and is the
second in the Maggie O’Bannen series, which I write as Joe Slade for Piccadilly
Publishing. It’s available now. The first book was debuted in November 2017 and
introduced the reader to Maggie and her band of misfits. It was hard hitting
and graphic in its violence, a diversion for me from my other alter ego Terry
James who writes more standard, non-offensive westerns. However, the Maggie
O’Bannen series is very organic in that Maggie and her relationships with those
friends grows and changes to create a stronger story so that in the second book
means the graphic descriptions of violence, to quote Western Fiction Review,
have been toned down a little. However, there is still plenty of hard hitting
bloody action, which will hopefully satisfy readers along with an interesting
plot.
I’m always intrigued by the origin of
pseudonyms used by writers. Do your pseudonyms—Terry James and Joe Slade—have
any special meaning to you?
Terry
James is a nod to my husband. Joe Slade happened because I wanted to separate
my two writing identities, being that the Maggie O’Bannen books are much
grittier than anything I’ve written before. Joe has always been my preferred
short version of Joanne and Slade was completely random.
Without breaking any of your personal
taboos, would you give us an idea of what you’re working on now?
I’m
now working on book 3 in the Maggie O’Bannen series. I love writing the
characters and, as I mentioned above, their experiences and circumstances are
shaping them, as would happen in life, so I never truly know what’s in store
except for the outline of the main plot. It certainly makes life interesting
for me.
What was your first published novel?
Wow,
that was a while ago, back in 2005. I published a romance western with Whiskey
Creek Press called Raven Dove (very
arty). It was a story I’d always wanted to write and I was lucky enough to get
it accepted on its first outing. When I look back on it now, it’s very wordy and
emotional, something I have tried hard to limit as I have become a more
experienced writer and found my genre. It was for a different market and it was
well received at the time but I’d prefer to keep it in the past now.
When did you first realize you wanted
to be a writer?
I
always wanted to be a writer, even if only in the back of my mind. Until I was
about 13 years old, I was focused on becoming a journalist but my circumstances
and the resources available to me at that time didn’t fit. I wrote fiction for
friends and family until I was about sixteen at which time I met my husband and
got distracted. Also, I decided at that time that I didn’t have enough life
experience to write what I wanted to, which was bodice rippers. I didn’t start
writing anything again until I was thirty-three and that took the form of short
stories, poems, haikus, absolutely anything. It was when I stopped working full
time and also joined a supportive romance forum that I really dug in.
How do you go about writing?
I
think about it a lot. I can’t put two words together until I have a full
technicolour picture of the main story elements in my mind. Once that’s set, I
sit and write as the mood takes me. Sometimes I write big chunks and other
times I write a few sentences. It can be days or weeks between sessions. That I
actually finish a book at all is a miracle. I don’t have a specific time for
writing but I do prefer first thing in the morning before the day starts to
drain my creativity.
Do you have any specific pleasures, or
displeasures, that come from writing?
I
love living vicariously through my characters. I hate not being disciplined
about the process. However, I feel that if it becomes something I attach rules
and timeframes to then the pleasure I get from writing and creating will be
spoiled. I’m very lucky to have found a publisher in Piccadilly Publishing who
are happy to support me in that.
Are there any writers that inspired—or
continue to inspire—your own writing?
Louis
L’Amour, obviously. I grew up reading his books which were always available at
the library. Early on I was very influenced by Rosemary Rogers and Kathleen
Woodiwiss, both of whom write historical romance novels. The attraction for me
there was the depth of characterisation as well as a full story. Thinking about
the western genre, I’d include TT Flynn definitely and Ed Gorman, who I read a
lot when I wanted to start writing westerns seriously. More recently, I have
been influenced by the writings of John Benteen (Sundance and Fargo), Neil
Hunter, Ben Bridges and Brent Towns. Brent will laugh at that but I find him
very inspirational because I sometimes find it tricky to move characters around
locationally and he has a natural way of propelling a story along at a fast
pace without neglecting the character, the action or the background.
As
a writer and reader, what draws you to the Western genre?
I like the scope of possibilities the Old West
offers. It’s a good escape from modern life. As long I get a good fast paced
read with no unnecessary padding, a believable plot and characters I can root
for, I’m happy.
If you could write anything, without
commercial considerations, what would it be?
Happy
to say, I already am. The Maggie O’Bannen series is the fulfilment of a desire
to get down and dirty and write outside my comfort zone. Luckily for me, Ben
Bridges and Mike Stotter of Piccadilly Publishing were willing to take a chance
that I could pull it off. So far, I don’t think they’ve been disappointed.
If you were stranded on an island and
you had only one book, what would it be?
Easy.
It would be Louis L’Amour’s To Tame A
Land. I love everything about it. It’s the book I’d like to write. In fact,
I’d like to step inside the pages and live it.
If you were allowed only to recommend
one of your own novels, or stories, which one would you want people to read?
That
depends. If it’s something mainstream (like a John Wayne movie) they’re after,
then I’d recommend The Badman’s Daughter
under my Terry James pseudonym. If it’s something with teeth then definitely
Maggie O’Bannen book 1 Days Of Evil
by Joe Slade. I’d hope that either would be a good read.
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Great interview with a great subject
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