Today I’m interviewing Australian author J.J. Fischer (Jasmine). I read her Young Adult fantasy, Calor, last year, and was impressed … particularly as I’ve often said I’m not a fan of fantasy. Welcome, Jasmine!
Fast Five (plus four)
We started by asking Jasmine to answer some quick-fire questions on all the big issues in life …
Long black or flat white?
Tea! (Sadly I can’t drink coffee due to chronic illness issues.)
Kiwis or koalas?
Having seen both just this past year, definitely kiwis. That bird is gangster!
Mangoes or kiwifruit?
Mangoes, hands down!
Cricket or rugby?
Soccer.
There’s always one …
Hobbits or Mad Max?
Definitely hobbits.
I agree.
Books or TV?
Both, but books if I had to choose.
Sun or snow?
Again both, but the sun if you held a gun to my head.
Desert or sea?
Sea.
Plotter or pantser?
Both! They call my breed of writer a “plantser”, I believe… 😉
Getting to Know J.J. Fischer (Jasmine)
What’s something interesting or unusual about you that not everyone knows?
I hate the texture of cornflour. It makes me want to cry. Chopping up raw chicken is a close second. I avoid both like the plague.
Where are you from?
I’m from Down Under, making my home in the beautiful region of the Central Coast, a couple of hours’ north of Sydney, Australia.
What is your town or city most famous (or infamous) for?
Tragically, high rates of drug use and DV compared to the rest of the state. And shockingly high house prices. But we do have some stellar beaches and beautiful national parks!
What books are set in your town/city?
If you know of any, I’d love to read them!
About Your Writing
What do you write?
So far, fantasy, fantasy, and more fantasy. My books are an interesting mash-up of fantasy and historical fiction and romance, so if you’re not sure you like fantasy, you might still like to give my books a try. Lots of non-fantasy readers love them!
Who or what are your main writing influences?
Too many to name, but J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis (of course), Catherine Marshall, Francine Rivers, John White, and Tracy Higley.
Do you have any books published?
Yes, three of my books have been traditionally published (all with American publishers)—four more have been contracted and will release in the next couple of years.
How long have you been writing?
Since 2006 officially, but forever, if you want to count those preschool scribbles in green crayon…
Mine were purple. And yes, they count.
What inspired you to start writing?
I’ve always loved reading and writing, but in 2006 my family went on a caravanning holiday around Australia. We were in Western Australia, near a place called Jurien Bay, when I had a dream of the opening scene of a fantasy novel. I later scrapped that particular idea, but I had already started work on the book, and the story ended up being The Sword in His Hand, my debut novel which was published in 2021. The main villain also became Jurien, after the place where I had the idea. I’m sneaky like that.
How cool!
What’s your favourite part of the writing process?
There’s this amazing part when you’re writing a book when you’re into the thick of things and there’s no writer’s block or distractions anymore, just incredible flow. Time speeds on by, mealtimes pass unobserved (spare a thought for my poor, wonderfully tolerant, longsuffering husband), and I almost forget what day it is. I want to spend every spare moment I can in that world. Writing doesn’t always go that smoothly, but it’s amazing when it does.
What’s your biggest writing challenge?
Writing for fun is lovely, but writing for your job has its challenges. You have to sit down at your computer day after day, when inspiration is present and when it’s absent. You also have to do all those pesky things like marketing and social media, and that just takes up so much time. I have to remind myself in those moments that this is the best job in the world, and I’m so blessed and grateful to be able to do it. If it’s not always easy, that’s okay, because sometimes the hardest things in life are the most rewarding too.
How does your faith impact your writing?
It bleeds onto every page, really. Whether I’m writing a more allegorical story or one that echoes Christian themes, you can’t beat my faith out of me. It’s the lifeblood of my stories. I like to pray into hard scenes and for my readers to be touched by what I write. It’s a tremendous privilege to not have to choose between my writing and my faith—at least for the time being, I can have both! 😊
Finally, where’s the best place to find you online?
You can visit me at my website: www.jjfischer.com, which has links to all my social media presences. Make sure you sign up for my newsletter for the latest updates, and feel free to send me a message via my Contact form—I love hearing from readers!
Find J.J. Fischer online at:
Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter
About Calor (Nightingale #1) by J.J. Fischer
What if you could edit memories with a single touch?
The world-that-was is gone, lost to everything except living memory . . . but remembering comes at a terrible price. Sixty-two years after the apocalypse, a new society has emerged from the ashes of the old world where highly valued memories are traded and nostalgia is worth dying—and even killing—for.
Enslaved by a cruel master, Sephone Winter is forced to use her rare ability to manipulate memories to numb the darkest secrets of the ruling aristocracy.
Then Lord Adamo appears, speaking of a powerful relic capable of permanently erasing memories and recovering Sephone’s own lost childhood. But not everything about the young lord is as it seems, and soon Sephone must choose between helping Lord Adamo forget his past or journeying deep into the land of Lethe, where the truth about who she really is might finally be revealed . . . and a long desired future restored.
The Nightingale Trilogy is a fantasy transformation of Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved 1843 tale The Nightingale, with echoes of the myths of Hades and Persephone.
Find Calor online at:
Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads | Koorong
Nice to get to know you sorry am so late had dental surgery and been so tired.
I don’t drink Coffee either but its cos I don’t like it. I don’t mind cornflower but I hate the feel of peeling kiwi fruit
Hi Iola and Jasmine, thanks for sharing your fun interview. Jasmine, I’ve seen your book online but I didn’t realise you were an Aussie. Nice to meet you here. 😊