The WMF Archives

WM: Can you tell us about your publishing career?

J.R. Turner: In 1999, a move gave me the opportunity to abandon my career as a contract artist and begin seriously pursuing my true love—writing. Nearly six years and as many manuscripts later, the third book I had written was accepted by Echelon Press and became my first published novel. Great reviews for Stark Knight launched a sequel and Silent Knight followed. The third book, Good Knight, tied up the trilogy. The Knight before, a short story prologue is available as a download at Fictionwise, and in the charity anthology, Missing, the short story Knight’s Child is an epilogue to the series.

In between, two of my romantic suspense novels were published: Bulletproof Bride in e-book, and My Biker Bodyguard in both print and e-book.

In 2007 or so, my children began to bug me for books they “wanted to read.” My forte was high action though and I had a difficult time imagining third-graders with universal machine pistols or throwing a Land Rover at a helicopter. Then Quake came along and my publisher asked if I’d be interested in writing a Young Adult series.

I landed on the idea of horror, using the supernatural as a springboard for all sorts of thrills and chills, I got really excited and DFF: Dead Friends Forever was born. Lockers exploding, ghosts on a rampage, buildings burning down, hand-to-hand combat with a demon? What more could an author ask for?

I’m working on the second book in the Extreme Hauntings series now. Schools Out 4Ever takes place in a boarding school. Kaylee thought one ghost was bad, at Barclay Hall reformatory, there are classes full and I’m in writer heaven with this plot.

WM: When did you decide that you wanted to be a writer? Was there a certain moment or event that inspired you?

J.R. Turner: On my thirteenth birthday I got one of those old ribbon typewriters and a dictionary. I had a host of poems and short stories written, but now I could type them. They came even faster. Yet, the family business was art and by 15, I could make over a hundred a week. Eventually I had my own clientele for children’s portraits and sign painting. More than a decade went by before I returned to the medium I truly loved.

A few bad books in a row prompted me to start writing again. An avid reader, I just had a stretch of bad luck when I’d read everything by my favorite writers. I figured why waste time reading books I didn’t like when I could spend time writing one I did? We moved at the end of that summer, which helped me decide to leave art completely and focus entirely on writing.

WM: What would you say was a defining moment in your career? Can you tell us about it?

J.R. Turner: For years I did all those things new writers do. I’d think I’d nailed it, and then get feedback from a more knowledgeable source and rewrite the whole darn thing. I’d enter contests, and never even placed. The rejection letters were piling up and I began to wonder why I kept going?

Then I took that old advice about writing what you know and wrote My Biker Bodyguard. I placed fourth in one contest, and then finally it happened. I won first place in romantic suspense—in an RWA contest. This validated my belief that with practice, patience and persistence, I could be a career author.

Not long after that, Stark Knight sold and I got to hold a novel with my name on the cover for the first time. I haven’t looked back since.

WM: Besides writing books, I have noticed you also have written articles. Do you have a preference when it comes to writing books or articles?

J.R. Turner: I prefer fiction to non-fiction, but every now and again I find I can help in some way. Many of my articles began as advice offered when a question was asked, so they would nearly all fall into the “how-to” section.

One of my favorite bits of non-fiction, though is my blog—but not because of the writing. I love to surf Google Images for fun and funny photos and pics. I’ve still got a bit of the visual artist in me and this satisfies that urge (some!)

WM: How do you stay on top of your writing? Do you set daily or weekly writing goals for yourself, or do you have another way to stay motivated?

J.R. Turner: I have deadlines!

Seriously, they are always looming. When I’m stuck or can’t seem to get immersed enough in a story to live in that universe during my writing time (early, early morning: 5:00 a.m. is my best time, ugh!) I do a 10K day. I designed this day when those in my (then) writing group wanted to know how I managed to write a book in three weeks.

A 10K Day allows me to put my ear buds in and let the rest of the world disappear until I’ve written 10,000 words—or more for an entire day. The most I ever wrote in one day was a little over 20K, but I had a great outline and already knew my characters well.

When I first began, I used to play “race the response.” I would write enough of a book to know I could finish and edit by the time an agent or editor requested more materials. I’d calculate the day (say in 3 months) then mark it on my calendar and write my little heart out. Great practice for my life now.

WM: What kind of advice would you give a new writer who was just starting out?

J.R. Turner: If you are very, very green to the writing world, be very, very careful about who you trust to advise you. There are those who will tear you down for no reason, often based on a faulty understanding of the industry or the craft (and sometimes both) and others who will offer praise simply because they don’t know there is anything wrong. Find as many respected writers as you can and seek their advice.

Join a good critique group. There are many affiliated with local, state and national writing organizations. Avoid random groups on the internet. They often aren’t worth the headache.

If you’ve been at this a while—don’t stop, just practice a different focus. You spent all that time learning how to be a great writer, now spend a lot of time learning how to be a great storyteller. Read widely and extensively, especially modern works (know your competition.)

WM: How do you balance being a mother and a writer? Have you learned in tips to help you along the way?

J.R. Turner: Oh, it’s a juggling act. My husband is a truck driver and before my youngest ones started school full time, I discovered that the pre-dawn hours were my best time to write, before the little energizer monkeys woke up. When they started school, I kept my time-table, only stopping to wake them up and send them off.

The biggest tip I would give a mommy writer is to wear your children out as often as you can. A trip to the park, where you get to relax with a good book and they run their little legs off, works very well. They come home and fall asleep and you feel all inspired by the good book you’re reading.

Buy a crock pot—a big one—and cook large amounts of meat. Freeze what you don’t finish at that meal, then make pulled-pork/beef sandwiches, cube it for a stir-fry or stew. The less time you have to spend on mundane meals, the more time you have to write. I recruit the kids and hubby to pick meals from my recipe books and magazines—saves me time trying to figure out the grocery list and then it’s easy to rope them into helping me make “their” meal.

WM: You have already accomplished a successful writing career, how do you hope to further your career?

J.R. Turner: Now that I’ve found my strengths and capitalized on those, overcome many of my weaknesses and learned what I’m really passionate about, the stories are pouring out of me. I plan to continue my career as a fiction author in every way possible, getting better and better and learning more and more.

Writing Mommies would like to say thank you to J.R. Turner for granting us this wonderful opportunity. If you would like to see more about J.R. Turner, you will enjoy these links.

J.R. Turner's Website

J.R. Turner's Blog

Echelon Press

Quake Me Link

Stark Knight

Silent Knight

Good Knight

My Biker Bodyguard

DFF: Dead Friends Forever

J.R. Turner's Articles

Follow J.R. Turner on Twitter

Photo Courtesy of J.R. Turner

Writers to Watch: J.R. Turner