Interview with Author Jake Bonsignore

 Jake Bonsignore

 Central Florida

Welcome to Vision and Verse, Jake.  We're happy to have you here with us this morning. What have you written?
 I am the author of Descendant of Strife (Fantasy, 2007), Empyreal Illusions (YA Fantasy / Thriller, 2013), Awakening the Fire (YA Fantasy / Thriller, 2013), and The Lioness (YA Romance, release pending).

I think the cover of Empyreal Illusions in the most beautiful cover I have ever seen.  I was taken with it the first time I saw it.  What is your favorite genre to write? 
My favorite genre to write is fantasy and thriller or anything with a fantasy-like feel or edge. Each of my stories / series takes place in different worlds I create to give the reader more of a literary escape.

Favorite food. 
It’s probably going to be chicken stew and rice for a real meal, and good ol’ chocolate chip cookies as a treat.

Where would you like to visit? 
I would love to visit Rome, Italy and Messina, Sicily.

I LOVED Rome.  I want to go to Sicily, too.  Let's get some authors together and charter a flight.  Favorite musical artist. 
Epica and Lunatica are my two favorite bands. They have both influenced my writing tremendously.

Do you listen to music when you write?  What? 
I write best when I’m listening to music. Usually I listen to anything from rock music and symphonic metal to a random mix of some really awesome Japanese anime songs. I’m not one for heavy mainstream music.

What makes you laugh?
Usually anything that’s really comical or involves Seth Rogen makes me laugh really, really hard, but there’s way too many things I find comical. I try not to take too much so seriously because life becomes way too stressful then.

How old were you when you started writing?
I started writing little stories since I was in kindergarten but I started writing seriously for novels since October 2002.

Where do you get your inspiration?
I get most of my inspiration from listening to music and trying to imagine some of them (or certain lyrics) as themes to scenes in my novel.

What do you do when you get a writer's block?
I don’t stress it. Instead I go back and edit other parts that I’ve already written until I get more ideas on how to continue.

Who is your favorite author? 
Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan, Tad Williams … it’s probably a tie between those three. 

Best book you ever read. 
Dragon Weather by Lawrence Watt-Evans is my favorite novel because of the issues of justice and revenge it tackles and the heavy philosophical / moral thoughts it provokes.

Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why? 
The one person who has influence my personal life is my girlfriend. Certain things about our relationship and traits that she has I’ve incorporated into my YA 
 Romance, The Lioness. Plus she is my only beta reader.

If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
I would want to have a conversation with either Brandon Sanderson or Robert Jordan as they are both my favorite authors and I think it would be very inspirational.

What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer? Writing is re-writing. Don’t be disheartened if drafting that first novel takes longer than you think or if other authors on social media sites highlight their achievements while you’re still writing your WIP. Writing is not a race. Writing is a part of you, so treat it the same way. Once you’ve finished your novel, too, be prepared to edit that story four to six times. It’s all part of the wonderful process.

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*** SOCIAL MEDIA CONNECTION ***
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jakebonsignoreauthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jakebonsignore
Blog: http://jakebonsignore.wordpress.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1438031
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/jakebonsignore
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*** PURCHASE LINKS HERE -  ***
Amazon - http://amzn.com/B00D18OUU4 (Empyreal Illusions)
Amazon - http://amzn.com/B00EU9SSLU  (Awakening the Fire)
Barnes and Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/empyreal-illusions-jake-bonsignore/1115427220?ean=2940016473031 (Empyreal Illusions)
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/awakening-the-fire-jake-bonsignore/1116257683?ean=2940148466024 (Awakening the Fire)
Signed Paperback (with Bookmark) – Contact Jake Bonsignore directly via Facebook or jakebonsignore.author@gmail.com

Thank you, Jake, for stopping by.  Empyreal Illusions is on my To Be Read list.  Come back when you release 'The Lioness."