Interview with Author Jean Murray

Jean Murray

East Coast, USA 

Good morning, Jean, and welcome to Vision and Verse, the Place for Art and Authors. Tell us a little about what you've written.

I am currently writing the last few books in my Key to the Cursed series, based on Egyptian mythology.

Soul Reborn

Soul Awakened

Soul Unbound

Soul Unleashed due to release 

      January 1, 2016

I have a few more books in the series to write. It’s hard to stop with so many great characters.

What is your favorite genre to write?

I chose Egyptian mythology because I’ve always been fascinated by the culture. Not many have written novels based on this and I’m always up for a challenge.

I love to read and write paranormal romance. The darker the better with complex plots and soul wrenching experiences.

Favorite food.

Dessert of course – anything chocolate.

Coffee or Tea?

Coffee—dark roast, the kind that will put hair on your chest (well hopefully not) with cream. That’s what 20 years in the Navy will do to you. LOL

Pizza or ice cream?

Ice Cream preferably with chocolate and peanut butter.

Wine or beer?

Wine – dry red, merlot or cab – yum!

Where would you like to visit?

I would love to go to Alexandria (Thebes) Egypt. It plays a pivotal role in my series.

Favorite musical artist.

 3 Doors Down

Do you listen to music when you write?  What?

 For Soul Unleashed I dusted off Human Clay by Creed. Awesome inspiration for some very dark moments in the book.

What makes you laugh?

 I love slap stick humor. Family’s Funniest Videos—I fall out of my chair and laugh until I can barely breathe.

How old were you when you started writing?

 Thirty-nine (39) believe it or not. It started as a hobby and then it grew into something I never expected. My husband encouraged me to publish my manuscripts. I am thankful for every day and every story.

Describe your perfect evening.

 Curled on the couch in pajamas with the dog, kids and hubbie watching movies.

Where do you get your inspiration?

 It can come from anywhere. A picture or a person crossing the street. Honestly, my brain runs a mile a minute creating stories. I wish I had enough time to write them all.

My inspiration for my series came from my experience as a nurse. To be able to care for someone in their most vulnerable moments, whether in birth or death, is such an honor for me. The Key to the Cursed series is very much based in that concept of life and death and the balance in between. Taking a character from their lowest moments, fighting adversity to winning the heart of the woman he loves—it doesn’t get any better than that.

What do you do when you get a writer's block?

Take a break for a few days and then go back to it. Sometimes things are clearer and you can jump right back into it.

Who is your favorite author?

 Lara Adrian – I love her work. I think her character development is top notch. I like male focused series, but it’s nice to see strong female characters supporting the plot. The man is only as strong as the woman supporting him (that of course, goes both ways).

Not to mention, the woman is so nice to boot. She would be my dream endorsement on my book cover. Fanning self. So freaking fan girl!

Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?

I would say it was my dad. Funny how you realize that after they are gone. There wasn’t anything he couldn’t do and he taught me that very valuable lesson. I learned how to change my oil and tires, spot weld a car, chop down trees, rehab a boat….I could go on and on. At the time it was hard and laborious and not what other girls my age were expected to do, but he taught me independence and the value of never giving up. Strong girls rule!!!

My one wish is that he would be proud of my accomplishments. 

What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer?

I would say “ignore that inner voice” or “others” that tell you it’s not good enough or that you can’t do it. When I first started writing, it was a hobby, only because I thought publishing was out of my reach. Thankfully, I had a husband that encouraged me to try. I started studying the craft and absorbed everything I could to make my stories better. At one point I was even told by a fellow author my series would never sell. Well, my husband will tell you I’m as stubborn as they get, so I set out to prove her wrong.

I look back thinking on that moment. What if I had listened to her and shelved that first book? I would have never know the joys of getting that first sale or review or all the other books that followed.

Believe in your writing. And more importantly—Believe in yourself.

Soul Reborn is on sale for 99 cents!

Dark paranormal romance. Three sisters and their fated mates, Gods of the Underworld, on a journey of love, redemption and war.

THE HUMAN REALM, HIS BATTLEFIELD. Asar, the Egyptian God of the Underworld, has been tortured and left soulless by a malevolent goddess, relegating him to consume the very thing he was commissioned to protect. Human souls. Now an empty shell of hatred, Asar vows to kill the goddess and anyone involved in her release, but fate crosses his path with a beautiful blonde huntress who has a soul too sweet to ignore. DEADLY SECRETS BETTER LEFT UNEARTHED. Lilly, fearless commander of the Nehebkau huntresses, is the only thing standing in the way of the goddess' undead army unleashing hell on earth. But Lilly has a secret—one she is willing to sell her soul to keep. If the Underworld god discovers her role in the dig that released the goddess, she will lose everything, including his heart.

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