I have a superrrrrr exciting interview planned for today! If you follow me on Instagram you have probably heard me talk about how much I lovvvvve The Sovereign Trilogy especially the first two books. It has literally become one of my favorite series on earth. I love the writing and the format and the storyline and the characters and the relationship between the characters and just ahhhhhhhh. YOU SHOULD READ THEM. Today I'm celebrating the release of the 3rd book, The Blood Prince. Josie Jaffrey has kindly let me interview her!! If you want to read some awesome answers (and questions if I do say so myself) about lots of things (but especially writing and of course her new book!!) then read on. :)
When did you start writing and why?
I’ve always written stories, but my first foray into novel-writing was back when I was in
University. I wrote about a tenth of a novel, then gave up and started another, then gave
up and started drawing a graphic novel instead, and so it continued until I started writing
A Bargain in Silver in 2014. Then, for the first time, I felt like I had a story with enough
momentum to get me to the end of a whole book. I’ve been writing novels ever since.
University. I wrote about a tenth of a novel, then gave up and started another, then gave
up and started drawing a graphic novel instead, and so it continued until I started writing
A Bargain in Silver in 2014. Then, for the first time, I felt like I had a story with enough
momentum to get me to the end of a whole book. I’ve been writing novels ever since.
I can totally relate to starting a writing project but just never finishing haha. Can
you remember the first story you ever wrote? What was it?
you remember the first story you ever wrote? What was it?
The first story I remember writing was in primary school. I must have been about six,
and I wrote a story about a dinosaur, illustrated by a picture of a T-Rex. A lot of my
stories were about dinosaurs! Then I moved on to ghosts and vampires, and I’ve never
looked back. I love paranormal stories, and I’m a sucker for mythology too.
and I wrote a story about a dinosaur, illustrated by a picture of a T-Rex. A lot of my
stories were about dinosaurs! Then I moved on to ghosts and vampires, and I’ve never
looked back. I love paranormal stories, and I’m a sucker for mythology too.
Nice! I love everything paranormal and mythology to! What are your biggest tips
for others who want to get into writing?
for others who want to get into writing?
Write! It’s easy to spend months and months ‘planning’ a book, but honestly I find it
difficult to work out the smaller plot details of any novel upfront. I start with a clear arc
for each of the characters and the novel as a whole, then just wing it from there. A lot of
the intricacies of the story turn up while I’m writing. I think a lot of writers are
perfectionists, but you have to accept that you likely won’t have your book perfectly
plotted before you start writing it. Things will change as you go along, and your first
draft will never be your last one.
difficult to work out the smaller plot details of any novel upfront. I start with a clear arc
for each of the characters and the novel as a whole, then just wing it from there. A lot of
the intricacies of the story turn up while I’m writing. I think a lot of writers are
perfectionists, but you have to accept that you likely won’t have your book perfectly
plotted before you start writing it. Things will change as you go along, and your first
draft will never be your last one.
My other piece of advice is to read. Read widely and constantly, because there’s no
better way to learn how to write well than to analyse the way that other people craft
stories.
better way to learn how to write well than to analyse the way that other people craft
stories.
It's crazy how much things can change after you actually start. What are your
biggest tips for others looking into publishing?
biggest tips for others looking into publishing?
If you would like to get a book published, then there are basically two routes: you can
self-publish, or you can submit to agents and try to get published by a traditional
publisher. It’s important to understand the benefits of each approach, and decide which
is for you before you start. I’ve recorded some YouTube videos in which I discuss this
further, and you can find those here:
self-publish, or you can submit to agents and try to get published by a traditional
publisher. It’s important to understand the benefits of each approach, and decide which
is for you before you start. I’ve recorded some YouTube videos in which I discuss this
further, and you can find those here:
What's your favorite character that you've written? If there one that largely
reminds you of you?
reminds you of you?
In the Solis Invicti series, my favourite was Sol. I love his rational detachment. There’s
something slightly psychopathic about it that I find really engaging. In the Sovereign
series, my favourite is definitely Cam. He’s just the best friend anyone could ever wish
for.
something slightly psychopathic about it that I find really engaging. In the Sovereign
series, my favourite is definitely Cam. He’s just the best friend anyone could ever wish
for.
A part of you always ends up in your characters, because the way we write stories
reflects the way we think about the world, but honestly there isn’t any one of my
characters that entirely reminds me of myself. There’s a little of me in each of them, but
I try to impose some distance.
reflects the way we think about the world, but honestly there isn’t any one of my
characters that entirely reminds me of myself. There’s a little of me in each of them, but
I try to impose some distance.
Ahhhh I love Cam too haha. And yeah totally that makes sense! Who are your
biggest role models and inspirations?
biggest role models and inspirations?
Although my writing is very different from his, I always found Terry Pratchett very
inspiring. I love his novels, particularly the Discworld, and I aspire to write people as
sympathetically as he did.
inspiring. I love his novels, particularly the Discworld, and I aspire to write people as
sympathetically as he did.
Cool! Where did you get the inspiration for this series?
The Sovereign series really suggested itself. The Solis Invicti series ends with a zombie
apocalypse having been contained, but with millions dead. I found myself wondering
how society was going to put itself back together, and what the world would look like
hundreds of years later. Predictably, I imagined a world a little darker and more broken
than I first expected it to be. I had a huge amount of fun creating that world.
apocalypse having been contained, but with millions dead. I found myself wondering
how society was going to put itself back together, and what the world would look like
hundreds of years later. Predictably, I imagined a world a little darker and more broken
than I first expected it to be. I had a huge amount of fun creating that world.
When you're not writing what are some of the most likely things we would find you
doing?
doing?
I spend most of my free time reading. I run The Gin Book Club, posting written and video book reviews (www.theginbookclub.com), and I generally read a couple of books a week. I also love rowing (I live in Oxford, where rowing is a fairly popular sport), and am just about to start getting back into it.
Yesss reading is the best! And rowing sounds so fun! Good luck with getting back into it and everything. :)
Yay wasn't that super cool?! Now that you are obsessed with Josie and everything that she is as I am?? I'm going to tell you a bit more about the book and how to buy itttt.
About The Blood Prince:
The price of freedom is always paid in blood.
The sovereigns of the Silver have awakened, but the Queen is a fractured shell of
the woman Cam remembers. He hopes to put her back together by finding her son,
the missing prince. At least, that’s what he tells his friends when he leaves for the
Red.
the woman Cam remembers. He hopes to put her back together by finding her son,
the missing prince. At least, that’s what he tells his friends when he leaves for the
Red.
Back in the Blue, Julia’s old tormentor Rufus is hounding her at every turn. She’s
sick of feeling powerless, but she has a plan that will bring the Nobles to their knees.
sick of feeling powerless, but she has a plan that will bring the Nobles to their knees.
All she needs is blood.
The Blood Prince is the final book in Josie Jaffrey’s Sovereign trilogy, set in a
dystopian Europe where vampiric Nobles control the last remnants of the human
race.
dystopian Europe where vampiric Nobles control the last remnants of the human
race.
Check out the other stops on the tour!
Links:
*If you buy through my link I will gain a small commission at no extra cost to you
Some Giveaways
Some Giveaways
1. Living Underground, a very short standalone vampire romance, is currently FREE to download (until 17th Feb). Download here.
3. Join Josie's Readers' Club and get a FREE short story (a prequel to the Solis Invicti series). Join here.
4. Enter Josie's giveaway for a chance to win a signed paperback copy of one of her books (winner's choice). Enter here. 
Comment down below if you've read any of her books or if you want to! Also, I alwayssss love reading recommendations and I would love to know your fave book. :)
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