I was very pleased to have bestselling author Jason Andrew Bond take a moment to answer the questions in my Blogger Book Fair Mini-Interview. This is a really good look at an interesting fellow – Enjoy!

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Brandon Luffman: To start things off, tell us a little about yourself. What do you write? Why do you write?

Jason Andrew Bond: I can’t pick just one genre.  My first book came out military sci-fi, my second was modern day thriller/horror/action.  The third will be back to sci-fi, then onto a modern day/historical…  well, you get the idea.  The core of my writing is a core of action layered with sincere emotion.

Writing has been a lifetime pursuit for me, which began when I was 11.  I earned my B.A. in English Literature to pursue it, and many of my life decisions were phrased with, “Well if I want to be a writer, I should…”

BL: What’s your latest release?

JAB: My latest release is called Mortal Remains, which Kirkus Reviews described as “An intense, relentless story of survival.”  This is the story of a woman pushed to the limit who finds herself in her darkest hour.

BL: Do you have a process when you write? What do you do to make it all come together?

JAB: I have very specific times I write (morning) and what I do in those times.  I start with a one-page freewrite, and then move onto reading a few pages in books by bestselling authors on how to write.  I only read books by bestsellers.  It’s something I learned from martial arts training.  Learning from the most successful is a totally different experience.  Then I write at least 1,000 words of rough draft.  I do this every day.  I consider it the ‘Bradbury goal’ and it keeps me producing.  It’s so easy to get buried in editing.  I actually prefer to edit, so I have to do that last in my day.  I’m usually writing several different stories at the same time so they can really run together, but I have to do it this way or I get bored and lose momentum.

BL: What about the editing and revision stage? What’s your process there?

JAB: I comb through over and over again.  I see it like a stone carver.  I blow out the rough shape, and then slowly smooth it down.  I’ve heard that Michelangelo carved each section perfectly.  I don’t know if that’s true, but I could never write that way.  I get totally stuck on one paragraph if I let myself.  I have to just fly by and trim, and then come back again later.

BL: What’s something not related to writing that no one knows about you?

JAB: There is little that ‘no one’ knows about me.  I’m pretty open and straightforward.  One key event in my life was wrecking a motorcycle at 18 years old.  I was convinced I was going to die as I slid next to the bike at 85 miles an hour toward a cliff.  In that moment, I felt the deepest sense of peace I’ve ever experienced.  I’ve heard similar stories from others who’ve had near death experiences.  The bike went off the cliff and I slid to the edge.  I stood up a completely different person.

BL: What’s something about you that you want everyone to know?

JAB: I want people to know that I’m working very hard at this.  It is the most challenging thing I’ve ever done and that includes Jiu-Jitsu competitions.  I think a lot of people think writing is easy and they either don’t take authors or their work seriously.  It seems very easy, but painting in others’ minds with words is a very subtle skill that eludes comprehension.

BL: When you get an idea for a new story, what do you do with it?

JAB: I hack it out quickly in freewriting.  Then I start selecting characters and freewrite stories about their past to get to know them.  Only then can I start moving forward on the story.  I cannot outline plots or characters.  I have to do everything in freewrites.

BL: Who is your ideal reader? Describe who you feel your books are directed at.

JAB: I write for a reader who is looking to have a hell of a good time, but expects high quality.  I’m looking for those who are willing to give me feedback and see this new author/reader relationship as dynamic and interactive. I love getting e-mails from readers.

BL: How did you decide to take up writing as a serious pursuit?

JAB: It’s been my life’s work since I was 11.  I was simply distracted from my life’s work by others’ expectations and my own foolhardy belief that I didn’t have to write.  When I got closer to 40 than I cared, I realized it was now or never, so I turned all those hours working on short stories into a novel, and then another, and now another.

BL: What’s next for you and your work? What’s your next project?

JAB: I’m roughing out the sequel to my bestseller Hammerhead right now.  Hammerhead Resurrection will be a return to the alien invaders hinted at in the first book.  I am REALLY enjoying sitting down with these characters again.

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About Jason Andrew Bond

Bestselling author Jason Andrew Bond grew up in Oregon and currently lives in Washington State with his wife and son.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of Oregon and an MBA from the University of Colorado.   When his first novel Hammerhead unexpectedly reached bestseller status, he dedicated twenty-five percent of his profits to disabled U.S. veterans.   Jason’s second novel, Mortal Remains is now available and will be followed by Hammerhead Resurrection.  Jason takes a hands-on approach to writing.  When SCUBA research couldn’t wait for summer, he found himself certifying in Puget Sound’s frigid January waters.  Outside of writing and his family, martial arts are an important part of his life. At eighteen years of age he entered an Aikido dojo for the first time, and has since trained in Jeet Kune Do, Tae Kwon Do, Shudokan Karate, Goshin Jutsu, and Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu.

Visit his website at www.JasonAndrewBond.com.