Author Interview with Jina Bazzar of “Heir of Ashes”

Hello readers! I got the chance to interview debut author, Jina Bazzar, about her debut novel Heir of Ahses, favorite books, writing process, and more! I hope you all enjoy the interview!

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About The Book

Roxanne Fosch had a perfectly normal life at the age of twelve. Cool, popular, pretty, smart. Her dreams of a perfect, successful and prosperous future seemed well within her grasp.

By the time she was twenty-two she had become a commodity. A fugitive. She was being hunted.

As Roxanne embarks on the dangerous quest to search for half-truths about her past, she discovers she’s not just an abnormal human, but a rarity even among her Fee peers.

She is hunted by scientists, keen to exploit her extraordinary abilities, as well as other beings far more dangerous whose plans for her she cannot fathom.

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Q&A Time!

Tell Us About Yourself. What are your hobbies outside of writing?

Well, a big portion of my day is dedicated to writing. It is a hobby as much as a profession, and if I’m not working on a book or writing for CTM, then I’m passing time on my blog, connecting with people; or just e-mailing back and forth with a friend or two.

But aside from writing, I’m a thirty-four year old mother of three. I enjoy cooking and baking and listening to loud music, as well as spending time with my kids – if they can spare time away from playing to spend with me.

 

What do you enjoy the most about being a writer? The least?

 The best part about being a writer is putting to words all the thoughts in your head, turning them into a coherent story. Most writers agree with the surprising rush of accomplishment they feel in this process, and I am no different.

The least part is the editing, having to go through the manuscript multiple times to plug in all the plot holes, root out all the bad words , correct the  grammar and spelling mistakes.

 

Where did your inspiration come from for you urban fantasy novel, Heir of Ashes?

Well, Heir of Ashes was not the first book I tried writing. There was a trilogy before that, and the end result was nothing that makes me proud. But it did serve its purpose. That first trilogy was like a wake up slap, because it made me realize writing isn’t just putting down words and filling out a blank doc file.

Heir of Ashes is the result of that slap, plus a combination of all the wild thoughts in my head. I just needed to create a character who was both flawed and perfect for a screwed up world, and Roxanne started taking place in my head. Actually, the story refused to go away, haunting my every waking hour, plus a few of my dreams. There were no seconds in my day that passed without her crowding my thoughts, and eventually I stopped trying to fix that first trilogy and opened up a new word document and started typing.

 

Why did you choose to write a fantasy out of all the genres? What stands out about the genre to you?

Fantasy is where all the possibilities lie, where there are no boundaries I can’t push. I’ve always been a fan of the fantastic and the imaginary, the endless possibilities always having called to me. But I also enjoy suspense and thrillers and at heart, I’m a romantic hopeless.

 

Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

 I have the outline of the entire story first, like a general idea. Sometimes I outline in vague notes the scenes I want included, others with more detail. But most times I let the words flow into an idea, and if it doesn’t match what I outlined, well, what can I say; some characters just refuse to fall in line.

 

On your website, you share personal experiences that address the difficulties and successes of people who write books and go through the publishing process. Do you have any tips from your journey to share?

 Each writer goes through a different experience, but the consensual idea is persistence. Keep going, don’t look back, and eventually you do get there.

 

What are some of the perks to indie publishing as opposed to traditional from your point of view?

 I don’t have any personal experience with traditional publishing, except that it is highly competitive and not meant for everyone. With indie, I’m responsible for every detail, big or small, plus choosing the correct, or best, method of marketing and distribution. It’s a nightmarish process, but each accomplishment gives me a satisfaction that makes all the headaches worth it.

 

Do you have any plans for future stories/books at the moment?

Yes. Currently I’m on the final draft of Heir of Doom, book two in the Roxanne Fosch series. I also have a romantic suspense stand alone in progress that I’ll be tackling before book three in the Roxanne Fosch series.

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About The Author

Jina was born and raised in Brazil, where she had a joyful and fulfilling childhood. Soon after she graduated from high school, she was diagnosed with a chronic disease that caused gradual vision loss. She became blind at the age of twenty-three. She has since lived in the United States and Brazil, though currently resides in the middle- east.

Like most authors, Jina had always been an avid reader, a fan of the fantastic, but was denied the joy of books when she became blind. Once she discovered screen readers, she picked up the habit of reading again, but discovered that reading was no longer enough, so she started writing her own book.

When she’s not writing in the Roxanne Fosch series or her blog, she’s writing articles for Conscious Talk Magazine, where she works as a columnist.

Aside from the written word, Jina loves to spend time in the kitchen, cooking and baking for her three kids and anyone who happens by.

Blog | Amazon | Goodreads | Smashwords

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Thank you again Jina for the lovely interview! If you’re looking for a novel filled with fantasy and adventure be sure to check out Heir of Ashes! 😀