Welcome Jacqueline Paige

Today's special guest is Jacqueline Paige. Jacqueline, welcome to my blog. Tell us a little bit about yourself, please.

I'm a busy mother to five adventurous and unpredictable children (and I wouldn't have them any other way). Most of which are now old enough to not need me hovering over them all the time. (on good days) We live in Ontario, Canada. (with the ever changing climate) I’m also a café and eatery manager, meaning I have a never ending supply of coffee, latte and cake to help with those times my muse needs a little boost.

I'd weigh 300 pounds if I had you job! What event triggered you to become a writer? Any major inspirations?

I have always been a writer I think. Remembering as far back as I can I had a notebook close to hand all the time. Of course I didn’t do anything with all of those notes until recently, in fact I hadn’t sat down to write anything more than an email in several years until a friend of mine was going away for a month. I felt deserted and asked her what I was supposed to do for a month without her, she told me (jokingly) to write a book. So what started out as a gag so I would have the last laugh when she returned actually became a finished first draft of Beltane Magic (the first book in The Magic Seasons series). I surprised myself and everyone around me when I sat down and wrote an entire story in a few weeks time without plotting and was well into the second story by the time she returned.
Of course that was completely beginners luck and since then I have had to sit and think through plots and characters.

That's a gag that turned out well. How many manuscripts did you submit before you were published? How did you feel when you got “the call”?

I played with Beltane Magic for two years before I ever sent it anywhere. By the time I submitted it I had written four books in that series and three other stories. I completely expected a rejection letter, when I finally clicked send for Beltane, but I received a contract offer instead! I was shocked speechless and I’m sure it didn’t actually hit me until about a week later that someone wanted to publish my book.

What’s the very best thing about being an author?

For me it’s when I see the cover mockup. I’m not sure why but once a cover has been created for my story it makes it all seem real. Of course, holding that first book in your hands is almost surreal, to know that it’s filled with your words and people read it.

I can relate to that! Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Proof, polish, edit and click SEND. You’ll never know until you do it.

Would you share your links with us so we can find you on the web?

Absolutely. The best place to keep up-to-date with what I’m up to is my website. From there you can find the links for excerpts and my publishers.
http://jacqpaige.webs.com/
And of course my blog, which I do attempt to remember to post to, but reality likes to get in my way more often than not.
http://jacqpaige.blogspot.com/

We’d love to read an excerpt from Mystic Perceptions. I’m impressed that you have a trilogy going.

I am finding it challenging to write a trilogy. Each of the three stories will have a connection to the same characters, but resolving a separate story each time while keeping them within the same theme has been interesting for me. Of course, taking somewhat normal people and giving them a not so normal ability was a lot of fun.
Here’s a bit of tease:

Jac looked around the empty parking lot, not even sure why anyone would ever be here. Glancing back at the two men sitting in the car, they’re going to think you’re crazy. She turned and walked over to the spot that had been pointed out to her.
It wouldn’t be the first time someone thought she was crazy, she frowned at the broken asphalt ground, and it probably wouldn’t be the last.
Taking a deep breath, she knelt down and placed both hands on the ground. There were glimmers of vibrations. She focused harder, nothing solid enough to grab a hold of. Moving her hands slowly, she tried a few more places.

~*~

“What is she doing?” Reid growled.

Brent shrugged. “I’m not sure.” He looked over in the direction she was looking. “Does she see something in the field?”

“Maybe.”

Looking away from her Brent studied his partner. “Why exactly are we doing this again?”

Reid rubbed his forehead quickly, and then glanced back to her. “Because we’re out of ideas - and she has looked at the same things we’ve looked at all along and come up with something to follow every time.”

Nodding Brent turned back to look at her. “She’s presently looking at an empty field, surrounded by nothing - pretty sure she’s seeing the same thing we did here.” He watched as she walked slowly back towards them. “Why do we have to wait in the car?”

“I don’t know.” The frustration was clear in his voice.

Both men swung around in their seat to look at her when she got in the back seat. Briefly she smiled. “Next.”

Giving his partner a scoffing look Brent turned back around.