Author Bio:
I write steamy romance. Often heavy on mystery and rather dark. My first book Thornhill Trilogy introduces the self-made, sexy billionaire sexy Aidan Thornhill. When he becomes obsessed with his inexperienced and innocent PA her life changes forever—from one of poverty to a fairy tale existence. Take My Heart is set in New York, where revenge hungry bad-boy Bronson Lockhart finds himself suddenly obsessed with the girlfriend of the guy who set him up. As a departure from my dark romances, my recent rom-com Beautiful but Strange revolves around two very unlikely lovers who meet when she ties herself to a tree that he, a cheeky, handsome developer plans to have removed. And currently, I’m back to dark romance with Dark Descent into Desire. Due out early April 2020. With strong gothic romance themes, this story revolves around a mysterious billionaire and his obsession with an artist, who manages to go somewhere no one else has ever been: to the heart and soul of this damaged man.
What inspires you to write?
Keen readers of my books keep me going. Also, strange but true stories about people and their relationships. All it takes is one interesting anecdote, and my imagination gets to work chiseling out a story.
Tell us about your writing process.
Using pen and paper, I construct a workable outline. Nothing too sophisticated. In fact, it ends up looking like scribble. But I need an outline before commencing. I also use pen and paper to come up with the cast. There are lots of doodles and mess everywhere because that’s my brain for you. It tends to wander. But I find that writing by hand slows my brain down and gives me time to reflect. After I’ve devised the characters, the plot, and settings, I’m ready to start the book. I allow myself a little improvisation. Because that’s where the magic happens. Along the way, interesting auxiliary characters are born, and deviations that open doors to useful subplots. As the characters take shape, I learn things about them that I didn’t know in the beginning. The longer I’m with them, the more nuanced they become. Therefore I find using both methods helps tremendously. The outline method gets the work done, while the improvisation method brings with it an element of surprise and freshness to the story and characters.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I don't talk to them. It's more that I place myself in the female's shoes and imagine her reactions and feelings.
Who are your favorite authors?
This is a difficult question!!!! It's like asking me what's my favorite color.
I’ve read so many books in my life that it would be impossible to remember them all. Although I’m reading all of the time, I’m finding myself revisiting books I read as a teenager. For instance, I just finished “The Otherside of Midnight” by Sidney Sheldon. I really enjoyed it again, which was nice to know that although I’ve evolved a good story remains that despite its lack of a HEA ending. As a reader, I’ve grown accustomed to books that don’t always end happily and am fine with that. Of course, as a romance writer, I strictly adhere to HEA endings. I don’t wish to start begging for food.
I absolutely love Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I read “A Thousand Years of Solitude” twice and “Love In the Time of Cholera” is the only book where I can actually recall the beginning few lines(other than Dicken’s “A Tale of Two Cities.”) I also enjoyed “The House of Spirits” by Isabel Allende.
For over twenty years I read nothing but the classics. George Eliot being my favorite. I fell in love with French and Russian 19th Century literature too. After that, I moved on and embraced early 20th century writers, like Somerset Maugham. His “Of Human Bondage” is extraordinary, and so emotional that tears dampened the pages. I enjoyed reading Anais Nin’s entire collection of diaries, and Simone de Beauvoir’s “She Came to Stay.”
Recently, I stumbled on “A Woman of Substance” by Barbara Bradford Taylor and enjoyed that too.
Daphne du Maurier is another writer I’m very fond of, especially “Rebecca.”
A few years ago, after hearing the hype, and therefore out of fascination, I read “Fifty Shades of Grey.” That was my first ever modern-day romance novel. And although it’s not literature, despite it being well-written, I found it visceral and emotional, and for that reason, I really enjoyed it.
Apart from E L James’ FSOG, out of all the latest romance writers I’ve recently read, Sylvia Day, Georgia le Carre, Sadie Mathews, Sophie Jackson, and Kayley Loring are the authors I enjoyed the most.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I like being in control of my work. And although it is a lot of work, especially in the promotion area, self-publishing is a natural fit for me.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I'm not sure. I do worry about the fact that younger readers are more distracted and less inclined to finish books. Or is that a myth? Cross fingers it is.
What genres do you write?
Erotic Billionaire Romance and Erotic Gothic Romance
What formats are your books in?
eBook, Print
Website(s)
J. J. Sorel Home Page Link
Follow J. J. Sorel On Amazon
Author’s Social Media Links
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
All information is provided by the author and is presented as it was submitted so you the reader get to hear the author’s own “voice” in their interview.
