Every month I like to spotlight an author from the Ozarks or one with close ties to the Ozarks. I’ve met a lot of great authors over the past few years, and I want to share them with all of my readers.
Tierney James is a fun person who is always happy to share her wisdom and an anecdote to make others smile. She writes thrillers that keep you guessing and make you want to stay up all night to finish them. She’s also a creative thinker who never fails to inspire me with her stories.
It is my great pleasure to present my interview with Bestselling Author Tierney James!
For those readers who are unfamiliar with you, please tell us a little about yourself.
Tierney James decided to become a full-time writer after working in education for over thirty years. Besides serving as a Solar System Ambassador for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, and attending Space Camp for Educators, Tierney served as a Geo-teacher for National Geographic. Her love of travel and cultures took her on adventures throughout Africa, Asia and Europe. From the Great Wall of China to floating the Okavango Delta of Botswana, Tierney weaves her unique experiences into the adventures she loves to write. Living on a Native American reservation and in a mining town, fuels the characters in the Enigma and Wind Dancer series.
After moving to Oklahoma, the love of teaching continued in her marketing and writing workshops along with the creation of educational materials and children’s books. Try some of her other books to bring a little adventure to your life. http://www.tierneyjames.com. Speaking at book clubs, school functions, church and community groups are a few of the things Tierney enjoys doing when not writing her next adventure. She also helps beginning writers in their quest to becoming a published author through her workshops and classes. Family, two adopted dogs and gardening fill her life with plenty of laughter to share with others.
2.What kinds of writing do you enjoy?
I enjoy writing domestic thrillers and supernatural stories. However, all my stories have a thriller element because I love action adventure situations. So there is always going to be an edge of your seat moment.
3. What do you enjoy most about the writing process?
I suppose I love the creation and movement of my characters. When you write a series, they become old friends.
4. When did you start writing?
I started writing puppet plays at ten years old but it wasn’t until 2012 that I actually decided it was time to put all those stories into book form.
5. To what or whom do your attribute your love of reading and writing stories?
I discovered my love of writing in the fifth grade thanks to an amazing teacher. As to becoming a reader, I think it just comes with wanting to escape. My parents weren’t readers and never read to me as a child.
6. How have your past experiences impacted your writing?
Since I’ve worked with National Geographic, traveled and been connected with NASA, my imagination exploded all over the place. Teaching is a great adventure and it helped me discover myself while leading others to be educated.
7. What are some jobs that you have held?
Teacher, Real Estate Agent, Tutor, File Clerk, Secretary Assistant
8. Does your past employment experience ever make its way into your books?
Yes. As a geography teacher I discovered about the world and use that a great deal in the stories I tell.
9. What inspires you?
Movies, books, my children and grandchildren, writing, gardening, space, Earth
10. What made you decide to write about the subjects or themes of your books?
Geography helps with the where. People along my journey inspires my who.
11. Have you met any interesting people while researching your books?
Absolutely! Some have even become my resources and help me fix gunshot wounds and crash an airplane without getting everyone killed.
12. What is the most difficult part of writing?
Editing your book a zillion times is difficult for me. By the time I send it to publish I’ve probably read it ten times, had three rounds of edits, had advanced readers weigh in and then a final run through. Sometimes it has seen about 25 pairs of eyes before it’s done.
13. Who are some of your favorite authors and why do you enjoy their work?
James Rollins – syfy horror love his style and forced me to write.
Brad Thor – geopolitical thriller – keeps me guessing
Vince Flynn – geopolitical thriller and fell in love with Mitch Rapp the main character
Daniel Silva, Nora Roberts, Sandra Brown, Oh I could keep going on this one.
14. What writing advice did you find most useful when you were honing your craft?
When you finish a book don’t wait for someone to pick it up to publish. Write another one, then another and another. You can always go indie.
15. Do you have any new work just released or coming out soon? If so, would you please tell us a little about it?
Invisible Goodbye was released August 22, 2020. It is #7 in the Enigma Series. Twenty scientists disappear because of a missing airliner over the Indian Ocean. Strangely enough they turn up in Russia working on a cloaking device for military equipment. Fast paced and full of dangerous moments. Of course, there is always a thread of romance.
16. Can you tell us a little about your current project?
Currently I’m working on #2 in the Dark Side series. It is heavy on Native American lore, time travel, a murder in New Mexico and a grouchy detective whose partner is a Pawnee Indian.
#CommissionsEarned. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Thank you for reading Ozarks Maven! If you’ve enjoyed my little seeds of wisdom and joy, please subscribe to Ozarks Maven, Like Ozarks Maven on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter @OzarksMaven.
Comments