Interview with Jessie Harrell

Deirdra: What are your favorite kind of books to read and why?

Jessie:  I’m a paranormal romance fan through and through, although I also love a sweet contemporary story.  I guess I’m a hopeless romantic at heart.

Deirdra: How many books on average would you say you read a year?

Jessie:  Somewhere between 30 and 50.  When I’m writing, I read less.

Deirdra: What is the most recent book you read? Can you tell us a little about it?

Jessie: The most recent book I’ve finished is The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab.  It was like part Old English fairy tale, part sweet love story, part ghost story.  I really enjoyed the pace and suspense in the novel, and the magical elements made it extra special.

Deirdra: What is the most disappointing thing authors do?

Jessie:  Well, as an Indie author myself, I’d have to say its disappointing when I see a  great story that’s been poorly edited.  The typos can really mess it up for me.

Deirdra: Who are your top five favorite authors?

Jessie:  That’s too hard of a question to answer because there are so many fantastic authors out there.  I love Stephanie Perkins’s contemporary novels and Stephanie Meyers’s Twilight series.

Deirdra: How do you feel about e-books?

Jessie:  Love them.  My Kindle and I are BFFs.  In fact, I now prefer ebooks over paper books because my Kindle has a built in light. 

Deirdra: What other talents and hobbies to you have?

Jessie: I love to scrapbook and photograph my kiddos. 

Deirdra: Where is your favorite place to read?

Jessie:  Curled up on the couch, under a blanket, on a rainy afternoon.

Deirdra: What books have made you cry?

Jessie:  I can only think of one right now and it was Marley & Me.  I was bawling like a baby at the end of that one. 

Deirdra: What books have made you laugh?

Jessie:  Chris Ryalnder has a series for middle grade boys called The Fourth Stall – they were pretty funny. 

Deirdra: What kind of books are you looking to read next? What is on your reading list?

Jessie:  My TBR list is so long right now, I don’t think I’ll ever get caught up. I’m still reading and loving the books written by my fellow Indelible authors. And two of my friends have novels coming out this fall – J.A. Souders’s RENEGADE and Kimberly Sabatini’s TOUCHING THE SURFACE – I can’t wait to get my hands on both of those.

Deirdra: Is there any other message you would like to give the literary community?

Jessie:  Because so much of publishing is timing and subjective tastes, don’t limit yourself by thinking the only good books out there are the ones that are traditionally published.  You’ll miss A LOT of gems if you do.