Cherry0Blossoms Interviews JB McGee

Author Interview

My first interview on this blog! And I'm really excited so I'm going to start with the wonderful  JB McGee.

ME: Tell us is there anything about you that people don't already know?

JB McGee: I think a lot of people know I’m a musician, but I don’t know if they realize I played in a band some growing up. My late grandfather had a band that played local gigs. They mostly did big band music. He played the drums. My mom played keyboard and sang. Once I learned to play the clarinet, they started letting me play at some of their jobs. I also sang a couple of duets with my mom on jobs and for my church.
As an adult, I’ve not played my clarinet in years. I no longer have a piano. So I’m out of shape where music is concerned. I think that is why music plays such a huge role in my writing. I do miss performing and playing.

ME:  Are the names of the characters in your novels important?

JB McGee: Some of them are, but most of them aren’t. My family knows the names that are important.

ME: What are the most important attributes to remaining sane as a writer?

JB McGee: Ha! If you figure that out, then let me know. I’m not sure. I would say being organized is important. I try, but I have a long way to go with that. I also think it’s important to try to document all these inner thoughts going through your head if you’re not in a position to be able to actually write.
I know lately my characters are always doing something in my head and it certainly makes me feel like I need to be in a psych ward.

ME: What is the most demeaning thing said about you as a writer?

JB McGee: Hmm – there have been a lot of things. There was one person who left reviews on my books based solely on the preview. They said that I must have paid people for my reviews or had my friends and family write them because there was no way that I deserved all the four and five star reviews I had received.
I’m thankful Amazon removed the reviews.

ME: How do you react to a bad review of one of your books?

JB McGee: If it’s constructive criticism then I usually listen. I have heard from readers that they can see tremendous growth in each book I write. I would attribute a large part of that growth to reading negative reviews. I won’t usually respond to negative reviews. But I do read them all.

ME: What was the hardest part of writing your book?

JB McGee: Starting. I have the hardest part usually with the first 10,000 words. Once I get that down, it’s usually smooth sailing.

ME: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

JB McGee: I’ve learned a lot. The biggest thing I think is to try to write as cleanly as possible so you don’t have to edit a bunch in the end.

ME: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

JB McGee: There are a lot of messages in my novels. Ultimately, it’s about new beginnings, leaving the past in the past, forgiving those who have hurt you, building trust, and overcoming loss. Then, in Conspiring, the theme seemed to be that ‘things aren’t always what they seem’. That definitely was my theme as I wrote and my outline was quickly tossed out of the window because the characters changed for me as I wrote them. They weren’t what I had originally thought them to be.

ME: Have you ever read or seen yourself as a character in a book or a movie?

JB McGee: Yes, but I don’t want to say which character it was. LOL

ME: Who designed the covers?

JB McGee: Keary Taylor did the Broken cover and has done all of my jackets. I’ve done the other eBook covers.

ME: Describe in 5 words, your writing:

JB McGee: Real, angst, romantic, dramatic, funny

ME: When you were a child what did you want to be when you grew up?

JB McGee: For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to be a teacher.

ME: What do you use to write your book?

JB McGee: I write on my computer.

ME: Do you listen to music while you writing or reading?

JB McGee: Yes! I never write without my ear phones in and my Spotify on.

ME: Tell us your latest news?

JB McGee: Big announcement when my page reaches 5000 fans. I can’t wait to share it. I’m also going to be doing a big giveaway.

ME: What book are you reading now?

JB McGee: I don’t have a lot of time to read right now. Between graphic design work and writing, I work about 16 hours a day. The last thing I read was Eyes Wide Open by Raine Miller.

ME: Do you have a nickname?

JB McGee: Several. My mom always called me B, Bran, Brandi Boo, Boo Boo, or Boo. My husband named me Brandi Sue when we were dating. Not sure how he came up with that. JB stands for Jennifer Brandi. Don’t call me Jennifer if you want me to respond. I detest the name and actually had a legal name change when I got married to have it removed. McGee is my maiden name.

ME: What are your pet peeves?

JB McGee: My biggest pet peeve is when people don’t put their grocery cart in one of the designated places or walk it back inside. It drives me absolutely insane.

ME: Do you ever write naked?

JB McGee: Erm, no.

ME: What is your favourite Starbuck’s/coffee shop drink?

JB McGee: I don’t drink coffee. But I used to drink cappuccino sometimes.

ME: What's your favourite fruit?

JB McGee: Hmm – that’s tough. I pretty much love all fruit. I would say fresh pineapple.

ME: What's your favourite tv show?

JB McGee: The Vampire Diaries.

ME: One of your favourite quotes -

JB McGee: She believed she could, so she did.

ME: Do you enjoy giving interviews?

JB McGee: I love giving interviews. I love connecting with my readers in any way possible. Thank you for interviewing me.

ME: Anything else you would like to say to the reads...

JB McGee: Please stay in touch by liking me on Facebook and following me on Twitter. I read every message my readers send.

Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview... 

                                                        About The Author

J.B. McGee was born and raised in Aiken, South Carolina. After graduating from South Aiken High School, she toured Europe as a member of the 1999 International Bands of America Tour, playing the clarinet. While attending Converse College, an all-girls school in Spartanburg, South Carolina, she visited Charleston often. It quickly became one of her favorite vacation spots. She met her husband, Chad, during Christmas break her freshman year, and they married in 2001 and she moved back to her home town.

In 2005, the couple welcomed their first son, Noah. J.B. finished her Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education at the University of South Carolina-Aiken in 2006. During her time studying children's literature, a professor had encouraged her to become a writer.

In 2007, she welcomed their second child, Jonah, and she became a stay at home mom/entrepreneur. In 2009, the found out their two children and J.B. have Mitochondrial Disease. In 2011, a diagnosis also was given to Chad. Please take a moment and learn more about Mitochondrial Disease. Awareness is key to this disease that has no cure or treatments.

J.B. McGee and her family now reside in Buford, Georgia, to be closer to their children's medical team. After a passion for reading had been re-ignited, J.B. decided to finally give writing a shot. Broken (This Series), is her first book and first series.


Author Links:
Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter /  Web

Buy Links:
Amazon.com / Forgiven /Amazon.co.uk/ Forgiven / B&N / Smashwords / Kobobooks / Apple