J.J. Lore has been interested in the dashing men who roam outer space since she was transfixed by Han Solo piloting the Millennium Falcon a long time ago in a theater far, far away. Sadly, there is no way for her to join in the fun of intergalactic adventures unless she writes them, so that’s what she does whenever she isn’t taking care of the business of life. If you can’t find her typing madly on her sluggish keyboard, she’s probably poking around in a thrift store searching for the perfect pair of worn jeans or a vintage kachina bolo tie.

These days, she puts her anthropology degree to work when she whips up dishes from many different cultures, most of which benefit from a liberal dose of sriracha or a smear of green curry paste. Her favorite reading topics are costume history, epidemiology, and permaculture, all of which she’d like to work into a story if she’s suddenly overcome with a brilliant idea someday.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/J-J-Lore/1393971707546734

Twitter: @JJLore1

Website: www.jjlore.com

Q: What is your writing Kryptonite?

A: The short and simple answer is yardwork. I work from home, and whenever my neighbors' landscaping crews stop by, I can’t concentrate because of the high-pitched leaf blowers and zero-turn lawnmower engines whining. I would say that, on the plus side, the professional crews are very fast, but it seems like five or six will hit within a couple of hours, which completely disrupts my concentration.

Q: What kind of research do you do, and how long do you research before beginning a book?

A: I love research! Coming from an academic background, I’m very comfortable accessing all sorts of sources. My usual go-to are non-fiction books for anything technical, and for that, I typically hit up our local interlibrary loan system, which is very good. If I need to see something, or hear something, YouTube is a great source. I’ve watched a lot of martial arts videos there to help me choreograph fight scenes in my books. Sometimes I will track down an expert and ask a specific question, or dig deep into online resources. No Wikipedia for me!

Q: How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

A: I became far too embroiled in the non-creative aspects of publishing at first. I tried to find my way by participating in author groups, reading about trends, and listening to far too much advice on everything from how many sentences should be in a paragraph or how I should stay in a specific genre. None of that helped me be a better writer, or inspired me, so I learned to tune it out and focus on writing my stories the way I wanted them.

Q: What does literary success look like to you?

A: There are micro and macro views of success. Writing that book is a success. Putting the effort into writing blurbs and synopses are successes. Having the courage to submit your work to a publisher is a success. Getting a good review is a success. Selling copies is a success. Whether any of these are micro or macro success depends on the writer, and the stage of that writer’s career. For me, these goals are constantly shifting and evolving, which keeps this business exciting.

Q: Do you view writing as an emotional process?

A: Writing is something that changes my mood, dredges up the past, forces me to empathize with characters, and makes me think about issues in our society. I’m connected with something larger than myself when I’m deep in a writing project. Maybe that’s because I’m deep in a particular POV, or I’m feeling responsible for the characters I’ve created, but I definitely feel different when I’m writing as opposed to when I’m just a normal human.

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