It’s great having JoElle stop by today to share a bit about herself and her writing. She’s practically a neighbor, up there in Nevada, with me lurking her in Arizona.
ABOUT JOELLE –
JoElle was born in the Pacific Northwest. When she was a young girl, she moved with her family to Guadalajara, Mexico. She has since lived in South Texas,Central Texas, the Bay Area of California, and now her home is in Northern Nevada.
Today she spends most of her time wandering the scenic highways of America with her husband and creating new worlds and characters for her novels.
JoElle comes from a large family. With two older brothers and three younger sisters, she enjoyed the middle spot while growing up. (She was the official tattletale – a title none of her siblings ever let her forget). Though she loved playing outside as a child, she was also a bookworm.
Married shortly after graduating high school, she and her husband have been happily married over 30 years. (Which is a big reason JoElle firmly believes in happily ever afters!)
When they are home, JoElle and her husband enjoy visiting their son, daughter in law, and four grandchildren.
Ever since she was a little girl, and wrote her first multi-page story in fourth grade, JoElle knew she wanted to be a writer. She competed in Journalism in high school, winning several awards in feature writing. JoElle writes both fiction and non-fiction. In addition to her novels, she has written a number of feature stories of community interest for local newspapers on subjects such as volunteering, guide dogs, homeschooling, and the Explorer program. She served as a regional editor for a homeschooling newsletter and has had a number of short stories and articles published in print magazines and e-zines.
INTERVIEW WITH JOELLE –
Q – Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
A – I am convinced I was a male elf in a previous life. I always find myself strongly connected to the male protagonist of my stories. Three of my novels were published, but they were released as four books because my first novel was rather long for YA. I’ve just finished my first Fantasy Romance. It is sort of a Harlequin Fairy Tale. I also have three other WIPs.
Q – What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?What are you working on now?
A – I have just finished writing Julianne’s Wish. It is about finding your true soulmate. The story sort of just popped into my head after I read Plato’s explanation of soul mates in his Symposium.
After I get Julianne’s Wish submitted, I plan to finish Chloe’s Promise. They are both Fantasy Romances. Adult modern day fairy tales. I always work on two or three novels at a time because stories come to me and I start on them while the ideas are fresh. I then set them aside to finish whatever I have going.
Q – What authors or books have influenced you?
A – Every fairy tale and romance I’ve ever read: The Snow Queen, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Peter Pan, Snow White & Rose Red, Rapunzel, etc.
Q – What is the best advice you have ever heard?
A – Be thick skinned and open minded about constructive criticism.
Q – What’s next for you as a writer?
A – Besides writing novels, I also write non-fiction articles on subjects ranging from health and fitness to community concerns. I’ve had these published in newspapers and trade magazines. I’d like to make the time to write more non-fiction. I’ve kind of neglected this side of me lately.
Q – Do you listen to or talk to your characters? How do you interact with your characters while you are writing?
A – Of course. All the time. Very often I become my characters, as I write scenes involving them.
I feel their emotions as I describe them. They laugh, I laugh. They cry, I cry. I talk back and forth in their dialogues. It is almost like I am all the actors in a play, acting out the scenes as the play is being written.
Q – What do you think about the future of book publishing?
A – I spend a lot of time driving, so I am a fan of audio books. However, even though I have kindle on my tablet, I have yet to read a kindle book. I like to turn pages. I like hunting for books on bookstore shelves. And I know I am not alone in this. Computers are changing our lives, but I don’t know that physical books will entirely disappear. Even though we have iTunes, people still play instruments and go to live concerts. Even though electronic keyboards exist, people still play pianos. Even though movies can be downloaded and bought on DVD, people still go to the theater to watch them, people still watch stage performances. I think humans have a need to physical contact with the arts, including physically holding a book.
NOVEL BLURBS –
A Bridge in the Forest
Lily Kingman was always a little strange. On her eighteenth birthday she finds out why. Lily discovers a secret gate at the bottom of a river that takes her to FeyTerrah, a fantastic world of enchantment and danger. While there, she encounters Dreamer, the captivating elf she is destined to marry. Shortly thereafter, Lily undergoes a transformation that reveals her true nature. Escorted by a small group of elves and a fairy, Lily is taken to the land of her ancestors were she meets the fairy king. His Majesty believes Lily may just be the key to finding his missing daughter. So he sends Lily, with her escorts, back to Otherworld–the domain of the humans–to find the princess. Eventually Lily is forced to make a difficult decision. She must choose a world. Will she return to the beautiful yet strange land of her ancestors or stay among humans, even though she fears they will no longer accept her? This is the first book in the Dreamer’s Forest.
Part two – A Secret in the Forest
When Lily and her companions arrive in Otherworld, the dwelling place of the human race, Lily confronts Mrs. Rose Beth and learns the story about her connection to FeyTerrah and the startling truth about her father and his family. Lily soon discovers that there are other fey descendants living among the humans, and she and her companions make important discoveries about the history between the two worlds. But when Lily and her friends are threatened by one of her former schoolmates, they realize just how significant the connection between FeyTerrah and Otherworld is and Lily has to accept that her comfortable life has changed forever. Though she knows she belongs in FeyTerrah and at Dreamer’s side, she also feels an obligation to her family and the fey living in the human world. How can she keep her promises to Dreamer without ignoring her other duties? Lily is forced to make a difficult decision.
A Secret in the Forest
“It is not wise to make war with the unknown,” Dreamer forewarns the antagonistic human, Victor. Still, the young man remains determined to discover the secret Lily Kingman and her strange new friends are keeping; and he is gaining dangerous knowledge. Meanwhile Dreamer is experiencing a transformation that will give him extraordinary powers that, even among the elf race, are rare. When Lily and Dreamer disappear without a trace, all the evidence points to Victor. How can the Kingmans call on local authorities for help without revealing their daughter and her fiancé’s secrets? Is this the start of a war between the human domain of Otherworld and FeyTerrah?
Moonlight in the Forest
When Dreamer, Lily, and Sir Elo return to King Solren, they bring along a large entourage of fey descendants from Otherworld as well as information that will decide the future between the two worlds. The king decides to hold a council meeting and commissions Dreamer and Lily to invite the other kings and representatives of the dragon race to the event. During their journey Lily learns the entire history of magical Ninatlee necklaces. During the council meeting the dragons reveal a startling secret about the Riverlord family. It is also discovered that Lily may possess astonishing powers that could break the mysterious spell on the necklaces. But at what cost?
JoElle’s Links
www.joellemartin.com
www.goodreads.com/JoElle_Martin
www.facebook.com/DreamersForest
Lee Dunning 
Lee, thanks so much for having me as a guest today! I have often visited your state, Neighbor! Just last month I drove up I-17 from Phoenix to Flagstaff. That area just east of Sedona is amazing. I am really enjoying this Fellowship of Fantasy Writers with you and the others!
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