Meet Sandi B. Jones, blog contest winner.

 To celebrate our collaboration, Sandi and I have interviewed each other. To read my interview, visit Sandi's blog at: http://sandibjones.blogspot.com/

Tell us about your the book you are current working on.

Not to be all mysterious, but I can’t say much right now! My latest is a Gothic novel for young adults, currently under consideration with agents. I’d describe it as dark, romantic, Southern, and psychological. I’ve also published a few paranormal romances for adults under a different name.

What was your inspiration?

I’m a big history geek. One of the few assignments I enjoyed in high school was a research paper on Frankenstein. Digging in crumbly old books, I was enthralled by the Romantic poets and their Gothic stories. If I had a time machine, I’d go back to that era and hang out with them for a day or two. And…well, I have to confess a crush on Gerard Butler as the Phantom of the Opera. After watching that film, I wanted to write something similar to the story with the combination of love, yearning, fear, and horror.

If you could cast a movie of your book, who would be the main characters?

I didn’t have any real people in mind as I wrote the story, but I think I would cast Logan Lerman as my tortured hero. I thought Lerman was fantastic in Gamer. (Just realized that movie also starred Gerard Butler. Hmmm.) The main character would be harder to cast. Maybe a sixteen year-old version of Rihanna.

What made you decide to be a writer?

I wrote my first book before I started Kindergarten. It was about a duck! Haha! But seriously, when I was bored out of my mind in school, I started writing short fan fiction for my friends. I might cast my bff as the main character and Jon Bon Jovi as the hero. In no time, I’d crank out thirty steamy pages. I really hope my friends threw those stories away! Honestly, though, there’s nothing more satisfying to me than writing.

Tell us about teenage Sandi!

Most of the time I looked like I stepped out of a Tim Burton movie. Big hair, heavy makeup, and lots of black clothes. Actually, I haven’t changed much! Haha! I’ve always been quiet, so the way I dressed was my self-expression. I was a punk rocker at heart! I took denim and embellished it with fringe, leopard print, lace. I wore black alligator boots, and I was BAD. To look at me, nobody ever guessed I kept a paperback novel stowed in my spiked leather purse.

What books are your favorites?

This is a hard question. There are so many! One of my all-time favorites is The Bride Finder, which is a fantastic Gothic romance. I also like Pride and Prejudice, Sherlock Holmes, and anything written by Agatha Christie, Stephen King, or Poe.

More recently, I’ve enjoyed Darker Still, Nevermore, Jane, The Devouring, and The Hollow.

If you could be anything else besides a writer, what would you be?

I have two of the best possible jobs for me, being a high school librarian and a writer, but if I had to do something else, I would be a marine biologist. I’d join the crew of an ocean vessel and save a whale!