The Next Big Thing: JM Kelley!

After one too many Snowmageddon shoveling catastrophes, J.M. Kelley, a native of Pennsylvania, loaded her car with all of her belongings and moved to sunny South Carolina.
Now, she finds herself shivering when temperatures dip to fifty degrees, and battles against the slight Southern accent she seems to be developing. When not toiling away at her day job, she can be found huddled over her laptop in a quiet corner of her favorite coffee shop, slurping a caffeine-laden milkshake as she writes. We're so glad she's here today to tell us about HER next big thing! Welcome J.M.!

1. What is the working title of your next book?

I have a few working titles! Most important, right now, is Daddy’s Girl, which will be released the week of January 27^th by Turquoise Morning Press.

 

 As far as works in progress, I am working on a paranormal romance called Mediocre Magic, and a contemporary romance entitled She Let Herself Go. 2013 is going to be a busy year for me.

2. Where did the idea come from for your book?

Daddy’s Girl is, you could say, inspired by my own life. It is the story of a woman coming home to care for her gravely ill father. While there are strong romantic elements to the story, the primary focus is the relationship between Janie McGee and her father, Joe. While the novel is entirely fictional, it was a cathartic release for me in dealing with the passing of my own father in 2007. The character of Joe McGee certainly pays homage to my father, and writing the story was an incredibly emotional experience.

3. What genre does your book fall under?

Daddy’s Girl is a work of women’s fiction, with strong romantic elements.

4. What is your synopsis or blurb for this book?

Sometimes, returning home isn’t about confronting your past; it’s about discovering your future.

Janie McGee, the black sheep of her family, is free-spirited, uninhibited, and never one to stay in the same place for too long. Despite a lifetime of never seeing eye to eye, when Janie learns her father, Joe, is gravely ill, she surprises even herself by returning home to rural Pennsylvania to care for him.

David Harris sports a pocket protector, collects coins, and is addicted to Antiques Roadshow. Everything about the man rubs Janie the wrong way, from his nerdy wardrobe to his enviable friendship with Joe. And to make matters worse, Janie’s father thinks they’re perfect for each other, proof positive of how little Joe knows his own daughter ... or so Janie thinks.

A shared devotion to the elder McGee begins to close the gulf between Janie and David, but a burgeoning romance opens the door to unexpected consequences neither could foresee. Joe, however, remains steadfast in his resolve to show Janie that Daddy knows what’s best for his little girl after all. Can Janie finally open her heart to David while watching the first man she ever truly loved fade away?

5. What actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I don’t know that he actually fits, but I’ve often pictured Andrew Lincoln playing David. That might be due to my obsession with The Walking Dead, however. As far as Janie, I kind of think Emma Stone would be a fun actress. Oh dear, she was in Zombieland. I have a zombie problem. She definitely has a certain attitude that would really bring Janie’s dry sense of humor out, as well as her vulnerabilities.

6. Will your book be self-published, or represented by an agency?

This will be my first release with Turquoise Morning Press. It’s been a great experience so far, and I look forward to the coming months in terms of my future releases.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Daddy’s Girl took forever to write. I think it took about a year. Because the themes hit so close to home, I often had to step away and breathe. It’s hard to concentrate on sentence structure when you’re so emotionally tied to the fates of the characters you’ve created.

8. Who or what inspired you to write this book?

As mentioned before, my father’s loss was the inspiration for Daddy’s Girl. My father, Billy Joe—yes, that’s his given name...God bless those Southern roots!—died of lung cancer in 2007. I took a lot of responsibility for his care after his diagnosis, and it was a difficult experience. But I carry no regrets, because despite the inevitable end results, a lot of good came from it. We grew closer, we were able to say we loved each other, and I was blessed to be at his side when he finally passed away. I look back at it and think it was such a horrible experience, but so intimate and I’m grateful I was able to help him through it as best I could. 

In time, I began thinking it was a good basis for a story. As the parent ages, you really start to reflect on what’s most important in that relationship. Do you have the courage to heal old wounds, to face your failures and reveal the depths of your feelings, or do you take the easy way out to protect your own heart?

9. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

This has got to be the most difficult question to ask an author. I’m terrible at finding comparable stories. Maybe, and this would be an incredible case of wishful-thinking, I could compare the Janie/David dynamic to pairings like Claire and Tyler in Sarah Addison Allen’s Garden Spells. I love writing men who wear their hearts on their sleeves, and I adore creating a journey for women in which they come to embrace the essence of who they have been all along.

10. What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?

I think the story is something so many of us can relate to. Baby Boomers are becoming senior citizens, and so many of us sons and daughters are now faced with this role reversal in which we are the caretakers, and our parents are dependent upon us.  We can view it as a burden, or a privilege in which we can repay our parents for everything they ever did for us.

The romance is also a strong aspect of this story. Janie is drawn to Joe’s neighbor, David, when she sees his devotion to her father. The common bond they share in helping Joe through his ordeal brings them together, but it can also tear them apart. Can two people find happiness in the midst of such sadness?  And is it necessary for Janie to sacrifice her future in order to be the daughter Joe needs in the present?

11. Who is in line for your Next Big Thing Blog Hop?

Christine Ruotolo, Toni Rakestraw, and Michele Villery.