Jake’s Redemption is a steamy romance that is basically about characters who’ve survived war, global destruction, and the restart of civilization, only to end up living in an oppressive reversed society. They struggle to overcome the harsh rules in order to be together permanently before their enemy can tear them apart.
Looking for a steamy romance this Valentine’s day? Get lost in the romance and struggles of a world that’s seen global destruction in Jake’s Redemption, with author Jamie Schulz and me. Jamie, I like the twists we see in Jake’s Redemption to the traditional romance story. What inspired you to see where these twists would take you?
A high school history lecture.
Was this lecture the only experience from your life that made its impact on the tale, or can readers find other snippets of your life in these pages?
There are a few things here and there that made their way into the story. Don’t read too much into that…it’s a fictional story.
So it’s safe to say that all the characters that readers meet are purely from this fictional world?
Well, I actually started writing the series a long time ago, but about two years ago I felt that Jake (and Monica too) had become such an important secondary character that I felt his story needed to be told first. So, I sat down and started to write. There’s a little bit of a few people I know in these characters…maybe that’s what helped breathe life into them.
Was there a message, or idea that you wanted your characters to share with your readers once they had that breath of life in them?
The most important thing is that though it has dark themes, those themes are not the main focus of the story. It’s mostly about friendship, family, and love, and overcoming adversity.
Is there a favourite line from the book that may or may not show these interweaving elements of your book?
“God, you’re so…” he said and shook his head as if at a loss for words. His searching eyes delved into hers. For a long minute, her breath seemed to halt, and all-time ceased with it. His pupils dilated, the irises darkening to forest green flecked with amber. Her heart stuttered. Raw desire filled his gaze, burning out every other emotion in the changing hazel depths. She couldn’t blink, couldn’t look away from the dazzling transition. Trapped by the expression of naked need now etched on his face, she hoped she would never escape.
Ooh, I can see a touch of love in there! Looking back, what was the biggest learning experience that you had by drawing love around all of the other elements in this tale to build this story?
Editing. It is very frustrating to delete pages and whole chapters at times only to have to rewrite them completely. It got easier as I went and learned, but I was difficult at first to let go.
Did you find that this process of elimination and eventual rewriting, put writing in a negative light for you, or did you find that you still love, and are energised by writing?
I’m energized. I love to write, always have. Everyone who’s known me for years was not surprised that I wrote a book. I get excited every time I think about putting the characters together and what they’re going to do next. Yes, sometimes it’s frustrating, but in the end, it’s a wonderful feeling to finish.
What are you usually thinking about as you’re working through those frustrating times towards that shining end?
I picture the characters’ world, the difficulties they might have, how they’ll overcome or not. I look for their weaknesses and strengths and try to picture what they look like. I’m very visual, so I see things kind of like a movie in my head.
Do you feel that your techniques to both build the story in your head, and on paper has improved as you’ve kept refining your writing techniques?
It’s gotten better. I always liked to write and I could tell a good story, but the mechanics weren’t always that good or smooth. I think that has improved a lot as I’ve worked with my editors and on writing every day.
Now you’re writing every day there must be at least one new book in the works. What can you share about your upcoming projects?
I’m currently working on editing the first book of the Angel Eyes Series called Masters’ Mistress. I’m also working on the last part of the fifth book in the series, Masters’ Betrayal. I also have several other things flowing around in my brain that I’ll be writing outlines for soon as well as sever others I will also be working on the writing for.
You certainly do have quite a few coals in the fire. Have you started to think about how you can draw all of these projects together through an author brand?
Well, I’m still working on this. I created a logo so that readers could see it an know it was mine. I set up a website with my author name, picked out specific colors and images, had my photo professionally taken to use on the site. I joined groups online to promote me and my books, I’ve done a ton of ads and things like this…author interviews. There’s more, but I haven’t gotten to that yet.
Wow, what a fantastic foundation for your writing career! With such dedication to building up your craft, I’m sure you’ll go far! But in the meantime let’s take a few minutes off to have fun and relax with some more random questions like if space is a vacuum, who changes the bags?
Lol. Well, I’ll be happy to answer that, when someone empties my vacuum bag.
It would be great if you could get them to do mine too! If money doesn’t grow on trees then why do banks have branches?
So they can hold all that money over our collective heads, just out of reach.
Sounds like we need to go and buy some ladders. What is your zodiac sign?
Is this a date?
Why not! It is Valentine’s day after all! On the topic of love, what word do you love?
Love. And “miasma”. Don’t know why, just really like the sound.
It does have an interesting quality about it, doesn’t it? What happens if Batman gets bitten by a vampire?:
He’ll be able to fly without his bat-copter…?
How is he going to look cool without the bat-copter? He better not get bitten by that vampire! Finally, from vampires to monsters what type of creature would create if you had the ability?
I don’t do mystic monsters very well…but I do have a favorite or two:
1) Smaug the Dragon (or just Dragons in general)
2) My favorite…a Balrog.
Good selections, and perhaps we might even see references to them pop up in your next book! Until then, I wish you the best of luck working each and every one of your writing projects, and I hope all of our readers go and pick up a copy of Jake’s Redemption!
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Excited to read the book we discussed today? Find it here on Amazon: ‘Jake’s Redemption ( ASIN: B07K5L411H )‘.
Want to find out more about Jamie Schulz? Connect here!