Interview with J.D. Spero

About the Author

Johannah Davies (JD) Spero was born near a pristine lake in the Adirondacks and has lived in various cities such as St. Petersburg (Russia), Indianapolis, Dallas, and Boston. She has pursued her love of narrative through degrees in English, Russian, and teaching—and has worked as an actress, a yoga instructor, a web design entrepreneur, freelance writer, and a high school English teacher. She lives in the Northeast with her husband and three young sons.

Drawing on her experience as a high school teacher—this time with a social concern, Spero infuses the rites of passage for the teenager—cliques, first kisses, peer pressure, and bullying—with magic. This stresses how tenuous and critical this time is for young people in a new, fascinating way. Written from Sami’s point of view, Spero’s narrative puts the reader into the mind of a fifteen-year-old who must navigate the tumultuous waters of being the new girl—the underdog who starts to win and is intoxicated by it. Truly a page-turner, this action-packed story will have readers of all ages eager to see what happens next. 

Spero’s debut novel, Catcher’s Keeper, was chosen as a Finalist in the 2014 Indie Excellence Book Awards contest and also made the top 5% out of 10,000 entries in the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.  

Connect with J.D. on:
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The Interview

1. If you had 3 wishes, what would they be?
I think they’ve already come true.

2. Given unlimited resources, what would be your ideal writing environment?
In the last fifteen years, I’ve written seven novels in my spare time. In September, when my youngest enters Kindergarten, I will have more time than I’ve had in…forever. Will it help my writing or hinder it? I’m so well versed in writing under pressure within time constraints. What will happen when the hours open up in a wide yawn ahead of me—and then disappears after a second, as it always does? I recently applied to a 2-week no Internet, no phone, no communicato…writers’ retreat. I’m almost scared I’ll be accepted. Will I be able to be productive? Will I miss my family too much? Or—will I be ruined for the real world upon my return?

3. Where do you actually write? Do you write on a schedule?
 Wherever it works, whenever I have time. I told you about my coffee shop time. I’ve been known to take my laptop to bed. I write on the couch with a vanilla candle burning beside me. I write at the dining room table. On the kitchen island. Outside in an Adirondack chair. Sometimes in front of the TV while my husband watches a golf tournament. It’s a priority for me. I sneak in scenes whenever I can.

4. What was the most surprising part of writing this book?
Writing in the fantasy genre does not come naturally to me. Even though this is urban fantasy, which I like to say has “just a touch” of magic, I was surprised at how tricky it was to build rules around how the magic and its prophecy work. Once I figured it out, though, it was liberating and totally fun!

Author interview quesitons provided by Loving the Book.

Check out my book review for FORTE.