The Problem with Power by Agnes Jayne
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Crescent
Moon Press
ISBN:
978-1-937254-63-6
978-1-937254-63-64-3
ASIN: B008BKAUQA
Number of pages:306
Word Count: 96,000
Book Description:
Emily VonPeer hopes that she
never meets the man of her dreams. For years, she's been haunted by visions of
an unknown lover destined to die in her arms. When her aunt's death brings her
home to her family's estate in Upstate New York, she meets Nicholas Flynn, an
agent of Paladin, an enterprise dedicated to the study and eradication of
demons, and the hero of her nighttime fantasies. He arrives on her doorstep
seeking answers for a slew of magically-related murders tied to the VonPeer
family.
Although his intentions are
suspect, Emily follows Nicholas into the investigation, hoping to spare him the
fate promised by her premonitions - at least, that's what she tells herself.
When their exchange with a demon goes awry, Emily sustains an injury that
threatens to turn her into a monster. Her transformation places her in the
crosshairs of sorcerers, senators, and a seductive stranger who promises eternity.
Interview:
Hello, and thank you for having me on your blog to discuss The Problem with Power.
1. Where did you get the idea for the novel?
1. Where did you get the idea for the novel?
The central idea of this story is actually two men who make a deal with a devil to attain money and power. It’s a pretty old theme. The characters that surround this story seemed to pop into my head of their own accord.
2. Your title. Who came up with it? Did you ever change your title?
2. Your title. Who came up with it? Did you ever change your title?
I fretted over the title. It’s my own, and it has always been The Problem with Power. Before that, it was titled “My Book” in a Word file.
3. Which came first, the title or the novel?
3. Which came first, the title or the novel?
The novel came first. I found titling the book to be extremely difficult.
4. Since becoming a writer, what’s the most exciting thing to ever happen to you?
4. Since becoming a writer, what’s the most exciting thing to ever happen to you?
I was really happy when my local newspaper ran an article in the paper about The Problem with Power. I felt like I’d arrived as an author, even in a small way.
5. What book are you currently reading or what was the last book you read?
5. What book are you currently reading or what was the last book you read?
I am currently reading The Crimson Petal and the White by Michael Faber. It’s a story about a would-be heir and a prostitute set in Victorian England.
6. What was your first book that you ever wrote (very first one you wrote, not published)?
6. What was your first book that you ever wrote (very first one you wrote, not published)?
The Problem with Power is the first book that I ever wrote and finished. I have a lot of half-done manuscripts laying around though. For me, it’s easy to write the first sixty pages. It’s the next sixty that always seems to get me.
7. What is your writing process?
7. What is your writing process?
I get up early in the morning, and I tend to work from numbered notecards to establish the scenes. I shoot for around 1000 words a day, five or six days a week.
8. Who are your favorite authors of all time?
8. Who are your favorite authors of all time?
Neil Gaiman and Charles DeLint are two all-time favorites. I love Gaiman for his villains and DeLint for his heroes.
9. At a book signing, do you just sign your name or do you write a note? How do you come up with stuff to say?
9. At a book signing, do you just sign your name or do you write a note? How do you come up with stuff to say?
I try to write a note, they usually come out as a long-winded thank you for buying the book.
10. What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
10. What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
I’m secretly in love with Steph, one of the characters in my novel. It probably shows.
11. How do you react to a bad review?
11. How do you react to a bad review?
I take the feedback as well as possible and if there’s truth to the criticism, I will keep it in mind for my future works. Often the bad reviews are the most honest. Okay, I might pout and grumble a little too, but again, they usually have a point in those bad reviews.
12. How did you celebrate the sale of your first book?
12. How did you celebrate the sale of your first book?
My husband took me to dinner at a little restaurant on a mountain near our home.
Excerpt:
Emily watched from
the kitchen window as the lights from the far shore played on the waves of the
river. She heard the ghost of a voice whisper to her, but she ignored it. The
voice would wait until morning. Maybe the sunlight would settle her, stop the
spinning in her soul from the flight, the funeral, and the horrible ache that
came from the realization that for the first time in her life, she was truly
alone. Even the moon had abandoned her, its thin light concealed by the clouds
overhead. She rubbed the bridge of her nose, willing the loop of events to stop
flashing through her mind, yet the pictures remained sharp as blades, begging
her to remember, to fight, to avenge. But she didn’t know how or where to
start. She only knew why. A single word popped into her mind.
Even now, the idea pulsed like blood in
her head, but there was nothing that she could do. Someone had stolen the only
thing that mattered from her, and at twenty-six years old she was, once again,
an orphan.
It’ll be better in the morning, she
thought.
She pulled the
edges of Aunt Maeve’s bathrobe closer; it was a shade too tight across the
shoulders. She went to bed searching her mind for a shred of meaning or a
moment of significance to light her path. All she found was a memory.
About the Author :
Agnes Jayne began
her writing career as a reporter for her high school newspaper in a small town
in Northern New York. She completed her undergraduate degree in English and
Political Science from Binghamton University. Upon her graduation from
Binghamton University, she won a prestigious journalism fellowship at the New
York State Senate, and went on to complete a Master of Arts Degree in English
at the University of Albany. Following this, she worked as a political writer,
producing speeches and other government documents for state and local
politicians.
These days, she
splits her time between writing and teaching classes in composition and
literature at a small college in Maryland. She lives high in the Blue Ridge
Mountains of West Virginia with her husband, son, and a plethora of adopted
pets.
Twitter:
@AgnesJayne
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