Guest Interview with JORDYN REDWOOD, Author of PROOF

Jordyn Redwood, Author of Proof

This is the last of four stellar author interviews/guest posts I'll be doing for awhile. I'm taking a little summer hiatus, if you will. I will say that I'm already lining some interviews up for the fall...as well as lining up all my homeschooling textbooks. Life moves on!

Today, I had the privilege of interviewing Jordyn Redwood. Here's a little bio on Jordyn:

Jordyn Redwood is a pediatric ER nurse by day, suspense novelist by night. She hosts Redwood’s Medical Edge, a blog devoted to helping contemporary and historical authors write medically accurate fiction. Her debut novel, Proof, has been endorsed by the likes of Dr. Richard Mabry, Lynette Eason, and Mike Dellosso, to name a few. You can connect with Jordyn via her website at www.jordynredwood.net.

I can attest to the fact that Redwood's Medical Edge has all kinds of accurate info for your medical writing scenarios. I found some info there that backed up one of my Viking emergency pregnancy situations beautifully.

And now, for our interview!

HG: I love visiting Redwood's Medical Edge. What inspired you to start a medical blogspot specifically for authors?

JR: Thank you, Heather. I’m glad you enjoy my blog and thanks for guest blogging for me, too. I’m glad to be joining you and your readers today.

When I first started thinking about entering the blogosphere, I knew I wanted to do something unique that supported my brand—spine-tingling-suspense. What I noticed myself doing a lot was answering medical questions for authors. At the time, I couldn’t find anyone else doing this type of blog and what better way to support suspense than to discuss the finer point of injuring and maiming fictional characters.

HG: On a purely visual note, I love the pictures on both your blogspots. The woman with the boots on Redwood's Medical Edge and the creepy stalker guy watching a seemingly oblivious woman on your personal blog. Did you hire someone to do your artwork?

JR: Yes, I did. Tekeme studios did both my blog and website. I love the way everything came together.

HG: Your novel, Proof, is a medical thriller, and I know you've been an RN for almost twenty years. Did your work give you a specific inspiration for this book (ie: weird case scenarios, etc)?

JR: Actually, no. Of course, being a nurse for all these years definitely gave me the medical chops to write about medical situations authentically but Proof was born from watching a Discovery Health Channel special. Once I saw it and knew the DNA mystery could occur in real life—I knew it was enough to carry a full length novel. 

However, for Poison (due out Feb 2013), which is book #2 in the Bloodline Trilogy; a patient experience did evolve into the method of killing. That’s all I can share for now.

HG: Now, getting down to the nitty-gritty questions writers are curious about! Do you have an agent? Also, Kregel published your novel. How grueling were the edits? Did you have a part in the decision-making process for the cover of Proof?

JR: Yes, Greg Johnson, President of WordServe Literary gets the honor of holding my hand through the publication process and he’s fabulous at it.

The editorial process is interesting. I still feel like I have lots to learn about writing so I hired a freelance editor (which I paid for myself) to edit the manuscript before the publisher ever saw it. I did it as well with Poison and will do it for Peril. I like working with a freelance editor (Susan Lohrer if anyone is looking!) because it helps iron out the major issues. I want to give the publisher my best work so I am willing to put out the expense to make that happen. That being said, I think Kregel would say my edits were fairly minor, but they still felt kind of major to me. 

Take your editor’s suggestions! They are good at what they do. 

I did have a say in the cover for Proof. I was given the option to decide between two. Here’s a blog post I did that talks about the process—plus gives the reader a look at the one that wasn’t chosen.

Also, Kregel is currently doing a cover survey for Poison! So, if anyone would like to offer an opinion for book #2, I’d really appreciate it.

HG: You have a group of influencers. Does an unpublished author need to line up influencers as part of his/her platform? Or do they only come in once you have a book in hand?

JR: Wow, this is a good question. I would say influencers are born from your platform. When you start pursuing publication, even if you write fiction, you’re going to hear a lot about branding and platform building. Through these, you begin to build relationships with people who like you and what you have to offer. For instance, someone who likes to read solely literary classics is probably not going to be interested in a contemporary suspense author. Therefore, once they discover that’s what I’m about, by perusing my blog and website—they’ll not follow, subscribe—make themselves known to me or vice-versa. So, from my years of writing my blog and meeting other like minded readers/authors, I had a group to draw from in order to make my influencer list.

HG: Last nosy question: how long was your writing and waiting process, from that first rough draft of Proof to holding the final copy in your hands?

JR: This is a hard question for me because I dabbled with Proof for years before I decided to pursue publication. But, in 2009, the ACFW conference came to Denver and I knew I was ready to meet with agents. So, I did have a completed rough draft in September 2009. Greg signed me around Christmas that year. First book proposals went out February 2010. Kregel offered a contract in April of 2011 and just this month the novel was published.

Heather, thanks so much for having me. It’s been a joy being here! 

Dr. Lilly Reeves is a young, accomplished ER physician with her whole life ahead of her. But that life instantly changes when she becomes the fifth victim of a serial rapist. Believing it's the only way to recover her reputation and secure peace for herself, Lilly sets out to find--and punish--her assailant. Sporting a mysterious tattoo and unusually colored eyes, the rapist should be easy to identify. He even leaves what police would consider solid evidence. But when Lilly believes she has found him, DNA testing clears him as a suspect. How can she prove he is guilty, if science says he is not?

 

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Proof-A-

Novel-Bloodline-Trilogy/dp/
0825442389/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337199475&sr=8-1

--Thanks so much to you, Jordyn! All the best with your book series, and thanks so much for Redwood's Medical Edge! By the way, I did guest blog over there, and here's the link if you're interested in reading about some Viking 'shrooms: http://jordynredwood.blogspot.com/2012/04/research-driving-you-berserk.html?spref=bl.--

****So, loyal blog readers, what stands out to you about Jordyn's writing journey?****