Windham author JC Ward is more than just a writer who produces psychological thriller novels, she also has completed a new mystery book featuring her beloved pet guinea pig and is now working on a Christmas-themed story. Ward is also preparing to showcase her books during an upcoming appearance at Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shop in Windham.
 |
| Windham author JC Ward will be at Sherman's Maine Coast Book Shop in Windham from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 27 to sign books and meet local readers. Sherman's will have a supply of Ward's books available for purchase during her appearance. COURTESY PHOTO |
Her latest book “Whiskers and Words” took her about 10 to 12 weeks to write and another five months to edit and revise before its publication.
“It is incredibly rewarding to know that someone enjoys a story I have written,” Ward said. “Being able to place my writing in someone’s hands and provide them with entertainment brings me happiness. Writing is something I truly enjoy, and it also serves as a great stress reliever, allowing me to step away from everyday stress and immerse myself in another world. When I write, I try to create vivid descriptions so readers can fully experience the story alongside me. My goal is to make them feel as though they are right there in the moment, seeing, feeling, and living the story with the characters.”
Most of Ward’s writing is done at night.
“My goal is to write 1,000 words a night when I'm writing a story,” she said. “Of course, there are some days where I don't reach that goal, but it keeps me on pace to write multiple books a year. The main animal character in ‘Whiskers and Words’ is a guinea pig. The story is based upon our real guinea pig, Peanut, who passed away unexpectedly. I knew I needed to honor him in some way, so he became one of the main characters in this cozy mystery. I typically only write thrillers, but I knew I wanted to honor Peanut. He was my reading buddy. He used to cuddle up under my chin every night while I read. I miss him so much.”
Originally from Ohio, Ward started as an author by writing a children’s book about 10 years ago and says after that experience, she knew she wanted to write again in the future.
“I connected with an author friend in the United Kingdom, author AJ Campbell, and she was my mentor in helping me get started,” Ward said. “My family has been very supportive of my writing. They have been a big part of getting started, helping me reread, edit and refine my stories.”
Ward says that “Stalked” is set in the cornfields of Ohio and connects you to the characters. Then, you follow the characters to the rocky coast of Maine in book two, which is called “Coasted,” and it is gaining in popularity quickly, as it has many twists and turns.
“You really need to read Stalked first to fully understand everything that is happening in Coasted,” she said.
Since Ward used to live in Ohio and was surrounded by many cornfields, she knew that would be a great setting for a thriller.
“I had a request for a sequel to Stalked, which I hadn't really intended at the time,” she said. “That was how Coasted was born. The characters in it had to relocate and found themselves in Maine like me.”
Her own favorite author is Frieda McFadden and says her books are what inspired her to start writing in the thriller genre.
According to Ward, she’s excited about her upcoming appearance at Sherman’s and looking forward to meeting readers at the event.
“I love to meet local readers who would enjoy my writing,” she said. I” would love to hear what kind of stories you love, and what hooks you to the pages of a book. I would love to become an auto-buy author for local readers. That would be a huge goal for me.” <
No comments:
Post a Comment