Featured Interview With J. A. Cipriano
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Huntington Beach, California where I surfed to school, said “Duuuuuude,” a lot, and once had a teacher throw a desk at me in high school. It was my fault. I was that kid.
I’m currently residing in Bakersfield because I like to sit out on my porch in the 110 degree heat with a cigar (even though I don’t smoke) and scotch (though I’m too much of a sissy to drink it so I just stare at it ominously) and pretend I’m an oil tycoon/ billionaire agriculture industrialist.
I have three Chinchillas named Jet, Cadmium, and I don’t remember the third one’s name because he’s a jerk. I also have a cat named Turtle. This gives my toddler some weird issues when you ask him to point to the turtle.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have read as long as I can remember. My grandmother used to take me to the library and used book store when I was little to pick stuff out, then we would lie on the couch and read all day.
I penned my first story in third grade, and I’m pretty sure it’s the best thing I ever wrote. I wrote three books by the time I finished my freshman year in high school. My wife swears these are the best things I’ve ever written.
I wrote another book when I graduated that I’m re-writing now actually. I then went and spent a year or so writing a million words of fan fiction. Well, not quite a million, 863k to be exact.
The first Lillim book came along after they banned me for, well, reasons. That was in 2007, and I haven’t forgotten. Remember, I’m always in the background, watching, waiting… but with cake. Only it’s poison cake. Wait… did I say the soft part loud again?
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite author of the moment is Jim Butcher. I absolutely adore Dresden, and it was the reason I wrote Lillim. I met him once and, though I was too overwhelmed to actually speak to him, I got to shake his hand.
When I need to write romance and by romance I mean steamy scenes, I like to read Laurell K. Hamilton. Why? Because I’m about as romantic as a blender is good for an anniversary gift. It makes me feel bad for my wife.
I don’t have a favorite genre. I read a lot of everything. I enjoyed Moneyball (the book), and I enjoyed Gone Girl (the book). Someone asked me how I pick books? I don’t. I just get what people are talking about and read that. (Yeah, I’m a poser reader…)
I also adore Dean Koontz because when I broke my arm when I was twelve, he signed my cast. So did Stan Lee. It is, by far, the coolest cast I own.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
Pursuit is the fourth Lillim book. For this book, I dug out a character I absolutely adored from the second Lillim book, The Hatter is Mad. His name is Masataka Mawara, and I had an absolute blast writing him. The basic premise is that Masataka has taken over Lillim’s home town and wants to kill her.
It is also the first time Lillim is really going toe to toe with another of her people. Before this it’s all dragons, werewolves, and ancient gods. She can justify killing them, but one of her own? This time she’s fighting a person who knows everything about her, how to hurt her, and who loves her. (Oh, did I say that?)
This is by far the darkest book I’ve written. I really tried to put my reader into tears, or if not, have some feels. I really went for “it” in this book. It has some great characters and really stretched me, personally, as a writer.
At first, I’ll admit I didn’t want to write the book because it was so gritty, but as I started writing, I couldn’t stop. I gushed all over my notebook and when I went to type up my notes, I gushed more.
I also changed editors for this book. So that, I think, really helped. Not that my old editor was bad, far from it, but it was really different working with someone new. I think it helped me get a whole new perspective on the Lillimverse.
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