I’m excited to welcome J.J. DiBenedetto to my blog. J.J. is the author of paranormal stories where “reality meets fantasy.”

J.J., how long have you been a writer?

J.J. I’ve been writing ever since high school. But I began writing for publication in the spring of 2012, after a friend of mine sold her first novel. That inspired me, and I’ve written eight novels since then.

LC That is what we call a “prolific author”! Do you write in one particular genre, or explore a variety of stories?

J.J. For now it’s just in one genre – paranormal romance/mystery. The characters drive my books, and I don’t think these characters will let me go until I’ve finished telling their tales.

LC From where do you get your inspiration for your stories?

J.J. I just try to think of a new angle or a different challenge that my heroine hasn’t yet faced, and usually once I get the basic idea, the rest of the story grows out of that pretty quickly. Because these books follow Sara from college through to her adult life, there are obvious plots that suggest themselves – getting married, having kids, dealing with parenting issues, taking on new responsibilities at work, etc.

LC What is your writing process? How much/often do you write?

J.J. Whenever I can squeeze the time in. I don’t have a set writing schedule, with a full-time job, I have to take whatever time I can find.

LC Do you have writing partners who critique your work before submission? Why do or why don’t you think this is important?

J.J. Definitely! I have several people I trust who see everything before it’s published. I think it’s vital to have another set of eyes and opinions (or several) to catch any errors, plot holes and just to see if they’re seeing what I’m trying to get across.

J.J.’s Road to Publication

LC How long did you actively pursue publication before your first book was released?

J.J. I knew from the start I was going to self-publish. My books straddle the border between a couple of different genres, and I knew that would be a tough or impossible sell to a publisher or an agent.

LC Do you think an agent would be helpful to your writing career/do you plan to seek an agent?

J.J. I’ve begun to look into getting an agent, but with no success yet. I do think one would be helpful, if I can find one!

LC Why did you choose to self-publish? In your view, what are the pros and cons of self-publishing vs. traditional publishing?

J.J. I went [the self-publishing] route because I thought that with books that didn’t fit neatly into one genre “box,” that I’d have a lot of trouble selling them to a publisher. And, also, I didn’t want to wait six months or a year to get an answer, when I could just start selling the books and building an audience myself.

I think the big pros of self-publishing are that you can get your work out in front of people immediately and on your terms. You control everything. That’s also a con – you have to do all the marketing, and quality control and everything else, yourself.

But on the other hand, it seems as though publishers don’t really do that much in the way of marketing for most authors, unless they’re already successful (and thus don’t need the help anyway).

LC Are you a full-time writer, or do you have a “day job.” If you have a day job, do you wish to share what you do? And…if you could have any job (besides being a writer), what profession would you choose?

J.J. I do have a day job, in marketing.

If I could have any job, I’d like to work in the arts – music, especially. I have no musical talent whatsoever, but I love classical music and opera, and I’d like to be able to try and promote that to a wider audience so they can appreciate it.

LC What’s up next for Author James DiBenedetto?

J.J. I’m working on the next book in the Dream Series, and I have a couple of other ideas I’m working on as well.

FACEBOOK EVENT! Join J.J. and other authors October 31, 2014 for J.J.’s Dream Vacation Launch Party 9am to 9pm EDT https://www.facebook.com/events/404246139723103/

Author Bio:

J.J. (James) DiBenedetto’s fans would swear he’s got a sixth sense when it comes to seeing into the minds of others and often wonder if his stories could possibly be fiction. He enjoys suspending disbelief with suspenseful paranormal tales that are a perfect blend of reality meets fantasy.

His popular Dream Series continues to delight readers with each and every exciting installment.

Born in Yonkers, New York, he currently resides in Arlington Virginia with his beautiful wife and a cat he is sure has taken full advantage of its nine lives. When it comes to the cat, he often wonders, but then again it might just be his imagination.

You can connect with J.J. at the following links:

Website/blog:

http://www.writingdreams.net

Amazon author page:

http://viewauthor.at/JJDiBenedetto

Facebook fan page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dream-Series/107699179403603