Not surprisingly, I don’t spend a whole
lot of time in front of the television. Sure,
I have my must-see TV shows like Desperate Housewives,
The Young & the Restless, and Survivor. (C’mon!
What’s not to like about Jeff Probst? He
even won his first well-deserved Emmy!) But all
kidding aside, I truly believe there’s really
nothing better than reading a poignant love story.
The sheer essence of the author’s words
beautifully depict what we all desire…to
be loved. That in itself is pure heaven.
John Shors, this month’s highly anticipated
Jen’s Jewel, dares to cross racial boundaries
in his powerful second release entitled BESIDE
A BURNING SEA. As in his first novel,
BENEATH A MARBLE SKY, John combines
extensive research with eloquent prose that manifests
itself into a compelling love story filled with
heartache, new discoveries, and unforgettable
characters. Set on a remote Japanese island during
World War II, he pens a poetic love story between
an American nurse and a Japanese prisoner-of-war.
Mark my words. This book will sweep you away.
As part of this interview, John has generously
donated five copies for you, my readers, to win.
(Thank you, John!) So, don’t forget to look
for the trivia question at the end. Go ahead and
grab something warm to drink on this crisp, fall
day and get to know my very gifted friend, John
Shors.
 Jen:
Your path to becoming a writer took many fascinating
turns which most certainly has attributed to your
success as one of the brightest, rising stars
in fiction. Please tell us a little bit about
your educational and professional background so
that my readers can have better understanding
of the man behind the words.
John: I think the most important thing in my life,
in terms of how and why I ultimately became a
writer, was the fact that when I was eight or
nine, my father put a lock on our television set.
I therefore grew up reading, usually devouring
at least one book a week. This went on (and continues
to go on) for many years. Aside from my love of
reading, I was an English major at Colorado College,
and then I became a newspaper reporter. As a journalist,
I learned quite a bit about the craft of writing.
My editor encouraged me to create a unique style,
and I think that this style is still with me today.
Of course, I’ve expanded upon it, writing
much more lyrically than I was able to as a journalist.
Jen:Incorporating your extensive travels into
a work of fiction must be a very rewarding, yet
challenging part of the writing process. In your
debut novel, BENEATH A MARBLE SKY, you chose to
capture the essence of the Far East within the
bounds of your poignant love story. What attracted
you most to this locale? And specifically, what
technical aspects of your storytelling enable
the reader to feel a connection with your characters?
John: I have been lucky
enough to spend three years in Asia. I love this
part of the world, and my goal was always to try
and utilize my understanding of Asian cultures
in creating novels that occur in places like India,
the South Pacific, Vietnam, etc. In terms of BENEATH
A MARBLE SKY, which recounts the wonderful
story behind the creation of the Taj Mahal, it
was my visit to the Taj that inspired the novel.
After seeing the Taj, and realizing that no one
in the West had ever written a novel about it,
I felt compelled to begin BENEATH A MARBLE
SKY. I’ve been delighted with how
readers all over the world have embraced this
novel. It’s now in eighteen languages and
we’ve sold the movie rights to Hollywood.
Jen: Unlike your first novel which is told through
the eyes of a woman, your latest release, BESIDE
A BURNING SEA, centers around the plight of a
Japanese prisoner of war named Akira. First of
all, how did you arrive at the premise? Secondly,
why the shift in focus from a woman’s perspective
to a man’s? Was it intentional or was it
simply how the story evolved?
John: I don’t know if there was an intentional
decision on my part to shift voices. For me, the
story comes first, then I worry about the voices.
After living in Japan for two years, and becoming
intrigued with why Japan was in WWII, I thought
it would be fun to create a classic love story
set in the South Pacific at the height of the
war. I decided to give this story a twist—a
Japanese soldier who falls in love with his American
nurse. This was a challenging and rewarding relationship
for me to bring to life. I’m really happy
with how it turned out.
Jen: For a story such as yours to ring true,
a certain amount of research must take place in
order to establish credibility with the reader.
Approximately how much research went in to this
novel? And, what was the most fascinating tidbit
you unearthed along your journey?
John: The most important
thing to me is visiting the place that I write
about. For BENEATH A MARBLE SKY,
I spent a month in India. For BESIDE A
BURNING SEA, I spent a couple of months
in the South Pacific. Aside from that hands-on
research, I read a great deal about the cultures
that I’m trying to put on the page. I interview
people, I look at photos. I want the reader to
close my novels thinking that she or he has learned
a few things about the cultures that I set my
stories around.
Jen: The character I was most intrigued with
was Annie, the love interest of the main character
Akira. Throughout the novel, we witnessed her
transformation from a timid lady to a self-assured
and confidant woman. How does her relationship
with Isabelle, her older sister, inhibit her in
respect to her vulnerability towards others? In
your opinion, when is the defining moment in her
metamorphosis that ultimately enables her spirit
to be set free?
John: The relationship
between the two sisters in BESIDE A BURNING
SEA is complicated. At a young age, Annie
became quite sick, and for many years Isabelle
looked after her. Therefore, Isabelle sometimes
is overprotective of Annie, which doesn’t
always sit well with Annie. About halfway through
the novel, Annie begins to fall in love with her
Japanese patient, Akira. Annie wants to feel vulnerable.
But Isabelle feels the need to point out the danger
of such a relationship. She doesn’t want
Annie to be hurt. I think the reader will be able
to empathize with both women in this situation.
As far as when Annie’s spirit is finally
freed, I believe it’s when Akira encourages
her to overcome her fear of the deep water (she
almost drowns at the start of the book) to go
swimming with the dolphins.
Jen: Every story needs its despicable villain
in order for the reader to sympathize with the
protagonist’s set of circumstances. Your
Roger takes the cake as one of the meanest characters
out there! Bravo! What was the best part about
creating this evil person? Did he live up to your
expectations or did he take on a life of his own?
John: Like you, I enjoy a good villain. I think
most readers do. As a writer, I like to create
unique voices, whether it’s an Indian princess
or a Japanese soldier or a villain who is at war
with the world. For me, these are all enjoyable
challenges. I’d rather create such characters
than more nondescript ones. So, for me, it was
fun to bring out Roger’s evil, to watch
him disintegrate as the novel progresses.
Jen: I think what sets your novels apart from
the rest are the little touches that you add that
make the reader stop and think….this is
a fine example of modern day fiction. For example,
at the beginning of each chapter is a beautifully
crafted haiku that not only ties the story together,
but also moves the plot along. Is poetry a passion
of yours? What made you include the haikus in
your book?
John: I’ve always
enjoyed poetry, but it’s not a passion.
A lot of BESIDE A BURNING SEA
is told from Akira’s perspective, and since
he is a poet, I thought it would be neat to start
each chapter with a haiku that is written from
his perspective. Readers seem to really enjoy
what I’ve done with these. In fact, many
readers have emailed me haikus that they’ve
been inspired to write after finishing my novel.
So I’m glad that this idea popped into my
head. Writing the haikus was one of the most enjoyable
things that I did during the creation of the novel.
Jen:A question I just have to ask…BENEATH
A MARBLE SKY and BESIDE A BURNING SEA…both
start with a B prepositional word. Was this intentional?
And if so, what significance does it have? Will
your next book start with perhaps BEYOND?
John: I don’t know
why this happened. The original title of
BESIDE A BURNING SEA was THE
POET MAKERS. But my publisher didn’t
think that title had enough of an edge, so I created
the new title. I like it, and I think it works
well with the cover of the book (which I love).
The title of my third novel (which I’m working
on) is IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF DRAGONS.
For my fourth book, I’m going to get away
from the preposition theme, I promise.
Jen: Unfortunately writing a phenomenal book
does not guarantee book sales. As you well know,
in order to achieve a recognizable amount of success,
there must be an aggressive marketing plan put
into place. I think your personal story best illustrates
this. Please tell us about your mission to make
a name for yourself which ultimately led to your
appearance on the CBS Evening News with Katie
Couric.
(Here is the link if you’d like to see
John for yourself.)
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/11/01/eveningnews/main2143672.shtml
John: My goal was to
help promote my first novel, BENEATH A MARBLE
SKY, and to give something back to readers. So,
in the back of the trade paperback version of
the novel, I decided to add a letter that invited
book clubs to invite me to their evenings. I told
book clubs that we could have a nice chat via
speakerphone, and I encouraged them to email me
(I included my contact info). The result of this
offer has been quite extraordinary, I think. To
date, I’ve spoken with approximately 1,300
book clubs about BENEATH A MARBLE SKY.
These book clubs have been all over the U.S. and
Canada, as well as from places like Zambia, France,
and Columbia. Book clubs have really enjoyed the
interaction, and almost of them say it’s
their first such experience. Many of the groups
go all out, dressing in saris, hiring henna painters,
eating Indian food, etc. Groups seem to have a
lot of fun with the evenings.
Jen: With that being said, are you making the
rounds for your latest release, BESIDE A BURNING
SEA? And if so, how would my readers go about
scheduling an author phone chat?
John: I’m definitely
still making the rounds, as it’s important
for me to connect with the readers who support
me. All I’m asking is that two book clubs
get together for each call. I can be reached at
shors@aol.com.
Jen: Do you have a website? Mailing list? E-mail
notification of upcoming releases? Do you participate
in a blog? Any upcoming appearances?
John: I have two web
sites: www.beneathamarblesky.com
and www.besideaburningsea.com.
Occasionally, I’ll send book clubs a little
update, but I don’t have any sort of real
newsletter. But if readers have any questions,
I am always happy to answer them via email.
Jen: Are you currently at work on your next masterpiece
(my words…not his!)? If so, what can you
tell us about it? And, when can we expect to see
it on the bookstore shelves?
John: I am really excited
about my third novel, IN THE FOOTSTEPS
OF DRAGONS. This novel will be released
in September of 2009. Here’s what we’re
saying about it: “Set in modern-day Vietnam,
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF DRAGONS tells the
tale of two Americans, who as a way of healing
their own painful pasts, open a center to support
and educate Vietnamese street children. Learning
from the poorest of the poor, the most silent
of the unheard, the Americans find themselves
reborn in an exotic land filled with corruption
and chaos, sacrifice and beauty. Resounding with
powerful themes of suffering, love, and redemption,
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF DRAGONS brings together
East and West, war and peace, and celebrates the
resilience of the human spirit.”
I think that this novel will really resonate
with readers. After spending several years on
the streets of Asia, and interacting night after
night with homeless children who are out at all
hours of night selling postcards and flowers,
I felt compelled to bring their stories to life.
I couldn’t be happier with how IN
THE FOOTSTEPS OF DRAGONS is unfolding.
Jen: In a sense, I feel as if you are an old
friend because I knew you back when we both started
out in this business. What a journey it has been
thus far! It has been an absolute joy to finally
be able to share your work with my readers. (Sorry
it has taken so long!) What a true jewel in the
making! From the bottom of my heart, I wish you
only the best.
John: The pleasure is all mine, Jen. It’s
been a delight to participate in this discussion,
and I’m excited that you’re showcasing
my work to your many wonderful readers. I hope
that your readers enjoy my novels, and I wish
everyone the very best.
I hope you have enjoyed my interview with John.
Please stop by your favorite bookstore or local
library and pick up a copy today!
Better yet, how would you like to win your very
own copy of BESIDE A BURNING SEA?
Be one of the first five people to e-mail at jensjewels@gmail.com
with the correct answer to the following question
and it’s yours!
All the books are gone. Congratulations
to Connie H., Nancy S., Terri L., Donna V., and
Kathy C.
Later this month, I will be bringing to you my
interview with New York Times Bestselling
Author Allison Brennan.
You won’t want to miss it!
Until next time…Jen
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Meet
the Author: featuring Jen's Jewels