Featured Interview With Author Jessica Berg
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hello! I'm a Midwest girl, born and raised, and my farming/rural background has played an integral part in who I am and what I do. I live in South Dakota with my husband of twenty years and four children (two boys and two girls), and a supposed-to-be miniature Australian shepherd. Something must have jumped the fence, however, as Fitz is a bigature and larger than even normal Australian shepherds. Welcome to my world!
I love my job as a high school English teacher and the 23-24 school year will be my 19th year! I also am an adjunct English professor with two local universities.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I've loved to read for so long that is hard to pin down an exact age. I did, though, when I was thirteen almost burnt myself to a crisp in my bed due to reading. I had replaced the lightbulb with a too-high wattage and fell asleep reading. One of my stuffed animal's heads fell against the bulb, and if it weren't for my dad's amazing sense of smell, I would have died. I still have the signed stuffed animal!
I started writing in middle school, and for the benefit of humanity, they will never see the light of day … ever! It wasn't until my late twenties that I decided to self-publish my first work of complete fiction: A Place to Call Home.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite author is Jane Austen, and my favorite book is Pride and Prejudice. My second favorite author is Agatha Christie. My love of these two authors and the worlds they created inspired me to create a mashup and write Murder Most Pemberley, my first cozy mystery starring the descendants of Austen's characters. It was so much fun to write, and book two will be coming out soon!
While I love contemporary romance, I read cozy mysteries, fantasies, adventures, historical fiction, historical romance, etc. The only genre I can't get behind is horror because I hate being scared and YA because … well … I'm not a teen anymore and find it hard to relate to the main characters.
As for who inspires me? That's easy … my family and the world around me. The world is rife with inspiration, and I incorporate that into my writing.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book, Grace Through Fire, is the sequel to Amber Waves of Grace and continues the Lancaster family saga with Nikki Lancaster. Nikki, a freelancer photographer, inadvertently photographs a serial killer, which sets in motion a race against time. When her ex-fiance, Xavier Palinski, who is a Department of Criminal Investigation agent, takes over her case, she chafes under his protective enforcement. They must work together though to find out the truth, about the killer after Nikki and about their future.
I love Nikki, and I think I love her because she's so different than me. It was fun to write a fearless character because I am a ninny. She's also the younger sister, and as I am the oldest of five, I found it hard to put myself in her shoes, so she was a challenging character to encapsulate. While I avoid fearful situations, I, oddly enough, enjoy a challenge.
Xavier is quite possibly my favorite fictional man! I love his protective streak, but I also love his willingness to let go and learn that he can't protect everyone all the time. He has a hard road to travel but he does so with a humble spirit. Of course, it doesn't hurt that he's sexy as heck!
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