When did your interest in magical stories begin?
I think I’ve always been fascinated by stories of magic, but it deepened in high school and college when I became somewhat obsessed with stories of Merlin. I found the depictions of Mary Stewart particularly fascinating as they blended the magic with real world engineering.
Did you always know The Untold Prophecy would be a series?
I initially wrote The Lost Art of Magic as a stand-alone book, but several early readers asked for more, so I took one of the stories experienced in the first book and expanded it to the second book, The Untold Prophecy. I not only tell that story in greater detail, but the book continues with the repercussions of the prophecy taking place.
Are you a methodical planner or a panster?
When I sat down with the explicit intention of writing a full-length novel, I began as a panster, but I had to evolve. I was already developing my technique of fast changing scenes and twisted overlapping plotlines, and writing long narratives in a stream of consciousness did not lend itself to the complexities that I was putting on paper. So, I started by knowing where my story would begin, whether it was with an action, or a specific character, I had a starting point and I also needed an ending. Then I would plot out the many things that would happen to get me there. This is also when I discovered software that was designed for novel writing. Once I have an outline, and have lightly fleshed out a more detailed description of the scene, I return to the panster method and flesh it out. At this point, as I’m developing the characters, they lend a hand in developing the direction of the thread and plot.
Where did you find inspiration for the characters?
I can’t say I have a single source. I start out with a general idea of what they are like, and I keep it very basic, like she’s sixteen with blond hair and lives in an ultra rural setting. As I write, she starts to show me what she’s like to fit the scene, and if I’m lucky, she will suggest some friends and what they are like. I didn’t start out with one of her friends being gay, it just happened naturally in the course of them talking during a parish party.
Out December 6th, 2024
Amazon.com: The Old Child: Tome III (The Lost Art of Magic Book 3) eBook : Jordyn, Jonni, Rae, Deena: Kindle Store
Can you tell us a little about The Old Child?
My plan was to follow up The Untold Prophecy with The Orb of Destiny, but as I was writing it, Destiny’s little cousin became a much more interesting and rich character. She had an old soul, as people like to say, and when I was approaching 100,000 words and had not yet reached the story of the orb; I had to split the book into two, creating The Old Child, which could be considered The Orb of Destiny part one, but also stands on its own merit. So it should be no surprise that it will be a prelude to The Orb of Destiny, where all hope rests on rescuing Destiny following the conclusion of The Untold Prophecy. The Old Child gives us a glimpse of the future brought on by the opposing clan that coveted Destiny’s powers.
Do you have a favourite character in any of the books and why?
Mrs. Thatcher would be my favorite and she’s hardly even a minor character, but she is 100% character. She’s a housekeeper who speaks with a Cockney accent (I think and hope I pulled that gem off) She advances the plot by providing a job to another character who will become integral in the resolution of the story. There is more to Mrs. Thatcher, or should I say less? I won’t spoil her reveal.
Has your music and theatre experience played a part in your writing?
I have another book due out next may about a band. The characters are all based loosely on musicians I knew, and the character of the band manager is a conglomerate of two band managers I knew and didn’t like. I also have a book coming out in December that revolves around an opera singer, but I was never personally involved in opera, so it’s coincidentally themed around music.
How has your writing changed since you started?
My editor told me that my books were longer than average. I didn’t really think so, at first, but I have written a couple of shorter novels as an experiment, but the lesson didn’t stick. In the words of Mozart, played by Tom Hulce in Amadeus, they have just as many notes as they require (from memory, not an exact quote.)
Do you have a set routine for your writing?
After putting music aside for good, I converted from a night person to a morning person. I write in the mornings from 5am to 7am. There are other ad hoc times when I work on my books, but the morning is my set routine. I also have a super small computer that I take on trips so I can write on the plane and in the airports and hotels.
Where can readers find you and your books?
You can browse my website https://www.jordynatlargebooks.com/ You can also find my books on Amazon. I will be working with my publicists to determine when it will be time to put them in brick and mortar stores.
Bio:
Jonni Jordyn was born in Oakland, California in 1957. She started writing at an early age, writing music, poetry, short stories, radio, film, and stage scripts. She didn’t start writing novels until later in life, after she retired from playing music, and found herself travelling away from home for extended periods. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado.
oh my gosh these books look so magical! Just love it!