Interview & Giveaway with Jessica Scott {BECAUSE OF YOU}

Please tell readers a little bit about yourself.

Chuck Wendig sums it up nicely that writers have a touch of mental illness. I’m a mom, wife, army officer, and writer along with wrangler of 2 kids, 3 cats, 3 dogs, 2 hamsters and a bunch of fish. The gestation period for hairballs in my house is less than five seconds. I’ve also written for the NY Times At War Blog and PBS Point of View Regarding War series on Women and War.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’d say back in 2007 I first started writing seriously. I’ve never looked back!

Please tell us about your latest release.

My debut novel BECAUSE OF YOU is about a wounded soldier who has to figure out who he is when he no longer has the rank on his chest. And the woman who guides him through has her own scars but I don’t want to give away too many spoilers! Here’s the blurb:

From the war-torn streets of Baghdad to the bittersweet comforts of the home front, two wounded hearts navigate the battlefield of coming home from war in this explosive eBook original from newcomer Jessica Scott.

What inspired you to write this book?

I was in officer candidate school back in 2007 and I remember one of my classmates giving another classmate hell about not being prepared. It was just something that stood out for me that he’d been to war and she hadn’t. He had an impatience to train that she’d never understand, you know?

Can you tell readers who are not familiar with the series what the premise of the stories are about?

The whole premise of the series is to put a face on soldiers coming home from war that is not all PTSD and special forces soldiers. My stories are about normal every day soldiers serving and how the army impacts their lives, you know?

Were any of the characters a challenge to write?

The heroine of the book BACK TO YOU is kicking my butt, quite literally. Laura loves her husband but she’s filed for divorce because she’s tired of him deploying all the time. She wants out but she still loves him. Right now, I haven’t really captured the dichotomy of that emotional base from her. She’s coming across as wishy washy.

Was there a character you enjoyed writing the most?

Carponti, hands down. The guy will say anything no matter who is around. He’s by far my favorite.

Please share with us who or what is the antagonist of the story.

In BECAUSE OF YOU, the antagonist is a lieutenant named Jason Randall. He’s arrogant, stubborn and sadly, reflects many of the stereotypes about lieutenants in the army: they don’t listen and they think you have to respect them because of the rank on their chest. Leadership doesn’t work that way, you know?

With the book being part of a series, are there any character or story arcs that readers jumping in somewhere other than the beginning need to be aware of?

No. I’ve worked really hard to make each book stand alone even as the community continues to build, you know?

What was one of the most interesting things you learned in researching your book?

That catheters are really hard to put in and take out and that men will cry over ANYTHING involving their manhood.

Tell us a little bit about your hero and who makes his perfect other half.

My hero is Sergeant First Class Shane Garrison and he’s an infantry platoon sergeant. His other half is Jen St James, who is a breast cancer survivor. She was the perfect choice to stand up to Shane’s crankiness at being hurt because when he found out she’d been through her own battles, he kind of had to listen to her.

Is there anything from your daily “real life” that has played a fundamental role in the inspiration or creation of the story line or characters?

Everything in my life is part of this book from my own deployment to Iraq to coming home again. It’s fiction but my life has definitely added flavor to the book!

Other than writing, what are some of your passions in life?

I love the army, my family and my writing. My last battalion commander used to say “my bag of gold is so heavy” and she’s right. I’ve got a lot to be thankful for in my life.

What is one particular aspect about the book that you want readers to take away from this interview?

It’s written about Soldiers, every day normal soldiers dealing with extra ordinary things and they still manage to come out whole.

What can readers expect next from you?

My next book UNTIL THERE WAS YOU comes out in October. It was an incredibly difficult story for me to write but I’m really really proud of it.

Can you leave readers with a teaser from the book?

I don’t have any excerpts from UNTIL THERE WAS YOU yet but you can check out http://www.jessicascott.net/Until_There_Was_You.html for the latest information!

Where can readers find you on the web?

http://www.jessicascott.net
twitter.com/jessicascott09
Facebook.com/jessicascottauthor

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