Jaime Reed is the debut author of Living Violet, a paranormal romance with a unique twist.

Read more about Jaime and Living Violet below!

A little bit about Jaime:

Teen fiction always captured my interest and I appreciate the newness of that time, and well, I get nostalgic. Right now I’m on a serious paranormal/ fantasy kick. I’m all about the weird and my stories explore cool mythical creatures not many people have heard about.  I try to create characters who are people of color. There aren’t enough of them in young fiction and there should be more heroines of different backgrounds battling the forces of evil. Let’s face it, the extraordinary can happen to anyone.

Synopsis:

He’s persuasive, charming, and way too mysterious. And for Samara Marshall, her co-worker is everything she wants most–and everything she most fears. . .

Samara Marshall is determined to make the summer before her senior year the best ever. Her plan: enjoy downtime with friends and work to save up cash for her dream car. Summer romance is not on her to-do list, but uncovering the truth about her flirtatious co-worker, Caleb Baker, is. From the peculiar glow to his eyes to the unfortunate events that befall the girls who pine after him, Samara is the only one to sense danger behind his smile.

But Caleb’s secrets are drawing Samara into a world where the laws of attraction are a means of survival. And as a sinister power closes in on those she loves, Samara must take a risk that will change her life forever. . .or consume it.

Tell us a little bit about your process and how you became a writer.

I’ve always loved to write. I started in my early teens, just writing gibberish in notebooks. But I never finished any of the stories. It wasn’t until years later that I decided to go back to writing, and it turned out that not only did I enjoy it; I wasn’t half bad at it. Five years later, I took one of my completed manuscripts and shopped around for representation. After a bunch of queries and selling my kidney on the black market, I finally found an agent who liked it. The rest is history.

Why did you feel you had to tell this story?

I wasn’t trying to save the world or create an award-winning piece that would stand the test of time. I don’t believe any author thinks that in the beginning—that’s crazy talk. I just thought it would be a cool story that people might like to read. All writers create a story for selfish reasons. They first must love the story they’re telling; otherwise, there’s no motivation to finish. Living Violet falls under that category. I also wanted to write about a biracial character, something I don’t see often in YA.

Your characters are quirky and fun. Are any of them based off people you know?

Several people, in fact, and all of them are crazy. Bits and pieces of their personality are tossed in a bowl of mixed nuts. My friends point out their individual quirks. They sometimes fight over which character portrays them the best. None of them do, not completely. The main thing was to make each character relatable.

Samara is a strong female character. Was she that way from the beginning of the story or did she develop into that character as you wrote?

Not sure. She has, and always will, have that chip on her shoulder, but events in her life will force her to grow up faster than she wants to. Her views on love and dating change at the end of the book. Her relationship with Caleb isn’t an instant romance (just add water.) It develops slowly so they can get to know each other, and their snarky banter makes it that more fun to watch.

In your story there are no sparkly vampires or gorgeous angels but something completely new, at least in YA, to the paranormal genre.  How did you decide on writing about Caleb’s paranormal being?

Mainly because I was getting sick of vampires. Lol. I used to obsess over them as a kid, but then life happened and I out grew the craze. But I was always fascinated with different types of vampires, even those that didn’t necessarily drink blood. Anyway, I got to digging and found where vampires—and most creatures of the night—originated from. I just cut out the middle man and went wild embellishing the folklore.

What was your favorite chapter/scene to write and why?

I’m kinda torn between the funeral scene (because I’m morbid like that and find humor in sad situations) and the scene with Samara and Caleb in the diner. It was a blast to write and I love how they bounce off each other with equal wit. As much as they bicker and fight, they complement each other in ways that not even I expected.

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

Ooh. I’m gonna get in so much trouble for this. Well, as far as criticism, I would have to say the ones about Samara’s narrative voice bother me the most. I’ve been told that she uses too much slang one minute and she talks too proper in another. Congratulations, you’ve just met your first Oreo / B.A.P. (Black American Princess) Sorry for not being politically correct. A lot of Samara’s identity crisis has to do with her mixed race, and overcompensation is the result of her constant balancing act. I grew up in the suburbs and knew a lot of girls like that in school and its pretty dead on.

As far as complements, the simple fact that anyone reads my story is a complement. If I make someone laugh just once throughout the story, my work on this earth is done. Everyone likes their ego stroked. I’m no different, but I focus more on the criticism to see where I can improve. I’m still new to the writing game and there’s always room for growth.

If you could have lunch with one of your characters who would it be and why?

Caleb. I would love to counsel him on his suppressed emotions and learn more of his paranormal history. Plus, how often do you meet a guy with purple eyes? Can’t miss out on that. I’d make him pay for lunch, of course. He eats too much.

What is easier to write: The first line or the last line?

The last line. They’re fun and I usually leave each chapter with a cliffhanger or a play on words or a tie-in to a recurring theme. The first line is so HARD, but once I have that launching pad, I’m off and running and no one can stop me. No one except my editor.

Do you have things you need in order to write i.e.: coffee, cupcakes, music?

Just a fresh notebook and quiet. Sometimes I play music, but that’s not a major necessity. The faster the music, the better. Strangely enough, I listen to a lot of dance music to get me going. I tend to write faster that way.

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