Interview with Janni Nell

Janni Nell, author of Allegra Fairweather: Paranormal Investigator, has been kind enough to stop by Reading with Tequila to answer some questions.

After growing up in a beachside suburb of Sydney, Australia, Janni Nell traveled overseas, working in the UK before returning to Sydney, where she now lives.

Janni began writing in her late teens. She has won prizes for short story but her dream was to publish a novel. Carina Press will fulfil that dream when Allegra Fairweather: Paranormal Investigator is published in June 2010.

Janni’s goal is to write more books featuring Allegra and her drop-dead gorgeous guardian angel, Casper.

When Janni isn’t writing, you can find her line dancing.

Janni: Hi Jennifer

It’s a pleasure to be here on Reading with Tequila. I’ve brought some salt and lemon so let’s get started.

Reading with Tequila: Allegra Fairweather: Paranormal Investigator is your debut novel. How has the experience of being a published author been so far?

Janni: In a word – wonderful! I expected it would be a joy working with a publisher as professional and well run as Carina Press. What I didn’t expect was that readers would take the time to contact me to say they’d enjoyed my book. I’m astonished and delighted every time I receive an email from a reader. And I answer every one.

RWT: I love the title. It tells the reader exactly what the book is about. Was this the original title of the book or did it change over time?

Janni: It was the original title. After all I’d heard about titles being changed, I was surprised and very pleased that I got to keep it.

RWT: Allegra Fairweather: Paranormal Investigator is set in Scotland. What kind of research did you have to do for the book? Have you ever traveled to Scotland?

Janni: Sadly my budget wouldn’t stretch to a trip to Scotland. I relied on the internet and Scottish friends for research into history, climate, vegetation, roads, distances, hiring rowboats and the Gaelic language. Fortunately, because Loch Furness is fictitious, I had a certain amount of creative license. One of the joys of writing is to use my imagination and I had plenty of opportunity to do that while creating the loch and its surrounding villages.

RWT: Casper is Allegra's sexy guardian angel and the two of them have some delicious tension going. Why did you decide to write characters so obviously drawn to each other that can't act on that attraction?

Janni: I needed a really good reason to keep them apart for what I hoped would be a series of books. The usual kinds of conflict just weren’t strong enough to last the distance. One thing I’ve discovered while writing the books is that it’s great fun to find ways for Allegra and Casper to express their feelings without actually doing something that would disqualify him from being her guardian angel.

RWT: With Allegra's line of work, the possibility for future books is just about endless. Do you plan on continuing with an Allegra series or is this book a stand alone title?

Janni: Absolutely a series. As you say the possibility for future books is endless and I hope Allegra and Casper will be around for a long time. The second Allegra book is almost ready to submit. Books three and four are in the planning stages. If I can produce two books a year I’ll be a happy camper.

Thanks so much for having me on the blog, Jennifer, it’s been great fun! Except that I’m starting to see double. Must be all that salt and lemon.

You can visit Janni at her website www.janninell.com or Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/janni.nell

About the Book

Allegra Fairweather here. Paranormal investigator. Got problems with specters? Shapeshifters? I’m the woman to call. Just don’t call me a Ghostbuster. The last guy who did that ended up flat on his back with my boot at his throat.

With my 99.5% success rate, solving the mystery of a bleeding rose that has sprung up on the shores of Loch Furness should have been an easy gig. But already I’ve heard the shriek of the local banshee, discovered two bodies (and then lost two bodies), and had a near-death encounter with a three-hundred-year-old ghost. And perhaps most dangerous of all, the hot pub owner who hired me now wants to show me exactly what’s under his kilt.

Luckily, I’m ably assisted by my very own guardian angel. I’m grateful for his help—but he’s also drop-dead gorgeous. A bit distracting when I’ve got a mystery to solve, and the clock is ticking…

Reading with Tequila's review of Allegra Fairweather: Paranormal Investigator