AJ Storm

Al: A friend of mine just read 'Fortune's Eyes', and she loved it.  How does it feel when your work gets such lovely reviews?

A J: My first reaction to an incredible review is extreme joy. I'm thrilled to be able to take thoughts from inside my head and heart, write them down on paper, and touch someone else's heart and mind with them. The reader spends hours reading those words and hopefully, is whisked away into another world. The idea of totally consuming someone's imagination is exciting to me. In fact, it's no small task to be able to do it. Which brings me to my next emotion. I'm truly humbled by their review because they spent the time and energy away from their real lives and spend them with me. And to have them say they loved the story...that was my goal! For me as a reader, if an author can make me totally forget reality, laugh, cry, have anger or frustration, feel shock, or love, then I consider them to be a good author.  That is what I'm striving to become...a good author. An author who is capable of manipulating the emotions and imagination of the reader. In my mind, I'm not quite there yet. Don't get me wrong. I'm quite proud of Fortune's Eyes and I believe it is a good story and book. I hope that time will tell that  I'm right. 

Al: So, when you write - do you write for yourself? Or, do you write for your readers? Or both?

A J: First, let me explain what happens when I write. My mind begins to focus on the center of the idea, whether it's the location, plot, or time period. Then, characters (voices in my head) make their presence known and begin talking to me. It may be immediate or a matter of days before I sit down and actually put a few words on paper. (Yes, I'm old school because I write every word down on paper and then put each chapter on the computer.) With Fortune's Eyes, I had every intention of writing about witches until I arrived in New Orleans. The city took over and the voices began encouraging me in another direction.

So, to answer your question, I write for both myself and the readers.

 When I set out writing, there are four things I strive for.
    1. I write a story others want to read and enjoy.
    2. The story should be one I can say I've done a great job and it's a good book.
    3. My imagination should be excited and able to run free with the plot, characters, romance, etc.
    4. My characters will always lead and have the last say.
 
I'm not into writing novels to get rich. I simply want people to read my books and enjoy them. That being said, a reader has to buy the book before it can be read. It's very easy for me to judge the success of my work by the number of sales and I hate that. It's not the truth. There are a lot of excellent books out there that aren't best sellers. There are a lot of great, wonderful authors that aren't millionaires. And I humbly hope that I'm one of them.

Al: If you could co-write a novel with another female Author, who would it be?

A J: I think it would be incredibly difficult for me to co-write with any author, female or male. One reason is that my brain has always functioned on a different level than most everyone else's. I tend to focus on things through tunnel vision, giving more importance to them than is necessary. It manifests in my daily interactions with family and friends. They know me well enough to know how to handle me.

I have two very dear friends that are wonderfully talented authors. I would be extremely proud to write with either one of them, but for the reason mentioned above, it would be difficult and uncomfortable. That being said, in a perfect world with a perfect me, I would love to co-author with Cherise Sinclair. I fell in love with her writing when I read her Masters of the Mountain series. Her characters are real, complicated, flawed, and beautifully written as everyday people with everyday problems. They also have hidden strengths and magnetism that draws the reader to them developing a mental relationship. I couldn’t put her books down when I read them and I’ve almost read every single one she has published. Being a submissive myself, I am drawn into the relationships she creates between her dominants and subs. My desire to co-author with her is purely selfishness and centers on how much I could learn from her. I find dominance extremely fascinating and hopefully, some of her knowledge would rub off onto me. I would love to be able to take my dominant personalities further inside themselves and write what makes them mentally tick, so to speak. To be dominant isn’t just throwing your weight and will around. A true dominant appears to be totally immersed in his ability to command respect, interest, and submission from those he interacts with. Strictly my own opinion, however, but I’ve only scratched the surface in my own characters.

Al: What was the last CD you purchased at an actual CD store?

A J: The last CD that I bought in a CD store was in 1988 and was Daylight Again by Crosby, Stills, and Nash.