Author Highlight: Jayne Hawke

I found Jayne's books through a Facebook group, Fans of Urban Fantasy! (Follow the link if you're interested in joining.) Jayne is an active member of the group, and her book cover for Shadow Magic immediately caught my attention.

How did you come up with the story concept for Stolen Magic?

Forever and a day ago I was sitting just idly thinking about something completely unrelated. Then I had an image pop into my head, I can't remember what sparked it. It was this image of a teenage girl being in the middle of a huge non-consensual ritual. She was supposed to be the sacrifice. That image stuck in my head for years. I was reminded of it again earlier this year and began thinking on what would happen to her after that, who was involved and why. Then everything else fell into place.  

What do you love about writing urban fantasy and paranormal romance? What do you hate (or maybe just dislike) about them?

I love the huge scope. The ability to play with magic, myths, and these things that have been with us in story form for millenia. There isn't really anything that I dislike. This is all I write. No matter what I try to write it ends up twisting back into urban fantasy or paranormal romance lol. 

When it comes to world-building do you have any particular tricks or techniques?

I try to focus on what's relevant to the heroine and her story. It's very easy to get lost in the little details, but if it doesn't apply to the heroine then it's just added gravy. That helps me make the world-building I do put in shine and be relevant to everything. Personally I work from the top down. So this world came about when I started thinking about what would happen if the old gods and fae returned to take the world. Then I thought about how that would happen, the impacts it would have, and worked down from there. 

What was the most difficult part of the publishing process for you?

Having the patience to build everything up. That and focusing on one series at a time. I'm like a squirrel on speed, I want to run around playing with all the shinies. I need to slow down, focus, get a series finished before I move onto the next one. 

What does your writing space look like?

I work on my couch with a table in front of me, and then a large painting of a phoenix feather that I did on the wall right behind that. On the table I have about 120 washi tapes, all plain with enough colours to form a complete rainbow. There's a Disney planner propped on top of the eight physical books that I own. Next to that is a photograph of the Ring of Kerry during a storm (I live just outside of the Ring of Kerry, Ireland). Then above that I have another planner, and notes written on tape to remind me of my focal points when I write. It's a mass of colour, a bit messy, and I love it. 

What are your tricks for juggling writing while maintaining a personal life?

I erm... so, my husband's my co-writer, and I'm a type-A workaholic... lol. My husband helps me make sure that I have set days off. Days when I'm not allowed to even think about work. We watch movies together, play video games together, and don't talk work at all. It's usually Saturday, but sometimes I'll take an entire weekend off. 

What's the best piece of advice you've received about writing?

Every word must earn its place on the page. 

What is the best book you’ve read recently?

That's so hard! I've been dabbling in reverse harem, and I loved Reapers Pack by Rhea Watson. And I've been re-reading Hawthorne House (Ghost Electricity is book 1) by Sean Cunningham. That's probably my absolute favourite urban fantasy.