Adele’s top writing tip: Ask trusted and knowledgeable people to read your work (not just your family or a friend who ‘has good grammar’) and work hard. If you keep receiving the same feedback, positive or negative, listen. And be prepared to pay for professional editing. I do, even now.
Queensland author Adele Jones writes young adult and historical novels, poetry, inspirational non-fiction and short fiction works. Her first YA novel Integrate was awarded the 2013 CALEB Prize for an unpublished manuscript. Her writing explores issues of social justice, humanity, faith, natural beauty and meaning in life’s journey, and as a speaker she seeks to present a practical and encouraging message by drawing on these themes. For more about Adele and her work visit here website: www.adelejonesauthor.com or contact@adelejonesauthor.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AdeleJonesAuthor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/AdeleJonesAuth
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/8532379.Adele_Jones
AUTHOR INSIGHT
Why do you write? I believe words are powerful and what we read, over time, becomes a part of who we are. In fact, I’m a member of a national writers’ organisation with a motto ending in: ‘We want our words to change the world.’ I guess that’s what I’m hoping, that the stories and poems I write will not only entertain, but also inspire deeper reflection, understanding and, ultimately, invest something positive into the lives of those who read them.
What would you be doing if you weren’t a writer? Is that before or after my mummy and wifely ‘to dos’? LOL. Seriously, I studied science at university and continue to work in that field. If I wasn’t writing, I’d probably focus more on my science career, or maybe even take the opportunity to invest more time in my musical interests.
What was your toughest obstacle to becoming published? I would say myself: my impatience; my lack of insight into how much development my writing needed; my fear of sharing my writing with others who might not respect it. It was only when I did a Master of Letters majoring in creative writing that I began to realise just how much I needed to learn and engage with more experienced writers. And I’m still learning.
How involved have you been in the development of your book? Did you have input into the cover/illustrations? I’ve had a good deal of involvement in the development of my young adult techno-thriller novels. I realise this isn’t always the case. I’m grateful to my publisher for allowing me input, but I also recognise they know the market and have been in the publishing business much longer than I have. It would be unwise not to listen to their advice or respect their decisions throughout the publication process.
What’s the best aspect of your writing life? Having readers falling in love with my characters and enjoying the stories as much as I enjoy writing them.
—the worst? Feeling like I never have enough time to get everything done, including writing. Life gets busy and families have this weird thing where they want to see mummy every now and then. LOL. Sometimes it’s like robbing Peter to pay Paul, only Peter’s broke.
What would you do differently if you were starting out now as a writer? Invest more in my craft from the start and get connected with other, more experienced writers. Hopefully that way I’d realise how much I needed to learn sooner. (Though, knowing me, I’d probably still make many of the same mistakes …)
What do you wish you’d been told before you set out to become an author? It’s a funny thing. I started writing because I had this recurring dream which I wrote down, but I didn’t really correlate that with the idea of becoming an author until many years later, when it seemed a reasonable idea to try and get my first manuscript published. (It was rather dreadful, so that didn’t fly for a long time.) I wish someone had invited me to a local writing group sooner.
What’s the best advice you were ever given? ‘Hey, since we both like writing, why don’t we meet up regularly and talk about that?’ This was how a friend and I started our writers’ group, and that was the thing that really catalysed my writing from ‘something I did on the side’ to purposefully building an author platform and pursuing further opportunities to develop my craft.
BOOK BYTE
Integrate (Book 1 in the series)
Blaine Colton had been handed a genetic death sentence until revolutionary gene therapy changed his life. Living a relatively normal existence, he is called to an unscheduled post-treatment appointment just weeks before his eighteenth birthday. Informed that his life saving procedure was never approved, he is held against his will for his status as an apparent illegal GMO. Subjected to constant testing, refused contact with his parents and deprived of life- sustaining medication, Blaine begins to suspect that something is wrong. Wanting answers, he escapes the Institute and ambitious Chief Scientist, Dr Melissa Hartfield. Now a fugitive with a failing body, Blaine must find Professor Ramer, the developer of his therapy. But the Professor has vanished and time is running out. Fast.
The book is available here.
Replicate (Book 2 in the series)
Blaine Colton is pulled into a chilling
conspiracy when he discovers embryonic
clones with his name on them.
Suspecting the research has breached ethics agreements,
he brings close friends, Sophie and Jett Faraday, in on a
scheme to find answers. Immediate threats reveal not
everyone is happy about his discovery. The reappearance
of an identity from Blaine’s past unsettles him further, and
then a crisis fractures his world. Convinced his research
objections and the tragic events are linked, Blaine pursues justice. But
someone is watching him. Someone wants him dead.
The book is available here.
Activate (Book 3 in the series)
Josh Hammond’s not who he says he is.
If he’s to stay alive, he must guard his identity, existing isolated from his former life and those he loves. The one enemy he can’t outrun is his failing health—and time is short. Desperate for a solution, Josh leaves the protection of his safe house unapproved. Instead of a cure, he’s left powerless against a cunning adversary. Determined to reclaim his life, he grasps an opportunity for escape, but things go drastically wrong. Can he find a way to expose the lies of a criminal mastermind, or will he be silenced? Forever.
The book is available here.
In Their Own Write 