Maria, Debbie, and Deidre were fortunate enough to grab the attention of the mysterious Jason Luke once again, for an intimate look into the process of creating In Love with a Master, and possibly a few insightful tidbits about the man himself. If you’re ready, pull back the curtain and join them for a peek inside the mind that created the Master.
[Maria, Debbie, & Deidre, the interviewers sit on the sofa, pensive, with pencil and paper in hand. Jason, well, we’re pretty sure he’s pacing somewhere in Australia.]
Maria/Debbie: Since our first threesome, erm, interview, went so well upon your debut of Interview with a Master, we knew we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to talk with you again now that In Love with a Master has released. All of our co-bloggers here at Literati Literature Lovers and our sister site, Literati Book Reviews, were so excited to chat with you again, that we thought one more blogger for you to play with would keep you on your toes.
[Maria & Debbie wink knowingly at each other over Deidre, who’s not quite sure what she’s gotten herself into.]
Deidre: Is it hot in here? [She fans herself with her paper.]
Maria/Debbie/Deidre (MDD): We promise to be gentle [Maria crosses her fingers behind her back], so have a drink and relax. Now, Love (In Love with a Master) held much more suspense than Interview (Interview with a Master)–was that something you had planned, or did this just happen as you were writing?
[Finally sitting down to face the firing squad, ah, interviewers, questions, Jason weighs and measures each of them with a direct glance that can be felt across around the world.]
Jason: Love had a plot! Interview was literally that – an interview. When I sat down and started writing love, I knew I needed to tell a story, not just one man’s story, but the developing story between characters that people had grown to love. The elements of suspense and drama are things that add spice to the story.
MDD: Who was your favorite character in Love?
Jason: Jonah is always going to be a favorite of mine – even though some readers might think I resent the man because of the madness that followed the publication of Interview. No matter which way you slice it, Jonah is a formidable, interesting character. I also enjoyed writing the Dr. De Niro character. He was fun.
MDD: Who did you feel was the most interesting character in Love?
Jason: It’s really Jonah’s story – his struggle to deal with the issues he faces. How he deals with those issues and emerges and takes on new dimensions kept the man interesting to write.
MDD: Was there one character who you really like and one that you really disliked?
Jason: I think Leticia becomes a more interesting character in this book. In the first book she was something of a spectator, but in the new book she is an integral part of the plot and character interaction.
MDD: How did the writing process differ on Love compared to Interview?
Jason: It was a very different process. For this book I ‘did a Jonah’ – I paced the office floor dictating the story to a young assistant I have employed. She is a fast typist – and I wanted to get the book to readers as quickly as possible. It was surreal for me. I am used to having a computer in front of me and being able to constantly refer back to the story. This time I had to keep everything in my mind. It allowed me to simply tell the story, and set aside the frustrations of my two-fingered typing.
MDD: Do you feel that each character’s stories have been told completely?
Jason: Some stories never end. I feel as though I have done justice to the characters.
MDD: What was the biggest challenge in writing Love?
Jason: Coming up with a compelling story line was the greatest challenge. This wasn’t my book – it was a book I wrote for fans. I kept that in mind as I was writing. I wanted to include all the elements of the first book that readers fell in love with, and it proved to be a challenging balancing act.
MDD: Pretty amazing to think that in less than six months you have treated your fans to two amazing books. You must be exhausted and thrilled at the same time. We have to say we have enjoyed not only reading both books, but spreading the word of your amazing talent. Do you have any plans to continue the story of any of the characters from Interview and Love, and if so, which character(s)?
Jason: I have no plans to write about those characters again… but I do have plans to make use of the ‘interview’ concept for another book. I am already well into the writing process and hope to be able to say more in a few weeks time.
[Maria leans forward in interest, possibly hoping to entice more information from Jason through her laptop. Debbie’s mind churns with ideas for new interview questions, and Deidre is still writing.]
MDD: You stated that fact and fiction were intermixed in Interview. Does that continue in Love? If you answer yes [all three ladies eagerly await the answer to this question] we promise [all three ladies have crossed their fingers out of sight] not to tell anyone.
[Jason is by now probably shaking head with a smirk. Debbie thumps Maria on the shoulder, muttering about how we shouldn’t have asked that question after the last interview, Maria answering something along the lines of never know unless you ask.]
MDD: You know you missed interviewing with us, Jason.
[All the ladies giggle and Jason returns to answer the question.]
Jason: There are plenty of Jonah Noble insights in this new book, and the thoughts and ideas he expresses about sex are my own, voiced through the character. That remains a constant theme running between the two books…
MDD: Would you say that Jonah’s story has been told in its entirety?
Jason: This is a difficult question to answer. In fact, I can’t answer that one right now.
MDD: Now, on to the more, fun questions.
[Deidre’s fast and furious scribbling slows, Maria uncrosses and re-crosses her legs, the bling on her heels sparkling, and Debbie bites her bottom lip before the questions continue.]
MDD: The BDSM scenes play out with a dramatic difference to most written in this genre. Did you write the scenes in this format intentionally? If so, why?
Jason: I honestly don’t know what the difference is between the way I write BDSM erotica and the way any other author would write the same scene – because I have honestly read another erotic BDSM book in my life. I just write every scene and every piece of conversation in a book tot he best of my ability.
MDD: You allowed your fans a much deeper look into Jonah’s thought process and emotional sense in Love. What was the thought process behind exposing so much more of his character?
Jason: Throughout ‘Interview’ Jonah detailed his exploits and the secrets he had learned about arousing women, and whilst those same elements also exist in ‘In Love’, I felt it was important – because of the challenges he faced – that readers got a deeper understanding and sense of the man beyond the dimension of sexuality.
[Maria is getting ready for the real down and dirty questions that were prepared and Debbie is deciding which ones will be best received by Jason.]
MDD: Along with writing erotica, we know you have written two very successful zombie books. Are there any other genres you would like to write? If so, will they be written under one your two pen names?
Jason: I am in the early stages of writing a horror book (it’s one of several projects I have underway). Horror is something that I would very much like to be successful at. I feel my two strengths as a write are my descriptions and the way I write conversation. I would like to test my ability in the horror genre. As for the name I use? I honestly don’t know. I have to write the book first.
MDD: Did you sprint with other authors while writing Love? Is sprinting something you do, and if so, do you find it beneficial?
Jason: I don’t know what sprinting is. I don’t write with other authors, and the closest I come to sprinting is climbing the stairs to my office each morning. If sprinting is some crazy writer thing then I am blissfully ignorant.
MDD: Other than Jonah’s amazing insight into a woman’s wants, needs, and desires, how can you pinpoint another trait of his that provided the amazing allure he holds to your fans?
Jason: I think the key to Jonah is his sense of honor. More than anything else – even his insights into sex – Jonah Noble is a man who live by his own rules, and those rules represent the kind of morals that many of us would aspire to.
[Maria and Debbie exchange knowing glances in remembrance from the previous interview with Jason, and Deidre just wonders about this ‘sexy as sin’ accent they’ve been raving about.]
MDD: So when the characters just won’t play nice and storyline that played in your head just does not work, what do you do to combat the dreaded writer’s block?
Jason: I don’t actually get writer’s block. I have never really been blocked. I probably suffer from writer’s shuffle – by that I mean it takes me a long time to hit my stride.
MDD: The definition of success differs for each person, so if you would indulge us by completing this question, we would be forever grateful. I knew I had made it/ reached the level of success I have dreamt about when…
Jason: When people began telling me they enjoyed my story and my characters.
MDD: Of course the one question everyone wants to know is what can we expect next from Jason Luke? Will he continue to taunt, tempt, and tease us with the same genre, or will he delight in taking a different road and exposing his fans to something different?
Jason: I have several books in various states of process. Amongst the books I am working on are tow more ideas for erotica novels without the BDSM element.
MDD: As with all authors, we are sure there are scenes that were removed from the final version of the book. Will your fans ever have a chance to see these deleted scenes?
Jason: When I wrote ‘In Love’ I had to re-write the first 16,000 words and I also rewrote the ending. Maybe one day the alternative ending will be released… maybe…
MDD: Now that the book is complete and you have had some time to distance yourself from the intense writing process, is there any part of the story you would want to change?
Jason: No. I am happy with it. I think it is a good story.
MDD: Time for the good stuff. [Maria and Debbie wonder if Jason has been lulled in by the literary questions and will answer more of the personal rapid fire questions than he has before.] No worries, as promised, we’ll go easy on you. When you are not working, what is your favorite thing to do?
Jason: Reading.
MDD: If you could travel anywhere, what destination would you pick?
Jason: America, for research.
MDD: Jeans and tees, dress shirts and slacks, or sweats?
Jason: Jeans and tees.
MDD: Your best quality?
Jason: I don’t have one.
MDD: Your worst quality?
Jason: I have too many to list.
MDD: Favorite sport?
Jason: Soccer/Football and Formula One racing.
MDD: If you had the chance to interview an author, which author would you choose?
Jason: William Peter Blatty – He wrote The Exorcist.
MDD: Thank you so much, Jason… For your time, your answers, and for letting us take part in the amazing experience of Interview and Love. We wish you good health, happiness, and continued success. Our best to you and yours.
We hope that you’ve enjoyed our visit with Jason Luke, and if you haven’t read his lovely words, please do so.
Jason, thank you again for indulging our curiosity and spending time with us. We look forward to the next time we can play twenty questions with the man behind the Master.
Best,
Maria, Debbie, Deidre
*All images and gifs were found from the internet. Credit is given to source if it was provided with the image. If any image belongs to you, it will be credited appropriately, or removed at request.*
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