Getting to Know Author JM Sullivan

Hey hey, Owl Hollow readers!

We hope you’re having an incredible April and enjoying all the bookish things! This week, we’re back for another author chat with our featured author J.M. Sullivan.

We were able to catch J.M. in her busy schedule and slow her down long enough to chat about stories, writing, and all the fun bookish things. Lucky for us, those are some of her favorite things to talk about! We loved hearing all she had to say, and hope that you do too!

Author Q & A

If one of your characters could walk off the page and give you feedback, who would it be—and what would they say?

JM: Hmm… from my Neverland series, it would probably be Johns. He’s actually a side character, but he give main character energy, especially in his mind! I imagine he would have some thoughts about not being on more pages (and he has fan comments to support it!), but also, he’d get on me about all the things I put Wendy through, because deep down he’s just a soft squishy teddy bear at heart who will do anything to take care of his ‘little sister.’

What’s a small detail in your book that readers might overlook but you secretly love?

JM: So I’m a fangirl at heart, and one of my favorite things to do is put references to the stories I love into my books. Obviously, as retellings, the original fairy tales get a lot of play, but I also like to sneak in my favorite movies and tv shows too! One reference I absolutely love is a line from the movie Firefly that I worked into ALICE--one of my prized possessions is a signed copy of the book by the character who said the line on the page that it is written!

Did any part of this story surprise you while you were writing it?

JM: Oh boy. I always get surprised by my stories, but so far NOTHING as much as in SECOND STAR. I had written THE WHOLE BOOK when one of my characters--who I hated (and had subsequently killed off)--decided that he needed to stay alive and play a bigger part in the story. SO, I rewrote half of the whole book, keeping him alive, which then led to him becoming a main character in the series and one of my absolute favorites! (The real ones know, #SaveBoyce was a thing!)

If your book had a “vibe soundtrack,” what song or artist would be on it?

JM: Oooh I LOVE WIP soundtracks and I actually make them for all of my works! I play them while I write because the vibes definitely help me sink farther into my characters’ worlds. The artist and songs depend so much on what the atmosphere of the book is supposed to be that it’s impossible to just choose one! Instead, I thought I’d just share a couple from each series! The first picture goes to THE WANDERLAND CHRONICLES, and the second is THE NEVERLAND TRANSMISSIONS.

Which character would you most want to spend a day with—and which one would you avoid at all costs?

JM: Hmm. That’s a tough one. I think that if I could only choose one character to spend a day with, it would probably be Dawes. She’s a real girl’s girl and I bet we would have a blast doing coffee, visiting bookstores, and dishing about all the ship’s secrets! A character I would avoid at all costs would absolutely be Ace. I can’t stand him IN the books, I definitely wouldn’t want to be stuck with him outside of them!

Thanks so much JM for taking the time to hang out! We loved getting to hear more about her writing and learning some of the fun secrets to her stories.

If you’re excited to read more from JM, be sure to check out her featured series: The Neverland Transmissions and The Wanderland Chronicles!

	Book One: Second Star Wendy worked her entire life to rise through the ranks of the prestigious Londonierre Brigade. Now as a Captain, she has everything she’s always wanted, including a ship and crew of her own. But when the Brigade receives a strange transmission from the legendary James Hooke, lost a hundred years earlier in uncharted space and presumed dead, Wendy is willing to risk it all to rescue her hero. She races to the planet known only as Neverland; her mission to find the long-lost crew and bring them home. But there is more to Neverland than meets the eye, and more to Hooke than what was written in history books. To fulfill her mission, Wendy must decide whether to trust the dashing Hooke or the mysterious Fleet mechanic who goes by the name of Pan--and she has to decide quickly... Before the darkness consumes them all.
	Book Two: Lost Boy Wendy swore she would return . . .but Peter isn’t willing to wait. After marooning himself on Neverland to ensure his crew’s return home, Peter is determined to find a way off the ageless planet and back to the Jolly Roger and Wendy’s arms. Looking to the future, he presses on, until someone from his past reveals the dark secrets hidden in Neverland’s depths. Meanwhile, traveling across distant galaxies, Wendy’s ship is failing. With systems malfunctions increasing and supplies running low, Wendy and her crew must find a way to keep the antiquated vessel afloat. But creaks and groans on an aging vessel aren’t the Captain’s only concern—there are whispers on board, quiet voices skittering through the shadows that warn of something much more sinister.
	Book Three: Neverbound Wendy’s world is unraveling. Reuniting with Peter to chart the Roger safely to earth should be cause to celebrate; but the loss of a crewman has clouded her thoughts—and her heart. When she uncovers a desperate transmission, Wendy is once again forced with an impossible choice: defy the Fleet and endanger her remaining team, or disregard and doom the man she loves—and quite possibly, the world?

	Book One: Alice Alice Carroll hardly remembers life before the plague. When the undead first crawled from their graves, it was like a nightmare. When they killed her mother, the nightmare became shockingly real. Now her sister Dinah has contracted the ‘un-deadly’ virus and without a cure, she’ll soon be worse than dead. She’ll be Momerath. To save her sister, Alice must leave the safety of the Sector and venture into Momerath territory in search of an antidote—if it exists. Chasing a rumor about a mysterious doctor with a cure, Alice falls down the rabbit hole into Wanderland, where ravenous Momerath aren’t the only danger lurking.
	Book Two: Broken Glass The scariest thing about Wanderland isn't death--it's the momerath. And now Dinah is one of them. Alice Carroll has spent the better part of her life avoiding Wanderland—and the momerath—at all costs. But now with her sister gone, Alice has only one place to go. Back to Wanderland. Armed with only her blade and a raging vendetta against the traitorous Red Queen, Alice storms the undead wasteland to find Dinah and atone for her mistakes. But with relentless momerath and a ruthless Queen encroaching, will Alice's determination be enough? Or will she fall down a new rabbit hole searching for revenge?
	Book Three: Grey Queen (Coming Soon!)  When Alice defeated the Red Queen, she thought the worst was over. Until the Grey Queen rose. Ever since her sister, Dinah, contracted the momerath virus, Alice Carroll's world has been twisted upside down. Spurred by a desperate determination to save her sister, Alice has braved every peril Wanderland has to offer--rogue momerath, hostile survivors, and treacherous queens. But now, there is a new threat creeping in on Alice, one that leaves her facing an impossible choice. Does she follow her heart and save her sister, or abandon her to save the world?

Ready to dive in? Get your copies HERE!