Victoria G Interviews E.A. Jackson

Victoria G: What inspired you to become a writer?

E.A. Jackson: Not wanting a real job. Just kidding, sort of. I'm a real introvert and being in the film industry has been challenging over the decades. But I've had the great luck of putting my Scriptwriting for Film and Television to good use so I've always been writing in some capacity. I'm deeply moved by story and I have a passion for cinema and anything that can emotionally move me. I found that I was able to express the depths of what I feel best through writing. But I maintain that I never chose to become a writer, it just happened to me and I'm just hoping I'm decent at it.

VG: Who are some writers that inspire you?

EJ: David Gemmell would be my all time favourite. He had a heavy influence in my own writing style and he really set the bar for how much detail matters, how deeply one should know their characters and just how largely you can dream. His writing is like poetry. It's deeply moving and profoundly human. I regret that I didn't get to meet him before he passed but I hope to meet his wife Stella one day. Stephanie Thornton would be a close second. She's an absolute badass. She had me crying for days, laughing, punching the air with satisfaction AND her books are often based on real people. I think she's a joy to read. I know he's not an author per-say but I have to note that Ronald D. Moore's writing and brain have to be one of my favourite imaginations. He truly understands story and I believe him to be a prolific genius.

VG: What is your favorite thing about writing?

EJ: Not having to work for someone else. Being my own boss is so liberating for my spirit, I can't describe how important that is for me. Also, learning new words, my vocabulary has expanded tenfold since writing Snake of the Nile.

VG: What was the first story you ever wrote?

EJ: I believe it was one about my childhood farm cat and where she went on the property during the day. I wanted to know what animals she made friends with and who her friends were and if I was her best friend or not. Turns out I was her only friend because she ate all the other animals in the forest.

VG: Your new book, Snake of the Nile is to be released this month. What is it about?

EJ: If you want to talk story, then it's about four sets of characters in four corners of the ancient Mediterranean and their struggles to survive the agendas of every other character, at every turn, while every move they make ripples across the Aegean to disrupt each other's storylines. Yet if we're talking between the lines, I would say it's about humanity. A comment on our own ignorance, our brutality and a light shining on the mistakes we've made in the past that we still make today. It's about love and betrayal, about friendship and war, heartbreak and injustice, about the fight for power, the greed of mankind and the courageous audacity to shape one's destiny.

VG: How did you come up with the concept for Snake of the Nile?

EJ: It truly did just happen to me. I feel weird taking credit for it, but it must have been percolating in my mind subconsciously for a while. Then I found myself researching ancient Greece, Egypt, Rome and Myria (now Western Turkey) which I did for six months before I took off to Greece to be alone there and connect with my ancestry. The day after I landed back in Vancouver, the story just began to pour out of me and I didn't stop until I finished the book. Which coincidentally was exactly a year to the day of when I started.

VG: How would you describe Snake of the Nile in three words?

EJ: Violent. Epic. Moving.

VG: How would you describe yourself in three words?

EJ: Non-violent. Messy. Passionate.

VG: What are your social media handles?

EJ: Instagram: @elyshaj Facebook: Ely Jackson TikTok: @hand_made_stefanias https://www.amazon.com/Snake-Nile-Aegean-Jackson/dp/1039132480https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60905011-snake-of-the-nilehttps://www.eajacksonauthor.com/

VG: Where do you see yourself in ten years?

EJ: Hopefully, on the forest property that I dream about owning, running spiritual retreats for people who wish to heal their deepest wounds, writing, raising chickens and baking up a storm still.

VG: What are three qualities every writer should have?

EJ: Persistence. Passion. The willingness to listen and learn.

VG: Do you have any advice for an aspiring writer?

EJ: Do it. If you have a story within you, write. It doesn't matter how you start or what you start with, just write. You can only get better.

VG: What's next for you?

EJ: There are so many things on the go for me right now that it's hard to keep track of my schedule, but for the moment I've begun the second book in The Aegean Series and I'm very excited to return to recording my character on Netflix's The Dragon Prince. It's an exceptional crew running the show and many of my dear friends are on the cast so it's a dream to be able to call that my job.

VG: RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS Who's your favorite superhero?

EJ: Xena.

VG: What is something you can't live without?

EJ: My friends.

VG: What is your biggest pet peeve?

EJ: Too many... Slow walkers and drivers!

VG: Do you have any hidden talents?

EJ: In my professional field I specialize in creature and animal sounds, so I can do a very convincing dog bark.

VG: Do you play any instruments?

EJ: Absolutely not.

VG: What is your favorite pastime?

EJ: Sleeping.

VG: Do you have any pets?

EJ: I have a black kitten named Asmodeus. He's my best friend.

VG: What is your biggest fear?

EJ: Dying a really painful, slow, drawn out death.

VG: What is your favorite film genre?

EJ: Sci-Fi Dramas!