1. Tell us a bit about yourself!
Hello! Thank you for inviting me here. I'm Jaime McDougall, a paranormal romance novelist with a sad addiction to chocolate and sushi (though not together). I was born in the US but moved to Australia when I was twenty. I also now embrace Australian English, so don't be put off by all the stray 'u's' in my answers.
2. When you are not writing, what other activities do you enjoy?
Baking! Haha. I am slowly taking over Australia with my triple chocolate espresso brownies. I also love all manner of paper crafts, from letter writing to scrapbooking. I'm also a PC gamer. I'm holding myself back from a few games while I finish my third novel...
3. Who are you favorite music artists, or your favorite songs/song genre?
This is a tough one. I've always used music to ignite emotion within me, so I listen to a variety of genres. For example, Clair de Lune is my music of choice to calm down for writing. While Linkin Park is good for stroking my anger. Pink Floyd, Katy Perry, The Cranberries, Gogol Bordello... If a song has something to offer me emotionally, I'll appreciate it.
4. What is your favorite movie/genre of movies?
I used to be such a horror movie buff. I watched Stephen King movies when I was very little and moved on to sci-fi horror when I grew older with the Aliens series. At the moment, I am enjoying a lot of foreign films - mostly from Asia.
As you've probably sorted out, I move as the mood strikes when it comes to my tastes in anything!
5. What made you want to write in the werewolf genre?
I think the werewolf genre wanted me rather than the other way around! Haha. I had come to the conclusion that I didn't have anything to add to werewolf fiction when Phoebe crashed into my head. I literally stopped what I was doing to write the first chapter of Echo Falls.
Since then, I have done a lot of research into what werewolves represent to us psychologically. I love the idea that the werewolf is a representation of our inner passions and instincts.
6. Tell us about your book and do you ever plan on trying traditional publishing?
My current novel - about 20,000 words from completion - is the third book in the Echo Falls series, Dark Echoes. This novel focuses on Lily, the origins of werewolves, and whether fate really exists.
I would love the opportunity to try traditional publishing, but I don't know that I will try it anytime soon. There are many more opportunities for authors to get in the door with big publishers than there were when I started self-publishing, so it's much more of a possibility. I would certainly love the experience of the traditional process.
7. Where is your favorite place to write, and how do you get in the mood to write?
It's probably no good for my neck, but I like writing in my recliner with my legs propped up. A couple candles, a glass of juice and some snacks... Absolutely lovely. I wanted to be a café writer, but I'm caffeine sensitive, so that flew out the window. Plus, I write more when I write at night.
As for getting in the mood, the first thing I do is vacuum the house. No, really. Whenever I get serious about sitting down to write, I have this urge to clean the house. I use the physical activities to calm myself down and give myself the time to think about what I want to write without the pressure of staring at a blank screen.
I don't really like cleaning, so after about fifteen minutes, I'm in the zone.
8. Why did you start writing?
