J.A. Louvel has been writing for over three decades, but finally got serious about her work in 2017 and published the first edition of New Eden, Book one in The Joining Trilogy. A dystopian sci-fi laced with metaphysical fantasy. She followed it up in 2019 with the second book, Progeny, a darker blend of sci-fi fantasy. Since then, she’s been working on book three, which has grown into a lengthy novel as J.A. wraps up all the storylines that were left dangling in books 1 & 2. She found it to be quite an undertaking, as the finale is far more complex than the two earlier books, and she was forced to take a step back a few times to gain some perspective. During her time away from the trilogy, J.A. began a new novel and completed a series of shorts, as well as the upbeat novella The Awakening of Charlie Burdock, which will be published before the end of 2024.

J.A. has resided on the West Coast of Canada for most of her life, interspersed with time spent in Northern Alberta, England, and the Caribou Region in BC, where she lived in an old prospectors’ cabin with three cats and played host to a friendly skunk and an occasional bear. Later, she exchanged one of the cats for a baby girl.

Currently she no longer lives with cats or kids, or receives wildlife visitors, but she does share a home with a wolfie looking man, who happens to be one of her biggest supporters and also her tech guy.

What Is Your Writing Routine?

I usually work throughout the day at the business of writing, interspersed with time away from the computer doing chores and errands―and even sometimes exercise. Evenings are normally reserved for connecting with Brian, my partner, often followed by a late-night round of writing. My weekends are frequently spent ‘writing for fun.’

When not writing, I usually read both hard and soft sci-fi, that are often a mix of metaphysical fantasy and dystopian, but I’m open to a variety of genres. When it comes to movies and series, my number one choice is, of course, science fiction, although I’ll watch most genres―but definitely not slashers or zombies!

I love going for walks in the woods to clear my head and allow inspiration. I enjoy cooking (and eating) different types of cuisines from around the world and finding the right wines to pair with them. The best part is sharing them with friends and loved ones.

I’m a big Xmas enthusiast when it comes to decorating, baking, and family. I customarily takes a few weeks off from work around the Holidays, as well as a week or two off in the summer to recharge my creative batteries―although, this has been known to involve ‘writing for fun.’

What Were Your Influences?

I think I’ve been influenced by every book I’ve ever read, at least on some level, even if it was simply to recognize what I didn’t want to write. But my most powerful influences, within the sci-fi realm, were Frank Herbert, Isaac Asimov, Doris Lessing, J.R.R. Tolkien, Ursula Le Guin, Douglas Adams & Walter M. Miller Jr (A canticle for Leibowitz).

From these writers I learned what was possible when developing a storyline, in the sense of time and space: essentially, it’s pretty much unlimited! They also legitimized for me the use of metaphysical/fantastical powers within dramatic adult fiction. These writers taught me about pacing, and how to write an action scene. And that it’s okay to create an ensemble cast of characters ─and how to juggle them!

My most notable influences from the non-scifi world were: Jane Austen, James Clavell, Len Deighton, George Elliott, John Irving, John Le Carré, James A. Michener, Edgar Allan Poe, William Styron (Sophie’s Choice),Leon Uris, and Oscar Wilde.

These writers taught me about character development, scene development, and the different ways to allow a story to unfold. They also taught me how to write dialogue and how to develop relationships between the characters.

I am speaking as if I knew that all these books would one day influence my writing when, in fact, I’d no idea that I would ever write a book (except in my daydreams). I was simply reading what I enjoyed, and recognizing what I didn’t, but my subconscious writer, waiting in the wings, was taking note of every key element that would one day serve me. It was only after I began writing my own novel, and was faced with making decisions every time I put pen to paper, that I gradually realized what was influencing my choices, and I understood how much knowledge I had gained about writing simply by being a voracious reader.

WIP’s

Works in Progress include the following:

THE JOINERS: The Joining Trilogy Book 3 (dystopian sci-fi) (novel)

THE AWAKENING OF CHARLIE BURDOCK: (contemporary fantasy) (novella)

The Zennian Art of Resisting Evolution: (intergalactic sci-fi adventure) (novel)