Jaye Roycraft, wasn't sure what she wanted to be when she grew up. A teacher? Not for long. A salesclerk? Not again! A computer systems analyst? Better! But that career, as good as it was, was a victim of a mid-life crisis. The answer? Start two new careers after the age of forty. Jaye became a big-city police officer at forty-one, shocking friends and family. But as challenging as that job was, something was missing in her life. Throughout her various careers, one thing remained a constant - Jaye's love of books. Classics, mysteries, non-fiction- all had their time. Two genres stood out, though, science fiction and romance. When Jaye started her writing career, it seemed natural to combine her two favorites and write a futuristic romance. The result was Rainscape, her debut novel. Her first contemporary vampire romance, Double Image, is due out in July. Jaye is also the author of a romantic suspense, Aces, and has additional works in progress. So far, all Jaye's novels have cops or ex-cops as heroes or heroines. As satisfying as writing has become, she can't forget about her other career. Jaye belongs to RWA and WisRWA. She is still a police officer, and lives in Wisconsin with her two dogs and two cats, half of which were rescued on the Job. Questions and Answers What are you currently working on? I'm currently finishing up Immortal Image, the fourth book in my "Image" series of contemporary vampire romances. Are you a member of any writing groups? I belong to RWA, the Romance Writers of America, and two of their chapters, the Wisconsin Romance Writers of America, and the Futuristic, Fantasy and Paranormal sub-genre chapter. Who or what has been a major influence on your writing and why? I guess Chelsea Quinn Yarbro and Laurell K. Hamilton have been the biggest influences on my writing in showing me both that vampires could be "good guys" and in showing me just how incredibly sexy they could be. As a reader do you prefer Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror? I would have to say Science Fiction, as I have been a reader of that genre for more than thirty years. What was your first professional sale? How did it feel when you received the acceptance? Rainscape, my futuristic, was my first sale in 1999. It was a wonderful thing, especially after so many rejections! If you could give one piece of advice to a would-be author, what would it be? To be persistent and to never give up. When did you first decide that you wanted to be an author? I started writing seriously about five years ago. When did you first feel that you were an author? Even though I didn't really know what I was doing when I started writing, I thought of myself as an author. I think that anyone, in the pursuit of any kind of creative endeavor, who has the courage to try, the drive to persist, and the willingness to take risks, deserves to call him or herself a writer, an artist, a musician, whatever the case may be. Why do you like SF/F/H? I like the creativity of building new worlds and new societies, and of giving characters the capacity to have more layers to them. In writing science fiction, the initial appeal was in trying to come up with an alien system of mores and morality that is different from ours, and yet that I could build a story around that would be something the reader could relate to. For me, that's what makes science fiction so interesting-the ability to see ourselves not only in others, but in others from a completely different world. I think the lure in vampires is similar, except that instead of an outside alien world, you're dealing with Earth, and familiar societies and locations. What is different is not the outside locale, but the mind of the vampire, which is essentially an alien mind. How humans see themselves against the landscape of that alien mind is what's fascinating to me. What gives you nightmares? My old job as a police officer still gives me nightmares. Have you ever used real life horrors for inspiration? I've used my real-life nightmares quite a bit in my writing, especially in Double Image. The heroine in that story is an ex-cop, so a lot of her nightmares and fears are my own. Is there anything more that can be done with vampires, demons and zombies? I'm not sure about demons and zombies, since I don't think as characters they have much of a range due to their limited mental capacity, but I think there is and always will be new things that can be done with vampires. What book are you reading at the moment? I'm reading Slayer, by Karen Koehler. It's a beautifully written vampire story, and I'm enjoying it immensely. Do you enjoy collaborating? So far I haven't done any collaborating. Do You Always know a Story's Ending When You Begin Writing? No, actually, I never know the ending when I begin a project. I'm not one of those writers who makes chart after chart and plans out every scene ahead of time on index cards. I wish I could be that way, but I can't. I start with characters, a premise, and a setting, and then I pretty much take it from there. I write very intuitively-when it's right I know it, and when it's not right I know that, too. It's a very difficult way to work, but so far it has worked for me, and I have a wonderful critique partner who helps me out when I get stuck or on the wrong path. What's the most memorable thing said in a review of your work? I've been compared to authors much more well known than I am, and that's gratifying, but I think the best thing a reviewer said was that Afterimage was a revelation for her. She said that after reading paranormals almost exclusively for ten years, that she didn't think there was much more to learn about vampires. She said my book opened up new avenues of thought for her. Is there something you are particularly proud of? I'm just proud of all three of my released books as creative works. Plug away - what do you have coming out? The third book in my "Image" series, Shadow Image, is due out in July 2002. I don't have a release date yet for the fourth and probably final book, Immortal Image, but hopefully late in 2002 or early in 2003. Many Thanks, Jaye! Relevant Links Jaye Roycraft Main Bibliography Jaye Roycraft's Web Site