Q: Welcome Jess Hanna! Please tell us a little about yourself; where you live, creative endeavors, and anything else you want to share.
A: Thank you for the opportunity to share a bit about myself. I live in the greater Grand Rapids, MI area with my wife, dog, cat, rabbit, and bird. My primary creative endeavor is writing novels and short stories, although I have been known to do pretty well decorating for birthday parties and events. Crepe paper, balloons, and banners are no match for me.
Q: When did you realize you wanted to write?
A: I realized I wanted to write in the third grade. I wrote a pretty involved fantasy story as a creative writing exercise and was so proud to share it with my class. I still have a copy of that first book, and to be honest I have a difficult time following the story at all. From there, I enjoyed writing creatively. Predictably, I let life get in the way and shelved my dreams until I was well into adulthood. The writing bug bit me and I have been scratching that itch ever since.
Q: How does your faith influence your writing?
A: Everything I write seems to reflect my faith, whether I intend it to or not. I suppose that is true of any author and their worldview, but it feels different somehow. My primary motivating factor is to take the things people are afraid of and pull back the veil to show the horror and how to defeat it. God is all-powerful, so what could possibly stand against him?
Q: Your latest book, The Road to Redemption, was just released this week. Please tell us a bit of what your book is about.
A: This book is a sequel to my first book, The Road to Hell, and takes place roughly one year later. It continues the story of Lucas Stone and Drake Crawford’s supernatural rivalry in the context of a new original story in the redemptive horror genre. The full book description is listed below:
Lucas Stone is devastated at the news of his friend Alaina Vicar’s admission to West Hills Psychiatric Hospital after a failed suicide attempt. The same facility where Drake Crawford, the man who tried to kill him and left a wake of destruction in his path, is serving a life sentence.
The raging fire of Luke and Drake’s rivalry is reignited when Drake hatches a dark plan with the demonic entities who intend to use him as the vessel to wreak havoc in the lives of Luke, his friends, and anyone else who stands in the way.
Meanwhile, Alaina is trapped in the middle of the fight between good and evil, forced to make a decision that has eternal consequences as she struggles to find her way to… The Road to Redemption
Q: What inspired you to write The Road to Redemption?
A: It really started with the idea that the current mental health care system is broken and failing many who are desperate for help and not receiving it. This is just my opinion, and I am not a trained mental health professional, but I feel that we as a society are over reliant on medication to solve all of our problems, physical and otherwise.
But, just like The Road to Hell, this story took a hard turn in another direction and took on a life of its own, exploring topics I could never have predicted. As with all my stories, I see myself as a facilitator, allowing the characters’ choices to guide and shape the story. It is a strange position to be the writer and also feel like you don’t really have full control of the creative flow. It’s almost like there is a divine hand guiding the process.
Q: Being a sequel to your novel, The Road to Hell, what do you want the readers to take away from reading this book without giving away any spoilers?
A: I would like readers to know that God is still in the business of redemption. No situation is too far gone for God to redeem. Even in our most grievous failures, he wants to save us. We need only ask and salvation is ours.
Q: Can you give us a hint of any future projects you may have in the works?
A: Yes! I have two books I am in the process of editing. One features a summer camp for troubled children and teens and the other dives into the mind of a serial killer. Along with those I am working to compile a book of short stories. I have also begun to toy with another entry in The Road to Hell series, but it is in the infancy stage, but if it is anything like The Road to Redemption, it may take a decade or more before it sees the light of day.
Q: What are some of your favorite books and/or authors?
A: My favorite Genre is horror (no surprise), and it was Stephen King and his novel, It, that grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. I still have a healthy fear of sewer drains to this day. I also love Frank Peretti. The Oath really stuck with me and I think that it is his best book, with The Visitation a close second. Last but not least, Dean Koontz and his story Intensity taught me to take the risk and not play it safe when writing. It is in the off-the-wall bonkers moments that stories shine.
Q: As an encouragement to other authors, could you share any advice, tips, or tricks that you have found helpful in your writing process?
A: Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to write the perfect story. Life can be messy, so why would writing be any different? Allow yourself to time to take those left turns into the weeds, discover what you can in those dark places, and move the story forward.
Another piece of advice is to let the story rule. Try not to focus on structure, grammar, or even the right words on the first pass. Story is king. If you can get the story right, you can always go back and fix the rest.
Q: Where can readers find your books and other work?
A: The best place to find my current work is at Doorway Publishing and my website: www.jesshanna.com.
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