Jessica Chambers - Dark is the Sky - Author Interview

Author Interview

1. Who is your favorite character?
Ooh, that’s such a tough question. I love all my characters, even the obnoxious ones. I’m not a mother, but I suppose it’s rather like having children. You love them no matter what! If I had to pick one though, it would have to be the wild, outrageously sexy Scott Cameron, whose death forms the focal point of Dark is the Sky.

2. And why is he your favorite?
Mainly because he was so much fun to write. On the outside, he’s the funny, flirtatious guy his family knows and loves, the life and soul of the party, always ready with a charming word for the ladies, or a hilarious anecdote for his nieces and nephew. On the inside, however, he is harboring a secret that will bring the happy family gathering crashing down. I found this conflict between his outward flippancy and inner turmoil intriguing.

3. How did you come to create Scott?
Before writing Dark is the Sky, I would have had no hesitation in saying that my characters come almost entirely from my imagination. In fact, this is one of the things I love most about being an author, creating multi-layered characters that will hopefully stay with readers long after they close the book. However, when I wrote Scott, I realized there’s rather too much of my ex in him to be wholly coincidental!

4. When did he first enter your mind?
Actually, Scott was responsible for this entire novel. That’s often how my ideas begin, with a single character. In the case of Dark is the Sky, I had a vivid picture of a handsome, dark-haired young man, and he was dead. Immediately, This raised a number of questions. How did he die? Was it suicide, or murder, or merely a tragic accident? What part did his family play in his death? And as I unraveled the answers to these questions, the story gradually emerged.

5. Where was Scott given life in the creative process?
Oh, from the very first scene I wrote with him. Sometimes it’s a while before a character really starts speaking to me and they take on a life of their own. With Scott, however, the connection was instant. I could hear his husky, smoke-roughened voice in my head, visualize the roguish twinkle in his blue eyes, almost breathe in the scent of his aftershave mingled with Jack Daniel’s, and most of all feel his utter desperation at his own foolish actions.

6. What do you like the most about Scott and what do you dislike the most?
I love his generosity. Scott would never turn away someone in need, and is forever handing over money to strangers who are down on their luck. Still, for all that he has a good heart, he is incredibly careless with the hearts of the girls he dallies with. It isn’t that he deliberately sets out to hurt them. He just can’t seem to help himself.

Book Summary

Twelve years earlier, Olivia and Joel Cameron invited the family to spend the weekend at their new country home. Olivia hoped to provide them all with a much-needed escape from their anxiety over the recession crippling the nation; instead, the visit ended in tragedy when Scott, Joel’s wild and outrageously sexy youngest brother, was found dead. The repercussions tore the family apart.

Now, Olivia’s sister Violet has persuaded her to host a reunion. She claims it’s time they finally put the past behind them and laid their ghosts to rest. However, some wounds run too deep to heal, and some secrets are too destructive to remain hidden. Still grieving for the man she loved, Violet is determined to uncover the truth behind his death—a truth she believes lies within her own family.

As the web of deceit and hostility begins to unravel, family ties are tested to the limit, and no one will emerge unscathed.

Price: Kindle $5.99, Nook $5.99, paperback $16.99
Number of pages: 236
Genre: women’s fiction/mystery
Publisher: All Things That Matter Press
Release date: November 21, 2011
Buy Links: Paperback, Kindle, Nook

About the Author

Jessica Chambers has been inventing stories even before she was old enough to hold a pen. She has a passion for writing contemporary novels packed with emotion, complex relationships and often a touch of mystery.

Visually impaired from birth, Jessica currently lives with her family and Staffordshire bull terrier in the English town of Windsor. In addition to devouring fiction of all genres, she loves watching TV quiz shows and admits to being extremely competitive when it comes to a game of Trivial Pursuit.

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