Author Spotlight: J.Q. Davis
What inspired you to write Turning Grace?
The inspiration for Turning Grace came from years of loving horror, zombies and writing. I have always loved zombies, however, I found myself wanting to know more about the actual zombie than anything else whenever I'd watch these movies or television shows. I wanted to know more about how they got infected and the whole "turning" process: Is it painful? How long is it? What is happening in the mind?
So, I went into writing Turning Grace knowing that I wanted to take the reader into the private thoughts of someone who is changing. I wanted people to look at this character as not just some flesh-eating monster with no feelings. I think sometimes we forget that zombies were regular people at one point. I wanted there to be a journey through these different stages Grace encounters. And of course, I was really hoping to take the reader down a different path as far as the zombie genre goes. It's always about an apocalypse or an all out zombie killing spree. But here, we kind of root for Grace even though she does some questionable things. I suppose I was shooting to tell a story that we don't normally hear.
Who is your favorite Character?
I'm going to be predictable here and say that Grace is my favorite character. She and I have a lot in common actually. Grace has a "condition" that she can't seem to control, and I was diagnosed with a liver disease when I was 21. I think Grace is afraid of what's happening to her but at the same time, she is trying to go through the motions of being a normal teenager. This is something I struggled with for a while; trying to be ordinary in a less-than-ordinary situation. She's also just cool and really laid back.
In the sequel, Escaping Grace, there are lots of new characters that are introduced. There are one or two newbies that turned out to be favorites of mine.
Do you have any plans for more in the series after, Escaping Grace?
I was originally going to write Turning Grace and the sequel and then be done to move on to something different. However, I ended Escaping Grace with sort of this option to just leave it or continue. I've fallen in love with this story and I just feel like there is more to tell. So...there will be another book.
There will be another book, BUT, I am planning to take a different approach for the third. I'm excited to hear what the readers will think!
What is your favorite Zombie movie?
My favorite Zombie movie? Gosh, I love them all! Even the really old ones! George Romero is, of course, my favorite writer and director of Zombie flicks. But the movie that really had my wheels spinning for some of the concepts in Turning Grace was Return of the Living Dead 3. In it, the viewer is able to get a feel of the inner thoughts of a zombie, as I mentioned before. Plus, it's got lots of blood and gore, which is always a good thing. So, it's definitely my top.
I actually host Throwback Thursday Zombie Flick Picks on my website. Every Thursday, I pick a Zombie movie or take suggestions from people and post a little review or synopsis or even some trivia. It's pretty fun to do because I sometimes have to do my homework and watch these movies! Feel free to check out the gallery or make suggestions at Throwback Zombie Flicks http://www.jqdavis.com/throwback-zombie-films
What is your favorite quote from the book?
"I didn't know how to respond. What should I say? I was walking along the road and found a cute cat. I killed it and ate it. Normally, a kid would come home and say, 'Mom, I found a cat. Can we keep it?' No, I ate the damn thing."
I have tons of favorites, but this one was quite amusing to me.
Author Links:
Author Bio:
J.Q. Davis is from New Orleans, Louisiana. She and her husband, an active duty Marine, have no children but consider their pooches, Lucy and Bella, their daughters. When she was a little girl, she aspired to become a writer. But then one day, she learned about zombies…and now she wants to be a zombie.