Interview with Author J. Q. Rose By Connie Vines #J.Q.Rose, #BWLAuthor, #Memoir, #Author Interview, #Contest

 

J. Q. Rose 

Today's featured guest is J. Q Rose.

Thank you for stopping by today. Please tell our readers about your current release.😃

Arranging a Dream: A Memoir 

J.Q.: I am celebrating the first birthday of my book, released January 1, 2020! The story is about the first year we (my husband and I) were in the flower business in Michigan, 1975-1976. 

Coincidentally, the book was released 45 years to the day my husband Ted and I became business owners. 

We moved, with our one-year-old baby girl, all of our earthly belongings to Michigan to make our dream of owning a greenhouse operation come true. We knew nothing about the flower business, designing flowers, commercial greenhouse operations, and had no family or friends in the area. Through tears and laughter, we cultivated a loving marriage, juggled parenting, and dug deep to root a thriving floral and greenhouse business.

Connie: What comes first, J.Q?  the plot or the characters? 

J.Q: This question made me examine all my fiction books and stories. I believe I have the character first because I know the person who is the main character, always a strong woman. In Dangerous Sanctuary, I interviewed a female pastor and based the story on her. In Deadly Undertaking, I based the character on my own experience as an undertaker’s daughter. In Terror on Sunshine Boulevard, the main character was a conglomeration of people I met in our senior community in Florida, plus some of my traits thrown in. So, for me, knowing the character determines the location, time, and plot, which revolves around the main character.

Connie: What was the inspiration for Arranging a Dream: A Memoir? 

JQ: The real inspiration for the story was planted in the 80s when a writer in my writer's group brought in a journal penned by her great, great, great grandfather, who was a minister in England in the late 1800s. She read his entries in the journal, taking us back to his times. I was so moved by his writing, I decided it was necessary to record our lives and times for future generations. 

I began teaching workshops on writing life stories in 2000 to encourage folks to record their lives. I wrote right along with the participants, so I had many stories about my life—vignettes over the years. I finally took the time to sit down and write about this first year we were in business.

 A memoir is just a slice of life, not the entire story from birth to the present. 

Connie:  All novelists conduct extensive research, even when writing fiction. So, please tell us about your literary pilgrimages.

JQ: We made trips back to Atlanta, Illinois, my hometown, to help me remember locations and stir up memories. Atlanta is home to me, even if I have lived in a few different places. It will always feel like home because memories of my family, my childhood experiences will remain in my heart forever.

Connie: How long did it take you to complete this novel? 

JQ: I thought about it for a long time, but I began writing in 2006. I wrote off and on during those years but really got serious in 2018. I set aside an appointment with myself to write every day after lunch.  

The book was scheduled to be released in June 2020 by BWL Publishing. Still, when Covid hit in March 2020, my publisher, Jude Pittman, realized the effect the stress had upon authors trying to meet a deadline while overcoming the pressures of dealing with the pandemic. She asked if anyone needed more time to finish their books. I admitted I needed the time because I couldn’t focus on finishing up the manuscript. 

Thus, the release date was moved to January 2021. I was relieved to have the extra time to get myself together, not just for writing, but for living through the upsetting and mind-blowing time when the first waves of the pandemic swept through. 

Connie:: We can all certainly relate to those days. 

Do you have a favorite paragraph/line of dialogue in this novel? 

JQ:  Arranging a Dream is a story about my husband, Ted, and me when we purchased a flower shop and greenhouse operation in 1975 in Michigan. We were at odds with the previous owner, Hattie, because we wanted to make changes. The following lines in the book always make me want to stand up and cheer for us!

***

Chapter 19, Sabotaging Easter, p. 94

As Hattie strolled through the showroom, she spotted a terrarium Ted had planted in a glass aquarium. Instead of fish, the container was partially filled with soil and plants. He added little figurines of woodland animals, blue rocks for a stream, rocks, and more natural pieces to make a cute scene.

Hattie studied the beautiful creation then looked at the price tag. “Good luck selling that!” she snorted. The price was $28.00, a high-ticket item in 1976.

We sold it that afternoon.

NOTE: $28.00 in 2021 dollars is equal to $144.66!!!

Connie::  Are you a morning person or a night owl? ⏰

J.Q:  I’m not sure. What time is the cut-off for being a morning person or night owl? I am usually up about 6:30 am. I have read not to immediately click on the Internet first thing in the morning, but rather, read awhile to help your brain focus. This practice is supposed to help you not be so distracted or feel scattered by the Internet once you get on. 

I’m ready for bed at about 10:30 pm, but I usually read for 20-30 minutes (or more if it’s a great story) before turning off my Kindle and calling it a night. So, I don’t know if I’m an early morning rooster or a night owl. 

What do you think?

Connie: I think you are an early bird 🐦 Which I am not 🦉  LOL!

Connie: What are your hobbies? 

JQ: I love reading, playing board games and cards, taking photos, watching Netflix, and traveling. 

Do any of your characters share your hobbies/interests? 

They don’t share my hobbies so much, but some traits like not being confident in the kitchen and hating housekeeping.

Connie: This is a question dear to my heart: Do you have any pets? 

J.Q.: We don’t have pets now, but I had a dog when I was a girl, and we had several cats and a precious dog when the kids were growing up. 

My daughter is the bookkeeper at an animal shelter, so the opportunity to get a pet is always there. However, we travel too much to have a pet. 

Connie: How about an unusual pet? 

J.Q: Do an alligator, turtles, and a snake qualify? My grandson has a bearded dragon. Not fond of that creature though !!

Connie:: J.Q. thank you for visiting "Dishn' It Out Blog" today. 

I've enjoyed our visit, and I'm confident our readers welcomed a look into your fascinating life! 

Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?  

JQ: It was so much fun starting off the birthday celebration at the Dishn’  It Out Blog with you!

Let’s make it a party by gift-giving!  I am gifting an eCopy of Arranging a Dream: A Memoir to a lucky commenter. 

Connie::  J.Q., what a great idea!

We will give our readers until January 11, 2022, at Midnight (PST). 

(the winning commenter will be notified.) J.Q. Rose is so excited! 

As am I.  I always look forward to reading a J. Q. Rose book!

I've asked J.Q. Rose to share links to her website, buy links, and more!

 

Remember to post a comment to win a Free eCopy!  

Current Release: Arranging a Dream: A Memoir by J.Q. Rose

Buy Links: Click here to download from your favorite bookseller  https://books2read.com/Arranging-A-Dream

Paperback available at amazon.com-https://www.amazon.com/Arranging-Dream-J-Q-Rose/dp/0228615542/

Connect online with JQ Rose

J.Q. Rose blog http://www.jqrose.com/

Facebook http://facebook.com/jqroseauthor

Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/jqrose

J. Q. Rose Amazon Author Page http://tinyurl.com/aeuv4m4

Thanks for stopping by, everyone!

Connie

XOXO