Today we are chatting with Janine R. Pestel the author of The Mons Connection

Tell us something unexpected about yourself!

What most people find unexpected about me is that when I was younger, I was a guitar player in heavy metal / wave bands. I'm pretty conservative now, so when I tell people that, they usually look at me in disbelief for a few moments. I always get a kick out of that.

What novels affected you the most growing up?

Actually, growing up, I didn't do much reading, unless it was on the subject of music and the music business. I would have to say, though, that as far as novels go,the two that affected me the most would have to be “Charlotte's Web” by E. B. White. I love animals and this story takes place among animals on a farm. The “horror” or “suspense” book that made me fall in love with the genre is “The Mystery of the Green Ghost” by Robert Arthur.

Where did the idea for your current book come from?

Most of my book ideas come from “What if”. For instance…”What if a mountain on Mars wasn't actually a mountain?” or “What if we had robotic servants that were not exactly robots?”

Do you think there’s any way you could ever run out of ideas for books?

No. I really doubt it. All one has to do is look at the world around them and wonder.

What is your routine for writing and has this method changed over the span of your career?

Since my career is really just beginning (at 62 years of age), I don't really have a “routine”. What usually happens is this: I'll be out driving some where and get an idea. I'll keep thinking about it and working it out until I finally get home. Once I get home and finish my “day work” (I help my husband run his electrical contracting business as well as running my own scented candle and wax melt business), I'll finally sit down at my computer. At that point, I'll usually do an outline of the story and characters. Once that is finished, I'll start writing the story. If it is a short story, I won't do an outline, I'll simply start writing. The exception to that is the book I am currently working on. It was going to be a collection of short stories all having to do with the same character. However, I put so much detail in the first part, I soon realized it needs to be a series of novellas or full blown novels instead of a collection of short stories.

How important is marketing and social media for you?

Marketing and social media are very important to me. When I use facebook or twitter, usually within a few minutes of making the post or tweet, I can see people reacting to and commenting on the post or liking and/or retweeting the tweet. That tells me I am reaching people. It is the difference between shouting “HEY…I HAVE A BOOK ON THE MARKET” and whispering “pssst….I have a book on the market”

What advice would you have for other writers?

“Just do it”. I was always interested in writing. I even gave it a try back in the 1970's, but lacked the direction to do it properly. Since that time, I never really told anyone that I wanted to write because I thought they would think I was “silly”. My husband broke his collar bone in December of 2015. He had always wanted to write, so he wrote a self help book on running a contracting business and started his fantasy novel. I told him that I had always thought about writing a book and he encouraged me to actually sit down and do it. Since then, I have written 1 novelette (later redone and re-released as a novella – “The Mons Connection”), 4 short stories, 1 short story compilation book comprised of 3 of the 4 already written short stories and a new one. Last but not least, I have just started what is going to be a series of novellas and novels. I sometimes wonder now, what would I have accomplished if I would have started writing many years ago, as I should have? So, to other writers and people who are simply thinking about writing, I say…”Just do it.”

What are you reading now?

I am getting ready to read “The Chaos” by Sergio Gomez. I haven't started it yet, but it looks like it's going to be fun. I just finished “Revelations; Far From Earth” by Robert Hamilton and most recently “The Adventures of Tremain and Christopher; The Missing Yesterdays.” By Terry Marchion. Both are excellent works and I would highly recommend them.

What’s your next step?

My next step? To quote Rob Parnell, who has written and published many books as well as having a blog…”Keep Writing.” I just started the first book on what is going to be a series of novellas and novels, and I think this project alone is going to keep me busy for a long time to come. Other than that, I suppose I really should create a website for myself as an author.

In closing, I would like to thank you for giving me this interview and thank you to everyone who reads it.

The Mons Connection by Janine R. Pestel is available on Amazon here 

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