GCC Presents: Jackie Kessler and The Road to Hell

Today I'm so excited to present my pal, Jackie Kessler, and her book, The Road to Hell. I met Jackie a few years ago over at Backspace, and she's an awesome all-around person, so I'm thrilled for her success. Even better, this week, she's holding a contest for her book and you, dear readers, can win prizes. Yes, prizes! Check out the "Hit the Road" section of her website.

Okay, get your mind off of prizes, and take a quick sec to read a bit more about the book...

1) What the Hell is HELL ON EARTH?
That’s the series I’m writing, published by Kensington/Zebra Books. The first book, HELL’S BELLES, is about a succubus named Jezebel who runs away from Hell, hides on Earth as an exotic dancer, and learns the hard way about true love. Sex, strippers, demons—what’s not to like? The second book, THE ROAD TO HELL, is about how Jezebel—now the human Jesse Harris—has to return to Hell to save the lives of those she loves…and somehow make sure it’s not a one-way trip. (If she’d known love was this tough, she never would have turned her back on lust.)

2) What's the backstory behind your book?
It's the second book in the Hell on Earth series, and the second in a three-book contract. So not too much backstory there. Just me meeting my deadline. :)

3) It seems that a lot of readers confuse fiction with real life, assuming that a novel must be an autobiography of the author as well. How many elements of your real life are reflected in your book?
Hee. If I were a demon, and Jezebel were Jewish, we'd be the same person.
Except she dances better than I do. And there's no way in Hell (or Earth) that I would ever strip in public. Eek!

4) A lot of my blog readers are aspiring or new authors. How did you land your first book deal?
My first published book, HELL'S BELLES, is actually the third novel that I've written. I took the fantasy that I adore from my first book and the tone that seems to work well for me from the second book and merged them to come up with an urban fantasy/paranormal romance for HELL'S BELLES -- a sassy narrator in a story that's dark and sexy and humorous. I wrote HELL'S BELLES fast -- three months, start to finish (it's like I was possessed) -- and then I queried agents. I really got lucky; instead of the triple-digit rejections I'd gotten for my first novel, or the 40+ rejections I'd gotten for my second novel, I got five offers of representation, within a matter of three weeks. So I selected my agent, and then he sold HELL'S BELLES a week later in a pre-emptive three-book deal to Kensington. Woot!

5) I have a serious procrastination problem when it comes to tackling my fiction. What¹s your routine? How do you dive it? Do you have any rituals or necessary to-dos before or while you write?
Here's how my usual day looks: Write, write, write, get kids and husband ready for school/work, write, write, write, do my day job, lunch/write, do my day job, pick kids up and get dinner ready, family time, get kids to bed, write, write, spend time with Loving Husband, write, write, write, collapse into bed. Repeat. (At times, "write" is loosely defined as "ego surfing" and other Internet activities.)

6) Clearly, your book will be optioned for a multi-million dollar film deal. Who would you cast as the leads, if you were given creative control?
Clearly! :) Let's see. Matt Damon as Paul, the love interest. Or any other character he wants to be. ((fans self)) Maybe Ben Affleck as Roman, the slimy club owner. I'd been thinking of Eva Longoria for Jezebel/Jesse, but I'm really open on her role -- as long as she's played by a petite actress (Jesse is five-foot-four).