Interview with J Rose Black, Author of Losing My Breath
22 Nov 2023
What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Losing My Breath?
Believe it or not, this was supposed to be a short story(ish) about two neighbors – with the MMc always helping out the FMC with manual labor type of tasks. I think I’ve mentioned before that my characters tend to run amok… As I pictured the kind of reluctant, golden hearted guy that would help out his attractive but maybe not so practical neighbor – there had to be reasons for his reluctance. And my FMC had to have strengths in other areas. Those stories quickly overran the initial concept, becoming more interesting and more important overall
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Losing My Breath, what would they be?
I think we talked about last time how I make Spotify playlists for everything. You can check out my playlist for this book HERE.
As for Callan’s theme song, I think it’d be Good Enough by Lo Spirit. Meridian’s would be Walk Thru Fire by Vicetone.
What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
I love mysteries of all kinds. But I also read a bunch of romance novels. I write in multiple genres or subgenres, but there are certain elements that appear in all of my works. I wrote Losing My Breath to be, primarily, a comedy, but the initial reviews that came back (editor, Literary Titan, Readers Favorite) all mentioned the element of suspense. So, I’m happy that there was still something a little surprising in the book.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
Still ARC reading for various authors. Pariah by Ian Feldman, Silk Unspun by DS Blake, and Say You’ll Stay by Jojo K Scott are at the top of the pile. I’m excited about all 3!
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
Oh, dear. I think if I had to pick one it would be the one where Meridian arrives to their workout late and she’s really mad at him. He’s clear on the concept that she’s mad, but he’s not entirely sure why. And then she tells him / us, and I think we all feel a bit of Meridian’s aggravation. Like, really dummy, we’re in your head and rooting for you, but geh! That was a really stupid move. *rolls eyes* Although, I did have fun with some of their text msgs back and forth, too. Meridian’s style was fun and expressive, and Callan’s responses were so dry… *sigh* Boys.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
Children jumping on me while I try to write / edit using noise canceling headphones? It’s easier to edit than write like that but my kids are 3 and 7, so, they’re an (amazing) experience.
Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?
I’ve always been a fan of 2 different ones that go together in a way. Churchill’s “never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small…” has always held a special place in my heart.
So, too has the lesser known quote from a long ago tv show: “When the whole world’s gone crazy, I’ll believe in myself…” There’s a lot of people that (well-meaning though they are) tell us that we can’t do something or succeed at something. And we can’t listen to that part of the message. We have to power our own dreams and motivations. No one else will do it for us.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
The dark places are just shadows. Long and dark and deep at times. But that means…there’s still light on the other side of wherever we’re stuck. And it’s ok to ask for help.
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