Interview with Miriam Pace and Jackie Hamilton
aka J.M. Jeffries

Added October 2002

Sharyn: From the romantic comedy Cupid: The Amorous Arrow to the suspenseful A Dangerous Deception, author J.M Jeffries has something for every reader. I had a chance to talk with Miriam Pace and Jacqueline Hamilton, the extremely talented duo behind J.M. Jeffries. After listening to me praise their their novels, they graciously consented to an interview.

How did the two of start writing as a team?

Jackie: We used to belong to a critique group. Miriam forced me to walk, and we would discuss ideas so I wouldn't whine while we were exercising. And as I usually do, I found myself taking over. Behind this charming facade I show the world, I'm really a third world petty dictator.

Miriam: Jackie thinks very highly of herself. I asked her to try a collaboration and she simply horned in on my action.

Sharyn: Do you find it more difficult to write as a team?

Jackie: I think it's more fun. We have our moments when we have different visions of the story and then we have to hide all the butcher knives, but for the most part Miriam and I are pretty in sync with how the story should go as long as it's my way.

Miriam: Jackie thinks very highly of herself. I do the final edit, so it's always my way. But we do have fun. An eavesdropper would hear us laughing out loud as we write. I hide the guns.

Sharyn: Where do you get your ideas?

Jackie: From the voices in my head. I'm a writer, and that's good thing.

Miriam: Everywhere. Nothing is sacred from us. I even read the National Enquirer, while standing in line at the supermarket. But Jackie nixed the two-headed alien, secret baby, love slave, marriage of convenience story.

Sharyn: What genres do you write?

Jackie: Always comedy. Sex and killing. Sex and giggles. Sex and sex. Romance and sex. I try and be flexible.

Miriam: I want to write everything. Except maybe horror. But then Jackie and I can't be serious. No matter what we write, humor creeps in on little cat paws. What I don't want is to be pigeonholed as a particular type of writer. I want to be like Nora Roberts and write everything.

Sharyn: Are you planning to write in any other genres?

Jackie: I'd like to delve into the erotic, but Miriam won't let me put our name on it. And definitely there's a straight main-stream book in our future.

Miriam: We're doing romantic comedies and romantic suspense right now. I'd like to branch out more into dark paranormals and single title.

Sharyn: What genres do you read?

Jackie: I stick pretty much to romance, but I like paranormal and historical, good romantic comedies, and I do a lot of research reading.

Miriam: Because I teach writing, I read pretty much everything. Except horror, thought I'm deep into a horror book because a friend wrote it and I'm hooked on it.

Sharyn: Do you see yourself ever not writing?

Jackie: When they pull my dead cold body from the computer. And I want to be buried with Miriam and a laptop in case an idea comes along in the great here-after.

Miriam: Ditto, Exept I'm not sure I want to share my coffin with Jackie. We're both a little bottom-heavy.

Sharyn: What is the hardest part of being in the writing business for you?

Jackie: The waiting. I hate to wait for anything. I know I'm a DIVA and everyone else in the world should know it too. I shouldn't be made to wait. I'm just kidding, only about the DIVA part, not the waiting.

Miriam: The waiting. Not that I hate waiting, I just find it harder to move on to the next project when the previous one is still up in the air.

Sharyn: What books do you have planned in the near future?

Jackie: Lola, Lily, Olivia, Joanna, Ruby Lee, Renata, Vivienne and Callie. As you can tell. Our books never get titles, we call them by the heroine's name. These books are all in one stage or another.

Miriam: They are all either romantic comedies or romantic suspense except for Vivienne who's a vampire and Ruby Lee who falls in love with this very mysterious man who has very mysterious powers.

Sharyn: When is your next book due?

Jackie: It's due in at the publisher in ten days.

Miriam: Our next book, tentatively titled Southern Comfort is a December release from Genesis. We're doing the final rewrite now.

Sharyn: What do you feel makes your books unique or stand out from others in your genre?

Jackie: For the Cupid books, I think we have a wacky edge to us. There is no joke untouched. With our romantic suspense, it's the heroines. They're edgy, tough and smart.

Miriam: One of the elements I most enjoy in our books is the banter between the hero and heroine. I think we have great dialogue that often works on several different levels.

Sharyn: Where did you get the idea for the Cupid books?

Jackie: Miriam wanted to write a story about a kleptomaniac. I was just happy it worked.

Miriam: I wanted to update the Roman gods to the present. I thought it would be interesting and cute because they aren't bound by the limits of human nature. And it's just really a lot of fun to write characters, especially Venus is the most narcissistic, childish, self-centered, egotistical person in the heavens and make her lovable. Jackie was my greatest example by immortalizing her in fiction.

Jackie: Ha! Ha! Ha!

Sharyn: So far each of the Cupid books have titles in alphabetical order. Are you planning to go all the waydown the alphabet?

Jackie: This is the tough one. As of this minute there is not going to be another Cupid book unless we can sell it to someone else. But I have hopes.

Miriam: Unfortunately our Cupid sales have not been the best. The fourth book is currently homeless.

Sharyn: I'm sorry to hear that. I've enjoyed the Cupid series. Isthere even a fourth book in the works? If there is, what adventures are going to befall Venus and Cupid in their next novel?

Jackie: The forth book is written. If we can sell it, the second title will be Cupid and Venus Go Commando.

Miriam: We've had a lot of ideas, but right now I don't know where they are going. I wanted a story line where Jupiter decides that everyone is getting stale and shakes the heavens up by changing everyone's jobs around.

Sharyn: Both A Dangerous Love and A Dangerous Deception have heroines connected with the Phoenix Cold Case Unit. Are you planning to write any other novels involving the officers of the Cold Case Unit?

Jackie: A Dangerous Obsession is the third book. The heroine is an agoraphobic who is being stalked. The hero is Marco Jackson, brother to Elena of the first book.

Miriam: We have to have it in to the publisher by June 15, so I suspect the release date will be early in 2003. If they want more, we'll be happy to accommodate them.

Sharyn: Any advice you'd like to share with wannabe writers?

Jackie: Finish the book and then send it out. Don't let cobwebs form around it.

Miriam: Finish the book and then send it out and go on to the next project. Don't stick it under your bed and dream about what could have been. Be pro-active.

Sharyn: What piece of advice did someone give you that made adifference for you?

Jackie: My creative writing professor who said I shouldn't be a lawyer, but be a writer. My father said that the only person I only have to make happy is myself. And God knows that's a difficult enough job.

Miriam: My husband was on the most encouraging element in my adult life. He told me to send things out and I did and started selling. A lot of people have had faith in me and I want to show them I did it.

Sharyn: Miriam, Jackie, thanks for consenting for this interview. I know your time is precious. After all, I want to read more of your work. If you'd like to know more about Miriam and Jackie's work visit their website www.jmjeffries.com.

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