L. J. Sellers, author of The Sex Club (Oct 25 - Nov 1)

Please welcome L. J. Sellers, author of The Sex Club. L.J. will be chatting on LibraryThing until November 1st.

I'd like to thank you again for sending me a copy of Thrilled to death, I really enjoyed it.

I was wondering what gave you the idea to include an intersex character? (I did have a small rant when I reviewed this book about the correct use of intersex rather than the term "hermaphrodite")

I'm so glad you enjoyed the story. Thanks for participating and asking such a great question.

I had read reports and seen a documentary about the lives of intersex people. It's not nearly as rare as people think, and it's often very troubling for the individuals who are born with conflicted genitalia. I started thinking that our cultural definitions of male and female are too restrictive and don't work for everyone. The line is definitely blurry.

As a writer, I try to portray a variety of characters and to do what I can to promote understanding and tolerance of all kinds of gender identity. This is particularly important to me because I write about Eugene, OR, which has little ethnic diversity so my characters tend to be more homogenous than I like. But I also strive for realism, so I write about Eugene the way it is, not the way I want it to be.

I thought I had used the term intersex. Now I have to go back and look at my terminology.

Hi I just finished trilled to death and I loved it. It's hard to believe it's the third book of the series as I picked it up (the book). Yesterday and finished it today most books in a series I find are a bit slow in the beginning explaining things but I found thrilled to death no problems at all. A great flowing book.

I will be posting a review later on saying I loved it. Thankyou for a great read. I will have to check out your other books and I can't wait for the new detective book next year. Thanks again.

Melissa

Also are your other books have the same characters Involving Jackson and kera????

Thanks, Melissa, for stopping by. I'm having a blast writing this series, so it's rewarding to know people are enjoying it.

The Baby Thief and The Suicide Effect are standalone thrillers, both with a somewhat medical theme. (I was an editor on a pharmaceutical magazine for years.) Jackson has a small part in The Baby Thief and a cameo in The Suicide Effect, but they're not part of the series.

I'm writing a fifth Jackson story now.

I can't wait thanks again. Melissa

I don't have as much time for mysteries as I once did, but was intrigued when I read on your page that you do standup comedy. Is this a hobby or were you doing this previous to your career as a published writer?

It's an occasional hobby. I'm journalist and editor who has worked for magazines, newspapers, and educational publishers. I've been writing fiction on the side for most of that time, and now I write and edit fiction full time.

At one point I wrote three comedy screenplays, a new genre for me, and I took a comedy writing class to sharpen my skills. During the course of the class, I wrote a standup routine, then had to perform it as the final. It was a blast! And I did well enough to be invited to join a local, volunteer comedy troupe.

The group is no longer performing, but I did some standup at a mystery conference last year just to stay in practice, and I look for opportunities to perform when I can.

I'm actually terrified of public speaking and performing, but I make myself do it because it's necessary for my fiction career. And I like to face my fears. :)

Were the screenplays written on spec or did you have a job? I've just about given up writing screenplays unless it's something I can direct, as no one wants to buy anything without a package attached.

When are you going to set a mystery in the wine business? Given the family intrigues that can take place and considering where you live it seems a natural (best pinot noir in this hemisphere!)

Everything I've ever written has been on spec. I got great feedback on my scripts, especially through Project Greenlight, but no buyers. The story of my fiction career! :)

I like your idea for a mystery in the wine business. I just put it in my idea file for Jackson #6.

I never heard of you before today. When I saw you were the author of The Sex Club I thought, yuck, another woman exploitation novel. About abortion, huh? I need to check out your stuff. You seem to have a unique voice, not to mention courage enough to do stand up. Glad to meet you.

Citzenjoyce: Thanks for stopping in. It's good to meet you too.

The stand-up comedy is terrifying, but it's temporary. Writing The Sex Club and putting it out there took a whole other level of courage. My editor thought I would be targeted and threatened.

The title of this book has been problematic, especially in the mystery community. I would change it if I could, but I don't know what else to call it. It's mystery/suspense and thought provoking; no exploitation. Reader response has been terrific.

Thanks for being open-minded about checking out my work. The follow-up stories also deal with social issues, but are not quite as controversial.
L.J.

I just downloaded all your books on my Nook. You're way too inexpensive on that site, but, lucky for me.

Were you targeted and threatened after writing The Sex Club?

Oh, and one more thing. I notice the main character in your novels is a male detective. Was there a reason you made him male instead of female?

Joyce: Can you tell me how much my books are on Nook and who the publisher is? I suspect the version and price have not been updated. They should be listed at $2.99 from Spellbinder Press.

And no, I wasn't targeted. The Sex Club has slowly been gaining a readership, so it's never come to the attention of those who would object to it.

When I wrote the first story, I didn't know for sure that I would be writing a series. It was just a story I had to tell, and I needed two main characters: a Planned Parenthood Nurse and a homicide detective. The clinic nurse had to be female because that's realistic. So I made the detective a male for balance. When I decided to write a follow-up, he's the character I had to bring forward and base the series on.

But I like Jackson a lot, and I'm glad to be writing a male character. It allows me to separate myself from the character and give him a distinct personality.
That's harder for me to do with female characters.

Now, that's a factor I had never considered. How to not to write too much of yourself into a character. There's no one you know better, no thought process you're more tuned into.

How do you do it?

Right, all the copies of your books on Barnes and Noble for Nook are by Spellbinder Press for $2.99, except The Sex Club which is by the same publisher for .99 and one copy of Thrilled to Death which is from Echelon Press for $2.99, the other is from Spellbinder for the same price.

Thanks for the take on writing a male character. I never would have thought of it, but it makes sense.

I've interviewed several detectives, a SWAT member, a medical examiner, and a crime scene technician—all male. So I keep their perspectives and attitudes in mind when I write from Jackson's POV.

It's an interesting process, kind of like method acting. I put myself into his mindset and try to see the world how he sees it. It's challenging at times, but also fun to be someone else for while. I also let him make mistakes, something that would be hard for me to let a female protagonist do.

Thanks for the great questions!
L.J.

I've read the first of your Detective Jackson series, The Sex Club. It's so good, but I'm afraid the title might keep people from reading it. It sounds like it's about BDSM or prostitutes. You have such a good insight into nurses, teen age girls, parents, and, quality and not so quality men. Don't you think your readership would increase if it were named Girls Just Want to Have Fun, or The Unplanned or almost anything else? Well, whatever you call it, I'm glad I found it and plan to recommend it to as many people as I can. I hope the others are as good.

I'm so glad you liked the story. Thanks for the compliment about my insights. I interviewed several Planned Parenthood nurses and detectives before I started writing.

The name has certainly been problematic, especially in the mystery community. Sometimes I wish I had come up with something else, and believe me, I tried. I appreciate your suggestions. I've put the question out there to forums, asking what I should have called it, and no one has come up with anything. I like The Unplanned. It's too late now though. The book is finally starting to sell well because it has great reviews.