Author J.D. Mason recently announced her retirement from the book world, and she’s here today to talk about her final release, Broken Glass.
Tell me about your latest book.
Broken Glass is about a woman who’s spent her whole life chasing a dream and has only been able to grab hold of the hem of it, just enough to keep her wanting more and dedicating her life to catching it. Eventually, she succumbs to the disappointments, packs up and moves on.
She lands in the small town of Devastation, Louisiana, and begins the notion of learning to live her life on very new and different terms. In the process, she meets Dr. Nick Hunt. For the first time in her adult life, she begins to imagine possibilities of a “normal” life.
Conflict rises when she meets another man, broken, like her, and she suddenly finds herself torn between right and wrong and what she truly wants and needs from life.
What inspired you to write it?
I’m a title first kind of writer. I was listening to my playlist and was listening to “Broken Glass” by Annie Lennox. I’m singing my little heart out and dancing and then suddenly thought, Broken Glass—great title for a book.
From there, I started mulling around ideas until I came up with the one I ultimately decided on for the story.
When did you fall in love with the written word?
I’m not different than most writers who fall from the written word at a very young age.
What’s the best part of writing the story?
For me, it’s always about the characters, getting to the heart and soul of who they are and why they make the choices they do. It’s about how they respond to the circumstances of their lives.
What’s the hardest part of writing the story?
In this particular story, the hardest part was digging deep to find redemption for some of the characters and maybe even their actions, though not a basis for forgiveness. Humans are flawed. No one is perfect and none of us ever does everything right. Some major challenges face these characters and finding ways to explain the “why” was the hardest part.
What books have you read lately and loved?
Just As I Am by Cicely Tyson was amazing to me, inspirational and entertaining.
What book(s) are you most excited to read next?
I’m also gearing up to read Blind Ambition by Lutishia Lovely and The Son of Mr. Suleman by the great Eric Jerome Dickey.
Who would you cast in a movie to play your main characters?
Nicole Beharie as Terri.
Trevante Rhodes as Nick.
Morris Chestnut as Luther.
What’s next for you?
I’ve officially announced my retirement from writing novels, and Broken Glass is the last book I’ll likely ever write (barring something major happening).
I’ve always wanted to see my work on film, and for the last 20 years I’ve been sitting around waiting for that to happen before I realized that I would have to do it myself.
I’m focusing on writing my first short film, which was supposed to have been my next novel called The Ghost of Me. My goal is to shoot it by the end of the year and then submit it to festivals next year. I’m also planning to create a web series for characters from my Blink, Texas world of books. But that won’t come along until next year.
Do you have anything you would like to add?
I’d like to thank every single reader who’s ever enjoyed any of my stories. If I could thank each and every one by name, I would. I hope folks who read this book are entertained and truly read between the lines of what’s written to discover the part of the story not on the pages.
People are fascinating and complex creatures and I learn something new every time I write about one.
If you’d like to know more about my film project, follow my page on Facebook: The Ghost of Me—An Original Short Film.
Use the Black Fiction Addiction affiliate link to purchase your copy of Broken Glass.
To learn more about J. D. Mason, visit her website or connect with her on social media.
Website: https://www.jdmasonauthor.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjdmason
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j.d.mason/