Author Interview: Paige Toon

Today I'm excited to welcome the lovely Paige Toon to my blog for an author interview! I've just read Paige's latest book, a Young Adult offering called The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson, a new turn for Paige but believe me, it's a successful one! Fans of Paige's other books, especially the ones starring rock god Johnny Jefferson, are going to want to read this, and catch up on the latest installment in Johnny's life! My biggest thanks go to Paige for taking the time to answer my questions!

Q1. Please tell me about your new book 'The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson'.

This is the first of a new series of young adult books about fifteen-year-old Jessie, the daughter rock star Johnny Jefferson never knew he had. Johnny is the star of my adult books, Johnny Be Good, Baby Be Mine and short story ebook Johnny’s Girl. It’s about an ordinary girl who is thrown into an extraordinary world.

Q2. This book is in the young adult genre, as opposed to the women's fiction you usually write. What was it that prompted you to switch genres and write Jessie's story?

I’m still writing adult chick lit and you’ll still be getting one book a year in time for summer. Basically, I decided to write two books a year and my friend and fellow author, Ali Harris, suggested I make one of them YA. I had the idea for Jessie while writing Baby Be Mine, but it was only after Ali suggested YA that I realised it would work well as a whole series with a teenage protagonist.


Q3. How easy did you find it getting into the head of a teenager to write this book accurately? I found it very believable so I think you've done a great job!

Thank you, that means a lot. Weirdly, I didn’t find it hard at all, because all I ever have to do is get into the head of my characters, period. The fact that Jessie was fifteen, actually made it a lot more fun for me.

Q4. You are very well known for including a lot of past characters within each of your novels - for example, we reference Joseph Strike in this book, and meet Meg and Johnny again from other novels. How easy do you find it to keep track of them, and to keep their stories up to date too?!

Not very easy at all, to be honest! I really need one of those huge cork boards like you see in films where I track the timeline of each of my characters with torn-off bits of paper, ha ha. As it is, I usually spend hours with my head in my hands, trying to work out what happened when and how it will have a knock-on effect on the rest of my novels. I’ve made mistakes, but I’m not telling you what they are…


Q5. Your new adult novel 'Thirteen Weddings' is coming soon - how did you juggle writing both of these books at the same time?!

I didn’t. I would have definitely found that hard. I wrote Jessie first and then focused on Thirteen Weddings. The hardest thing was having to edit Jessie while I had my head in Thirteen Weddings, and also managing social media and publicising Johnny’s Girl. Plus my new agent (I haven’t had one until now) wanted me to write the synopsis for my next book, so I had to think about that, too. I hadn’t anticipated how much extra work there would be, so Thirteen Weddings was probably the hardest book I’ve ever written. I cried with relief at the weekend when a friend of mine told me she thought it was my best. I really had no idea!


Q6. This new book, The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson, is the first in a series - how many books do you intend to write for the series, and do you know already how you want things to pan out for Jessie and her rock star dad?

Pretty much, yes. And I also know what’s going to happen with Jack and Tom – I can’t wait to write more about those two. Mind you, I have been known to change my mind, so I guess only time will tell. At the moment I’m thinking about four books in the series.


Q7. Your characters are the best thing about your books - they are always so believable. Do you have a favourite among them, or is that too much like being asked which of your children is your favourite?!

It is a bit! Hmm. If pressed, I might even have to go all the way back to my first book and say Nathan, dreamy surfer boy that he is.


Q8. What is next for you?

My next adult chick lit book, Thirteen Weddings, comes out 22 May, and soon I will start to write part two of the Jessie saga – title still TBC. Then, in the summer, I’ll be starting work on my next adult chick lit book. I have something else up my sleeve, but I don’t want to jinx it, so stay tuned to Twitter @PaigeToonAuthor and Facebook.com/PaigeToonAuthor for news.

Thank you so much, Paige!