Hello. Thank you for visiting my blog today. My name is Rebecca Scarberry (Scarberryfields on Twitter). I have another great interview. This one is with author, James Conrad (RealJamesConrad on Twitter). I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know him better and certain all of you will enjoy this also.

Scarberryfields: Can you please tell us how many books you have written and their titles? Please also explain a little about each book.

James Conrad: My first novel was The Ideal Man, which is kind of two stories in one. On one side of the coin, you have Grace Watts, a repressed free spirit in a joyless marriage to a real estate agent named David Watts in which she remains because she is scared of being alone. On the other side, you have Anthony Parris, an artist who is promiscuous because a heartbreak has left him cynical. Basically, their paths cross, and stuff happens.

My latest novel, Copperhead focuses on the adventures of John Gregor, a job seeker during the recession and the trouble he encounters as he finds work. After all the problems he faces, he experiences an awakening when he is invited into a class action lawsuit and begins to turn on his adversaries, becoming vindictive and litigious, using the system against the bosses. I wrote The Ideal Man to basically get back at an ex-girlfriend who said that writing “would be the death of me, but Copperhead is very personal to me – I LIVED most of what happened in that book.

Scarberryfields: When you finished your debut novel, did you miss the characters?

James Conrad: Not particularly. They will always exist on paper, and I might find myself with ideas for a sequel.

Scarberryfields:While writing, if you need help with punctuation, grammar, etc., where do you turn?

James Conrad: Punctuation hasn’t quite been a problem for me. But when it comes to finding the right word for a particular passage, there’s always the thesaurus.

Scarberryfields: With the number of hours spent writing, do family members support you or complain about the time spent away from them?

James Conrad: Not so much. We all have our own lives but still make time for each other. That is what family is supposed to be about.

Scarberryfields: Does writing benefit you in any way and if so, how?

James Conrad: It’s a tremendous release and very comforting in and of itself. Considering the struggles I have faced throughout my life, if I didn’t reach for the notebook and pen, I would have reached for the gun. Also, as vindictive as it sounds, one of the most comforting things about writing is that it takes me to a place where I can torment and destroy all the people I am fed up with with total impunity and zero compunction.

Scarberryfields: When you’re writing, do you shut-off all social networks?

James Conrad: When I am entrenched in a project, I become totally reclusive. Sometimes I don’t leave my apartment for literally days unless it’s to get food or cigarettes.

Scarberryfields: Did you use any family members as Beta readers for your debut novel?

James Conrad: Sometimes.

Scarberryfields: What do you do when you aren’t writing? Do you have any hobbies or a job?

James Conrad: I enjoy watching movies, and I am an avid chess player and a competent guitarist. I also do freelance non-fiction writing to pay the bills.

Scarberryfields: Are you writing anything at this time? If so, please tell us about it.

James Conrad: I have outlined a speculative fiction novel and have immediate plans to start work on it. Definitely want to keep that on the down low for now, but the closer it gets to done, the sooner more people will hear about it.

Scarberryfields: Where can readers go to find your books?

James Conrad:Copperhead has been released through Smashwords and is available for download from that site. The Ideal Man can be purchased through Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Scarberryfields: Thank you for answering my questions. I have enjoyed learning more about you. I look forward to learning more about your speculative novel and wish you the best, regarding your other works.