with James Ryan Daley
We are delighted to welcome author James Ryan Daley to Omnimystery News today.
James's debut YA mystery is Jesus Jackson (The Poisoned Pencil; September 2014 trade paperback and ebook formats) and we recently had the opportunity to talk with him more about his new book.
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Omnimystery News: When you began writing Jesus Jackson, did you know it was going to be a stand-alone novel?
Photo provided courtesy of
James Ryan Daley
James Ryan Daley: I don't think Jesus Jackson is the type of book that could be made into a series, or even have a sequel. In a lot of ways, it's a coming-of-age story, so the narrative really focuses on a unique and specific time in the protagonist's life.
OMN: We characterized Jesus Jackson as a young adult mystery. Would agree with that?
JRD: I think labels like that can be very helpful for books that fit neatly into one specific genre, as they allow fans of that genre to find books that they'll enjoy. For books that don't fit so neatly (like Jesus Jackson) such labels can be difficult, because you always find yourself mixing and matching genre's until they lose most of their usefulness. For example, I could say that Jesus Jackson is a Cozy-ish, Young-Adult Suspense novel, but I'm not sure how helpful that would be to readers.
OMN: How would you tweet a summary of the book?
JRD: A 14 year-old atheist and an Imaginary Disco Jesus search for the truth behind a mysterious death and the mysteries of life. #jesusjackson
OMN: How much of your own personal experience have you included in the book?
JRD: Nothing in the book is based on any real people or events, but the thoughts and feelings that the protagonist is dealing with are very much based on my own experiences. While the plot of Jesus Jackson is in many ways a classic mystery, the thematic development of the story revolves around the protagonist's thoughts about all of life's "big" mysteries: Why are we here? What does it all mean? What happens when we die? Those questions, and the ways in which the novel explores them, are very much based on my own experiences.
OMN: Tell us a little more about your writing process.
JRD: I'm a very detailed planner when it comes to plot and structure, but I also try to keep myself as open as possible to the unexpected twists and turns that inevitably occur while I'm writing. Generally, I make detailed visual charts and graphs of both the plot and characters before I start a novel, but then I continually change and revise these charts throughout the course of my writing. This helps to keep me on track with a story, while also allowing my characters to surprise me.
OMN: How do you go about researching the plot points of your stories?
JRD: I usually just make it all up when I'm writing a first draft, and then check my facts during revision. The only exception is when my characters need to have some kind of special knowledge or experience that falls outside of my own. For example, in Jesus Jackson, two of the characters compile a detailed treatise on every religion they can find to determine which (if any) are worth believing in. I had to do a lot of research for that.
OMN: Where does the storyline in Jesus Jackson take place?
JRD: Jesus Jackson takes place in a fictional New England town, which is kind of a conglomeration of the seaside towns surrounding Newport, RI (where I have lived for the past 7 years). I wanted a setting that felt like this specific area, but I didn't want to be limited by any one specific location.
OMN: If we could send you anywhere in the world, all expenses paid, to research the setting for a book, where would it be?
JRD: Well, if it was all expenses paid, I think I would have to start writing a Young Adult Mystery about a Bond-esque teenage spy who conducts espionage in the casinos of Monte Carlo.
OMN: What are some of your outside interests? And have any of these found their way into your book?
JRD: I love all sorts of outdoor activities — skiing and sailing in particular — and I spend a good amount of time on creative projects like woodworking and make silly videos with my kids. At this point, though, I've never really used any of it in my writing.
OMN: What is the best advice — and harshest criticism — you've received as an author? And what might you say to aspiring writers?
JRD: The best advice I've received is the old "kill your babies" line. It hurts to throw away a great paragraph, but you'll never get through a revision if you don't. It's hard to pick the harshest criticism. I'm pretty good at taking all criticism as constructive advice, so I try not to think about any of it as "harsh." My advice to aspiring authors is just to put all of your energy into writing a book that you would want to read. Don't worry about what anyone else will think, and certainly don't worry about how you'll get it published. If you succeed at writing a book that you would love to read, other people will love reading it too.
OMN: Complete this sentence for us: "I am a mystery author, and thus I am also …".
JRD: I am a mystery author, and thus I am also constantly thinking of ways to kill you without ever getting caught.
OMN: Tell us more about the book's cover.
JRD: The cover shows a picture of the novel's protagonist, Jonathan, beneath a rather eerie picture of a smiling Jesus Jackson. While Jesus Jackson is not the main character, I wanted to title the book after him (and feature him on the cover) because the ideas that he represents really form the greater meaning of the story as a whole.
OMN: What kinds of feedback have you received from readers?
JRD: I really enjoy hearing about how readers interpret the ending. The story leaves a few things up to the reader's imagination, and while I have my own ideas about it all, I am constantly amazed by the unique perspectives that different people bring to it.
OMN: Suppose Jesus Jackson were to be adapted for television or film. Who do you see playing the key roles?
JRD: I have always thought that Russell Brand would make a fantastic Jesus Jackson. Just the thought of it makes me giggle with delight.
OMN: What kinds of books did you read when you were young?
JRD: I was a big fan of mysteries and thrillers as a child: Christopher Pike, Dean Koontz, Stephen King — those were my favorites. I think what I've taken from them is the importance of suspense. Reading takes a lot more concentration than TV, movies, or video games do, so you really have to earn your reader's attention with a suspenseful plot.
OMN: And what do you read now for pleasure?
JRD: I'm really all over the map when it comes to my personal reading list. I like to stay up on the popular YA and Mystery titles, so there's always a few of those on my shelf. Other than that, though, there's not much consistency to it. One week I could be reading Hammett or Chandler, and the next week I could be reading Stendahl or Faulkner.
OMN: Create a Top 5 list for us on any topic.
JRD: Okay, here are the top 5 Favorite Young Adult Novels:
1. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger;
2. Paper Towns by John Green;
3. Feed by M.T. Anderson;
4. The Gospel According to Larry by Janet Tashjian; and
5. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon.
OMN: What's next for you?
JRD: Well I'm working on a new YA Mystery, but I think I'll refrain from giving out any details about it yet. Stay tuned, though …
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James Ryan Daley is a writer, editor, and digital designer. After majoring in English at a strange and wonderful school called Prescott College in northern Arizona, James went on the earn his MFA in Writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts in 2004. Over the years that followed, James worked as an Acquisitions Editor for Dover Publications and an English Teacher at a small Catholic high school (and no, the irony of the latter is not lost on him), before beginning his freelance career in the spring of 2008. Now, he spends most of his time writing fiction for teenagers, creating websites about video games, teaching writing to college students, and editing anthologies of speeches and short stories.
During the infrequent hours when James is not obsessing over pixels and pronouns, he can usually be found attempting not to injure himself with sailboats and skis, and being generally silly and genuinely ridiculous with his wife and two daughters in their lovely hometown of Newport, RI.
For more information about the author, please visit his website at JamesRyanDaley.com and his author page on Goodreads, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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Jesus Jackson
James Ryan Daley
A YA Mystery Novel
Jonathan Stiles is a 14-year-old atheist who is coping with his first day of ninth grade at the fervently religious St. Soren's Academy when his idolized older brother Ryan is found dead at the bottom of a ravine behind the school. As his world crumbles, Jonathan meets an eccentric stranger who bears an uncanny resemblance to Jesus Christ (except for his white linen leisure suit and sparkling gold chains). Jesus Jackson, as he calls himself, offers to provide faith to Jonathan. He also suggests that Ryan's death may not have been an accident after all.
Jonathan teams up with Henry, his new best friend at St. Soren's, to investigate. The two boys find footprints leading to the ravine that match Ryan's sneakers. They are assisted by Ryan's grieving girlfriend, Tristan, who also thinks the accident theory is bunk. The police, however, will not listen. But Jonathan knows something the police do not know: Shortly before his death, Ryan was doing cocaine with fellow footballer and number one suspect Alistair not far from the ravine where his body was found.
An inspired Jonathan battles sanctimonious school psychologists, overzealous administrators, and a cavalry of Christian classmates on his quest to discover the truth about Ryan's death — and about God, high school, and the meaning of life, while he's at it. But he keeps getting distracted by Cassie — Alistair's quirky younger sister — who holds the keys to the answers Jonathan is searching for, but but who also makes him wonder if he should be searching for them at all.
