Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello! I’m a Midwest girl, born and raised, and my farming/rural background has played an integral part in who I am and what I do. I live in South Dakota with my husband of twenty years and four children (two boys and two girls), and a supposed-to-be miniature Australian shepherd. Something must have jumped the fence, however, as Fitz is a bigature and larger than even normal Australian shepherds. Welcome to my world!
I love my job as a high school English teacher and the 23-24 school year will be my 19th year! I also am an adjunct English professor with two local universities.
I have written four books with one coming out later this year.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Grace Through Fire is the sequel to Amber Waves of Grace and is inspired by my love of South Dakota, the thrill of adventure, the tantalizing allure of danger, and the strong familial bonds that help heal and restore.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
If trying to find a quiet place away from my four children is unusual then yes! Sadly, I don’t have any quirks that come with writing; although, maybe if I had one, writing would be easier!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
My favorite author is Jane Austen, and my favorite book is Pride and Prejudice. My second favorite author is Agatha Christie. My love of these two authors and the worlds they created inspired me to create a mashup and write Murder Most Pemberley, my first cozy mystery starring the descendants of Austen’s characters. It was so much fun to write, and book two will be coming out soon!
What are you working on now?
I’m working on a new cozy mystery series set in the Black Hills of South Dakota! I’m so excited to introduce the world to Praire Rose Albright, but the world will have to wait as I have yet to put the finishing touches on my very, very rough draft yet.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This is something I honestly struggle with and need advice on more than sharing the paltry advice or knowledge I have. There are good book promo sites when books are on sale that I like to use, but those are only useful for books on sale and not full-priced books.
Book promo sites that are good are Ereader News Today, Bargin Booksy, Robin Reads, Book Gorilla, Ereader IQ, Fussy Librarian, and, of course, BookBub!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, write, and write. Even if what you think you’re writing is gibberish, write anyway. You can’t edit or revise a manuscript that does not exist. Embrace the process, know your first/second/maybe even third draft will stink, find great beta readers, learn to take advice, and then polish that rough draft until it shines. Do NOT skimp on editing. And then get ready for the hard part: publishing and marketing:)
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Besides my father’s mantra “put some effort into it”? Well, the advice I gave before is advice I didn’t learn on my own. I learned them from my mentors and am passing along the great advice.
What are you reading now?
I am actually not reading anything right now as I’m eyeballs deep in my work-in-progress, but the last book I read was A Bondwoman’s Narrative with my advanced sophomore class. I highly recommend this book as it is the first novel ever written by a female fugitive slave, and reveals aspects of slavery not written in history books.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Just to keep writing. I constantly have something in the works, and after I have my new Prairie Rose Mystery cozy ready for the querying process, I will work on book three in my Eliza Darcy Mysteries series.
What is your favorite book of all time?
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen!
Author Websites and Profiles
Jessica Berg Website
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