~Author Spotlight~ John Dawson Jackson

Born in a ditch beside a busy highway, John Dawson Jackson never knew his parents. Taken in by wealthy philanthropists Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius Elmo Jackson, he was trained from the age of two in classical piano. A horrible accident left his arm damaged, ending his dream before it began. He was forced to undertake control of his adopted father's oil business, a company that allowed him to travel the globe and explore the far reaches of civilization. As he studied the ancient carvings of the Mesopotamians, he realized just how much of our history has been covered up by powerful people. These findings have been collected into his new novel The Relics. Or maybe this isn't true. Maybe this is true: John Dawson Jackson is an independent author based out of the Knoxville, TN area who has a broad spectrum of interests. Predominantly, his novels integrate the genres of fantasy, history, and horror with intriguing mind bending qualities. Most of his works are based in the supernatural and exist within the same universe--a sometimes frightening, but always exhilarating place where Jackson enjoys playing with the interconnectivity of what is real, myth, and rumor.

1. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment? The toughest criticism was probably on my book The Relics. The person took one look at it and said, "This is not commercially viable." That isn't a harsh thing to say, but he was basically telling me the book would never make money. The best compliment I can get is for someone to just buy the book. That shows that I've brought something interesting to the table. A guy I've met through my books and have since come to be good friends with was going through some medical issues. He wanted to get my books for during that time. He could have chosen anything and anyone, but he wanted mine.


2. Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination? I bring a lot of myself to my characters. Jason Silver in my Empire book has a lot of my personality. How I Ruined My Life is based a lot on me. If I haven't done the things in the book, I've probably thought about doing them.


3. Can you tell us about your upcoming releases? If you have any. My next release will be The Relics 2, a sequel to my fantasy-history blend. It should be available in November. Tag line: In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king.


4. What do you like to do when you’re not writing? I'm an avid reader, everything from classic literature to modern young adult and bizarro fiction. I enjoy a nice glass of scotch, and I play the random video game. I like trying to find the most twisted movies I can, stuff that isn't on the Hollywood radar.


5. You have multiple personalities, describe some of them

You'll generally find me to be a very nice person, extremely kind and generous. However, I have to tap into that dark side when I write, that side of me that is a little bit of the Joker, taking delight in the pain I'm bringing these characters.

6. What made you decide to write your first book? I don't sleep well, never have. I find I'm not able to turn my brain off at times. The writing helps with that. When I've gotten down all my thoughts on paper, I quiet those voices in the night.


7. Do you have any strange writing habits? Not really, other than a simple dedication to completing a work. I set deadlines for myself that no one would ever insist upon, and I hit those deadlines. I feel really terrible when I fail, and I'm only failing myself.


8. If you could cast your characters in a Hollywood adaptation of your book, who would play what characters? In The Relics, I based Milo on Milo Ventimiglia from Heroes. Killian is based on James McAvoy. I tried to put a little bit of David Duchovny in How I Ruined My Life--the others characters in that book are a secret that is pretty obvious if you pay attention...


9. Who are the authors that inspire you? Chuck Palahniuk would be the main one. I draw on a little Stephen King from time to time, a little George R. R. Martin as well. Bret Easton Ellis comes alive in my work in the darkest places.


10. Is there anything you would like to say to your readers? Thank you. Every decision I make is with you in mind. Every time you buy one of my books, you're helping my dreams come true.

How I Ruined My Life - Kindle edition by John Jackson. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

I’m an idiot. That about covers it. I’m also a huge jerk, just a giant bag of worthless matter. After years and years of trying, I’ve finally managed to screw up my life completely. My mom always said not to give up. My dad always said, “Shut up and go to bed.” I tried to go with my mom’s advice on this one, but I still completely ruined my life. This is not one of those stories where the guy thinks things are bad and then they get better. I’m not going to learn some big lesson at the end or realize the profound truth of living. Don’t believe me? Skip to the last page and read. Go ahead. I’ll wait. Dare to be different and read the last page. There you go. See? There is no hope for this story, no happy ending. If you can’t handle seeing a pretty decent guy destroy everything and everyone around him because of his own stupidity, stop reading now. I won’t be offended. But, if you like that kind of thing because deep down you’re a sadist, then let’s keep on keeping on. This is the story of how I met the world’s most perfect girl, and how I royally messed it up. Enjoy.

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