Joy York Interview Published on: 06, May 2022

I had some fanciful notions when I was a child. I wanted to be a figure skater. I didn’t matter that I had never skated a day in my life. The women on the ice looked so graceful and elegant. When my mother began buying albums with all the Broadway showtunes, my focus quickly shifted to becoming a Broadway singer. Alias, neither ambition were to be. Who was the first person you shared your first ever story with?

Having learned oral story telling from my Mama Leavie (my grandmother) on the front porch of her rural Alabama home, those were the kinds of stories I told my son when he was three years old. His favorite spot for “story telling” was the center landing on the stairs. He would sit on a step while I made up tales about elves, ogres, kings, and sorcerers, always making the hero a boy with his name. As he got older, we began to make-up stories together and writing them down.

I was a reluctant reader as a child. My real passion for reading began in college. I started with the classics and began to branch out to contemporary fiction. I had probably read over 100 books by the time I published my first book.

My main genre is mystery/suspense with a little romance throw in to keep it interesting. I initially developed an interest in mystery by reading all the Agatha Christie novels. Then I moved on the more contemporary authors like Sue Grafton, Clive Cussler, John Sandford, John Grisham, James Patterson, James Lee Burke, etc. I found adding a little romance made the characters more relatable, but romance have never been the main focus.

My first book was a middle grade novel I wrote for my son called The Lucky Boy. It was about three close friends from a middle-class neighborhood who learn valuable lessons about appreciation, generosity, and sacrifice. It is a beautiful story. When I pulled it back out years later with the idea of cleaning it up and publishing it, I was amazed at the amount of work that would be involved. It went to the bottom of my priority list.

I have always heard that you should write what you know, so The Bloody Shoe Affair was exactly that. This young adult novel was inspired by my cousin, the real jailer’s daughter, and my visits to see her family in rural Alabama. She was the fearless, prankster and I was the shy, fearful opposite. My uncle was the county deputy and jailer, and they did live in a big brownstone house that was connected to the county jail. I spent many a visit sneaking into the jail with my cousin to talk to the prisoners, and at times played jailer and prisoner in the empty cells. She was always the jailer, and I was always the prisoner, despite my objections. The characters and story in The Bloody Shoe Affair are fictitious.

One of the first things I learned was just because you have a great story doesn’t mean you know how to write it in a concise and entertaining way. In other words, I had a lot to learn. I joined professional writing organization, went to writing conferences, joined critique groups for feedback, read books on writing, and read young adult books. It was years in the making, but it is written with heart and I’m very proud of it.

Aside from the technical mechanics, it must engage the reader, have well-development characters, be well-paced, and provide the reader with an entertaining story.

When Reagan’s grandmother who raised her is killed, Reagan uncovers valuable things in her Nana’s modest home that are shocking and foreign to the lifestyle and income of her family. She quickly learns that her life is in danger too. She can’t help wondering if what she found is connected to her Nana’s murder. In her mind, the only alternative is to find out the truth. The more secrets she uncovers, the more deception she finds. By the end of the book, the reader will have discovered just how genuine the deceit is.

Non-fiction
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
How Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Recent Fiction
Ocean Prey by John Sandford
When We Were Mermaids by Barbara O’Neal
The Guest List: A Novel by Lucy Foley
Serpentine by Jonathan Kellerman
Death in the Sunshine by Steph Broadribb

I have worked for some very good companies during my retail management career, my favorite being eighteen years with Target. As a store manager in several different states, I also filled additional roles in training, recruitment, executive hiring, mentoring, and as the community volunteer and grant coordinator for our district. In 35 years of retail experience in seven different geological locations, I have managed hundreds of employees and assisted thousands of customers. My experiences have given me valuable insights that have hopefully made me a more authentic and creative writer.

Not all writing is about emotions. Nonfictions, for example, can be simply fact. It doesn’t matter what the genre is if it connects to the reader’s interest. A well written story speaks for itself.

I read a lot on my iPhone because it’s handy. I can sit in a waiting room and be entertained. I can also use it for audio books when I travel. In print, I prefer paperbacks. Lighter and easier to carry. Hardbacks are more collectibles for my library.

It would be hard to limit it to one. My husband and I were both workaholics most of our careers. Many of the people we worked with were too. When you are passionate about your job, no matter what it is, it becomes hard to find life balance. Family can become the incentive to make that balance work.

I am currently working on another suspense/thriller/mystery, Protective Instincts. It is a stand-alone. I am in the editing stage. I am also editing a sequel to The Bloody Shoe Affair called The Revenge of the Jailer’s Daughter.

I am so thrilled to have discovered and joined AllAuthor Pro. The variety of services are amazing. I love the magic tool that allows you to make your books in 3-D in all different arrangements. The banner templets are great. I’m still learning how to create more elaborate styles. The weekly Tweets to promote my books, and there are still so many services for me to explore.