JB Yanni

My childhood was made up of two sisters and one brother. My mother was a stay at home mom until my youngest sister went off to school, which was when I was 14 years old. My father was a math teacher, coach and then later a principal at a high school. Growing up in the 1970’s taught me lessons in hard work, respect, and honesty. I read everything I could get my hands on and studied art in many class formats, including informal lessons from my grandmother, classes at local art leagues and summer programs. This has been very conducive to my desire to become an author. First and foremost, the creativity that was fostered by my interests and supported by my parents, and a keen desire to tell a story that connected with readers the way my favorites over the years have connected with me.

My ambitions started with art. I wanted very much for a long time to be an artist. I bantered around with several book ideas throughout my childhood and young adulthood, but learned all too quickly that this would be a difficult way to support myself and my desire for a family made me search for a new career, while maintaining these ambitions as outside interests. I always wanted to write a series of books that would connect with young readers and touch people they way I had been touched by books I have read throughout the years.

I chose to become an indie author because I really wanted to maintain control over the creative story I was telling, and because with so many publishing options, I felt trying to reach readers with my efforts to market might be far more rewarding than that stream of query letters and rejections. The world of getting a book out in print has changed greatly over the years, and options abound for authors to find the right fit for their needs.

Wow, this is a loaded question! I may not have time to list the things that I have done that I wish I could change. I think the biggest as it relates to my writing is not finishing the multitude of material I was trying to finish over the years. I wish I had taken this plunge to publish much sooner.

My family is my strength. If someone knows us all, and reads the Time Benders books, they will see aspects of us weaved into the characters and storyline easily. My three siblings are not made up the same as the Fitzgerald siblings, but we are part of Ken, Deb, Joe and Kim. One of the main messages in the Time Benders series is that of closeness of family. That is directly from my experience in not just my immediate family, but my extended family. They motivate me, support me and challenge me.

Writing a story about time travel was a challenge for me because I really wanted to have a basis in science, theory and actual potential. I didn’t want it to be so fanciful that you couldn’t imagine it actually happening. Anyone who knows me, knows that science is not in my wheelhouse, so I had to do some serious research and fortunately, my son was a great help, especially in Time Benders and the Two Promises, because there was much more science in that book.

What I love most about the Fitzgerald siblings is that they are so relatable. We all know what it’s like or know someone who is more of a bookworm, or the lanky math geek, or the popular athlete, or what having a young sister is like. They feel like kids you know and have all the issues that every teen has.

The hardest scene to write in the Time Benders and the Two Promises was when Deb, Ryan and Joe were in Cambridge and they were having issues. I wanted it to seem dire, but didn’t want to frighten those of my younger readers. It felt a little like walking a fine line to be sure I conveyed the danger without making it too graphic and gory.

Harry Potter sets a standard for YA fantasy. It was a favorite of my oldest child and one we read together. It opened my children’s eyes to imagination and possibilities, and that I think is what makes books so great. My favorite character in those stories is Hermione because she reminds me of my childhood personality. Always striving to be the best and a little too smart for her own good.

Mr. Brewster is an interesting character. He is a bit of recluse but I think its clear that he is constantly watching what is going on around him at Choate. He finds Joe in the first book and they become friends because of their common loss and grief. He becomes a mentor and friend to all of the Fitzgerald’s and they come to rely on him as a part of their family over time. He is very much a compilation of my father and my uncles, but also carries a bit of a few favorite teachers over the years.

Self-publishing, and publishing in general, has been an eye-opening experience for me. Sometimes I feel a little intimated by the sheer wealth of options to get published and strangely, there are some serious complaints about dealing with printers, Amazon, and all of the assisted publishing firms out there. To say it was daunting is a bit of an understatement. What I have learned is that you get out of self-publishing, like most things in life, what you put into it. If you are actively working and committed to the process, it will turn out positively. The advantage to self-publishing over traditional publishing houses clearly include the fact that you can get your work out to the public without having to be selected or approved by either a literary agent or publisher. You maintain control of the work, the final product, the cover, everything. The negative to self-publishing is that you are responsible for everything. If you feel you need (and everyone should feel the need) for editing services, you have to seek that out and contract with an editor. You have learn the difference between copy editing and any other editing; you have to design or pay someone to design a cover, you have to apply for copyright and get your work registered for ISBN and such. I think in the end it’s about choices and each author has to decide the best way to address their work.

My aspirations for my work as an author include completing the Time Benders series, which at this point means two more books, working to publish two children’s books that I have recently completed and then perhaps launching another book series.

I think the best compliment I’ve received was the Kirkus review of the first book. “A breezy, straightforward approach to time travel featuring unforgettable characters.”

My current work in progress is book III of the Time Benders series, which will be called Time Benders and the Long Road Home. It is going to feature Kim prominently and a time travel trip for her, Joe and Becky to the civil war era. It also will feature Ken and Mary’s struggle to deal with the news Mary gets from the end of book II.

What I love about AllAuthors is the vast array of authors it brings together in one place to network, learn from and learn about. I have started several new books to read from what I have learned there and connected with many authors. I love hearing what others have done and are doing!