PagOneLit.com: Where did you grow up and was reading and writing a part of your
life? Who were your earliest influences and why?
Jamie Magee: I grew up in Franklin TN, the opening set for Insight. I fear that
I did not give the beauty of my home town justice in my debut. Franklin sits
just south of Nashville TN, the beauty and talent you find in the residents of
Franklin exceeds beyond the world of music. I’ve always felt that each child was
encouraged to chase their dreams by not only their parents, but every adult that
surrounded them.
I’m sad to say that writing was not always a part of my life. Letting my
imagination run away with me was never the issue, it was the structure of
writing that hindered me. I have always struggled with the rules and proper
guide lines of writing. When I began to let the story of Insight come to life on
a blank word document – I promised myself that no one would ever read it – that
it was OK to just let the words flow in any manner they chose. It took
everything my soul possessed to let my closest friends read my work when it was
complete. I owe everything to them it was the story, Willow and Landen, they
fell in love with, the horrible grammar was overlooked for a moment. I know now
that every day of my life will be spent writing or imagining another world into
existence, it has become the air I breathe.
It would be hard for me to name my earliest influences, simply because there are
so many. I’ve always loved poetry, reading between the lines to see what the
writer was trying to convey. It is fascinating to sit in a room full of people
and debate one poem, and understand that each of us took in the words
differently based on the circumstance of our lives at that moment.
PageOneLit.com: Why do you write?
Jamie Magee: This is a very simple question, so I will give a simple answer,
because it is a passion, an act that I could do all day, every day, and never
want anything in return.
PageoneLit.com: Briefly discuss your new book Insight.
Jamie Magee: In short: Once the nightmares returned, Willow was told the purpose
of her mystical gifts. Her soul is from another time, her heart is the power,
and the Zodiac reflects her path. Now, she must face everything she has ever
feared to save her friends lives. In the end, she discovers that we all born
with a defining gift.
PageOneLit.com: Who is Willow?
Jamie Magee: Willow is the combination of every young woman I’ve known in my
life. She is beautiful, confident, focused, and talented. She never feels worthy
of the gifts she has, this emotion leads her to cherish everyone and everything
in her life.
PageOneLit.com: What makes Insight stand out from other fantasy books that are
on the bookshelves?
Jamie Magee:It is hard for me to compare my work to the outstanding young adult
authors on the shelves today. When creating Insight I tried to use elements of
fantasy that could be debated as fact in real life, the Zodiac, and alternate
dimensions. Once these elements were in place my characters, soul mates, Landen
and Willow were created. I wanted to convey that when two people are meant to be
together they will always find their way to each other, that we are a half to a
whole.
PageOneLit.com: What is it about the fantasy genre you enjoy?
Jamie Magee: Fantasy allows us to step out of the box that the world creates.
The imagination that seems to escape us as we grow into adults is reignited when
we allow ourselves to think that anything is possible.
PageOneLit.com: If Hollywood called today and asked you to cast the film version
of Insight, who would you cast and why?
Jamie Magee: Oddly, this question has been in debate since the first draft, and
thus far there has not been a resolution. I would have to tell Hollywood to
launch a talent search. One of the most amazing details of Chara, a dimension in
Insight, is that the people are not divided by culture, throughout history they
searched for their soul mates, looking beyond the surface of the skin. Each
character has traits from every culture in our world. As a writer I did focus on
the trait that I love about people, and that is their eyes, a window to their
soul. I would want the cast to reflect the emerald green of Willow’s eyes, the
perfect blue of Landen’s eyes, and the dark mesmerizing eyes of Drake.
PageOneLit.com: What do you hope to achieve with Insight?
Jamie Magee: If manage to encourage one person to chase the dream in their heart
– then I will consider myself successful.
PageOneLit.com: What was the last book you read?
Jamie Magee: The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need - by Joanna Martine
Woolfolk.
PageOneLit.com: What's next?
Jamie Magee: I could not let the story of Insight end. I have already completed
the next two books in the series and have begun the forth. I hope let them each
follow in the years to come.
PageOneLit.com: Do you have any hobbies? What are they? How do they enhance your
writing?
Jamie Magee: Music, not playing, listening. I love all genres but my favorite is
alternative music, I see the lyrics in the way I see poetry. The words do not
always make sense, and they impact the audience based on the experiences in
their lives. I could easily name specific songs that have helped inspire scenes
in my writing.
