About Jinx Schwartz:
Jinx Schwartz is the author of the bestselling Hetta Coffey Mystery series.
Hetta Coffey is a sassy Texan with a snazzy yacht, and she’s not afraid to use it!
Jinx Schwartz is a sassy Texan with a snazzy yacht, and she’s not afraid to use it.
What inspires you to write?
I love weaving a good, entertaining tale.
In addition to the Hetta Coffey series, I’ve written The Texicans, an epic saga of Texas during the thirty tumultuous years leading to the fall of the Alamo, and a family who lived then. I am a ninth generation Texan and was inspired by my ancestors who immigrated to Texas in 1806.
My second novel, Troubled Sea, is set in the Sea of Cortez, where I was living on my boat at the time. Inspiration was all around me.
Land of Mountains, my third book, and a MG/YA was inspired by my childhood in Haiti, and then came Hetta; she shared my adventures of buying a boat as a single woman, and then taking it to Mexico.
Tell us about your writing process.
I’m a pantser. I start a book with my character, situation and setting, then let the story lead me by the seat of my pants to where it will end. Writing a series is challenging in that you have to keep it fresh and moving or readers burn out.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I agrue with Hetta all the time.
Me: “Oh, come on, Hetta. You can’t do that! Your readers won’t like it.”
Hetta: “Just keep writing, slave. I do what I want and you can’t stop me.”
What advice would you give other writers?
Just do it.
I’ve been self-published, small press published, learned from each step, and no I’m a happy Indie. It’s not easy, but if you really want to be a writer, you have to do the work. Edit, edit, edit.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
When I had a falling out with my publisher, I had to make the giant leap into the brave new world of Kindle Direct Publishing. It has worked for me, but I had the advantage of having several book that had been professionally edited. Jumping in too soon with a less than well-edited, well-formatted book is a disaster, and your reviews will reflect that.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Looks like e-books are here to stay. My books are in ebook, paperback, and audio. When the next new thing comes, I will go with the flow. So far I’ve hitched myself to the Star of Amazon. That, too, can change.
What do you use?: Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: Humorous mystery, Sea Adventure, Historical, MiddleGrade/YA, Thriller.
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Jinx Schwartz Home Page Link
Link To Jinx Schwartz Page On Amazon
