J.M. Samland mostly writes in dark fantasy, but he does have a book of short stories that dabble in contemporary fiction, mystery, and steampunk. ​
How did you decide to become a writer?
I wrote a lot through high school, then stopped for almost 20 years. I started back training taekwondo, something I also quit in high school, and when I was close to black belt, I thought "what else have I stopped?" And blam, 5 books in 2 years.
What inspires you, and motivates you to write?
I pull inspiration from myself, hoping to get a fan someday. Other than my mom. She's my #1 fan. ​
Do you get writer's block? What do you do to get out of your writing funk?
Not really. If I'm stuck on one project, I go to another, which lead to my book of short stories. ​
Share an inspirational story you encountered on your writing journey.
Since I've published, several friends have said they want to write a book too. Only one is. She's told me what an inspiration and model I am to her. It's very touching.
​The most recent release or the next book you're about to release......Share blurb and 5 reasons why someone should read that book. Include a link if already released. If there are any reviews for this book, please include them as well.
Ooo Shiny! Volume 1 will be released on August 8th. It's a collection of short stories marketed for reading on the toilet. https://amzn.to/3AOFXxE 5 reasons to read it? - quick read - not immersive, very accessible - fun and funny - variety of genres - my mom says the story about the pawn shop is the best thing ever ------ The dark lord's call pulls the exalted king from his eternal slumber, but he's trapped behind a stone wall. A centipede pleads for help, but what if it's a hyper-advanced AI from the future? An assassin uses everyday objects in his craft and grooves to 1990s top 40 hits. Cannibal ghosts drive campers into an eating frenzy. What if Ivan the Terrible's Golden Library were hidden under the Red Square Krispy Kreme? What if a competing dungeon offered dental? Ooo Shiny! is a collection of 19 absurd stories from a mind that can't focus, each taking only 5 to 15 minutes to read during your morning constitutional. Sometimes rambling nonsense that aims to make you smirk or your eyes roll, even the most black-hearted, humorless souls will find at least one chuckle in this collection. Grab a stick of unicorn jerky, put down your time-traveling phone, and respawn into the dungeon next to the D.E.D. sorority mixer! As one advance reader called it, "Fun... In a disturbing way..." ​Who is your ideal audience? "new adult" and up. I don't go overboard with violence or language, but some of the imagery might be a bit much for younger. ​
What sets you apart from other writers?
Probably not really anything. I don't take myself too seriously and have fun with the process.
Is there another author your books are similar to?
James Clemens (aka James Rollins) was a strong influence in my early work.
​If you have multiple books available, which one is your favorite? And why?
I'll have 5 out by the end of September. I'm proud of them all for different reasons. - Realms of Terswood was my first - I drafted Trials of Throk'tar very quickly, like it was writing itself - I drafted Necromancer of Urbus for NaNoWriMo and didn't plan on writing it until the week before I started. - Ooo Shiny! was just fun to be ridiculous and silly - Seeds of Farsil is a farewell to a trilogy with a scope far greater than my previous novels. ​
What does your writing process entail? Planner, pantser? Research required? Editing methods? etc
I'm mostly a pantser. I'm trying to plot more so that I'm more efficient and have to toss out less after draft 1. I've started using a plot wheel so I can see the gaps in the pacing and clearly see how events foreshadow later things, etc. After draft 1, I try my best to set the work down for a while, but I'm insanely impatient, so that rarely works.
​Behind the scenes......Music or no? Any other tactics used in the aid of writing?
Streaming Lofi girl all the time! I can't write in silence, but also can't have lyrics or anything with too strong of beats. It's so hard to not tab over to Chrome... I haven't come up with a way to avoid that yet. ​
What would you tell a new writer to help them get started?
Just write, have fun with it. Don't edit too hard or be hard on yourself reading it back. Just get words down.
​Do you have a newsletter? Share a subscribe link if you have one. Include what to expect with your issues (if you'd like to share this information)
https://jamiemsamland.com/free... I give a link to download some free stories with a signup. I email very infrequently with updates about my writing. I'm working to come up with more content for greater value. ​
Is there anything you would like to add? Any tips or anecdotes you'd like to share?
I wrote REALMS during the COVID lockdown, like I'm sure 4 million other people did. I had a bunch of terrible fan fiction from high school and scraped all that when I was preparing to test for my black belt. I published the book a week before I tested for my third degree.