The Book Wheel

Books, Politics, & More

  • Genres
    • Sortable Archive
      • Reviews by Author
      • Reviews by Genre
      • Reviews by Title
    • #30Authors
      • #30Authors Reviews
      • Lineup
    • Fiction
      • Historical Fiction
      • Mystery/Thriller
    • Non-Fiction
      • Biography
      • Economic
      • Memoir
      • Science/Tech/Psychology
      • True Crime
    • Political
    • More Options
      • 1001 List
      • Classics
      • Diverse
  • Book Club Picks
  • Lists
  • Other
    • Blogging
    • Career
    • Discussions
    • Lifestyle
    • Productivity
  • About
    • Accolades
    • Advertising
    • Policies
    • Resources
      • Authors
      • Contributors
    • What is a ‘Book Wheel’?

Author Interview: Jason Mott (The Returned)

September 14, 2013 by Allison Hiltz 7 Comments

Yesterday I posted my review of the runaway bestseller, The Returned, by Jason Mott (click here for the review). Thanks to TLC Book Tours I am also fortunate enough to have been able to interview him about his book. Because both Jason and I are graduates of UNCW I was especially interested in how living in Wilmington may have affected his storyline. For those of you who don’t know, Wilmington is the “Hollywood of the East” and is home to Screen Gem Studios, where hits like One Tree Hill, Dawson’s Creek, Iron Man series, Firestarter, Matlock, and other shows/movies were filmed.

Here’s the interview:

1.  The Returned received an incredible amount of buzz before it was even published. Do you think that was, in part, a result of it being optioned by Plan B Productions?

The Returned has been fortunate enough to have readers and reviewers respond positively to it. The responses have been better than I’ve ever hoped for. I’m just grateful that readers are giving The Returned a chance and that Plan B has optioned it for a series.

 2. Wilmington is known for being home to several popular TV shows, including Dawson’s Creek and One Tree Hill. Did your proximity to the film industry during your time at UNCW give you a boost with getting your book optioned for a television show?

It was exciting living near a town where these two great shows were being  filmed. Living in such a small town gave me the opportunity to create a setting that was true to the south when writing The Returned. The story of southern living played as a character in the novel, and I’m thankful that it’ll be once again represented in a television series.

3. If given the option, would you want to have someone “returned” to you or would you prefer to leave them in the past? Why?

Tough question.  I would like to hug my mother one more time.

4. Before The Returned, you were known for your poetry. If you could only write poetry or fiction, which would it be?

For me, fiction and poetry are never as far apart as many people seem to feel they are. Fiction can be poetic. Poetry can contain narrative. Both are a way of exploring yourself through the written word. So I don’t see any reason (or ability) to choose one over the other. I enjoy writing both. 

 

5. You have said that you draw inspiration from comic books and have written a lot about them. Do you have any plans to develop your own comic book series?

Potentially. Comic books as just as important to me as fiction, poetry, and film. I grew up reading about the epic heroes of Beowulf, The Odyssey, and The Iliad, so it was a natural evolution for me to be drawn to their descendents: Batman, Superman, the X-Men, etc.

As for developing my own comic book series, yes, I’ve considered it. I’ve even got a few preliminary notes drawn up. There’s one story in particular that keeps coming back to me over and over again. Hopefully I’ll get the opportunity to explore it and bring it to life.

6. (From Jennifer at Bookalicious Mama): What was your “made it” moment? Have you had more than one?

Another tough question! Haha! Honestly, I’m not sure I’ll ever really feel as though I’ve “made it.” There are always other goals I want to achieve: other stories I want to write, other mediums I’d like to write in, etc.  But I will definitely admit that spotting your debut novel in a bookstore—the natural haven of literature—is special enough. 

Pick up your copy of The Returned NOW!          

Related Posts

  • Star Books
Publishing Women
The Problem With Publishing Only Women
Flashback Friday: 10 Books by 90’s Stars
crested butte
Mountains and Wildflowers in Crested Butte (Photo Gallery)
Reasons to Eat Right and Exercise That Have Nothing to do With the Scale
Discussion: Rereading the Classics

Filed Under: Authors, Fiction

Email Newsletter

Sign up to get new reviews in your inbox the day they go live.

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter

Upcoming Reviews

Allison's books

Searching for Sylvie Lee
Searching for Sylvie Lee
by Jean Kwok
A Woman Is No Man
A Woman Is No Man
by Etaf Rum
The Leavers
The Leavers
by Lisa Ko

goodreads.com

Trending Now

The Fault In Our Stars Shines

‘Avenue of Mysteries’ Is Classic Irving

Getting Your Sh*t Together In Under 5 Hours

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (Review)

‘Fall of Giants’: More Fact Than Fiction

Surviving an Abusive Childhood Leaves One Woman a ‘Girl Unbroken’

“The Distant Hours” by Kate Morton

Content may not be reposted in full or without permission. This site includes affiliate links.

Copyright © 2021 · Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in