We recently connected with J.D. MASON and have shared our conversation below.

J.D., thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

Imagine having a dream, a goal you’ve wanted your whole life and through determination, faith, and grit, you do all the things and after many years you make that dream come true. Then imagine spending decades immersed in living your dream vowing you’ll spend the rest of your life doing this thing you love, only to one day, hit a brick wall, face a new dreadful truth that you just can’t do it anymore and do the unthinkable. You quit.

In 2002, after seven long years of rewrites, edits, and at least a hundred rejection letters, I signed my first contract with an actual literary agent, and a few months later, signed a multi-book publishing deal with a major New York City publisher. Getting that “yes” from that publisher was the moment I’d prayed for, envisioned, fought to get to for seven years, and I vowed to hold on to that accomplishing with both hands, my feet, and teeth until I absolutely was not physically able to continue doing it. My first book “And On The Eighth Day She Rested” was published in 2003, and my last book “Woman Trapped in the Dark” from that publisher was released in 2018. And in 2018, when I submitted a new proposal for a new contract, my editor said the words I never thought I’d hear “Sorry, J.D. We can’t offer a new contract.” I remember feeling a combination of sadness and relief. Sadness, because after so many years of being in the business, I was “let go” but relief because deep down, I wanted to be let go. And as broken hearted as I was, I knew my time had come to an end, and that my editor actually did me a favor because I would have never walked away from living my dream on my own. I needed her rejection in order to move forward. So, after months of sitting on my yoga mat, cycling every emotion known to woman, and giving myself to feel each and everything that rose up in me, I finally decided to move forward with self publishing. And it was different because there were no deadlines. No pressure. I wrote at my leisure, and published books with no expectations. Selling a ton of books was no longer something I had to worry about, because I didn’t have the emotional capacity to worry about things like that anymore. While contracted to a publishing house, book sales were the bane of my existence, and gradually, for years, my numbers had been dropping. But self publishing at least allowed me the benefit of continuing to write. After a few years, though, a month before “Broken Glass” my last mainstream title was about to be released, I truly ran out of gas, and decided right after publishing it, that I was done. I was retired.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Most writers are early readers and started writing at a very young age. I actually used my dolls to role play the stories I made up as a kid. It wasn’t until years later that I actually attempted to write. It’s always been more about the characters for me than the stories. I’m an observer, meaning, I watch and analyze people without understanding why or how. I’ve found the most fascinating thing about people are the things they don’t say that tell a richer story. So, when I write, I dig deep into the “whys” of my characters, and then challenge readers to see situations from perspectives they might not have ever considered before. I’ve written everything from general women’s fiction, romantic suspense, to dark fantasy, to fantasy romance. My biggest fan base are readers of my women’s fiction. I’m still trying to make a name for myself in the fantasy arena, but I write it because I love it.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Let’s face it, AI is probably going to take over the creative industry. I get it. Technology, evolution, economically more feasible. But, I’m a dinosaur, and everything I create comes directly from me and my imagination. I don’t know enough about AI technology to speak against it’s uses and the value it adds, but I think it’s important to support “organic” artists as much as we can for as long as we can. The value of art is its soul, and that soul comes from people. One day, people like me might be obsolete in a world that demands more NOW and cheaper. But, before that happens, don’t forget about us.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Of course the most rewarding aspect of being a writer is sharing what I’ve created. As terrifying as it is to put my babies out there for the world to see, it’s a part of the process that validates all the hard work I put into it. It would be all too easy to write my stories and keep them to myself. The amount of courage it takes to share it is astounding, but exhilarating, and satisfying when feedback is positive. Not so much when I get negative reviews. Still, there’s a sense of pride with knowing that I did my best and I shared my best with total strangers who, hopefully, enjoyed my work, my efforts, and my passion.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jdmproductionsllc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j.d.mason/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjdmason
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdmason70125/
• Other: https://sociatap.com/jdmason