Release day is tomorrow! We round up this Meet the Authors feature with contributing author and co-editor...
J.C. Martin
Brief Bio:
J.C. Martin was born in Malaysia but now lives in London, where she works as a martial arts instructor to fund her writing obsession. Her past occupations include being a school teacher and a cancer research technician. Her short stories have appeared in anthologies for New Asian Writing, Pill Hill Press and Static Movement, and she is the winner of the 2010 IFWG Publishing Story Quest Short Story Contest. Her short story, Tommy's Legacy, will be published in the Stories for Sendai anthology. She blogs about the art of writing and fighting on her blog J.C. Martin, Fighter Writer. For shorter, 140-character versions of her ramblings, follow her on Twitter @JCMartin_author. She can also be found roaming on Facebook.
What genres do you write?
The two novels I am currently working on are both crime fiction featuring the same detective. My short stories are mainly horror, and I am toying with the idea of a couple of young adult/new adult paranormal fantasies.
What are you currently writing? Sum it up in 10 words or less.
Serial killer stalks London leading up to the 2012 Olympics.
What do you do when you're not writing?
I practice or teach Wing Chun kung fu, play badminton, pick up after my three dogs and my husband (usually my husband), and spend more time than I should blogging.
What is your ultimate goal as a writer?
To be a full-time writer/part-time martial arts instructor. At the moment, it's the wrong way round!
How close are you to achieving this goal?
I'm almost done with one of my novels, Oracle. After rewrites, I need to find some beta readers for it, followed by even more edits before it's ready to even grace an agent's slush pile. So...still a couple of years yet! But seeing as my novel has a very current theme (the 2012 Olympics) I want to try and capitalise on, I'm hoping to try and speed the process along--somehow!
What is the single most important piece of advice you can give a fellow writer?
You may be your own harshest critic, but you may also be the most biased. A good critique partner is worth their weight in gold!
So what martial arts do you practice and teach? (I remember your blog mentioning an unspecified style of kung fu.)
ReplyDelete#Aikido #Hapkido #TaiChi #very_inexpert
Wing Chun. It's a traditional Shaolin art. Most famous student is probably Bruce Lee. :)
ReplyDeleteYep, I know it. That is it, I know of it and I know about it. I know the first long fist form in a rudimentary way. I started to learn the first of the Five Animals forms, but I am just not that flexible enough or have enough long-term strength in my core for those positions. lol
ReplyDeleteWing Chun, though, I only know from reading (and watching).
Anyway, very cool. :)
What is your date of birth? Im doing a research paper for school and it would be very helpful if I knew.
ReplyDelete