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Originally appeared online as a Featured Author in April 2008 at Torquere Press

Torquere Press: J.M. Snyder is an author of gay erotic/romantic fiction who lives in Richmond, Virginia, with two very spoiled cats. On the rare occasions when not writing, J.M. reads non-fiction about odd things, watches 1980's TV shows like The A-Team and The Dukes of Hazzard, and plays video games (mostly The Legend of Zelda). She likes post-apocalyptic stories, science fiction, and Civil War history. Oh, and River Phoenix movies.

Tell us about your High Ball, Conflict of Interest. What inspired you to write it? How long did it take you to write it?

J.M. Snyder: The inspiration for Conflict of Interest came years ago ... I want to say the year 2000? I was looking for a new job and applied for an office position at a psychiatrist's practice. Part of the interview had me filling out a personality test, which I thought was just beyond funny. I mean, the questions were so obvious that you knew what the expected answer should be. Things like, "A client overpays you. Do you take the money or return it?" Puh-leaze.

I was in a conference room, alone, waiting to continue the interview after I had filled out the test, when an image came to me of a young man in a similar room, waiting to speak with someone. By the time the interviewer came back to speak with me, the guy in my head had taken on the persona of a young man at a shelter, waiting for ... A priest? A new friend? A "big brother" mentor type, perhaps? I didn't know, yet, but I wanted to find out.

The story took about two and a half months to write. Along the way I had to do some research, particularly on youth shelters and radio stations, as both feature in the story. But I love the research aspect of writing ... unfortunately, sometimes I get too tied up in it and the story falls by the wayside, which is why I have beta readers to pull me back on track.

Torquere: Tell us one thing about yourself that your readers would be surprised to know.

J.M.: Hmm, that's hard to say. I keep an online journal and am pretty open with everyone about everything, so there's little readers wouldn't be able to find out about me if they searched hard enough. I think perhaps the fact that I'm female may surprise some of my readers, though at this point I don't think it's all that big a surprise!

Torquere: Do you have a favorite genre to read? To write? Is there any one genre you find it easier to write in than the others?

J.M.: I read a lot of non-fiction books. They give me a lot of my story ideas, to be honest. The fiction I favor tends to be quirky and humorous, and usually speculative in nature (sci-fi, fantasy, horror). I tend to read what I don't write, if that makes sense. I write a lot of contemporary stories, so I read stuff that's different.

That said, I really enjoy writing futuristic or post-apocalyptic stories. I find them easy to write, for whatever reason. I also like writing historical fiction, and many of my stories are interracial, as well.

Torquere: You seem to write a variety of lengths -- from short to long. Is one easier than the other for you?

J.M.: I get on a kick and write only short stories for a while, then want something longer and more satisfying so I move onto a novel, then maybe switch back again. The length to me is whatever the story dictates. Unfortunately, some readers want me to make short stories longer, or continue my longer stories, and it just doesn't work that way for me. Most times when I finish a story, I consider it done. It's only recently that I've begun to think in terms of sequels and ongoing series.

Torquere: What’s the best thing about writing? How about the worst thing?

J.M.: The best thing about writing is the way it purges everything negative from my life. Writing is therapy to me, and it helps me cope with stress, jealousy, and anger. Putting words on paper is like confession -- it washes clean everything that's been building up inside of me and helps me come to terms with it.

The worst thing is when the words won't flow. When the plot becomes a struggle, or the characters won't cooperate, or the blank page just stares at you like an abyss ... there's nothing worse than that! Time to take a break and pull out the Nintendo.

Torquere: Character or plot, which comes first?

J.M.: For me, I usually get a scene in mind, just a flash, like I'm flipping channels on the TV and catch something before moving on. The character builds from that, and eventually I know his story and how he got in that situation. So I'll have to say character first, definitely. They drive the plot.

Torquere: What is your favorite way to spend a rainy day?

J.M.: Lying bed with the cats, reading or playing video games. I'm on the last dungeon in Twilight Princess and am this close to beating Ganondorf.Yes, I'm a geek.

Torquere: What are you working on now?

J.M.: I'm working on a short novella entitled All Shook Up. The story is about Eduard van De Lier, a plantation owner in colonial Java in 1883, whose life on the island is threatened when a former lover, Reza, appears with documentation that proves Eduard is living a lie. Reza's arrival forces Eduard to realize he's missed the man, but before they can pick up the pieces of their old relationship, life in Java is torn asunder by the eruption of Krakatoa.