Author Interview: JM Samland
- fridaynightwritesi
- Feb 20
- 7 min read
Hello, everyone! Welcome back to Friday Night Writes! As always, our goal is to shine a spotlight on members of the book community and introduce readers to awesome authors, narrators, event hosts, influencers, and more.
This week, we'd like to introduce our featured guest, author JM Samland!
What is your (pen) name?
J M Samland (and Dirk Mourningwood)
Tell us a little bit about yourself. Who are you?
A trained mathematician and manager of a software development team, my real passions are in writing and martial arts. I live in Canton, Michigan with my husband of 10 years and our furbabies, where we drink way too much coffee.
What are a few of your favorite things/least favorite things?
Love cats, coffee, martial arts
Hate Trump, Vance, ICE, all of the GOP, spineless dems
Did you always want to be an author?
No
If not, what did you want to be when you were a child?
A dentist, of all things
When did you know you wanted to be an author?
4th grade, I remember my teacher saying something to effect of, “You can only write with a pen once you’ve published a book.” I took that as a challenge
Besides writing, do you have any hobbies? Do any of your characters share the same interests as you?
I like playing with swords. Lone can use a sword, but all my MCs have a touch of my ADHD.
Do you have anything that you’re truly passionate about outside of writing? (Could be a cause, a project, etc.)
I love teaching. I taught taekwondo for years and really enjoyed finding new ways to get through to the kids.
How long have you been writing?
I published my first book in 2020, but I say that book took 20 years to write.
Which genres do you write in?
Fantasy, humor, erotica, and now historical fiction
Are you independently published or traditionally published? Why did you choose this route? What are the benefits/drawbacks?
I’m self-pub because I don’t want to deal with anyone else’s timelines. The problem is that I have to follow my own ridiculous timelines. I often feel alone, though I know I’m not.
What do you enjoy most and least about being an author?
I love being surprised by a character not performing how I intended them to, like I’m getting to know a real person.
I hate marketing.
Are you a plotter, a plantser, or a pantser?
I’m a plantser. I plot out a book now, but leave plenty of wiggle room for the characters to carry me off script.
Do you have any writing routines (things you do that help you write)?
Not currently. My job makes it difficult. I used to have set times for writing, but now my brain is often fried.
How do you deal with writer’s block?
Set it down for the night, or leave a note of what I want to happen and move on in the story.
How many WIPs do you have going right now? Can you tell us anything about them?
Two!
La Luce’s Legacy 2 is the second of my four part erotic thriller set in the Mediterranean. I’m debating putting this out toward the end of the year, or waiting until I have books 2-4 done.
Ooo Shiny! Volume 5 will be a collection of whimsical short stories about nothing. And space squirrels.
How many books do you currently have published? Tell us about them.
15 books, but just the novels…
- Realms of Terswood
- Trials of Throk’tar
- Seeds of Farsil
- Necromancer of Urbus
Epic sword and sorcery high fantasy
Lone just wants to be an adventurer, but must step up when a crown is thrust on his head. Alishia is a child of two worlds, but comes to know she’s so much more.
Gaslamp romantasy – Victorian-era with magic
Elvan is the last of his broken, noble house. On a chance encounter, he meets the shopkeeper Drace, and together they uncover a conspiracy that spans the kingdom.
Dark fantasy comedy
On her first trip away from home, Gabriela accidentally kills a man. Her mother refuses to help until she sees that Gabriela won't take no for an answer. And there's a sentient suit of armor. And the man had it coming.
Historical fiction
The year is 1925, and Violet is on the run. She takes a job on a secluded island in the Atlantic, hoping it will quickly earn her the money for a new life. But will it be quick enough? Will the past – hers or the island's – catch up to her?
La Luce’s Legacy (as Dirk Mourningwood)
Erotic thriller set in the Mediterranean
Matteo's estranged father leaves him an island resort, but when he lands, he finds more than just hot men and sunshine.
Where do you get the inspiration for your books? Do you insert pieces of yourself and people you know into your books?
Years of fantasy game play, wanting to explore a particular character, combing through my mom’s genealogy research. All of my MCs have at least a touch of my ADHD, but other characters are mashed together from other random bits. Daelin, for example, is a mashup of my father and my taekwondo grandmaster.
Are there any other authors who have inspired you?
James Clemens, aka James Rollins. He wrote a 5 book series back in the early 2000s that I couldn’t read fast enough. I sent him a letter after the second, care of his publisher, and he emailed me back. We went back and forth for months and he made me realize that authors are just regular people, that this was something I could possibly be.
Do you prefer standalone books or book series?
Both? A series feels like a time commitment, but if each book in it is a standalone, in a linked world, I like that best. Sometimes I want more of a character. Sometimes I want to read something else between the books in a series and I don’t always remember what happened at the end of the last one.
Do you have a favorite and least favorite of your characters? Why?
Lone or Elvan is my favorite. Gabriela was difficult to write because she has a very different intelligence than myself.
What is your most popular book?
Realms of Terswood is my best seller, followed by Grave Mistakes. I’ve only had one show with The Widdershin Widow, and sold out of it. It seems like my first and most recent books are always the most popular.
Which of your books do you wish received more love than it does?
Arcanym. Elvan is just a shy gay boy and I wish more people knew him.
How do you handle the author/life balance? (i.e. writing/editing/graphic design/home life/etc.)
I try to focus on a minimum number of projects at once. All the stages of story creation fall under “writing time” and I try to dedicate time to it as I would any hobby.
What do you do for your mental health and to recharge your creativity?
…not enough. My work now burns out my brain, putting out fires and sitting on meetings all day.
Do you have any advice for unpublished writers or people who hope to become authors?
Do it. Write the story. It’s hard work and the first draft will be a mess, but it’s so worth it.
What’s your favorite Dinosaur?
Stegosaurus, obviously
What is the best gift you have been given?
A Venn diagram from the “Too Many Dads” tiktok video. It’s a stupid inside joke with the friend who made it for me, but it makes me smile every time I glance at it.
What's the most daring thing you've ever done?
Went up on stage at a luau in front of maybe 5k people when they asked for “anniversaries or honeymooners”. To his credit, the host quickly pivoted his script. We had people stopping us for the rest of the trip to Hawaii, even at the airport leaving, say how much it meant to them to see us up there.
Are you a clean or messy person?
I’m definitely not tidy, but I hate a mess. I’m certainly not dirty. At any time, I have at least 3 drinking vessels on my desk.
Do you believe in aliens? Ghosts?
Aliens, 100%. I’m a mathematician. Us being the only life in the universe is statistically impossible.
Ghosts not so much, but I believe energy can linger.
What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
Mint or coffee. Mint with coffee chip?? Yes please.
If you could be a shifter what would your alternate form be?
Either a cat or a sexy merman
Which inanimate object would be the most annoying if it played loud upbeat music while being used?
A toilet
As a child, what did you think would be awesome about being an adult but isn’t as awesome as you thought it would be? Why?
Staying up late
What would you use to survive the zombie apocalypse? Why?
I’m unsure that I’d want to survive it
Where can we find you online?
Do you have any planned events?
• Sinful Signings, March 7-8
Roanoke, VA
• Mother's Day Signing Event, May 9
Frankenmuth, MI
• A Boof Affair, July 25
Fort Wayne, IN
• Pages of Glass, August 1
Toledo, OH
Are you holding a giveaway? What is it? What do readers need to do to participate?
25 free copies of the Widdershin Widow audio book! Sign up for my mailing list and reply to my March email to get it.
Are there any rules or exclusions?
The audiobook will be delivered through Audible, so will require an account with that.
How can readers expect to hear from you?
I have a monthly newsletter and post now and then on social media.