Blazing Trailers interviews Jay Luke of "When Coal Was Queen"

Meet Jay Luke

Interview with Jay Luke, author of When Coal was Queen. Read an excerpt and watch the trailer at Blazing Trailers.

Why do you write?

I write because like most people, it provides an outlet for me. It’s a great way to vent and get things off my chest. Some people aren’t fortunate enough to use their artistic talents in that way. I find it’s like a form of therapy. Some people end up doing very regrettable things when they have no outlet, so I feel lucky that I have writing, my music, and painting as a form of escapism for life’s daily frustrations.

What kind of promotions do you do for your books?

I have been very fortunate to have a great publishing company behind me (Tribute Books) that have kept me in the press quite a bit since my book has been released. They’ve set me up with plenty of book signings, television appearances, newspaper articles and interviews, etc. I try to be as available as my schedule allows me when I’m not working or performing with my band. I love to be able to network and connect with people as often as I can. It reminds you why you get into writing and art in the first place.

Who do you think you are?

I guess there are a million labels that can be put on anyone but more than anything I consider myself an artist. I love to write, play music, paint, and create. So I think the simplest answer to describe myself in a nutshell is an artist, as it encompasses all of my passions without pushing me into a corner. There’s a great degree of freedom to know that art is everywhere and each day is like a blank canvas for us to paint in any way we choose. Some people just choose not to pick up the brush.

What would you tell aspiring writers about the publishing business?


My advice is to always listen to your heart, because if you listen to everyone else you’ll find your creativity and desire in a grave. Criticism is fine but don’t let it deter your vision or dreams. In my estimation, success comes with unshakable perseverance and determination. You have to be willing to get your feelings hurt and not let it destroy you. Personally, when someone says I can’t do something I go out of my way to try to prove them wrong and it fuels me to accomplish goals.

The late Randy Pausch said it better than almost anyone I can recall in his book, The Last Lecture when he said, “Brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want something badly enough. They are there to keep out the other people.”

I try to let that statement be my mantra through life. It’s a blueprint for success.

Do you belong to a critique group? How has this helped or hindered your writing? What do you see for the future of publishing and e-books?

I don’t belong to a critique group but I do know who to turn to for honest advice and brutal truth. I think it is very important to have people to turn to for advice and direction-pointing at times. It’s great to have self confidence but it’s also good to learn from others that you respect. You don’t always have to take their advice but getting different viewpoints makes you a well rounded writer. You might get into a conversation with someone and then realize a whole portion of your book needs to be rewritten. For as many times you reread your work you’d be amazed that all it takes is for someone else to glance through it to pick out mistakes that you missed a million times.

As for the future of publishing, I think there will always be a market for having printed books. Music, movies and magazines have all felt the massive wrath the internet has dealt them, but I am pretty confident that printed books will always have a place in the world. E-books are gaining popularity but there’s just something about holding the physical book and turning the pages on your own that has a certain romance to it.

They say authors have immensely fragile egos. How would you handle negative criticism or a negative review?

As I said, if you try to please everyone else you’ll find the one person who gets the least satisfaction is you. Negative reviews are something you have to deal with in all walks of life no matter what your job is. You can’t be loved by everyone, not even God can claim universal acceptance. I think the fact of the matter is most people have an easier time talking about what they dislike more than what they like. So you have to accept that people will like your work and people will dislike your work. A bad review can be disappointing but I try to let my heart be my guide. Sometimes critics like to slam others out of jealously or because of their own failures in the writing world, so I might have developed a thicker skin than others. They can be brutal in the music world and I have learned to let it roll off my back. I just put my helmet on and run like hell towards the next goal. My advice is to not live your life by the viewpoint of critics, be true to yourself and you’ll never be let down.

Technically speaking, what do you struggle with most when writing? How do you tackle it?

I think most often the answer here would be writers’ block, but over time you learn when you get in a quandary it’s best to step away for awhile and do something else. I try to keep my writing fresh and not reuse a lot of phrases or repeated quotes. So coming up with new ways to say certain things can be a great challenge in writing. You’re not going to reinvent the wheel but it is nice to have a few different ways to say things to avoid a stale sounding piece. Certain people think time schedules and feeling rushed can also be a big problem, but I was always the kid in school that waited until the very last minute to do anything. Knowing the deadline is approaching is when I really get my motivation. The creativity seems to be the purest for me in moments like that.

Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your work?


Yes, I’ve been trying to keep all of my social networking pages updated with all my goings on such as shows, book signings, and appearances. I can be found at:

www.myspace.com/jayluke
www.facebook.com/jaylukepage
www.twitter.com/jay_luke

Do you have another book in the works? Would you like to tell readers about your current or future projects?


My next book will be a thriller novel with some very exciting twists and turns about two childhood friends that live very different lives in a big city, and each go on to accomplish incredible things that seem impossible. I am hoping it will be finished by 2010.

Thanks for visiting Blazing Trailers, Luke!