An Interview with Theresa Janson
Theresa Janson grew up in the American Midwest and uprooted to Colorado in the mid-’90s. Writing has always been in her blood, and she has culled stories from working as a paralegal with attorneys and law enforcement—knowing everyone’s secrets. Her life and work have given her insight into a subconscious collection of experiences prevalent in the words of this novel and all her works. She was given nightly dreams, and those dreams are the words that lead you through the chapters of her books until you can’t catch your breath and yet long for more.
Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?
When I was nine, in Catholic school there was a school-wide competition to write a sermon on tithing for the priest to read the next Sunday. I won and received a picture of the pope at that time. I realized my thoughts and my words could be powerful. I’ve been writing since that time.
I’ve always admired crime/thriller and suspense stories, especially Michael Connelly, Harlan Coben, and Craig Johnson, to name a few. I love character-driven crime stories, which is what I strive to do. I write cross-genre crime/thriller/suspense/romance/mystery/multicultural and I do have a tendency to break the rules of writing by combining first and third person and sometimes making up words.
What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?
Paralegal work and ran mortgage companies along with anything relating to those industries. I’m a true Capricorn and ten years ago I’d had it with my marriage and my job, so I quit both and demanded a do-over from the Universe, and it gave me this series to write from dreams. A series of seven books starting with Reservations filled my nightly dreams—visceral, real, and complex. I dreamed every night, wrote every day, and, finally, after ten years, Hollywood is interested in making it a crime procedural show and I’m up for Author of the Year with International Impact Awards—from which I won first in Crime Fiction. At seventy-two, I’m no longer invisible.
Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?
The title came with my first dream—Reservations related not only to the crimes happening on multiple native lands, but with the protagonist having second thoughts about her life and this case.
What part of publishing your book made it feel real for the first time?
Winning awards—some of which are listed on my website, theresajanson.com.
I felt that my writing had value and readers really liked the stories.
If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?
Soft rock from the ’80s and ’90 s—Foreigner, White Snake, Journey, Genesis, Seals & Crofts—because the lyrics and melodies made the dreams so powerful and gave the characters an added layer to their feelings and emotions.
What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?
That it wasn’t a Native story, it wasn’t a crime story, but stories of resilience, character, redemption, overcoming trauma, and profound love that were on and off the native lands, with stories covering plots you may never have seen. I want the reader to want to read the entire series—the characters become friends and family that you can’t wait to visit again and again.
What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?
The reviews, good and bad; they tell me my writing hits a nerve and makes people think and see the layers of story. They talk to me about my characters as if they are real people.
What creative projects are you currently working on?
I have three of the novels in the series launched; the fourth one comes out in November, with the final three coming out in the next year. I paint the background of the book covers and try artistic ways to bring texture and dimension to the covers, so you want to pick it up, feel it, and see that you’re already in the story without opening the book. Seven books, seven colors—the spines will be in the color order of the rainbow.
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