Dark romance with high stakes and representation
What was the spark that started Closer than Blood?
It was childbirth and my epilepsy diagnosis, which was given in the same year. Both real life-changing events. I was isolated in a small village, unable to drive for the best part of a year, and had a lot of time on my own with my daughter. There had been a story kicking around in my head for a while, more day dreams than anything else, but one day I just decided to write it down. I never thought anyone else would read it.
Name one thing you’re proud of having achieved with Closer than Blood.
That it stirs emotions in people, years after I first started writing it. The book was first conceived in 1996 and now it’s a series. That’s insane. I love that people are falling in love with the characters. It means a huge amount.
Please tell us a little about your writing style. What/who has influenced you?
I’ve had a lot of influences, from Quentin Tarantino for dialogue, to Jackie Collins, Harold Robbins and Sidney Sheldon for writing racy scenes and corporate intrigue. I definitely began with that kind of dirty, sexy, corporate vibe. And I guess I’m a bit of a rebel. It isn’t in me to write sweet love stories. My dark side comes out and screws with the characters. I love breaking rules and pushing boundaries.
What was the most interesting/random fact you discovered while researching for Closer than Blood?
Ooh, I’ve had to research some interesting things!; from how to clean a handgun to how to throw a blade, to safe sexual practices, the effects of Class A drugs, how to kill someone instantaneously with heroin and the best kind of lube (water-based) and there’s just so much! And BDSM rules. That was one of the most fascinating. It’s involved, it’s disciplined, and the community is dead serious about safety and consent.
Share something about your main character(s) that is super important to you and why that is.
I always knew Richard was pansexual. It wasn’t a conscious decision. I realised later he was attracted to people, rather than the mechanics. Once I learned there was an actual name for that aspect of his character, I wanted to ensure being pansexual was represented properly. I wasn’t going to just guess. I know there are misconceptions about what it means. Bi and pan people can feel erased and told they’re just “confused.” I wanted his identity to be in no doubt whatsoever.
Is there something from your own life or experience that has found its way into Closer Than Blood?
Living in New Jersey for two years gave me a love and some understanding of how different people are from the Eastern Seaboard to the mid-West. I loved living in a small town, observing different characters, how people celebrated various holidays. It was a wonderful, enriching, inspiring time.
I’ve also put strong female role models in the series, in the form of Richard’s mother, as well as Pagan and Nonna, Tino’s grandmother. I put in people I would have liked to have had but didn’t, rather than dwelling on bad shit from my own past.
What’s next for you and your writing?
I’m sketching out the last book the series, which I really hope I can put out next year. And I’m doing a novella of Pagan and Marcus’s relationship, Book 3.5 which slots between Closer 3 (Obsession) and Closer 4 (Going Down)
What book(s) changed your life?
I’ll answer that a different way. My Dad (long gone now) constantly presented me with books from when I was very young. Poetry, stories, compendiums, a Roget’s Thesaurus which I absolutely treasure. He fed my love of reading and talked about books with me every day. I was a precocious reader at school and had read all the Agatha Christie books by the time I was twelve, together with Charles Dickens and books by Daphne due Maurier. Rebecca was my favourite and still is. It’s the ultimate dark romance.
Is there a cause that’s important to you?
There are a few, but supporting the LGBTQIA community is right up there. Being a good ally if I can. If I’m writing about gay characters, I better damned well respect and not misrepresent a real community who struggles every day against bigotry and misunderstanding.
Connect with Jayne Lockwood here.
