Joy Ross Davis is of Irish descent and a student of the lore and magic found in the hills of Tennessee. After a twenty-five year career as a college English professor, she traveled to Ireland and worked as a writer and photographer, publishing numerous travel articles and photos for an Irish travel agency. She has been a contributing feature writer for a local newspaper and has published articles in Southern literary magazines. She lives in Alabama with her son and beloved dogs. She loves to speak at conferences, book club meetings, and events to share her connection with angels and the stories behind her books. Her books include The Witch of Blacklion, Countenance (silver medal winner, paranormal category), Emalyn’s Treasure (gold medal winner) and Mother, Can You Hear Me?.

You can find Joy Ross Davis on Facebook and on Twitter.
Check out her author page on Amazon and her website.
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What motivates you to write and how did you get started?

I think my vivid imagination is my motivator. I wrote my very first short story (a friendly ghost story) when I was in fourth grade! My teacher thought it was trash and tore it up in front of me then threw it away. From that point, I wrote in secret until I was well into my thirties.

What’s most rewarding about writing?

The most rewarding part for me is fitting the story together, making all the pieces of the puzzle into one cohesive story, and then when I’ve finished, I can type those two important words: The End. The rewards from readers’ comments rank high on the list, as well.

What’s your favorite genre and why?

My favorite genre is historical paranormal romance, although I’ve ventured now into contemporary paranormal. I think all of my writing stems from an encounter when I was a child of six. I’d gone outside to watch the sky as a thunderstorm rolled by. I could see the lightning but I was transfixed by the clouds. Suddenly, I heard a voice that said, “Run, Joy, run.” In front of me I could make out a form and a pair of beautiful hands. When I heard a second time, “Run, Joy, run,” I ran back to the front porch. Lightning had struck at my feet but did no damage to me, yet where I stood the ground was burned. I truly believe I encountered an angel. So, I’ve been writing about angels ever since.

Where do your characters come from?

Somewhere out there in the vast character universe! Each character comes to me the same way. I see first a mental image and I might see it for weeks without knowing who it is or what the story might be. Eventually, a name comes to me. Once I have the name, the characters usually talk to me or I begin to see them in scenes….all kinds of scenes from working to arguing to walking outside. From that point, it’s up to me to develop the character’s story.

Who is an author who inspires you and why?

My first big inspiration came from John Updike whose novel, The Centaur, had a significant impact on my life. I have several copies of this book, and in each one, I’ve underlined his most beautiful sentences. They just sang to me. I think I strive to write lyrical prose in a similar fashion…….but of course, I never really reach what I strive for!

What do you look for in other people’s books?

In other people’s books, I look for the story, although I am a bit of a grammar nerd, so I pay attention to how the story is written. But mostly, I want the story. I’m fond of historical pieces, especially of the great old masters of painting. So, I also look for a bit of history that will add to my knowledge base. I’m always intrigued by the back story of an interesting character.

What are you writing now?

I’ve just finished Peaches and Lace and now, I’m working on two sequels. I want to finish the sequel to my first novel, Countenance, so most of my attention is focused on that. But I also want to finish the sequel to Peaches and Lace, as well. And, of course, there is a new novel in the works called Liliana’s Dance about an artist in Ireland whose painting suddenly and inexplicably show the figure of a woman he’s seen dancing on the beach. Although he’s admired her, he’s never painted her, yet she begins to appear in each of his paintings.

What kind of book would you like to be known for?

I think every writer wants to be known for books that impact other people’s lives in some way. I’m known as “angelwriter,” because all of my stories feature angels in some form or fashion. Most are unusual angels and readers might not know until the end that the character is, indeed, an angel. I would like to be known for books that inspire people and also for books that open the reader to possibilities that they might not have thought of. Mostly, I want to write characters that will stay with the reader for a long time.

What has writing taught you about yourself?

One of the important things that writing has taught me about myself is that I can be more disciplined than I thought. When I’m working and emotionally and physically immersed in a character, I write every day from 5:00 am to 11:00 without fail. It’s my morning routine when I’m deep into a novel. Another thing I’ve learned about myself is that, although I’ve always been steeped in the paranormal, I can write pretty well about characters who have no belief at all in the supernatural. At one time, I thought the whole story had to be about paranormal events, but now I know that it doesn’t. The paranormal can slip in at different points in the story “as quiet as a mouse.”

How has your life experience influenced your writing?

Let’s see. I’m not quite sure how to answer here. I think that without the life experiences I’ve had, I wouldn’t be able to write believable characters. Perhaps I’m wrong. My characters aren’t really based on real people. They’re fabrications, but without having the life I’ve had, those characters would probably be difficult to write. I did write a memoir called “Mother, Can You Hear Me?” but it was a compilation of my weekly experiences with my mom who suffered from dementia. Each article was for a column I wrote for a newspaper. Other than that, my writing has a paranormal bent that simply will not leave me.

What encouraging advice can you offer new writers?

The most encouraging thing I can say to new writers is simply what the best advice always is: write, write, write. I think all new writers are unsure of their writing, but as we practice and write more, the writing becomes better. I believe that only by writing and practicing can we become good writers. Those first terrible drafts might tend to send us scurrying for cover, but without those, we simply cannot progress. The first draft of my latest novel was not well received by my publisher. No, she didn’t like it at all. So, I spent a good deal of time trying to flesh out the main character to make her likable and relatable. Thankfully, the revised version turned out well. But that’s the lesson. New writers don’t really know that they can succeed if they’ve written something awful. They might think they’re doomed. But thankfully, there is a process called revision that is the saving grace for all of us. Write. Revise. Edit. Write. New writers have to be willing to go through that process in order to succeed.

Check out Joy Ross Davis’ first novel, Countenance (silver medal winner, paranormal category) and one of her most popular ones: Emalyn’s Treasure (gold medal winner) Also Mother, Can You Hear Me?