Joseph J. Jordan is the author of British Empire of Magic and The Clima-Race. Joseph used COVID as a time to change his life and become a writer. His books are both trilogies. YEM was able to speak with Joseph about if there are any parts of his books that are inspired by his personal life, exploring LGBTQ inclusions in his books, and his ultimate goal as a writer.
Young Entertainment Mag: When did you know that you wanted to be an author?
Joseph J. Jordan: about 21 years old I had a fleeting thought of writing a book, but I had an unconventional childhood and education and I believed I was under qualified to take on such a task; but in truth I put it down to a lack of confidence back then. Later on, life happed! I gained life experiences which made me a lot more confident and after covid 19 struck I sat down and wrote my first book at the age 33, I think, bare-with-me there though, the covid years tend to blend into a blur!
YEM: What does it feel like to have your trilogy go to No .1 on Amazon UK and USA and your book The Clima-Race: Part One achieve Amazon Number 1 Hot New Release across three genres?
Joseph: It was something that I never expected and perhaps oddly I didn’t aim for. I think what these achievements represent more to me is that my books have reached people and they’ve enjoyed the stories, which I think is the greatest compliment.
YEM: Are trilogies something that you think you are going to stick to writing or are you considering other types of writing?
Joseph: I loved writing trilogies because it gives both the writer and the reader a chance to explore the story fully. I am however, throwing myself into a singular, stand alone novel for my next project.
YEM: Your books touch on the subject of climate change, why is that such an important topic for you to write about?
Joseph: I have lived on the coast line in the south west of the UK for most my life and seeing first hand the change in our climate, for example our seasons are becoming blended, we have less of a winter and more of a long spring / fall into summer. Also the plastics we are seeing wash up on our beaches is sobering. For the Clima-Race project I wanted to create a story that educated the YA audience on how climate change could impact our world in 70 or so years if we continue on this trajectory but it also gives a fresh take on how we could combat it in the year 2100.
YEM: Are there any parts of your books that are inspired by your personal life?
Joseph: my first book The British Empire of Magic’s protagonist ‘Prince Jacob’ is almost entirely based on me and I really hope that doesn’t sound too egotistical, I am
aware that it is but not intended to be; As it was my first book I needed to be able to really understand the protagonist and so, he started out based on me but by the second book he had very much become his own character, with his own personality.
YEM: You also explore LGBTQ inclusions in your book. Is that something you knew that you wanted from the start or it just came organically when writing?
Joseph: for the British Empire of Magic this happened very organically; I simply wanted to create a character for the protagonist ‘Prince Jacob’ to interact with, to help the reader experience, initially that was going to be a friend of his, but then I realised a romantic interest would give me more scope to develop both these characters and I, perhaps subconsciously, made that romantic interest a man; resulting in having two gay men at the centre of this story. Unexpectedly this resonated deeply with many of my readers and that humbled me beyond words, the feedback, thanking me for the inclusion was overwhelming. It was especially meaningful for me, being a gay man myself who struggled greatly with my own coming out journey.
YEM: What is the writing process like for you?
Joseph: I tend to create my stories in my head before nodding off to sleep or on my bike when I’m triathlon training and then it’s a very ‘write on the go’ style and let the story and characters develop naturally. That really works for me and I find the characters take on their own personalities as I write them. Events and characters can happen and be created when you least expect but become integral to story and then you can’t imagine the story without them!
YEM: What made you start writing for the young adult audience?
Joseph: their imagination is wonderful! Capable of so much detail and allowing the writer to guide them through incredible journeys.
YEM: What is your ultimate goal as a writer?
Joseph: Having my fictional stories make a real positive impact on readers lives in the ‘real world’; if that is just giving someone a moments reprieve from the stresses of day to day life or the accurate representation of our lgbtq community in my books letting even just one reader know they are not alone out there.
YEM: What can you tell us about what you are writing now?
Joseph: I’m writing the last of the Clima-Race series which is very exciting as we see many truths unravel and people’s true purposes are revealed. I’ve had a little break for a couple of weeks to regroup my thoughts and now I’m back to it. The publication of this book will hopefully be January 2023. After this project is complete I will be revisiting The British Empire of Magic for a stand alone novel which I cannot wait to get my teeth into. I will be bringing back all the favourite characters that resonated with so many of my readers and I aim to explore the relationship between Jacob and his husband more as they are great fun to write about, especially Elliot’s sense of humour.
YEM: What are three words that describe your personal writing style?
Joseph: imaginative, inclusive and twisty
YEM: What is one tip you can give to someone who might want to become a writer one day?
Joseph: Don’t be afraid to start. If you have an idea, get it down on paper! Please don’t let what society deems as ‘qualified to be an author’ hold you back. I don’t have a single qualification to my name and I have 5 number one bestsellers now.
