Jan Thompson Interview

Q: Let me start with asking you to tell us a little bit about yourself.
A: I’m a Christian, wife, mother, author, and chief of staff to the family cat. Last century, I graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and worked in that field for over a decade before I transitioned to motherhood, homeschool, and the pursuit of my dream job as a novelist. Fast forward to this century… My husband and I are empty nesters now, with our son in college.

Q: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
A: I want to say that it’s been foreshadowed for a long time. Writing on my parents’ Olivetti typewriter when I was eight years old, I was super excited about being able to form sentences all by myself and put them on paper. Throughout grade school, I wrote short stories and comic books for my brothers to read. In high school, I wrote poetry and was the co-editor-in-chief of our school magazine. Even when I was in college studying Computer Science, I had a lot of fun in my journalism and literature elective classes. I have always enjoyed reading and writing, and that continued even after I entered the working world. Then one day, I knew in my heart that all I wanted to do for the rest of my life was to write. However, it would take another twenty-something years before I realized my dream of seeing my books published.

Q: Could you give us the highlights of your professional writing career including how you got your first writing break?
A: In 1996, I began writing a techno-thriller in earnest, hoping to get it published via traditional publishers. The long novel took me three years to write in my spare time, usually on weekends when I wasn’t at work as a database programmer, and later, as a website developer. However, as soon as I finished that novel, God blessed me with motherhood, and I found myself with even less time to write. But I scribbled away here and there. When my son was in middle school, I realized that, lo and behold, I had somehow written quite a few manuscripts in several genres. By that time, indie publishing had just experienced what we called the Indie Gold Rush of 2011, and it was settling into a viable publishing avenue for authors. I began learning all the ropes of indie publishing. By 2014, I started my own imprint, put together a publishing team of editors and cover designers, and I was ready to publish my own books. Twenty-three books and two USA Today bestselling labels later, here I am. God is good!

Q: Would you tell us about your book Zero Sum?
A: Zero Sum is the first book in my Binary Hackers series of near-future romantic techno-thrillers set in the same story world as my Protector Sweethearts Christian romantic suspense series and my Sweethearts collections of Christian beach romances. Here is what my book description says: “FBI Special Agent Stella Evans finds the last surviving computer consultant who holds the key to destroying a terrorist organization’s global network, but poor Cayson Yang may not live long enough to dismantle the computer system. Stella finds herself at a crossroad between duty and following Cayson and the cybernetic implants in his head. She stands to lose not only her carefully cultivated career but, more dangerously, her closely guarded heart.”

Q: Where did you get your inspiration for Zero Sum?
A: As a former computer programmer, I am well aware of the implications of technology in our world. This entire Binary Hackers series is actually the prequel to another series that I have been working on since the nineties, which I have not yet published. This series is a mix of futuristic technology and science fiction set in the not-too-distant future, in which I explore what would happen if humans did this and that. For example, Zero Sum explores the idea that if you surgically embed cybernetic implants in your body (whether a chip in your hand or in your scalp), you could run the risk of losing your freedom of self. That’s what Cayson Yang, my protagonist, finds out when he is forced to receive an implant in his head.

Q: What is the main thing you hope readers remember from this story?
A: In my answer to the previous question, I alluded to the fact that cybernetic implants need to be used sparingly because the ramifications to our personal human freedom are enormous and costly. On a spiritual level, my main character finds comfort praying to God and seeking His Word, even as he suffers through the ordeal. I want to remind my readers and myself that in our times of hardship, God brings other Christians to comfort us. In Zero Sum, Cayson’s cousin Leland, counseling pastor Byron Moss from another series, and his love interest, Stella, all offer him support and encouragement.

Q: What inspires you to write?
A: It might sound simplistic, but the driving force for my entire writing life is John 3:16. For decades now, since I felt called to write, I am compelled to talk about Jesus Christ in my books. That is my motivation to write. While my books are primarily for Christian readers, I hope that if nonbelievers happen to read them, they might learn about who Jesus is to the Christian characters in my books. At the same time, I feel that it’s my job to encourage my Christian readers in their walk with the Lord, which is why my books mention Bible verses. I hope to glorify the Lord in all that I write, even though the premise of my fiction books is to entertain my readers.

Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now?
A: I have finished writing the next book in the same series. In fact, Zero Day just returned from my copyeditor-proofreader, and I’m reading through what she found. The book is set to be released at the end of April 2020. I am excited about Zero Day. It follows the story of another employee at the same company, Kelvin Gallagher, who is hiding in Prague as his enemies surround him. When Mossad agent Yona Epstein shows up, the poor hacker doesn’t know if she is a friend or foe. Readers don’t need to have read Zero Sum before reading Zero Day, but it does help with the story world and context. And both of these two books will set the stage for the next book in the series, Zero Base, which will be coming soon.

Q: When you’re not writing what do you like to do?
A: I like to cook for my family and spend time with them, but when I am not doing that, I create memes for my book promotions and design book covers for the ones that I have not outsourced to my cover designer. If I don’t have time, I send them all to my cover designer, whose team will do the work for me professionally. Once upon a time, I used to quilt, sew, paint, and make pottery, but those days have gone by. As for reading, I still love to read. It would be wonderful to have forty-eight hours in a day to read all the books on my to-be-read list!