Novelist J.A. Jance Shows Revenge Can Be Sweet

Best-selling author J. A. Jance recently let Belmont in on a little secret: writing can be an excellent form of revenge.

While an English major at the University of Arizona, Jance was denied entry into the creative writing program by a professor who believed that women became teachers or nurses, not writers.

Jance married a man who was allowed into the creative writing program at the University of Arizona. At some point during their marriage, Ms. Jance’s husband declared there was only one writer in the family and he was it.

If living well is the best form of revenge, then J.A. Jance has certainly done that and a lot more. In February, Ms. Jance published her 42nd book.

“If you happen to know someone who writes murder mysteries, you would be well advised not to make them mad,” Ms. Jance said. “We have our ways of getting even.”

With a healthy dose of humor, Ms. Jance gave a lighthearted talk to her legion of fans Sunday night at the . A main theme of her talk was how she incorporates pieces of her actual life into her works of fiction.

Ms. Jance said that while her first marriage was far from a “living happily ever after” situation, as a writer it has provided her with a lot to work with.

Of all her mystery books, Ms. Jance said the first book in her Walker family series -- Hour of the Hunter -- is perhaps her favorite.

Why?

“It’s the story of a woman who is a teacher on a Reservation, but she really wants to be a writer. Like me, she had a husband who was in a creative writing program that was closed to her. He’s dead at the beginning of the book,” Ms. Jance said.

As for the crazed killer in the book -- (spoiler alert) -- he turns out to be a professor of creative writing at the University of Arizona.

“Do not make us mad,” Jance joked.   

Ms. Jance’s latest novel, Fatal Error, is the sixth book in her Ali Reynolds series.

Fatal Error finds Ali Reynolds receiving training at the Arizona Police Academy when a former colleague from Ali Reynolds’ days as a Los Angeles TV news anchor shows up in Sedona, Arizona. Although Brenda Riley has a drinking problem and a hard to believe story about her missing fiancé, Reynolds agrees to help her former colleague.

One of the people who came to the Belmont Library on Sunday night to meet J.A. Jance was Chris Khoury. Ms. Khoury said she discovered Ms. Jance’s books about a year ago.

After her mother passed away, Ms. Khoury found that her mother had lots of Jance books and Ms. Khoury began reading them. She has read more than a dozen of Ms. Jance’s books so far.

“One of the reasons I like her so much is that while I’m reading, I can picture where the characters are,” Ms. Khoury said.

Ms. Khoury said Jance does a wonderful job of describing cities, landscape, and countryside in great detail. “I love that. It’s one of my favorite things.”

Perhaps Ms. Jance is too good at describing the settings where her stories take place because there are times when people have trouble separating fact from fiction.

“I write fiction. I think sometimes people get a little confused about that,” Ms. Jance said.

Ms. Jance told of a Phoenix man who loaded up his golf clubs and drove 400 miles roundtrip to play golf at a fictional golf course on the San Pedro River that she describes in her work.

Ms. Jance said she would often receive letters from readers who went to Sedona, Arizona hoping to catch a glimpse of the Sugarloaf Cafe, only to find it does not exist.

And while no amount of wishful thinking could conjure up a real Sugarloaf Cafe, the sweet rolls from the Sugarloaf Cafe are now real. Developed by her stepson, Thomas, readers can visit Ms. Jance’s website for the recipe.

“I have every single one she’s ever written,” said long time fan Marilee Morgante, of Ms. Jance’s 42 published books.

Ms. Morgante said she has been reading Jance since around 1990. After getting her copy of Fatal Error signed, it will join the other 41 autographed Jance books in her collection.

“I really like the Ali books. They’re enjoyable,” Ms. Morgante said.

Ms. Morgante said she is able to relate to Jance’s work. “A lot of her personal life is similar to mine,” Ms. Morgante said.

Ms. Jance’s work keeps the reader in suspense, Ms. Morgante said.

“You can never figure out the end and who did it until you get to the last page,” Ms. Morgante.

A wine and cheese reception held prior to Ms. Jance’s talk was sponsored by the Friends of the Belmont Library.

Ms. Jance’s visit to the Belmont Library was co-sponsored by the M is for Mystery bookstore in San Mateo.

Jance also writes three other series of books. The 20th book in the J.P. Beaumont series is scheduled to be published in July 2011. The 14th book in the Joanna Brady series will be published in 2012.