J.L. Miles belongs to a promotional group called the Dixie Divas, a group of writers—Karin Gillespie, Julie Cannon, Patricia Sprinkle, and Miles—who tour collectively to promote their works. Miles herself has captivated fiction readers and critics alike with her dramas Roseflower Creek and Cold Rock River, but it was the same “passion for promotion” the Dixie Divas share that got her the contract for the humorous Dwayne trilogy. To prove a query to an agent needn’t be serious to work, Miles wrote a letter that began with what are now the opening words to Divorcing Dwayne, the first installment of the series: “Me and Dwayne met a pull.” In the end, the agent to whom she had written replied with a request for the entire book. It didn’t yet exist, but Miles followed through.

The Dwayne series is a story which recounts the adventures of Francine Harper, a spirited woman whose worst weakness is her sincerity. Though she comes from a small southern town where nothing should happen, in Divorcing Dwayne Francine will make your head spin as she whizzes from wedding to attempted murder to the silver screen. It sounds unsettling, but the pace of Divorcing Dwayne is perfect: quick and quippy, Miles creates a rowdy cast and a bizarre world in which the unbelievable is possible.

Miles tells us about authorship and her new series.

When did you discover you wanted to write and how did you pursue your career?

Once my children were grown and on their own I took a writer’s course at UGA. From there I went to a book conference at the University of Georgia’s Continuing Education Center where I met Ron Pitkin, the president of Cumberland House Publishing. He read the opening line to my debut novel Roseflower Creek and bought the book. It was a matter of being at the right place at the right time and having the right project. The opening line was: “The morning I died, it rained.” This was well before The Lovely Bones, so it caused quite a stir.

Francine Harper was conceived of very quickly—how did you develop her singular personality and story?

Francine’s voice was very strong early on. I could hear it clearly. She evolved from my listening to her voice and to what she had to say.

Francine’s friends and family consist mainly of women—was that intentional?

You know, I never thought about that when I was writing it, so obviously it wasn’t intentional, but I was raised in an all girl family. It was me, my mother, four sisters, and our lone daddy. In fact, there were very few boys in our extended family, as well. I guess it’s what I’m used to. I grew up surrounded by women.

What does it mean for Francine to be a product of the over-the-top-culture in which Divorcing Dwayne is set and for Francine to start off so blind?

Divorcing Dwayne is a parody of relationships gone wrong. I never intended for the book to be taken seriously: I wrote it tongue-in-cheek simply to be entertaining. As for Francine, she is part of the parody, a woman who loves too much and loves the wrong type of men and once she’s committed she has trouble letting go.

Where is Francine headed?

There are two more books in the series. In Dear Dwayne, Francine finds out she’s pregnant and isn’t sure Dwayne’s the father. It could be Clay Carson, the wannabe movie star she had a fling with. However, she’s now dating the mayor of Pickville Springs, a Danny DeVito-type character whom Nanny Lou says is fine husband material even if he does only come up to Francine’s navel. Francine has some decisions to make as to where her future is headed. In the final book, Dating Dwayne, Francine marries the mayor, but he dies on their wedding night. Think Goldie Hawn in Private Benjamin. Francine takes comfort in Dwayne’s arms. Good grief! Well, not good—but lots of grief. The question is: will Francine comes to her senses or once again end up married to Dwayne?

The Alpha Five:

1. Name one piece of work—novel, painting, movie, etc.—that really influenced/motivated you. Explain how/why.

For me it was John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. It ignited a passion in me for the written word.

2. What is the biggest challenge/obstacle you have encountered thus far?

Getting my books in the front of the bookstore. I’m told there is in excess of 25,000 fiction works that are released by publishing companies in the U.S. each year! That’s a lot of competition and there isn’t a lot of room at the front of bookstores.

3. What is your biggest regret?

That I didn’t realize how much work goes into being an author. There’s not only the writing, there’s the promoting. I was nicely retired, just looking for something to keep me occupied. Now I work eighty hours a week.

4. Describe what you envision your life to be like in 10 years—what has changed, what has stayed the same?

I see myself writing my books from the comfort of a condo right on the ocean. I’ve got the condo, but my husband still hasn’t retired and doesn’t plan to anytime soon, so I don’t get down there as often as I’d like to. Right now it’s back and forth between Cape Canaveral and Atlanta for me. I’d like to be in Cape Canaveral all of the time.

5. What is the one piece of advice that you feel has been the most valuable to you and which you would like to pass on to others?

If you want to write, write every day, even if it’s only for an hour.

Look out for J.L. Miles here at AlphaWomen and for the second book, Dear Dwayne, to be released soon from Cumberland House. Read more about her at www.JLMiles.com