By: Lucy Hall
Best-selling author, Jay Lang has mastered everything from writing to acting to designing clothes for rock musicians. Next up is the binge-read, One Take Jake. It is a rock and roll ultra suspenseful thriller novel that is a well-plotted and highly researched piece of fiction that confronts the very real subject of predators in the music industry.
Jay loves the music, fashion, attitude, and self-expression of the rock n’ roll lifestyle. But she also enjoys the quieter side of life, she grew up on the ocean and likes to boat and take nature hikes when she is not writing or playing guitar.
She has eleven novels under her belt and continues to write every day, so keep an eye out for this prolific author, and crack open her latest page-turning thriller. Don’t be surprised if you read it all in one sitting!
HEAVY MAKEUP: Your unique talent has led to many creative endeavors. You have acted in film and television. You designed clothing for rock bands. What can you tell us about those experiences?
Jay Lang: I have always been in my element when working in the arts. There is a strong correlation between every career choice I’ve made. The acting was a way of expressing myself creatively, as was designing clothing. Working with or for other artists was inspiring and helped to expand my creativity.
HEAVY MAKEUP: What inspired you to start writing?
Jay Lang: I was in the BA program at university and was taking a creative writing course to gather credits. I had no intention of becoming a writer until the professor pulled me aside and told me that I should explore writing as a career. I’ve never looked back since.
HEAVY MAKEUP: What was the role of music in your life that influenced your clothing designs and writing? Who were your early music influences?
As a teen, I listened to a lot of rock, and my personal style reflected the music I listened to, rebellious and original. My early musical influences were Led Zeppelin, Rainbow, Deep Purple, and a lot of other 70’s groups. I much prefer old-school rock to anything else, with a few exceptions.
HEAVY MAKEUP: How much time do you dedicate to writing on a daily basis?
Jay Lang: I write 3,000 words a day which usually takes me from the time I wake to about 1 pm.
HEAVY MAKEUP: Can you break down what kind of book One Take Jake is and how you initially were inspired to write it?
Jay Lang: One Take Jake is a rock and roll thriller, suspense novel. I was sitting on my couch and playing with my dog when a news bulletin came on the tv about a musician who had been arrested on multiple charges of sexual abuse. He had drugged and then raped young fans who had gone to see him at a concert. It made me sick and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake the feeling so I decided to use my anger and write a book about predators in the music industry.
HEAVY MAKEUP: Let’s talk about the title of the book. How did you decide on the title, One Take Jake?
Jay Lang: One Take Jake is the name that the studios call a proficient player who nails a take in one recording. Lance, the protagonist in the book was a skilled musician who earned his nickname while working as a studio musician.
HEAVY MAKEUP: The novel really gets into the nitty-gritty of how sexual abuse has affected the music industry. What was that research process like?
Jay Lang: The research for this book was hard. I had to dig into public court documents and read victims’ testimonies. I also spoke with police officers and investigators who have worked with young women who have suffered at the hands of predators.
HEAVY MAKEUP: Was writing the book easier or harder than you imagine?
Jay Lang: One Take Jake really wrote itself. Out of the 12 books I’ve written, this one flowed so easily. Some days I felt like I was racing behind the main character, trying to keep up with him.
HEAVY MAKEUP: What is the greatest challenge in writing a book? Or this book in particular.
Jay Lang: I think the greatest challenge to writing a book is allowing your characters to lead you in surprising directions while knowing when to pull them back so that you stay on course with the plot.
HEAVY MAKEUP: What are some of the points of interest worth mentioning concerning One Take Jake if you were to take someone on a tour of it?
Jay Lang: The book is written using musicians’ speak, I wanted to use not only the technical terms that artists use but at the same time showcase how important music is to all of them.
HEAVY MAKEUP: What do you hope readers will take away from this current book? Is there a message that you have for people to take away from reading it?
Jay Lang: I hope that this story will create conversation about the misappropriation of power that can exist in the entertainment industry. Also, I hope readers will be able to see a contrast between reputable artists and the predators in the music business.
HEAVY MAKEUP: You interviewed several rock musicians to aid in the creation of your fiction work. Any s to share from those conversations?
Jay Lang: Many of the musicians were likeminded to each other when expressing their opinions about newer groups that were committing sexual crimes. I was surprised and humbled at how many thank you’s I received for showcasing the subject of sexual abuse in my story. Every artist I spoke with was intelligent and offered a lot of insight. Joe Lynn Turner blew me away. If I had not known he was a world-class artist I was speaking to, I would have thought he was a scientist with his abstract thinking, logic, and reasoning. He’s truly brilliant.
HEAVY MAKEUP: When you were writing, then, did you feel like you had a responsibility to the music world you were exposing?
Jay Lang: Yes, especially after hearing how passionate the artists were when stating their position against predatory behaviors in the entertainment industry.
HEAVY MAKEUP: You put your entire heart and soul into this book. Although it is a work of fiction, there are some serious nonfiction themes. It seems you did not hold anything back, were you nervous about sharing so much about the subject or being criticized for it?
Jay Lang: There are four rather Tarantino-style murders that act as metaphors in the novel, I understand that some people could be offended by these scenes. However, they were integral to the story. After I wrote the last word of the novel, I had a brief ‘Oh shit’ moment regarding the subject matter, but I quickly shook it off. Even if the book does get some criticism, I felt this was an important story to be told.
HEAVY MAKEUP: Have your friends and contacts in the music industry read it yet? What was their reaction?
Jay Lang: I remember waking up to the boing sound of a new email message about a week ago. I received a letter from one of the artists mentioned in the book. He congratulated me on One Take Jake then ended the letter with, “After reading this book, you are my new favorite writer.” My feet didn’t touch the ground for the rest of that day.
HEAVY MAKEUP: Any plans for similar books in the future?
Jay Lang: Yes, I am outlining the sequel to One Take Jake. I’ve already reached out to some more iconic artists whom I will include in the novel.
HEAVY MAKEUP: Any final thoughts or upcoming projects to share?
Jay Lang: I have a few book events scheduled to promote One Take Jake, after that, I will start writing the sequel to this book. And no matter what, I need to start playing my guitars again, which have been sitting in the corner collecting dust. Because I spent so much time writing, I have been neglecting them.
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