Insomnia Author Interview

I have a real treat for you today, folks! The author of a new thriller, Insomnia, J.R. Johanasson, has agreed to do an interview for this blog, and so I am pleased and excited to share this new post and interview with you!!!

First off, a spotlight on the book:

It’s been four years since I slept, and I suspect it is killing me.

Instead of sleeping, Parker Chipp enters the dream of the last person he’s had eye contact with. He spends his nights crushed by other people’s fear and pain, by their disturbing secrets—and Parker can never have dreams of his own. The severe exhaustion is crippling him. If nothing changes, Parker could soon be facing psychosis and even death.

Then he meets Mia. Her dreams, calm and beautifully uncomplicated, allow him blissful rest that is utterly addictive. Parker starts going to bizarre lengths to catch Mia’s eye every day. Everyone at school thinks he’s gone over the edge, even his best friend. And when Mia is threatened by a true stalker, everyone thinks it’s Parker.

Suffering blackouts, Parker begins to wonder if he is turning into someone dangerous. What if the monster stalking Mia is him after all?

Thank you for accepting this interview! Some of these questions are serious, but I have one or two that might be fun.

What is Insomnia about? What makes it different from other books?

I think at its core, Insomnia is about the fight between good and evil that occurs within every person. It's a universal theme that applies to everyone. I think there are several things that make it different. It's a high tension, plot driven character with a male main character and there isn't a love triangle...just to name a few. ;-)

What gave you the idea for this book?

I have weird dreams and I started thinking about what other people would think if they saw my dreams or vice versa. It kind of spiraled out from there. With the book before this one, I realized that I had a real strength in the area of writing darker books and Insomnia was the first book where I decided to focus on that area and go all in. It was a unique experience that truly changed the entire path of my career. I couldn't be happier about it. 
 
 
What are some of your favorite things about your main character, Parker?

I like how Parker faces some terrible and terrifying situations, but he keeps trying. He's resilient but he isn't perfect. I think these things make him a very interesting character. 
 
(Now for some fun questions!)
 
If you were stuck in the Hunger Games arena, what would be your strategy to stay alive?

I think I'd be like Rue. Learn to hide and hunt and survive and wait for everyone else to kill themselves off. Of course, she did die...and I probably would, too. 
 
If you could have the superpower of any superhero for an entire month, what would you choose?

I'd be able to stop time like Hiro from Heroes. I have SO much to do and not enough time to do it. I think this would help me finally catch up with everything. Plus, maybe I could knock out a few of those books on my massive tbr list. ;-)
 
Thanks for doing this interview! I am so excited to read Insomnia and I know that a whole lot of others are, too! :) 

Thank you for having me! These were fun questions! :)