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| Joe Moore (left) pictured with his wife, Mary. |
Joe
Moore is not only a novelist and children's writer, he is also a magazine
feature writer, former business editor and a professional Santa Claus in the
latter part of the year. Having such a diverse background enables Joe to write
on a variety of subjects.
Literary
Juice: Your life seems to be brimming with Christmas magic! Not only are you
the author of the Santa Claus Trilogy
and Santa’s Elf Series at The North Pole Press, but you have been a professional Santa Claus for over a decade as
well. What is it about Christmas that has shaped who you are today? Also, how
has your experience as a professional Santa Claus influenced your writing?
Joe Moore: To say Christmas has shaped my life is an understatement. It
began when my wife and I were building the North Pole from porcelain houses and
miniatures. What began as a quaint village sprung up into a huge display with
four different “sections” of the North Pole each with its own theme (think
Disneyland). What took place shortly after was numerous open houses to see this
spectacle and then the transition to me as Santa Claus in order to give “the
tour”.
Once I started down that path there was no returning. As my
wife, Mary (yes we are Mary and Joseph), and I developed our Santa and Mrs.
Claus personalities, I also began writing about the North Pole and the events
that took place there. While I have deviated from that theme in my last novel,
I still spend the bulk of my time there.
LJ:
On your LinkedIn page, you wrote of your 2011 Christmas story, Faith, Hope & Reindeer, “Not since Miracle on 34th Street has
there been such a vital storyline for the holidays.” What do you feel is
missing in most modern Christmas stories? How does Faith, Hope & Reindeer fulfill what other holiday stories
lack?
JM: While there have been some really great Christmas movies
produced on both the big and small screens, this story lines contains all the
magic, all the belief and the hope that represents Christmas bundled into one
beautifully wrapped gift. We all lose faith and hope from time to time, and
many of us will see ourselves in the characters of this story.
What Faith, Hope & Reindeer shows is that we are rarely ever
alone in our journey, and that magic and miracles are all around us if we only
will open our eyes and hearts.
LJ:
What does your writing process look like? For instance, when working on stories
with a Christmas theme, do you employ any techniques that help you keep the
holiday spirit alive, even after the season has ended?
JM: The season never really ends for me. Because I keep my beard and
long hair all year (along with my large frame), whether it is April or August, I
am always stopped by children and adults alike. What is wonderful is that this
always affords me the opportunity to bring my characters out of the closet and
parade them in front of my audience.
Many of my elves and their responsibilities began from talking
to children and answering their questions about me, Mrs, Claus, the reindeer
and the elves. When you can live your story lines, there is no better muse.
LJ:
On a different note, you have been working on novels of a different flavor. Return of the Birds and The Chindi River venture from the
Christmas nature for which you are known, and enter a realm of horror and
suspense. Can you tell us a little more about these books? What was it like to
make the transition from writing about holiday cheer to stories that are dark
and suspenseful in nature?
JM: Light and dark exist in
every one of us. One of the biggest personal challenges I have is that if mood
is not great, I cannot leave the house for fear it may show to children or
anyone else expecting to see Santa Claus.
By writing in a darker genre, I am able to release some of those
dark tendencies and take on a completely separate personality. Think of Stephen
King's The Dark Half, without the physical acting out. It is a great cleansing
of the soul to be able to write both genres.
LJ:
We couldn’t help but notice Mrs. Claus is always right at your side! We are
certain our readers would also love to hear about her as well! Are there any
projects or stories she is working on?
JM: Without Mrs,
Claus, there would be no Santa – at least in this Jolly Old Elf's case. In
addition to supporting and playing a starring role in every thing we do as
Santa and Mrs. Mary designs my covers, illustrates the children's books,
formats and publishes the novels, is my
main sounding board, and of course is my first critic and editor. She was there
in the beginning helping me build and shape the North Pole (and subsequently my
ideas for the novels), and she continues to help me with new story ideas and
developing each new character for the Santa's Elf Series.
She is as much a part of everything I do as joy is a part of
Christmas.
Fiction by Joe Moore
Publisher: North Pole Press
ISBN-10: 0978712927
Paperback: 376pp, $16.41; Kindle: $6.95
About this Book: Santa Claus has treated many of the Moore's kindly. He inspired Clement Clark Moore into writing one of the most beloved poems in literary history. And now he has asked Joe Moore to write Santa's memoirs about several families who have visited him, the North Pole and its people. But this book is much more then a novel about Santa Claus. It is about families who have struggled through life and its adversities and are in need of a booster shot of Faith. It is about all of us who struggle in life, but never dare to give up Hope.
