Welcome to my weekly Author Spotlight. I’ve asked a bunch of my author friends to answer a set of interview questions, and to share their latest work.
Today: J.S. Scheffel – My love for Sci-fi/Fantasy stories began in the 3rd grade when our teacher read us A Wrinkle In Time. It was cemented with Heinlein’s Stranger In A Strange Land several years later.
My love for writing blossomed around the same time. Most of my work was confined to poems and short stories, and I was lucky enough to encounter teachers who encouraged me. But life has a way of getting in the way of your ambitions, and I put aside my pen and paper for many years. Covid and a bout with Breast Cancer helped me to prioritize things, and writing again was at the top of my list.
Social Links: JSScheffel.com, https://www.instagram.com/damekexote_jsscheffel/, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088111512592
Thanks so much, J.S., for joining me!
J. Scott Coatsworth: When did you know you wanted to write, and when did you discover that you were good at it?
J.S. Scheffel: I was about 11 when I began writing. My teacher was very encouraging and even allowed me to write a play for the class to perform.
JSC: Have you ever taken a trip to research a story? Tell me about it.
JSS: Yes, I spent a long weekend in New Orleans. It was great to be able to soak up the atmosphere (and food). Things you wouldn’t be able to do from watching videos.
JSC: How long do you write each day?
JSS: I don’t have a set schedule. I tend to write in as the mood strikes me. But I do try to finish a chapter every week or two.
JSC: Are you a full-time or part-time writer? How does that affect your writing?
JSS: I am only a part-time writer. That sounds strange since I am retired. But I find myself busier now than when I worked full-time.
JSC: Do your books spring to life from a character first or an idea?
JSS: That is like asking which came first, the chicken or the egg. It’s hard to say. I developed the main character in my series, and the story seemed to come together as I was doing that.
JSC: How did you deal with rejection letters?
JSS: I decided to self-publish after receiving my umpteenth rejection. Just because my story did not fit what they were looking for didn’t mean it wasn’t good.
JSC: Tell us something we don’t know about your heroes. What makes them tick?
JSS: They may be of a Supernatural species, but they are NOT Superheroes. They have all the angst and foibles that you and I have.
JSC: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
JSS: At 5 years old, I wanted to be a palomino pony. At 7, Batgirl. Things became a little more realistic over time.
JSC: Tell me about a unique or quirky habit of yours.
JSS: I am in constant motion. Even sitting and reading or watching TV, some part of me is moving. Wiggling my toes, tapping my fingers, something.
JSC: What are you working on now, and what’s coming out next? Tell us about it!
JSS: I am working on book 4 of The Last Kitsune series. This adventure takes our crew into uncharted places.
And now for J.S.’s new book: Kith and Kin; The Last Kitsune Book 3:
When I agreed to move to New Orleans, I thought of elegant plantations or colorful cottages in the French Quarter. I had not envisioned living in a carnivorous house in the swamp. I wasn’t even sure how Baba Yaga had managed to get it here. But it was still better than staying in Milwaukee and having to face my cheating ex, Ash. Plus, since my Strigoi powers were beginning to manifest, I deemed it wise to be near someone who could train me to use them properly.
The town itself is unlike anything I’ve ever encountered before. Parties that never end, ghosts around every corner, and food that threatens to increase my waistline. Add in long-lost family and new friends, and I’m having the time of my life-until I’m not.
Join Tai, Nico, Xunie, and Magoo as they face gators, raptors, and the Big Easy.
Amazon
Excerpt
My head had barely hit my pillow when I found myself in the Yomi. Benjamin stood with his back to me.
“Did you have any encounters on your way back from the bar?” he asked casually, turning to look at me.
I could honestly say I didn’t (Thank you, Frankie). But the shiver that ran up my back must have alerted him to the fact that I was skirting the truth.
His keen eyes sharpened, “What about before?”
I expelled the breath I had been holding. “Just some crazed skeleton ghost with the worst breath ever.”
“Did it scare you?”
“Hell, yeah! Of course it did. It snuck up behind me.”
“Like this?” He said, pointing behind me.
I turned to find a ragged apparition right on my heels. I screamed, it screamed, and I nearly wet myself.
Benjamin dropped his head into his hands with a heavy sigh. “You can go now, Donald.”