What inspired you to write the short story that was featured in Birds of Passage?
The story, titled Safe Passage, is a short story that is from The Acts of the Dragons Series, which is a branch of a larger series named The Prophecy of the Seventh Elizabeth. One of the underlying topics of the series is a battle against an evil organization that, among other things, is the leading source of Human Trafficking in the world. When I was contacted and offered the opportunity to be a part of the Birds of Passage Anthology, I was immediately filled with a story that both involved a family, in need and trying to escape a dreadful situation, and the characters of the Acts of the Dragons, who’s mission in life is to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Being able to integrate that store into the sequence of events that occur during the timeline of the E7 Prophecy was just evidence of God’s Grace over this series of books.
How long have you been a writer and how did your interest in writing start?
I certainly did not think that I would grow up to be a writer. I thought I’d grow up to be a musician. Perhaps the drummer on the Arsenio Hall Show or in Paul Shaffer’s band on Late Night with David Letterman. But God has blessed me with many things. An awesome wife, four awesome children, and the ability to hold someone’s attention while telling a story. So, a little over ten years ago, God placed a movie in my head. Sometimes I think of it as an alternate universe. Either way, all I’m doing is writing down what I see in my mind.
What would you like to accomplish as a writer?
I’d like to leave a blessing for my children’s children.
Who has influenced your writing? How?
That’s a hard question because there are so many. Some are speakers, some are pastors, some movie stars, and of course I am most influenced by my family. My kids are a trip. Things that they do and say often end up in my stories!
Do you write on a regular basis or sporadically and when and where is your favorite time and place to write?
I have a few favorite places to write. In a cottage outside of Pittsburg, and at a place just inside the borders of Disney World. But I will say that I wish I had more time. I remember while writing my first book, most of the quality time was spent above thirty thousand feet.
What book and/or short stories have you written, besides the short story in Birds of Passage?
I am the author of The Prophecy of the Seventh Elizabeth Series which has two books currently and a third do out in the near future. I am also the author of The Acts of the Dragons Series of short stories. All of my books are related to the E7Prophecy Universe in one way or another. There are more series on the way.
Do you read Christian and secular novels of just Christian works? Do you have a favorite author, can be Christian or non-Christian?
My favorite author is Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker’s Guide).
As a Christian author, do you plan a faith message before you start writing or does your faith message grow out of writing a particular story? If no faith message in your writing, why not?
All of my books are faith based. The stories are largely about a family that keeps their faith and leverages that faith to help others. God has assigned them to fight on behalf of humanity and to protect those who cannot protect themselves.
Do you outline every chapter of your story, or do you simply let it flow without a preconceived idea as to where you might be headed?
Both. I have a vision of where I need to go and certain things that need to happen in order to get there. Then I write what comes while describing the scenes that are in my mind. It’s amazing to see how it comes together. Sometimes I feel like I’m writing a book just so I can have someone read it to me after I’m done, so that I can finally see how it works out for the characters.
What is the biggest challenge facing you as an author in general? How about as a Christian author?
I would say finding time to write, but really I think the hardest part as an independent author is getting reviews. I move a lot of product, get a lot of feedback, but it’s so hard to get someone to write it down and post the review.
Tell me about your current project. What you are trying to achieve, how far along are you, when it will be ready, any particular challenges with the work, target audience, etc,
I’m currently working on 2 projects. The first is named The Robbie Petersen Exchange and is a short story from the series The Acts of the Dragons. This book is being written with the help of my four children. This book should be available at the end of the summer. The second is a larger project titled Enoch and is the third book in the Prophecy of the Seventh Elizabeth series. It’s an amazing story that picks up where book 2 of the series leaves off, “The 14th year”. The biggest challenge in the E7 Prophecy Universe of books is the Timeline. I’m very strict about the timeline. You could say that the timeline itself is really just another character in the book. Everything in each of the books has a purpose. You may not realize it at the time, it may not come back around until the next book, or it may be a setup for another, future series. But rest assured it’s coming back around. Because of that, the timeline becomes essential to understanding how the E7Prophecy itself is linked to events in each of the series. Stories from different series have concurrent and/or related events.
Given the choice, would you rather be an independent author or be traditionally published? Why?
Either. If you love to write, you just want to know that someone has read your story and gets it. If I can do that as an independent author, great. If a publisher picks me up and helps me, great. To me, either is a blessing.
Is there anything else about you or your writing that you would like to share?
I was proud to have my 9-year-old daughter, Isabella, help me write the last Acts of the Dragons story titled The Art of Eten Chu. I love that story and it was awesome having her involved.
If someone wants to reach out to you, how should they do that? What is your preference?
Visit my site www.E7Prophecy.com and read about the E7 Prophecy Universe
Email me at jarrod@e7prophecy.com
