Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been a sailor, scientist, and professional cage-fighter. As a merchant sailor I crossed the Arctic Circle, passed through the Straits of Gibraltar, witnessed sea monsters, and participated in a helicopter rescue atop the tallest cliff in Scandinavia. I have worked as a research scientist studying gene therapy for two major universities and spent four years as a professional mixed martial artist. As a civilian contractor, I spent three years teaching hand-to-hand combat to members of the US military and over ten allied nations. I am a military spouse, and my family and I have lived in eight states from coast to coast.
Shadow of Wolves is my debut novel, with another being written at the time of this interview.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Shadow of Wolves: A Kit Barker Novel is a paranormal action adventure with elements of horror drawn from Native American and Germanic folklore. I’ve always wanted to see new takes on the classic western, especially with a horror theme. And I’m a big fan of well-done monster stories, so I decided to try creating one of my own.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I love to make things and work with my hands, so my go-to solution when I have writer’s block or need to flesh out a new idea is to sit down and start creating something else. For example, I’ve carved wooden cups, sew leather garments, restored antique axes, and taught myself how to make fire with a bow drill, all as alternative creative outlets while thinking through the details of a storyline.
I’m also a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu black belt, and grappling is something else I love to do to clear my head before getting into my storytelling.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve read so much over the years that it’s hard to pick out specific authors, but I’ll try. The works of Louis L’Amour and C.S. Lewis were definitely early influences, and I’ve read a ton of Stephen King. Clive Cussler is great for that sense of adventure, and Sci-Fi writers like Frank Herbert, Robert A. Heinlein, and Harry Harrison are fantastic for seeing how complex themes can transcend a genre. I’ve also been a fan of Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child for years, going back to their first book, Relic.
Every book has some sort of effect on the reader, which is part of their appeal.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently hard at work on the sequel to Shadow of Wolves, while also mapping out the bones for the new couple books in the Kit Barker series. The new book will follow the continued adventures of Kit Barker and John Swift-Runner (along with a new host of characters) as they encounter a new series of paranormal challenges in the old west.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Social media build up and sending out ARCs to reliable readers was a big positive for Shadow of Wolves, as was promotion through sites and services like Awesome Gang, Amazon and Goodreads. With this being my first novel, I’m still climbing the learning curve on self-promotion.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Get something on the page. You’re not a photocopier churning out a perfect product the first time. You’re more like a sculptor. You can remove things, add things, and mold the end product as you go – so just get something on the page and then circle back to craft it until you’re satisfied.
And read, read, read. Reading good writing will do more for your skill as an author than almost anything else.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t forego a dream simply because of how long it will take to achieve it; the time will pass anyway.
What are you reading now?
Lately I’ve been coming back to the early sci-fi classics. I just finished reading Who Goes There by John W. Campbell, which was later made into the John Carpenter film The Thing.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m going to continue the Kit Barker series for several more books, and I also have at least three other standalone novels that may grow into series, as well. Right now, Barker and his hooligans are my main focus. I also do some short form writing on my website.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would definitely bring something like Survive! by Les Stroud or The SAS Survival Handbook by John Wisemen, just for the survival knowledge in a situation like that. I would definitely be making escape attempts. I would also bring The Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics, which is an anthology of his non-fiction works, because that sort of contemplative material is appropriate when you’ve got a lot of time on your hands. I’d also bring With These Hands by Louis L’Amour.
And I would definitely bring a blank journal to keep writing and to record my attempts to escape from the island. If I make it, there could be another book in there, you know.
Author Websites and Profiles
J.R. White Website
J.R. White Amazon Profile
J.R. White’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
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