Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, my name is Jesse Frankel, and I write under the name of J.S. Frankel. I was born in Toronto, Canada, but moved to Japan when I was twenty-six and I’ve been here ever since. I’m married, have two children, and love writing although I make my living as an English teacher.
As for my novels, to date, I’ve written six YA novels and have a few more on submission. In order, they are The Tower, Death Bytes, Twisted, Lindsay Versus the Marauders, Lindsay, Jo and the Tree of Forever, and Catnip. The final novel in the Lindsay/Jo trilogy, Lindsay, Jo and the Well of Nevermore, will be released next August.
I should also say that the Lindsay/Jo trilogy features a lesbian heroine. It was the first time I ever tried writing from a young woman’s perspective and I have to say, I’m very proud of how the stories turned out.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
It’s called Catnip, and the idea came to me one day while watching a picture of cat playing with a ball of string. The story is about a young genius-nerd named Harry Goldman who is involved in transgenic research (although only on a theoretical level) and is tossed into jail for it. The F.B.I. frees him and brings him to New York on the condition he work for them. There, he meets Anastasia, a transgenic cat-girl with amnesia, who has no memory of how she came to be this way. Not long after, they’re attacked by another a transgenic bear creature, they flee, fall for each other, and Harry learns just who and what Anastasia is, and what she was created to do.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I just sit my butt in the chair and begin typing. Thinking things over is fine; doing is better.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Growing up, I was greatly influenced by Ray Bradbury and Frederik Pohl. Robert Heinlein, Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle also shaped my ideas of what S/F and Fantasy could be.
What are you working on now?
Now, I’m working on a novel called Arcana, about an Indiana Jones-type who searches for the ultimate in treasure…and finds out that all things have a price.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
For websites, Goodreads and Facebook are essential. That way you get a lot of people at the very least looking at what you’ve written. The other way, also effective, is to participate in group discussions and sooner or later they’ll get around to discussing what you’ve written. But these days, being an online presence is essential.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. Read. Research, and then write some more.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t give up!
What are you reading now?
My manuscript. I have to edit every day or else I forget things and get lazy. However, I recently reread Gone South by Robert McCammon, another favorite author of mine. Marvelous writer!
What’s next for you as a writer?
To continue refining my craft and get noticed!
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?
Good question! I’d probably take along at least two classics, Robinson Crusoe and To Kill A Mockingbird. I’d also take two S/F (to me) classics, Inferno and Lucifer’s Hammer, both by Niven and Pournelle.
Author Websites and Profiles
Jesse Frankel Website
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