Deborah Jarvis

 Interview with Deborah Jarvis

Author of

The Keyralithian Chronicles and Wolves Running 

 

Please tell me a little about your current work in progress.

Right now, I am working on a book called Wolves Running. It is not part of my first series, The Keyralithian Chronicles, but randomly came to be in January of 2021 when I was working from home and had some extra time. I had a dream, wrote it down, and the next thing I knew, I was two hundred pages in, and it’s two months later! It’s an urban fantasy (unlike The Crystal Pawn and The Ivory Queen, which are high fantasy) and is set in Colorado. The main character is a wolf shapeshifter and even though the understanding that there are shapeshifters living among the populace of the world has recently become common knowledge, she still is hiding the fact due to being a biology teacher at a high school. The problem comes where her ex is determined to get back at her for breaking up with him, and teams up with a group bent on the revealing of the “monsters” in their midst before the government can step in and protect the shapeshifter clans.

Where did you get the idea for this book or series?

At this point, because it has been over 35 years since it first came into being, I really can’t say. I can point to parts and go “Oh, that was inspired by X and that was inspired by Y, but I can’t rightly say where it came from.

Do you write in more than one genre?

Mostly fantasy – high/portal and urban – but I dabble in horror now and again.

Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention.

I am awesome at creating believable characters that people can identify with. I also think that my magic system in The Keyralithian Chronicles is one that makes sense and isn’t just off-the-wall and overpowered. My characters struggle to succeed. Things don’t just come easy for them. It’s also edited to a fare-thee-well, and it is clearly written. My editor and I worked very hard to make the books as good as they could be.

 

Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing?

I think my childhood in the 1980s always creeps out through references in my books. I talk about movies and musicals a lot in real life, and my characters tend to as well. For Wolves Running, I am also a high school teacher, and a lot of things about schools really crept into my writing.

 

What else would be helpful for readers to know about you?

I’m an English teacher which means I tend to be pretty precise about language. I know mythology and biology/zoology really well, and that does tend to form a background for many points of my writing. I’m also crazy shy which makes me come off as perennially awkward!

 

Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why?

I honestly really love The Book of the Dun Cow. It is a fantastic novel by the late Walter Wangerin, Jr. it does have some Christian overtones, which are not everyone’s jam, but the characters make up for any issues most people have with it. It was a pretty big part of my formative writing growth when I read it as a teenager, and I have used it in teaching mythology as used in literature in several courses.

Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why?

Given that I only have two out at the moment, I have to go with The Crystal Pawn. It is the beginning of the journey, and the book is really tied into the personal relationships that the characters develop.

Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most?

I think being forced to be at home for a year working remotely due to health reasons was a big step in me getting my writing out there. It was a way not to go stir crazy while being stuck inside. I can empathize a lot with Bo Burnham in some of his songs from his film Inside. Being home did bring up a lot of emotions and writing helped me deal with them.

 

What question do you wish you would get asked more often?

“Where can we get your book?” would be a great one, but I think “Can you sign this?” is another one I like to hear, lol. Questions about my greyhounds are also always welcome!

Do you have a catch-phrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it?

“No matter where you go, there you are” I’m a fan of the Buckaroo Banzai movie from the 1980s and it always struck me that you can never escape yourself. No matter where you travel, you are there, and it is something that you always need to keep in mind.

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Thanks to Deborah for participating.

My short story "A Soldier's Bargain" was accepted for publication in Raconteur Press' Goblin Souk Anthology. The book is bound to be full of great tales of exotic and fantastic locales. Of course, that means I'll have to add another anthology on my website - at the bottom of the page.