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Author Interview with BookView Reviews
December 11, 2020
My first author interview with BookView Reviews was recently posted on their website. BookView asked a wide range of questions regarding the book itself and what inspired me to create the world of Jumbalot. Below is the full interview:
Do you find writing therapeutic?
Yes, writing is extremely therapeutic for a creative individual like me. It is beyond satisfying to visualize fantasy characters and place them into unique situations. The story plays out like a movie in my mind and I enjoy transferring those ideas/visions into the written word.
What was your favorite childhood book?
My favorite childhood book would have to be Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. When I was a boy, my mom would take me to the local library, and I made a habit out of always checking out that book. More than anything, I loved the monster illustrations, and I would always try to draw them myself. Thirty-five years later I found myself illustrating characters for my own book called jumboos.
Tell us more about your book.
Journey to Jumbalot is a story about a brilliant engineer’s housecat named Alby and his adventure within a strange, new world. Alby’s best friend, Professor Wizoom, builds a triangular gateway and mysteriously vanishes. Alby’s compassion for his missing friend gives him the strength to venture through the gate and commence a sometimes-dangerous search. Jumbalot is inhabited by intelligent animal hybrids that include the following: menacing mantaravens, friendly froguars, terrifying wolvaraptors, courageous tigeroons, and much more. During his search, Alby dodges pulse blasts from jumboo pirates, befriends jumboos endowed with magical powers, and witnesses a massive battle between two jumboo armies.
Tell us a little about how this story first came to be. Did it start with an image, a voice, a concept, a dilemma, or something else?
The story began when I lost my cat named Albert after he succumbed to poor health. Albert was a plus-sized tuxedo cat and was my best friend for 13 years. Losing him lit a spark in me to write a book about a housecat for middle grade readers: my way of honoring his memory. The idea for Jumbalot began when I was much younger. I always fantasized about breathing life into a fantasy world filled with unusual creatures. I loved animal hybrids more than anything and desired to build a world like Wonderland, Oz, and Middle Earth, but inhabited with something different – jumboos. I loved to draw when I was a boy and I think some of my earliest jumboo characters were invented when I drew animal mashups with crayons.
Which scene or chapter in the book is your favorite? Why?
My favorite book chapter is one titled The Battle Begins. This takes place at the end of the book and showcases two jumboo armies battling for the future of their world. One side is led by a tyrant that has an insatiable lust for power while the other is led by a noble queen that is determined to save her world. Readers will enjoy the action, adventure, and conflict that occurs when both sides collide like tsunamis. I think readers will also enjoy reading how Alby adapts to this perilous situation to achieve his goal.
What do you hope readers will take away from this story?
My wife and I love animals and we encourage everyone to consider pet adoption. In the book, Alby was once a stray cat that was rescued by Professor Wizoom. This is one of many reasons Alby is determined to find his missing friend.
The Latest Jumbalot News!
I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Belmont Elementary for inviting me to speak about my preteen fantasy novel, Journey to Jumbalot, on January 30! It was a joy to meet so many enthusiastic elementary students who were eager to learn about my book and my writing process. We had a great time discussing how I used to draw animal hybrids with crayons and markers when I was their age, and how some of those early creations inspired characters in my novel. Additionally, I shared insights about my role as a multimedia designer at the USF College of Engineering. The students were particularly excited about two projects I showcased: the COE Sizzle Reel video and the Rocky mascot augmented reality Poster! COE Sizzle Reel: https://youtu.be/SLgICHgGa3I Rocky AR Poster: https://youtube.com/shorts/KMProROL7hQ?si=AdhQsaxyRNZCvOoY
I’m excited to announce the title of the sequel to my award-winning fantasy novel: The Knights of Jumbalot! Alby and Professor Wizoom will return to the magical world of Jumbalot to face an unimaginable evil that threatens their existence. The Knights of Jumbalot must rise and unite to defend their world. The book is still in its early stages, but I’ll keep everyone updated on my progress and potential release date. Alby is ready for another adventure!
It was a wonderful experience accepting my book’s gold medal on stage at the annual Readers’ Favorite Book Awards. Journey to Jumbalot won a gold medal within the preteen fantasy category last year, but I was unable to attend since my wife and I were both sick with pneumonia. I’d like to thank the event organizers at Readers’ Favorite for allowing me to accept my award this year on stage - it meant a lot to us both! We also attended the massive Miami Book Fair and enjoyed chatting with several fellow authors.