Young Adult - Contemporary Fantasy
Date Published: 05-16-2022
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Bax always fantasized something remarkable would happen in his life. So when a decrepit man with glowing purple eyes offers him a ring intended for his estranged father, Bax accepts.
The ring speaks to Bax in a dream, tempting him with a vision of a powerful djinn. Desperate to make his fantasies a reality, Bax unleashes a creature called Ifrit, but soon learns this djinn isn't what the ring led him to believe. Feeding off the depths of his subconscious, the sinister demon fulfills what he thinks Bax wants by manipulating, threatening, and murdering. With everyone he loves in danger and a trail of crimes pointing back at him, Bax must scramble to solve the puzzle that will banish Ifrit forever.
What is the hardest part of writing
your books?
What songs are most played on your iPod?
Music is always on at my house.
Literally, when we wake up, we turn on something. So it varies based on who’s
home. Being a product of the 90s, my go-to is always grunge—Pearl Jam, Smashing
Pumpkins, or Chris Cornell to name my top picks. If we’re having dinner, it’s
usually jazz or blues—Norah Jones, Ray Charles, or maybe Etta James. If it’s Cleaning
Day, then it’s usually modern artists to keep the kids motivated—Dua Lipa,
Lizzo, or Harry Styles.
Do you have critique partners or beta
readers?
Absolutely! They’re both an essential
part of my process. I have some close friends I use as my first-tier reviewers,
then I go to beta readers who I may or may not know that well. I’ve been a
member of the St. Louis Writers Guild for many years, which has been an
invaluable resource for connecting with beta readers in my genre.
What book are you reading now?
“Ruin and Rising” by Leigh Bardugo. I’d
read “Shadow and Bone” when it first came out and loved it, but when she
released the sequels, I’d lost track of it. Then Netflix aired “Shadow and Bone”
and it reminded me I never finished the trilogy, so I have been tearing through
the second and third books. They’re amazing.
How did you start your writing career?
In high school, I wrote for a local
newspaper as an extracurricular project. My first submission came back with more
red markups than black type. That’s when I learned there is a very rigid structure
to journalistic writing. Being a high schooler, I was smarter than my teacher and
didn’t like her silly journalistic rules, so I started a literary magazine with
some friends. My school allowed us to use the school printer and we sold copies
in the cafeteria. That began my journey into creative writing.
Tell us about your next release.
I’m working on a sequel which will pick up at the end of FROM BRICK & DARKNESS. There were a few plot lines I intentionally didn’t wrap up, so the next book will revisit Bax and the djinn-verse.
About the Author
J. L. Sullivan writes young adult stories inspired by gritty urban environments and the fantastical tales that percolate within abandoned buildings and desolate alleys. In high school, he wrote for a local newspaper before venturing into creative writing. He currently lives in St. Louis with his wife, two daughters, and a dog named Princess Penelope Picklesworth.
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