Interviews and blog posts.

Samantha. (S) Greetings, readers! Welcome to today's blog post. 

Actually, it's not a post as much as it is an interview with my friend, writer/blogger Jesse Rice of http://booktyper.blogspot.com/ . Welcome, Jesse!

Jesse. (J) Thank you for inviting me, it's a pleasure to be here. This is my first interview, so I hope it goes well. 

Samantha. It's a pleasure to have you. Thank you for being here! Let's get started, shall we?

S. How long have you been a writer?

J. That's funny, I was just thinking about this earlier today. It all started when I did a literature study guide on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis. The study guide had me create a world (which I called 'Jesse's Land', from lack of originality). I decided I'd like to write a story in that world, then my story-writing evolved from there.

S. What genre of writing do you enjoy most? (Short story, novel/novella, poetry...)

J. Ooh, that's a tough question. I think I enjoy writing series best. I would like to write novels (stories over 45,000 words), but those take a lot of effort and time. So far the most books I've finished have been in the novelette format (8,000 - 17,000 words). So... yeah.

S. Story wise, what genre do you prefer writing? (Fantasy, action/adventure, mystery...)

J. I dabble a lot in different genres. Fantasy was my first enjoyment, but then I went into spy stories (which were a whopping eight pages long!). Mysteries are hard for me because I have big twists and cools mysteries, but I can't unravel them. I end up going more with thriller stories with small mystery elements. I've written a tad of science-fiction, but I haven't delved very deep. Historical fiction I've written only one story in, and I've toyed with dealing in horror, but haven't written anything out yet.

S. Are you published? Do you plan to be?

J. I'm published! Hurrah! It's been a dream for me to be published and I finally am. You can find my book, The Missing Kitten at on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/The-Missing-Kitten-Mysteries-Volume/dp/1490585001/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1375059486&sr=8-2&keywords=the+missing+kitten). I'm also planning on publishing the second book,Trapped sometime next year.

S. What are some things that give you inspiration?

J. I find Inspiration in lots of things: music, nature, books. Well crafted stories inspire me like nothing else. I've actually put down a good book in the middle because "I want to put out something like this!".

S. Apart from writing, what are some of your hobbies/interests?

J. I play mandolin, violin, bass guitar, I like sports (but can't play much). I also raise pigs and work on a dairy farm, milking cows and making cheese.

S. Are you a Christian? If so, what denomination are you? What are some of your beliefs?

J. I'm a follower of Christ, with the Brethren in Christ denomination. We are a branch of the Anabaptists and believe strongly in Believer's Baptism and Peace. Personally I try and put a firm emphasis on ethics over theology. I figure strong ethics will lead to strong theology.

S. In what social setting do you find yourself most comfortable? (In crowds, in quiet places, center of attention...)

J. It depends on what I'm doing and how I'm feeling. Sometimes I can handle crowds, sometimes I just want to be alone. I like to talk (sometimes too much), but some days I only want to listen. If I'm writing, I want to be by myself. If I'm feeling particularly insightful, I want to be around others to spread my 'genius'.

S. Describe your personality.

J. I'm headstrong, foolish, too passive, too forward, a mix of extremes and middles and paradoxes. Basically I'm an introvert trying to become more extroverted, a writer trying to talk more, a speaker trying to listen more, a theologian trying to be more Christian, a Christian trying to be more Christ-like.

S. Are you a peace keeper, or a fighter?

J. In theory, I'm a peace-keeper. I dream of being the person that stands in front of someone so the 'enemy' can't hurt them. In practice I'm much too passive. I have brilliant thoughts, and measly actions.

S. If you could spend the day with one person from the past, and only one, who would it be? Why?

J. Jesus would be awesome. Dirk Willems would be a far second. Or Menno Simons. Or John Howard Yoder. The problem is, I speak only English, so I probably wouldn't be able to understand a word they said (except John Howard Yoder, though with him I'd probably need a dictionary). :(

S. Who do you look up to? It can be multiple people.
J. Who do I look up to? Wow, that's a big question. My parents, my siblings, my pastor, my King, other writers and theologians and, um, lots of people. Specific writers and theologians? Bruxy Cavey, Katie Lynn Daniels, Shane Claiborne... Wow, my head is empty tonight.