#AtoZChallenge D is for J Lenni Dorner #Giveaway

Established Author Name: J Lenni Dorner

Today on the blog we are speaking with our very own J! J is a writer of speculative fiction and writer's reference books. He is also an active member of the writing community, working on both Operation Awesome and the AtoZ Challenge blogs.

1- What is your favorite book you've read? Why is it your favorite?

I have a lot of favorite books. Some of my favorites are debuts and some are by established authors; some are indie and some are Big 5 publishing houses; many are speculative fiction (especially types of fantasy) and have diverse characters. https://diversebooks.org #WeNeedDiverseBooks

Here are a few of my favorites:

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And here is a more complete list: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7120981-j-dorner

2- In what category/genre do you write? Why?

The first book I self-published was a writer's reference book. At the time, I was following the manuscript wishlist on Twitter (#MSWL), and encountered agents looking for settings that felt like characters. Several confused writers mentioned not knowing what that meant. I happened to know how to do it well, so I crafted a book about it. Later, I wrote another reference book, this time to help authors write book reviews faster and easier.

My favorite genre to write though is speculative fiction, especially types of fantasy. I love the possibilities that come with a different world. My favorite are stories that are plausible or could become possible.

3- What part of one of your stories was the most fun to write? The most challenging? (And which book/s are those in?)

From CLIFFHANGER to CLIFF HANGING…

Fractions of Existence ended on a cliffhanger. Proof of Existence includes a scene where a character is hanging from a cliff, in a manner of speaking.
This scene in Chapter 8 of Proof of Existence was fun to write because Heath takes initiative. It turns out not to be the proof that Wend (Gwendolyn) needs, but it's fun watching him make a point. Much like a cartoon character, Wend survives what happens next.

The most challenging scenes to write are toward the end of Proof of Existence, when Heath isn't around. It was hard for me to mentally and emotionally hurt him, though it is necessary for the audience to appreciate and accept what will happen in book three, Cave of Existence. Two scene pieces made up my entry for the Write Edit Publish (WEP) challenge in February. That flash fiction shows the characters distraught because Heath isn't around.
https://jlennidorner.blogspot.com/2023/02/wep-flashfiction-sneak-preview-excerpt.html

4- Would you please, in 160 characters or less, give a #WriteTip ?

#WriteTip Feel like quitting? Write a resignation letter. Passion can hide just below the surface, uncovered by the idea of never feeling it again.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/391109548865369836


5- Do you draw from specific life experiences or influences to inform your writing?

There are several experiences in my life that influence my writing. Briefly living in NYC helped with writing that setting. Some characters are based partly on encounters I've had.

6- What do you love and hate most about being a published author?

I love sharing my stories and having interested fans. One year, my A to Z Challenge story was especially fun because of comments from Ronel, who not only understood the story but also correctly guessed some of what was coming next. Ronelthemythmaker.com

I hate how much promotional work is involved, especially never knowing what to risk spending money on when the financial return may not justify the expense.

7- Do you publish traditional, self, hybrid, other? Why?

I opted to self-publish to keep better control over the story, as it is a myth about creatures of legend that was passed down to me by my Lenni-Lenape ancestors. Also, as multiple reviewers have pointed out, this urban fantasy series is really different. I couldn't find any agents, especially because the ones who did request the first chapters thought that Gwendolyn wasn't in them. In Fractions of Existence, Xavier and Wend meet while playing an online roleplaying game (MMORPG). I failed to find a literary agent who was also a gamer and thereby could recognize a gaming handle.

8- What question are you dying to answer?

Are there true events in the Existence book series?

Several scenes are based on real events.

One example in the Existence series is a reference to a real record-breaking meteorite that hit Norway in 2006. Though there were witnesses, and at least one person caught a picture of it streaking through the sky, allegedly none of it was recovered.

Fractions of Existence showed the characters knowing it was coming. As it has material not made on Earth, it can be used by the antagonist group, The Eyes in the Shadows, to craft weapons capable of hurting or killing members of the Existence. In Proof of Existence, Heath and Xavier discover what happened to the meteorite.

9- Would you please ask our audience an intriguing question to answer in the comments?

#PeepsDay #PEEPS

Peeps Day is celebrated on April 5. I live less than an hour from Just Born, where the treats are made. Most people have a strong opinion about Peeps. I enjoy them. What about you?




10- Which book would you suggest readers start with?

I'd strongly suggest reading book one, Fractions of Existence, before book two, Proof of Existence, which came out yesterday, April 4, 2023.

Proof of Existence

World-ending secrets and threats…

Proof of Existence picks up from Fractions of Existence's cliffhanger, where Gwendolyn is among the hostages of the Eyes in the Shadows, a religious sect that has been trying to free humans from the “prison” of life on Earth for millennia. Rescuing her requires the Existence to expose themselves. As omnipotent beings, their work to protect humanity has been mostly in secret for the last two centuries.

Gwendolyn must remember and embrace what she truly is, though fear and doubt stifle her. She risked everything by acting on her attraction to Xavier, but her religious beliefs stop her from taking the important next step. Life-threatening news has her wanting to go home to see her family. Will they still love and accept her, despite her actions and choices? Or could a secret rip her family apart?

Feeling lonely, tormented, and useless, Existence member Heath goes off the grid. A ransom video from Eyes in the Shadows demands he be traded for the lives of others. Can the Existence find him in time to tell him about the threat? Even if Heath can be reached, would his kind really trade him to potentially save someone else?

The Eyes in the Shadows is set to finally end all human life on Earth forever. Only if the Existence is reunited, with all members at full power, could they stand against them. How many will suffer if the Existence should fail? How much damage could possibly be done in the next twenty years? Proof of Existence, the second book of the Existence mythological urban fantasy series from J Lenni Dorner, is set during the first half of 2006.

Bio

J Lenni Dorner is best known for the Existence book series. Book one, Fractions of Existence, and book two, Proof of Existence, are on Amazon. Author of the short story, Lumber Of The Kuweakunks, on Smashwords. Also known for the writer's reference books, Preparing to Write Settings that Feel Like Characters and Writing Book Reviews As An Author: Inspiration To Make It Easier.
J is part of the Operation Awesome Team, where he runs the Debut Author Spotlight on most Wednesdays. J is an April Blogging from A to Z #AtoZchallenge international bloghop co-host.

(he/him 👨🏽 or 🧑🏽 they/them) ~ Speculative Fiction & Reference Author, OperationAwesome6 Debut Author Interviewer, and Co-host of the #AtoZchallenge

https://jlennidorner.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/JLenniDorner
https://www.facebook.com/WhatAreThey
https://www.instagram.com/jlennidorner

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BYN6SG7Y Buy it here.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65150644-proof-of-existence Add to your TBR here.
https://www.bookbub.com/books/proof-of-existence-by-j-lenni-dorner Glimpse it here.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4fa90ac752 Enter the Giveaway here!




Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge
#AtoZChallenge 2023
a-to-zchallenge.com