Author Deb Jarvis

Hi there. My name is Deborah Jarvis. I'm a college professor and English teacher with a strong background in mythology and a passion for fantasy and science fiction. I have been in love with these genres for a very long time.

A few things to know about me:

• I love the works of Neil Gaiman, Charles DeLint, Walter Wangerin Jr., Patricia Briggs, and Jim Butcher. I also have a soft spot for the books by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. My dad introduced me to their books, and I have been hooked ever since.
   

• I pretty much love all forms of music, barring most country music and rap. I have a tolerance for hip hop/rap, however, due to the large number of my students who relate to it and through it. One of my students expressed himself through his lyrics so well that it became a primary vehicle for him to work on assignments. He was and is amazing, and because of him, I garnered a new appreciation for the genre. I also have a soft spot for classical music. I was a member of The Treble Chorus of New England for eight years when I was growing up, and the lessons I learned there have always been valuable.

• I am a movie buff. I love many types of films, but again am partial to Sci-fi and Fantasy. I will watch Game of Thrones and Star Trek with equal enthusiasm. Some of my favorites include The Day After Tomorrow, Princess Mononoke, Legend, Thunderheart, and The Ghost and the Darkness. One of the best movies, in my opinion, is Jaws. The complexities of the characters and the interrelations between them is what makes the film so good.
   

• I love my dogs and cats. I have two greyhounds and four domestic cats. They are great companions.
   

When it comes to writing, fantasy is the genre in which I have spent most of my life. Fantasy gives the author a way to do things that are incredible, while at the same time creating characters and worlds that readers can relate to. With high fantasy, characters can meet and interact with magical beings that they never could in the real, everyday world. In urban fantasy, the characters interact with beings that sidestep the mundane in a close approximation of our everyday lives. Other permutations and crossovers of these genres are truly places where whatever the mind can create exists in some fashion. For me, reading was freedom. It gave me an escape as a child and allowed me to share in the journey of my favorite heroes. It also inspired me to write. Now, as an adult, I want to bring my own stories to life for other people. They are stories of success against long odds, as those are the tales that carried me through my childhood. I hope to give the same gift to my readers that my favorite authors gave to me.