Showcase: Jumper by Jeff LaFerney

BLURB

After spending three years in jail and others completely alone, twenty-four-year-old Cole Flint discovers an amazing ability—he can time-travel and teleport. He’s a jumper. So what should the motorcycle-riding, cage-fighting tough guy do? He should protect an innocent eighteen-year-old girl who happens to be in possession of the Staff of Moses. Following the direction of a trio of angels who are determined to shake things up in the Middle East, Cole pairs up with Hannah Carpenter and her pet grizzly while he also tries to change his past and learn the mystery of his birth. Curiously, the King of Jordan knows all about Hannah, and he’s determined to gain possession of the staff. He’ll do anything to possess its power, but is it possible that he’s no more than a pawn, manipulated in time along with Cole and Hannah? Jumperis a mysterious roller coaster of action and a time-traveling adventure that will keep readers guessing right to the very last page.

Goodreads link - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17855971-jumper

Q. What inspires your writing?

A. I’ve written one book per year the last four years. It’s usually so long from the time I finish one until I start the next that the ideas are just festering in my mind to the point I’m practically dying to start a new book. Usually some event gets me started and I write until I’m done.

Q. What is your favorite thing about being an author?

A. I’ve met some awesome people that I’d have never met before. I’ve read some great books and met people all over the world. I don’t think I would’ve had those opportunities if I hadn’t started writing.

Q. What is the toughest part of being an author?

A. Waiting…being patient. I don’t like marketing very much, but waiting is worse, and I’m not even a particularly impatient person. I wait for beta readers or reviews or cover designs or books to arrive in the mail, etc. It seems I’m always waiting for something.

Q. If you could not be author, what would you do/be?

A. I already was a successful coach, and I am a full-time language arts teacher. I would have loved to be the color guy for a major league baseball team.

Q. What would the story of your life be entitled?

A. “It’s a Wonderful Life.” I’m blessed. I might as well admit it.

Q. What is your favorite book of all time?

A. This one is easy. It’s To Kill a Mockingbird.

Q. Which character from ANY book are you most like?

A. I’m probably just dreaming when I say this, but I want to say Jamal Wallace from Finding Forrester.  He’s more brilliant and a better basketball player (not to mention African-American), but I was a good student and a good athlete and basketball was my favorite. Plus, I’m now a writer, and I think there were similarities in our personalities. He’s the best balance of athlete and writer in any book I’ve read.

Q. What character from all of your books are you most like?

A. There’s probably a lot of me in Clay Thomas from my Clay and Tanner Thomas mystery/suspense series, but I didn’t mean it to be that way originally. He’s a college coach and a college professor. I knew that was similar, but I see a lot of my personality and way of thinking coming out in him.

Q. Which book would you love to take a weekend vacation inside of?

A. Have you ever read The Shack? I don’t agree with all the theology in the book, but a weekend encounter with the trinity of God as ordinary common people I think would probably be life-changing.

Q. What is your favorite season?

A. After long, Michigan winters, it is awesome to see green grass and budding trees once again, but as a school teacher, I love my summers—especially now that I’m writing. And after long, Michigan winters, I’ve learned to love the sunshine and warmth.

Q. What inspired your book cover(s)? Or what is your favorite book cover and why?

A. I’ve had four different designers do my four covers. Jumper’s is brand new and Blue Harvest Creative did an awesome job, but Skeleton Key  draws people like a magnet. I’m hoping Jumper’s cover does the same.

Q. Tell me something funny that happened while on a book tour or while promoting your book.

A. I don’t travel too much, but about 14 months ago I went to Texas for a book signing. For some reason my flight went from Flint, MI, to Minneapolis, MN, before flying down to Lubbock, TX. When I got off my flight in Minneapolis, I was at gate A-15 or some such drop-off point. I needed to go to H-21. I had about a three hour layover, but I misread my ticket and saw terminal 21 just down the hall—except it was A-21. I walked over, and no one was there, but I really wasn’t concerned. I had a book to read. Finally, a flight was scheduled to leave for some other city than Lubbock, but it was about an hour and a half before mine. It departed and the waiting area was empty again. Finally, about 20 minutes before my take-off, when no one else arrived, I asked someone about my flight. He said I was at H-21, and his eyes got really big. I knew I was in trouble. A had 21 terminals to pass…B had over 20…C had over 20. I was running and skimming along the moving walkways as fast as I could carry my two bags. D had over 20, and finally the airport split. E and F went one way. G and H went the other, but they started at one and moved up. I still had over 40 terminals to pass. When I stepped onto the plane, they shut the door. Everyone was seated except me, and I had a window seat. Exhausted and sweating, I sat down without having even eaten. I had a three-hour layover and yet I only made my flight with about five seconds to spare. I can be oblivious.

Q. Are you working on something new?

A. I have ideas for both of my series as well as an idea for a spin-off for the Clay and Tanner series (with my “midget” attorney), and I have a Navy Seal friend who wants to corroborate on a novel, but my next book will almost certainly be the second in the time travel series. I’m most prepared for that one, and that’s the one that is gnawing at me to be written.

Q. Anything you want to say to followers of this blog or those that are just stopping by?

A. Thank you for sharing your time with me. I love to read, so I’m sure we have a lot in common.  I love to write too. Stop by Amazon and check out my titles, but also stop by my blog and get to know me better too. I would love to have you follow me on The Red Pen or my author page on Facebook. http://jefflaferney.blogspot.com/  and https://www.facebook.com/authorJeffLaFerney?ref=hl  

Thank you for having me on your blog, Emily