Each week, The L. Palmer Chronicles uses The Dragon Claw of Pokiness to open a hole in the fabric of reality to bring you a member of The League of Scribes.

The League of Scribes is a legendary group of authors who write grand adventures in the realms of science fiction and fantasy. They are able to write rich, compelling stories while keeping content in the PG –PG-13 range.

If you have been on a quest to find clean sci-fi and fantasy novels, you have reached the right place.

This week, we present:

Jenelle Leanne Schmidt

Otherwise known by her Code Name: DragonWriter

In all reality, I’d love to be a dragon-rider, but I think writing about them is as close as I’m going to get, hence the code name.

About the Author:

Jenelle is one of those rare and elusive creatures known as an “author.” She enjoys hanging out in darkened corners of coffee shops, sipping hot chocolate and carrying on animated conversations with those strange and invisible beings known as “characters.”

If you spot an author in this scenario, it is best to not intrude (unless it appears that the character is winning the argument with the author, in which case your interruption may be most welcome… at least, by the author).

Another place authors like Jenelle enjoy spending their time is out of doors, preferably near a lake or pond, with a notebook and pen in hand. If you happen upon an author in the wild like this, it is best to proceed cautiously. Interrupting at this juncture could be most hazardous to your health.

As most other authors, Jenelle is a bit shy and timid, though her friends would disagree with that statement. Her favorite genres to read and write are fantasy, sci-fi, and fairy tales.

Jenelle Leanne Schmidt’s Work:

King’s Warrior (The Minstrel’s Song Book 1)

When Dark Warriors invade her country, it is up to Princess Kamarie to seek out the legendary king’s warrior and request his aid. The feisty princess has spent her life dreaming of adventure and is thrilled to be tasked with such a quest. There’s only one thing that can dampen the princess’s excitement: Oraeyn. The squire views his task of protecting the princess on her journey as an inglorious assignment and makes no attempt to hide his disappointment.

Despite a rocky start to their journey – in which Oraeyn throws the obnoxious princess in a river just to get her to call him by name – the travelers soon learn that they must depend upon one another if they are to locate the man they have been sent to find.

The adventure merely begins when they meet Brant: a warrior with a mysterious past. He joins their cause readily, his heart smoldering with a vendetta Kamarie cannot completely understand. But whether she trusts him or not, the hope of their world rests on the steel he wears at his side….

Interview

Who would love your books?

My books are intended for families to be able to read out loud together. My own family was my first audience, and so the books were specifically written for that sort of setting. Beyond that, anyone who enjoys a fun fantasy adventure filled with dragons, magic, mystery, and danger will probably enjoy these books.

What was the inspiration for your latest book/series?

A lot of different things inspired various aspects of the Minstrel’s Song. A sunrise I witnessed that made me think of a dragon rising from its cave gave me the inspiration to call the “sun” in my world “the Dragon’s Eye.” A Gordon Lightfoot song called “The Minstrel of the Dawn” inspired the character of Kiernan Kane, a seemingly bumbling minstrel in my story who ends up being far more important than one might guess at first. An extremely windy day on the beach brought the Harshlands into existence. My family members all inspired various characters in the story. I can’t really point to any single thing, unless perhaps it is my family: I wrote the story for them and their opinions and feedback definitely shaped many aspects of the overall series.

If a movie of your book were made, what movie(s) would it be most similar too?

Hopefully the Lord of the Rings? Grin. Or possibly something like the BBC “Merlin” series.

Do you use music while writing? If so, what music do you use? Is there a theme song for your book?

I am apparently a very strange author in that the answer is: not really. I do listen to music sometimes when I’m writing or editing, but it’s not something I immediately think of to turn to. When I do listen to music it is mostly instrumental, usually something with an Irish or Celtic feel. The only time I am sure to go to music when I am writing is when I’m struggling with the ever-lurking and ominous writer’s block… and then I pull out my Christmas albums. I’m not sure what it is about Christmas music, but it cures writer’s block for me every time.

What authors or books inspire you most?

 

J.R.R. Tolkien, George MacDonald, and C.S. Lewis definitely. I also love Stephen R. Lawhead, Timothy Zahn, and Patricia C. Wrede – I often turn to their stories when I need a little additional inspiration. A recent favorite is Anne Elizabeth Stengl, whose stories just captivate me.

If you were conquering the world, what fantasy or sci-fi creature/race/entity would you build your army out of? Why?

Dragons. Because an army of dragons would not only be most apt to succeed, but also I’d get the sheer “X-Factor” of coolness to go along with it.

Would you rather ride a galactic unicorn or a space dinosaur? Why?

I’m going to have to say galactic unicorn. I’m not sure why… possibly because I just love the image that unfurls in my imagination as I mull over the name of the creature.

When did you decide to be a professional writer?

Christmas of 2010. I had been writing for years at that point, but up until that first big Stormcave meeting it was just a hobby, something I did for my family. But when we decided to start a business revolving around my writing, my sister’s music, and my sister-in-law’s artwork… I was hooked.

Are you a planner, a discovery writer, or a hybrid?

Definitely a hybrid. With my first books I did no planning at all, and paid for it later in editing and rewriting. Now I do a lot of up-front planning… even sometimes for years before I ever start writing the story. However, I still love it when the story takes off in a direction I hadn’t expected, and I’m willing to let it write itself when that occurs.

What is your number one piece of advice for aspiring writers?

Get off Facebook. Haha.

Well, in all seriousness, yeah, get off Facebook and write! And don’t give up, keep writing. Writing can break your heart, but it can also make your soul soar, and those moments of flight are worth all the tears and anguish and hard work that it takes to bring those first flickering ideas to edited, polished completion, ready to be released to readers hungry for new stories.

Where do your books fall on the Rating Scale of PG to PG-13 Content (1 = How To Train Your Dragon, 8 = The Dark Knight, 10 = Borderline-R-Rating).

I would say maybe a 4 or a 5? There are battles and some of the characters do get killed, so there is definitely “fantasy violence” involved. Nothing gory or graphic, though. It is a fantasy series, magic exists in the books. Magic in this world is a racial trait, not like spells and incantations or potions anyone could whip up – but since it is a genetic thing it is used by both hero and villain characters, which has bothered some readers.

If you could own one magic or sci-fi object or technology, what would you choose and why?

A few years ago I would have said a lightsaber… but in all honesty, I’d probably end up cutting my own arm off with it. So I’d have to go with a sonic screwdriver. I can think of all sorts of useful applications!

To explore the worlds Jenelle Leanne Schmidt has created, check out the books below:

• King’s Warrior
• Second Son
• Yorien’s Hand
• Stone Curse (part of the Five Enchanted Roses anthology of Beauty and the Beast retellings)

To Interact with Jenelle Leanne Schmidt, check out the links below:

• Website; http://jenelleschmidt.com
• Twitter: @JenelleLSchmidt
• Facebook: JenelleLeanneSchmidt
• Email: jenelle@jenelleschmidt.com
• Goodreads: Jenelle_Schmidt
• Amazon Author Page: Jenelle Leanne Schmidt

Readers:

• Do you have any more questions for Jenelle Leanne Schmidt?
• What would you do with a sonic screwdriver?
• What Christmas music meshes best with Fantasy?
• What is your favorite music to listen to while reading?

If you would like to join the League of Scribes, please e-mail lpalmer@lpalmerchronicles.com