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Hey guys, I have another one of our authors with me this afternoon, welcome back JS Underdown!!!
T: Good Afternoon Jarrod thanks for joining me today. I hope a Stella is to your standards?
Yes please and thank you for the invite!
T: I promise for this set of questions I’m going to keep things fun and light (well light for me) so let’s get started.
T: What do you do for fun? What helps relax you?
I am a rather eclectic person for fun. From computer games to slow dancing in a club, I enjoy it all. Normally I play tennis as a way to keep in shape and to work out frustration. I am competitive in almost any sport or game. I am also very involved with my kids baseball and softball sports.
T: I hear you hunt, what do you hunt? What do you hunt with i.e. bow, caliber etc.?
My father raised me and my older brother to fish and hunt quail and rabbit. We would normally hunt small game with a shotgun. In the last few years, I have been spending some quality time with my son and brother up in a tree stand hunting deer. My rifle of choice is a .308.
T: Favorite Comic? Why?
I am a big Deadpool fan! A good friend of mind helps me on occasion with that addiction by supplying me those comics. I also enjoy Batman comics and Spiderman but I rarely get a chance to keep up with what is happening in the Marvel and DC universe.
T: How many comic cons have you been too? Favorite character you saw?
When I was younger, I had visited the big California cons in the Los Angeles area but, on and off for the past twenty years, I attend a local event called Visioncon. I run a charity Craps, Blackjack and Roulette casino game to support Breast Cancer Awareness. This year in February, one of my friends that helps with the charity has us dress-up as 80s and 90s pro-wrestlers! It was very entertaining!
In regards to favorite characters, Visioncon does a Masquerade Ball on Saturday evening that is pretty amazing. There was a great female Freddy Kruger costume this year and we always get some awesome Mandalorians.
T: Walking Dead? Which do you prefer comic or show?
I just recently started reading the Walking Dead comics. My friend who supplies me comics got me The Walking Dead Compendium One. I am almost done and I have really enjoyed it. With that being said, I am still a little more jazzed over the TV series, perhaps due to Dixon.
T: All-time favorite Author? Why?
I grew up reading Stephen King and R.A. Salvatore. From “Eyes of the Dragon” and “It” to the Drizzt stories, both these authors are on the top of my list. King does such an amazing job of mixing the mundane with fantasy and horror. His methodology always impressed me.
R.A. Salvatore made the Heroes of the Hall come to life on paper. The successes and losses of that group are such a griping story that I always look forward to his next book.
T: Favorite Character? Why?
So once again I am going to pick two. Roland Deschain from Stephen King’s Dark Tower series and Batman. The Dark Knight is one of my favorites due to his ability to out think and out plan his opponents. One paperback story called, “The Stone King” did a great job of portraying Bruce Wayne’s ability to overcome the antagonist in the story even when the other heroes were unable to accomplish the same feat.
Roland tops the charts for me due to his drive. The Gunslinger is driven to accomplish his task regardless of rewards or whatever hell he has to go through to get it done. Sometimes the reader may hate the way Roland discards friends and companions along the way but you got to admire his force of will to overcome adversity.
T: Being a family man how do you juggle family, day job & writing?
It can be challenging with two active kids especially around baseball/softball session! My wife and I have had multiple occasions come up where I am heading hours away with our son for a baseball game while she is heading the opposite direction with our daughter. I know that the crazy schedules wont last so I try to enjoy the time I have playing chauffeur and cheerleader to my children.
In regards to work, I am very fortunate with my job that I live less than two miles from my employer. Also, due to my tenure, I have a good amount of vacation time that I book around birthdays and my anniversary. This really allows me to enjoy that precious time with family.
T: What draws you to write paranormal mysteries?
I am an old RPGer. From Dungeons & Dragons, Rifts, and White Wolf games, my circle of friends and I have enjoyed role-playing since before high school. Add in my early dive into Stephen King books and it makes paranormal mysteries a fairly familiar world to write about.
T: Where do you write? When do you write?
I write either late at night at home, once the family has hit the hay, or at work while my students are busy. This usually involves me bouncing chapters from work computer to personal computer but I manage alright.
T: Alright last question, what comes next? Do you have anything in the works right now?
I am glad you asked! I am currently about 110K words into book#2, Wraith Leader, a sequel to Shadow of Understanding. Readers will continue to follow the story and adventures of Gabriel McBane as he tries to comprehend this new world he has discovered in book#1. However, hot on his trail after stumbling across and destroying a vampire, the Undead Court in Los Angeles are hunting him and he much make new allies and find a way to stop the leeches hellbent to kill him. Look for Wraith Leader on Amazon before the end of 2015.
After book#2, I am lined-up to do a co-authored book with Damian J Clark. We are going to intermingle are main characters and some supporting cast on an adventure and thrill ride. I hope my readers will enjoy my next book and the project with Damian.
Thank You Much!
Jarrod Underdown
And for a special treat Jarrod decided to open up a bit more for you guys:
Ten Facts About Jarrod Underdown
1) I have given over five gallons of blood in my life. I donate fairly regularly due to seeing family of mine needing blood in the past and feeling I should pay it forward.
2) I have shark hunted off the coast of California on a twenty foot sailboat. I ran the chum line while we search for makos and sand sharks.
3) My Mother taught me to Texas two-step and west coast swing dance. When I turned 21, I would join her at the club and we would dance together.
4) I am a big Martini fan but don’t like the olives. From the typical Vodka Martini to the Angel Martini, I enjoy them much.
5) My dubious record for eating is consuming two and a half feet of meatballs subs in one sitting. I don’t think I could do that ever again!
6) One time, while still living at home as a teenager, my mother caught her hair and robe on fire. Luckily, I happen to be nearby when it happened and I was able to get the fire out before it burned her.
7) Originally, I was planning to enter the military to be a fighter pilot however I discovered while a young teenager that I have red/green color blindness. That prevented me at that time to follow that dream so instead I entered college with the plan to get a Business degree but I later changed my major and graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice instead.
8) Due to my employer and my current occupation as a facilitator, I am a certified Disney trainer. I know all these peculiar facts about Walt Disney and the parks after getting trained at the Disney College in Orlando.
9) Some years back, my wife and I, along with good friends, went on a Carnival cruise to Key West, the Grand Cayman Islands, and Jamaica. During some time at sea, and after a few morning Lynchburg Lemonades, I volunteered for the hairy chest contest on the cruise and I won! My children got to see the video my wife purchased showing me strutting my stuff and they were very proud of my accomplishment.
10) As a child and still today, my favorite superhero was Batman. My grandmother made a cap for me out of black nylon pants. I wore it all the time and would cry in front of the washer and dryer until I could wear it again. My mother hid the cap away until my wedding day then she gave it to my wife!
