When I was working on publishing my first book someone told me to join some writing groups. I did some searching around on Facebook and saw one I found interesting. It is one of those groups you have to be accepted in to be a part of it. I read some of the feed and thought this one was pretty interesting. So, I asked to join. Just like that, I was introduced to the group. I was welcomed by the group instantly. One of the administrators, who happened to be a resident of Dothan, expressed how glad he was to have someone from the group so close to home. When he saw where I was from, he reached out to me. I want to say “we hit it off immediately” because I liked his posts and his sense of humor. It was Jeremy Bullard.

We corresponded through posts and IM over the past year or so. Several months back I contacted Jeremy and asked to meet. It only made sense, since we both lived so close and were in the same writer’s group, to meet. He agreed. We met at a local coffee shop and discussed everything from books to theology. I recently asked Jeremy if I could recap some of that conversation and some of the other things we had discussed through the time I had been in the group. He graciously agreed.

Q: Jeremy, could you give us a little background on you and your family?

Jeremy: I’m 44 years old, and have been married to my wife Mary for 15 years this October. We have three children, Olivia (12), Caleb (10), and Madison (8), who I am convinced, are going to be the death of me. If not from their homeschooling, from their EPIC level in-fighting!

Q: Family history?

Jeremy: History? That could take a while, but just to broad brush things… I’m the product of a broken home, twice over. My biological father left when I was a newborn, not to be seen again until I was 38. My Mom and the man who became my Dad just couldn’t keep their stuff together. But for all that (I could complain about stuff like that), it actually taught me to see the OPPORTUNITY in the hardships. If not for my biological father leaving, I never would’ve met my Dad. If not for that broken home, I never would’ve had the benefit of going to school in Illinois and summering in Alabama. If not for the stark differences between my Mom and Dad, I never would’ve gotten my serious Christian walk, which is coupled with a strong “what if” personality. All of the seeming trials in my life flow together to create a unique experience that created a unique me, as it does with EVERYBODY’S life. 🙂

Q: I know you make a living at a career, but also have a side “passion” if you will. Could you tell us what you do for a living?

Jeremy: I’m an armed security officer at the local nuclear plant (and just to dispense with an oft-perpetuated myth; no, the radioactive material at a nuclear plant CANNOT “blow up” like a bomb). I’ve been there for ten years now, having started work there about a month before Caleb was born. I joke about the pay, but it is hands down the best job I’ve ever had.

Q:  But you have a passion for writing?

Jeremy: I’ve been writing since I was a kid. I was always all over the map with how my creativity manifested, but I had “specialties” for different stages of my life — angsty poetry as a teen, songs as a young adult, and fiction as a mature adult. My interests in writing tend toward the fantastical, thanks in no small part to my Dad who raised me on a steady diet of Star Trek and Dragonlance. No, I didn’t get into the Hobbit until I was well and truly grown, and even then, it didn’t really appeal to me. I LIKE it, don’t get me wrong, but it doesn’t speak to me like other fantasies do. It’s quite like Grape Nuts cereal — hard to chew for an interesting yet unimpressive flavor and it settles thickly in your stomach. I guess that’s the price you pay for being the first in a field.

Q: And you published a book? Tell us about that and what you are working on now.

Jeremy: I self-published a book two years ago, called Gemworld. I’m currently working on the second book in the series, with plans for a third and a stand-alone based in the same world. I’m a movie and TV buff, and my tastes are all over the place — typically the weird stuff. This, I guess, leads me to my more current writing. I tend to write what interests me — sci-fi and fantasy, heavy on the fantasy. My first forays into fiction were fan-fictions based on games I’d played. From that I moved to a Quantum Leap story that I dearly love but have never finished. I’ve also got a Dark Tower fan-fic that I’m convinced is my best work. I do the occasional horror (not my thing) and sci-fi (love to read, hard to write), but mainly it’s all magic and dragons and damsels in distress.

Q: Jeremy thanks for sharing. Where can people find more about your book and find out more about or contact you?

Jeremy: I can be reached on Facebook, either on my personal page or on my book page. I’ve got a blog that I occasionally post on. You “might” reach me at my Amazon author page, but I highly doubt it. And I can be reached through email, though I gotta give you fair warning — my junk mail filter is KING!

I appreciate the writer group that we are both part of called Iron Sharpening Iron or ISI. They are a group of Everyday People who bounce ideas and hurts off each other as well as ask for prayer and advice. They are from all over the world and I have grown to love their posts and their journeys and their humor.

A little interesting side note, shortly after Jeremy and I met at the coffee shop, I saw him again a few weeks later when I was at the veterinarian office for my cat. He came in to take care of some business with his pet. When we spotted each other, we smiled and greeted each other. With “we meet again” and “so soon”. One of those “it’s a small world” experiences because we both use the same animal doctor. As you can tell from this interview and pictures, Jeremy has quite a sense of humor and adventure.

You can find more about Jeremy through the links below and you can also visit the ISI group for more information about them as well.

 

Jeremy’s Book, Gemworld on Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MJNSGW0

Jeremy’s Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/facetsofreality

Jeremy’s Blog – https://nashdude.wordpress.com

Jeremy’s Email – nashdude2011@gmail.com

Iron Sharpening Iron Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/groups/417974044985457/?ref=bookmarks