Today, we're pleased to introduce you to Stuart Jaffe - author of a string of inventive fantasy novels!Stuart Jaffe is a writer, of course, but before we get into that, it helps to know that he also co-hosts a weekly podcast called The Eclectic Review. He plays blues guitar, loves games of all kinds, reads constantly, and lives on a small farm in North Carolina.
His life is a mash-up of interests, and that's important because he also writes fantasy novels. The Fantasy genre is a big umbrella to stand under, and he does his best to fill it all.
Stuart's writing motto is: Fantasy Knows No Bounds. That's how approaches the genre -- by not letting any rule but one guide him. That rule: if it works, it works.
Over twenty years of writing short stories for anthologies and magazines taught him a love for switching things up, mashing things together, and playing with a genre, and as long as he can make a story work, he doesn't care what the other "rules" say.
So on the one-hand, he wrote The Malja Chronicles -- a post-apocalyptic fantasy series in which an abuse of magic caused the apocalypse. Starting with The Way of the Black Beast, described as Xena meets Mad Max, Malja's adventures blend the best of sword & sorcery, parallel universes, and even a touch of high fantasy. Nothing is out of reach, which to Stuart is the beauty of the genre.
On the other hand, Stuart also wrote the Max Porter paranormal-mystery series. The first book, Southern Bound, follows Max as he and his wife start fresh in Winston-Salem, NC -- new job, good pay, and a lovely home. But when Max discovers that his office is haunted by the ghost of a 1940s detective, he is thrust neck-deep in a world of old mysteries and dangerous enemies.One in which ghosts, witches, curses, and spells exist. Mixing real life history of the Winston-Salem area with plenty of fantasy elements, Stuart creates an exciting mystery for the paranormal enthusiast.
On the third hand, he has written a short story series called The Bluesman (a spin-off from characters in The Malja Chronicles). Fuller is the Bluesman - musician, magician, lethal killer. Thrown into our world from a parallel universe, he seeks to save the Earth from being overrun by the horrid, mutated creatures that came with him. Armed with magic, skill, and his snarky companion, Scotch, he faces these monsters hoping to create a peaceful world for all.
On the fourth hand, he has a stand alone science fiction novel, After The Crash, as well as a soon-to-be published YA fantasy, and more lined up for the years to come. He's going to need a few more hands.
There's a general rule in publishing that an author can only under one name in one genre (or sub-genre). But as you can see, Stuart doesn't go along with that rule. Because all you have to do is grab hold of one of his books, enjoy the ride, and keep going. You'll get plenty of magic, imagination, action, and adventure. Oh, and it'll be a lot of fun.
The Malja Chronicles -- a post-apocalyptic fantasy series:
The Way of the Black Beast
The Way of the Sword and Gun
The Way of the Brother Gods
Southern Bound - a paranormal-mystery
After The Crash - a sci-fi survival story
You can see more about Stuart at his website - and at the Eclectic Review Podcast!
