J. S. Allen is a Naturist-Christian writer, linguist, and historian from Kansas City, Missouri. He is the author of the young adult series Sauragia and Knights of Aralia, as well as the Woodland Tales short story anthology for children, which he also illustrated. His work has also appeared in various journals and magazines over the years, including The Pangolin Review, H&E Naturist and Shorelines. In between writing and publishing, he likes to draw, spend long hours outdoors and read.
BOOKS:
Knights of Aralia Book I: Remnants of Light (2022)
Woodland Tales (2021)*
Sauragia: Journey to the Red Mountain (2021)*
Sauragia (2020)*
*Republished by Bluedrake Books, 2022
Your biggest literary influencers:
Brian Jacques, M. I. McAllister, Kathryn Lasky, J. R. R. Tolkien & Alexandre Dumas.
What readers will take away from your books:
Hopefully readers will come away from my work with a sense of wonder about this amazing world, the knowledge that heroes can and do exist and the inspiration to be themselves no matter what.
What is your ideal target audience?
Everybody! But especially younger folks in their teens and twenties who, like me, are still just trying to figure life out.
If you had to describe your book as a cross between two well-known books, what would you say?
Knights of Aralia is what happens when Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings meets Lasky’s Guardians of Ga’Hoole series.
The book that changed your life:
Perhaps the most impactful book I ever read was The Burning by Kathryn Lasky. It is the first fantasy novel I ever read, and thus the book that started me down my lifelong road as a fantasy reader and — eventually — writer.
Tell us about the protagonist in your latest book, and who would play her or him if they made a movie out of your book?
Fordain Abendroth is a young tribesman from a semi-isolated backwater with dreams of something greater. He is usually calm and self-possessed, but has an untamed warrior spirit that sometimes clouds his judgment. Though his wild and fiercely independent tribal upbringing occasionally conflicts with those who deem themselves more civilized, his willingness to listen and learn from others sees him through in the end.
If your protagonist could befriend any character from literature, who would he or she choose?
Probably Martin from the Redwall series. The two would get on famously, I think.
If you could write a retelling of any book and put your own spin on it, which book would you choose and why?
Taggerung by Brian Jacques. As good as it was, I feel there were so many different aspects that could have been explored with the rather unique protagonist that simply weren’t. I might also give it the more bittersweet ending I think a story like that deserves.
Your favorite literary character:
King Crispin Swanrider from the Mistmantle Chronicles. In part because he’s a squirrel, but also because he is the very embodiment of all that is noble and good, both in his world and in ours. Some people may find a character like him dull, but personally, I think modern literature could use a few more protagonists like him.
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