Interview with Jeffrey Allen Davis

Published 2015-02-17.
When did you first start writing?
When I was in elementary school, I can remember drawing a picture book about a duck on a pond that was killed by a shark. I suppose I was too young to really figure out how a shark got into a land-locked body of fresh water. As I grew older, I developed the characters who would populate my "Adventure Chronicles" series, writing short stories about them by hand and drawing pictures to go along with them. When I was in high school, I finally tried my hand at writing without the pics, as I had finally realized that I'm a lousy artist. I wrote a short story about a ninja clan that took over a high school. After I graduated, I got my first computer and expanded that story into what would become INVASION OF THE NINJA.
What made you decide to write a story about a porn star who becomes a Christian?
Over the years, I've become Facebook and (just to show HOW MANY years) Myspace friends with a few members of the "Pink Cross," all of whom had that very background. Growing up, I had an addiction to pornography. In 2009, I had gone through a particularly nasty divorce and was going through a terribly lonely time. I found myself falling back into the addiction, surfing the web and looking at videos. I came across one that starred one of the members of the "Pink Cross" from before her conversion. It was like God was slapping me and saying, "This is your SISTER!!!" So I turned off the video and sent a lengthy email to her, apologizing. She graciously accepted. I would say that Kassandra Moore is loosely based off of these women.
How do you approach cover design?
On a case-by-case basis. I designed the cover to LILY'S REDEMPTION originally using the Createspace cover generator on the paperback and using the eyes of my cousin, Taylor, to represent Kassandra. Since the cover generator is owned by Amazon, I didn't want to risk any trademark issues for the ebooks. My buddy, TW Johnson, designed an amazing cover for the ebooks. For INVASION OF THE NINJA, I wanted to make a layout that would be uniform for the series and would give it a "manga-esque" feel. Jason Richardson had designed the cover for the previous edition of Book Two and I loved it and decided that I wanted the rewritten series to be based around that layout.
What do you read for pleasure?
Actually, as a minister, I prefer books on theology and biblical studies. I try to read fiction more frequently than I used to, although I tend to gravitate toward indie authors as a rule of thumb.
What is your e-reading device of choice?
I have a Kindle Fire and love it. I've been asked to upgrade to a Kindle Fire HD, but I do most of my reading at work and, in a call center environment, we can't have any devices with cameras on them. So I'll stick with my second generation Kindle Fire.
Describe your desk
Living in a four-bedroom house with a wife and three kids, I don't have the luxury of a stationary office. When I write, I clear off the kitchen table, set up my laptop, get a cup of hot tea and get to work.
Who are your favorite authors?
I've always loved to read Frank E. Perretti and R.A. Salvatore. More recently, I've been concentrating on indie authors. I'm enjoying the works of AP Fuchs, JL MacDonald, David Kilpatrick, Celestia Thiessen and the fictional works of Darryl Sloan, among many others.
Wait a minute! There's already a novel by you--showing as out of print on Amazon--called INVASION OF THE TOGAKURA! What gives?
That book was published by a "traditional" publisher in 2003. It's sequel, KLANDESTINE MANEUVERS, was published in 2005. After discovering that the Togakura, my "villain" clan, is a real style of ninjutsu, I sent a polite email to my publisher asking them to take the book out of print for me to correct this, as I didn't want to offend anyone . . . least of all a REAL ninja. Rather than agreeing, they made my contract "non-exclusive." Considering who my publisher was and their reputation, many people would have jumped for joy. I didn't have the same reaction. I resolved to not promote either book during the remainder of the contract. I finished LILY'S REDEMPTION IN 2010 and was shocked to note that this publisher's contract had actually gotten worse, so I decided to self-publish. After the contract ended that year for INVASION OF THE NINJA, my editor suggested a complete rewrite. So the "official" BOOK ONE is INVASION OF THE NINJA. KLANDESTINE MANEUVERS will retain its title, with less editing and the biggest major change being a change of the name of the villain clan.
What motivated you to become an indie author?
As I'd mentiioned earlier, I was originally published through a "traditional" publisher that was anything BUT. My biggest gripe with them was about their cover prices. My first book, INVASION OF THE TOGAKURA, was originally priced at 19.95 for a trade paperback. Also, they used to at least give you two free author's copies. By the time that I had LILY'S REDEMPTION ready, they didn't even offer this. I had read a number of self-published books, chiefly A.P. Fuchs's AXIOM-MAN, and decided to give it a go. I've enjoyed it greatly.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in a small, southern Missouri town where I graduated in a high school class of less than forty students. During the winter, we had around 1200 people there but, when the summer came, our little town swelled with tourists who wanted to visit the Current River. "The Adventure Chronicles" takes place in a small town that is based very strongly on my home town of Van Buren, MO, and many of the background things that happen come directly from my teenage years.
What are you working on next?
I just finished the first draft of the fourth entry of the ADVENTURE CHRONICLES series. My editor is working on a short story that I sent her that takes place between the third and fourth books. I'm currently writing a series of short stories for an anthology about my new super hero, Seigi.
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Latest books by This Author

The Heart to Heart
Price: Free! Words: 2,740. Language: English. Published: August 9, 2018 . Categories: Fiction » Christian » Short stories, Fiction » Christian » Futuristic
(5.00 from 1 review)
A Christian woman who is about to be executed for her faith has a final heart to heart talk with someone very dear to her. Someone who, by default, is an enemy.
The Possession
Series: The Adventure Chronicles. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 29,300. Language: English. Published: August 2, 2018 . Categories: Fiction » Christian » Suspense, Fiction » Horror » Occult
Shawna Weston, now a high school teacher, assists the FBI in the investigation of a serial killer. A serial killer who may, in fact, be a ninja.
Full Circle
Series: The Adventure Chronicles. You set the price! Words: 37,950. Language: American English. Published: August 26, 2017 . Categories: Fiction » Christian » Suspense, Fiction » Young adult or teen » Adventure
(5.00 from 1 review)
A friend's mysterious death brings our heroes back to Jameston, where they find themselves in the middle of a war between the Renegades and the Yakuza.
Buster's Legacy
Series: The Adventure Chronicles. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 46,490. Language: English. Published: July 30, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Christian » Suspense, Fiction » Young adult or teen » Adventure
A cursed item from Thera finds its way to Earth and causes havoc, forcing Adventure to join forces with the Renegades to stop it.
Malicious Mysteries
Price: Free! Words: 35,220. Language: English. Published: February 1, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Anthologies » Short stories - multi-author, Fiction » Anthologies » Mystery
A short story collection centering around mysteries. With various authors and various genres, this collection was put together to honor the late Patricia A. Davis. All proceeds go to her funeral fund.
The Quest for Yoshi
Series: The Adventure Chronicles. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 44,870. Language: American English. Published: January 28, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Christian » Fantasy, Fiction » Young adult or teen » Adventure
Shawna's nightmares lead Adventure back to the World of Thera, where two of the heroes are taken captive by an evil witch who claims to be one of the Old Testament prophets of Ba'al.
A Family Squabble: An Adventure Chronicles Short Story
Price: Free! Words: 2,850. Language: English. Published: June 15, 2015 . Categories: Fiction » Adventure » Action, Fiction » Christian » Short stories
(5.00 from 1 review)
After the death of Yoshika Funakoshi, Jamie Raleigh must decide what he's willing to do to keep leadership of the Funakoshi ninja clan within the founding family, with himself as its last surviving member. The story takes place after Gateway to Thera.
Gateway to Thera
Series: The Adventure Chronicles, Book 3. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 62,220. Language: English. Published: August 3, 2014 . Categories: Fiction » Christian » Fantasy, Fiction » Christian » Suspense
(5.00 from 1 review)
Half of the martial arts team known as ADVENTURE are spirited to another world to save Shawna Weston from a dark wizard.
Klandestine Maneuvers
Series: The Adventure Chronicles, Book 2. Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 43,120. Language: English. Published: May 24, 2014 . Categories: Fiction » Christian » Suspense, Fiction » Young adult or teen » Adventure
A group of teenage martial artists come into conflict with racists in a small, Missouri town.
The Ultimate Failure
Price: Free! Words: 2,120. Language: English. Published: October 13, 2013 . Categories: Fiction » Christian » Short stories, Fiction » Christian » Contemporary
(5.00 from 1 review)
A new Christian gives a police statement regarding his friend's suicide.
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