I first met author and Christy Award-winning editor Jefferson Scott, also known in real life as Jeff Gerke, through the reading interests of my sons. Jeff’s books, among them – Virtually Eliminated and Terminal Logic – quickly captured my boys’ young imaginations, especially since Jeff was one of the only authors at that time who wrote books involving computers and computer gaming. Jeff became one of their favorite authors!

I have met Jeff once briefly at last year’s ACFW writer’s conference. Since he began his fiction-writing career, he has expanded his horizons and is now the founder and publisher of Marcher Lord Press, a small independent publisher whose main interests are speculative fiction such as sci-fi and fantasy and other “wonderfully weird genres.”

Christy Award-winning editor Jeff Gerke entered the Christian fiction publishing industry as a novelist. Under the pen name Jefferson Scott, Jeff has had six of his Christian novels published. He has served on the editorial staff of Multnomah Publishers, Strang Communications, and NavPress. Novels Jeff has edited or acquired have won multiple Book of the Year awards.

Jeff is a mild-mannered author and book editor living in Colorado Springs. He and his wife have a daughter and son and have just adopted a little girl from China.

Jeff holds a BS in Film Production from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to that, he was a theatre major (acting) at Trinity University in San Antonio. Jeff also holds the Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth.

Jeff’s first novels appeared in the mid-1990s, followed in the early part of the 21st century by his Operation: Firebrand novels. His nonfiction books were published in 2003, 2005, and 2009

In two stints as a freelance editor including right now he has edited or written for the following publishers or publications: Multnomah, Barbour, Strang/Realms/Siloam, Westbow, Howard, WinePress, Wesleyan House, NavPress, Publishers Design Group, Christian Single, HomeLife, and Life@Work.

Jeff is an intermediate guitar player (acoustic), an avid computer gamer, and a die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan. He drinks Mountain Dew, loves Mexican food, and is left-handed.

A thrill of his heart is to promote Christian speculative fiction and to help aspiring Christian novelists learn their craft. He pursues this passion at www.WhereTheMapEnds, his other Web site, and as a faculty member at Christian writer’s conferences around the country.

Jeff’s latest book is not fiction but for those pursuing the craft of fiction writing, they will appreciate Jeff’s addition to the study of the craft. Published in 2009, The Art and Craft of Fiction Writing is available here and also at Amazon.

Here’s the blurb:
Artist and Craftsman–as a Christian novelist, you’re both.

You know the soaring creativity of the Creator and the serious discipline of the artisan. And you feel the impulse to excel in each.

So grab a steaming mug of your favorite hot drink and come learn the art and craft of Christian fiction from one of its master teachers.

You’ll learn:

* How to find your story amidst all your ideas
* How to bring your characters onstage the first time
* How to convert your telling to showing
* How to handle profane characters in Christian fiction
* How to use the dumb puppet trick
* How to write for the (approving) Audience of One

And much more.

The Art & Craft of Writing Christian Fiction is the complete school of fiction from Jeff Gerke, popular writer’s conference teacher, professional book doctor, and Christian novelist. It includes and expands upon his influential Fiction Writing Tip of the Week column at WhereTheMapEnds.com.

I asked Jeff to give us some insight into how God is using him and his writing.

Jill: When and how did you know that you wanted to be a writer?

Jeff: It hit me when I was in seminary. For years, I’d been playing with the idea. I’d gotten encouragement about my writing from creative writing professors and peers, so I thought maybe I might have the chops to do it.

My first desire had been to go into the film industry and make excellent Christian movies. I’d graduated from film school, so I had the film training I needed. I was then attending seminary to get the “Christian” part of it. I graduated and thought I was ready to take the Christian film industry by storm.

Didn’t work out that way. So I decided to take my ideas for screenplays and turn them into novels. I got my first publishing contracts for my fiction 8 months after graduating seminary. I saw it as God’s confirmation that publishing fiction—not making movies—was the way He wanted me to go, at least at first.

Jill: I’m intrigued by your history! My two oldest sons are about to head to California to pursue their dream of making movies as scriptwriters and film directors.

Can you share with me some of the highlights of your writing journey – something particularly memorable or humorous?

Jeff: I’ll never forget receiving my first author copy of my first novel, Virtually Eliminated. The cover was this beautiful orange and yellow swirl that looked very much like the original cover for Dean Koontz’s Intensity, which came out about the same time. I was thrilled. My publisher had also sent a little gift basket with the book. I felt completely honored and celebrated. (We’ll forget for the moment that that was pretty much the apex of my fame…)

Jill: Tell me a bit about what you write now and what you hope/plan to write in the future. Do you have a favorite genre?

Jeff: I’ve had two of my trilogies published. The first was a trio of near future technothrillers. The second was a trilogy of Christian military thrillers. I love both genres and may one day extend one or both series.

But the genre of my heart is fantasy. Especially epic fantasy with a military and supernatural tone. My work in progress is exactly that.

I love pretty much any speculative story if it’s from a Christian worldview. As an editor and encourager of authors, I tend to attract the folks who write all the wonderfully weird stuff. It’s very fun.

I took that love of Christian speculative fiction and turned it into a small publishing company. Marcher Lord Press is the premier publishing of Christian speculative fiction. It’s all we do. It’s what we love. Fans of this fiction can no longer say that no publisher takes these genres seriously.

Jill: That’s very cool! My guys love these genres and all three write or plan to write in some form (scripts or novels). Lord of the Rings are probably my favorite movies. What a world Tolkien created!

Do you consider your writing the work God has given you to do for a lifetime or for a season of your life? If you could pursue anything else, what would it be?

Jeff: That’s a good question. When I was writing and publishing my fiction (more than 5 years ago now) I would’ve said it’s a lifetime thing. But I haven’t had any of my own fiction published for a while now. I’ve been working on helping other novelists get their stuff published, which I also love. I suspect that my next novel—perhaps the one I’m working on now—will be published through Marcher Lord Press.

I believe I’m a lifelong novelist who is able to write only in seasons of my life. Right now is not one of those seasons, but I believe more seasons lie in my future.

It would be my dream if I could do nothing but run Marcher Lord Press and write my own novels.

Jill: Are there people in your life who encouraged you, who are responsible for you becoming a published author?

Jeff: Certainly my wife, Robin, encouraged me. One time I was very conflicted over whether writing was something God wanted me to do or something I just wanted to do. I was so at war with myself that I threatened to take the floppy disk (this dates me) that contained the only copy of my novel and break it in half and tear the magnetic disk into pieces. My wife wrestled it away from me. Bless her.

Rod Morris, my editor at Multnomah and my good friend, encouraged me greatly. Much of what I’ve accomplished and who I’ve become as a writer and editor is because of Rod.

Jill: I met Rod once – was terrified to pitch to him but found out he was really a nice guy! He made me feel totally at ease and even asked to see my book.

Is there a particular joy in this writing business/ministry that God has used to remind you that He is, in fact, using your words to His glory?

Jeff: As a Christian novelist you have to be writing for an Audience of One. If you’re writing to prove something or to justify your existence or to strike it rich, you’re in for a sad surprise.

For me, the joy of writing fiction is simply in the writing. I worship through those words and stories. Then I love it when people read it and enjoy it, especially if God speaks to them through it.

As an editor and now a publisher, my joy is encouraging Christian novelists and helping them to better do what it is they’re trying to do.

Jill: Has writing opened opportunities for you to give your testimony and witness for Christ or minister to fellow believers? If so, can you give one example?

Jeff My first novel concerned addiction to computers and games. That resulted in an invitation to speak on a TV show dealing with addiction recovery. I’ve also had people tell me their faith has been renewed as a result of reading one of my books, or maybe they’re going to go back to church now or redouble their efforts to work on their marriage. I’ve had at least two people tell me they decided to go into Special Forces because of my military trilogy.

You can visit author Jefferson Scott and get to know him better by checking out him website or his publishing house, or his blog.

Thanks Jeff, for joining us this month on Spotlight!