An Interview With Jonathan P. Jehle
(Questions submitted from Facebook, Twitter, and website)What is The Chemist: Precipice of the Unknown about?
This is the first book in the Allegiance series about a chemist who experiences a life-altering event that brings about blackouts, visions of the past, and changes in his perception of the world. He ends up working with his best friend, an eccentric inventor, trying to uncover answers as to what happened and what is continuing to happen to him.
Can you describe what the Allegiance series will be about?
The Allegiance series is about several different characters on paths to discover their destiny. Some of the stories will engage the reader in the same scene from another book but from a different perspective. It's an adventure to find answers, uncover the truth, and discover a battle between light and darkness. You can read more about it here.
Did the idea for the Allegiance really come from telling stories while playing Legos?
Yes. The name of the series itself is a direct reference to the name of a group of Lego figurines that I created in the 90's. A lot of the names have changed, characters added, and stories revised and created for book form, but the inspiration for this series comes directly from Lego adventures I told to my sister.
How many books will there be in the Allegiance series?
I have a top-secret vault with that sort of information under lock and key. No, it's not actually a vault, it's in a file somewhere on my computer. I am anticipating that there could be up to twenty books in this series.
Is the Allegiance the only series you intend to write?
No, I'm excited about some other stories and characters that I will be exploring in the future. I have some ideas for children's books as well that come from experiences with my own kids. So there is much more to come beyond the Allegiance.
What makes a good villain?
There are a lot of different types of antagonists. Personally, I think the most intriguing villains are the ones who could pass as being your friend. Everyone knows that the person who is out to destroy or rule the world is a bad guy. It doesn't make those types of enemies boring, but I think the ones who are carefully planning to manipulate others for their own secret and conceited desires are very interesting.
What makes a great hero?
I've always liked heroes who have the character and willingness to do what's right even if they don't get recognition for it. Heroes are willing to sacrifice time, effort, and even their life to help someone else.
A great hero learns from mistakes, is willing to listen, and desires to become a better person by placing others before themselves. There are heroes all around us in everyday life and they deserve our appreciation.
A great hero learns from mistakes, is willing to listen, and desires to become a better person by placing others before themselves. There are heroes all around us in everyday life and they deserve our appreciation.
Who was your favorite childhood superhero?
Growing up I used to watch Zorro that aired on the Family Channel back in the early 90's. He might not be what you would classify as a superhero, though. Zorro was just a normal guy who trained himself in order to protect the oppressed. He was charismatic, witty, and humorous.
I still I have every episode on DVD (converted from VHS). Yes, it was a long time ago, but he still remains one of my favorite heroes of all time.
I still I have every episode on DVD (converted from VHS). Yes, it was a long time ago, but he still remains one of my favorite heroes of all time.
What is your favorite movie of all time and do movies inspire your writing at all?
I would be lying if I said everything single thing I write is completely original. I love to be creative and come up with unique concepts, but books, movies, and TV shows certainly help to add ideas into the mix.
There are a lot of great movies that I could pick as my number one favorite. There's just something about Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, though, that makes it immovable from my top spot.
There are a lot of great movies that I could pick as my number one favorite. There's just something about Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, though, that makes it immovable from my top spot.
When did you decide to become an author?
For as long as I can remember I have loved coming up with creative stories. After several attempts at the first book in this series, I think it finally started coming together in the beginning of 2014.