Welcome to my fictional world

Thank you for visiting my page. I began writing fiction over 20 years ago but have only truly begun to take it seriously since I retired in 2016.

I live in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, which is one of those quintessially creative places where writers hang off of trees. So, I am blessed with friends, mentors, and critics of all kinds which I find simultaneously educational, humbling, and fulfilling.

I saw this quote in the Candorville comic strip by Darrin Bell. I’ve figured it out. God is a writer. It’s the only thing that makes sense.. This speaks to my own view that our universe is full of the unexpected and unknown and it is the writer’s mission to expose us to as many of these as possible.

Here is a quote from one of my characters that tells you a lot about me. “Humans, by nature, need more energy than they create. Other animals are not as needy, and plants give more than they take. Thus, it is only through the unselfish deeds of other life forms that human life can continue.

This quote is from my recently published novella, Bougainvillea, but it will likely show up other places. If you would like to see a few more passages (and hopefully to order it….) click here.

Some of my short stories appear in local anthologies. You can download the stories for free here. Please order the whole book at the link and enjoy the tales of many fellow writers as well.

I am working on a full length novel, currently titled Fusion. In it a climate scientist finds a critical missing formula protected by a tribe of Yeti and struggles against….well you can likely guess… to bring it forth for the good of all mankind. She is chased by hapless paparazzi while assisted by visionaries who are inspired in their quest to save her by an ad in a pizza box. I hope it is humorous, unpredictable, and fun, with a dash of moral purpose. You can read an excerpt here.

Yours in fantasy

John Deupree