Jamie Sheffield

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About Jamie Sheffield
Jamie Sheffield lives with his wife, son, two dogs, and seven tortoises in a pretty spot in the woods of New Hampshire, writing about the people and places and things that poke him in the brain. When he's not writing, he's probably camping or exploring wild places all over the Northeast.
Besides writing, Jamie loves cooking and reading and dogs and numerous outdoor pursuits that his friends and family classify variously as dangerous, foolish, nerdy, stupid, and likely to get the attention of Homeland Security.
He worked as a Special Education teacher in the Lake Placid Central School District for nearly 20 years before deciding to try his hand at writing just about full-time (he still works with students some of the time).
Here Be Monsters was his debut novel, in 2013. In the years since this best-selling and award-winning novel was published, he's published four more books in that series as well as numerous other books in print and ebook formats.
Most recently, Jamie published a pair of collections of short fiction and, in July of 2021, then February of 2022, his first children's books, "Chili, the Grumpy Tortoise", and "Darwin, the Boy Tortoise Who Became a Girl Tortoise".
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Author Updates
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Blog postI read something about a new Amazon project about a year ago; I found it intriguing.
Kindle Vella offers readers serial fiction, with new installments becoming available on a regular basis. The first three installments are free to read, with subsequent installments "paid" for with tokens (Amazon gives you 200 to begin with, which should pay for 10-15 installments beyond the introductory ones). Amazon translates the tokens into cash through some formula that passeth2 months ago Read more -
Blog postThis morning, just a few minutes ago actually, I hit the "SUBMIT" button to start my ninth book on its journey through the approval process at KDP headquarters (wherever that is).
I'm excited about this, the second book in the series of children's books I've written and done the art for and published.
I've used photographs of the tortoises I live to help tell the stories.
This story involves a Redfoot Tortoise named Darwin coming to terms with the fact tha6 months ago Read more -
Blog postI started work on my first children's book on a whim, but it's grown into something, which happens with writing.
I had finished my next novel and was in the process of doing the writerly thing and sending it out to agents and publishers for rejection. My plan was to give them a few months time to categorically refuse to help my latest story get into print, say New Year's Eve, before doing what I've done in the past and going it on my own, with the help of Kindle Desktop Publ11 months ago Read more -
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Blog postMy first children's book, "Chili, the Grumpy Tortoise", has gone live and is available on Amazon (or you can order it directly from me if you want a signed copy).
You can find it at Amazon, at the following link: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B09B4F2KTG
It's the story of a very grumpy Russian tortoise with a past that he explores with the help of a friendly Redfoot Tortoise he lives next to in their outside enclosures. On the one hand, it's a piece of specula1 year ago Read more -
Blog postI noticed that it's been too long since I posted here, so here goes....
I reached out to 30+ agents and publishers with query letters, interested in trying out a more traditional publishing route for my latest mystery novel, The World Beneath The World, the first book in a series about a pair of detectives hiding out in New Hampshire with a greenhouse full of rescue tortoises. I've heard back with numerous polite "no thank you" emails, a non-committal (yet) expression o1 year ago Read more -
Blog postIt occurred to me this morning that I hadn't posted to this blog in a while. and the best way to do it is to do it, so here goes....
I've always felt a bit as though I operated my writing life, and business, inside a bubble, but it's seemed even more so during the year of Covid.
I've got a number of projects going, mostly because I like to bounce back and forth between different things, depending on my mood and energy and motivation.
WIP - Mystery NovelBeta-readers1 year ago Read more -
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Blog postLately, I’ve been thinking about choice, and choices, in the worlds I inhabit, and in those I create. The living and fictional beings that I live with are defined by their choices, or by the way they act and react to their perception of having choices.
To have agency, to be able to make choices and act on one’s own behalf, is not just freedom, it’s power. The power to pick your path through time, to dodge some obstacles, and intentionally run head-on into others, defines us2 years ago Read more -
Blog postAutomatic writing or psychography is a claimed psychic ability allowing a person to produce written words without consciously writing. The words purportedly arise from a spiritual or supernatural source.I don't engage in automatic writing, although it sometimes feels like it. I often don't know where the words come from... that seems like a startling admission for a writer to make, but it's true. Although I'm a plotter rather than a pantser when it comes to my writing, I sometime2 years ago Read more
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Blog postI posted on my blog about a month ago that I had in mind to produce a chapbook.
I fell in love with the idea of chapbooks when I learned about them at a residency during my MFA at Goddard College. Traditionally, a chapbook was a small/short book with a collection of essays or poems or stories, plainly bound and distributed cheaply or for free. My plan had been to find a few related stories I'd written and physically produce a chapbook to distribute by hand in my part of the world (I live r2 years ago Read more -
Blog postI'd never heard of, or thought about, chapbooks before learning about them while at Goddard, in pursuit of my MFA.
Chapbooks are simply tiny books. They're normally 20-40 page collections of poetry, fiction, essays, or some mix of a couple of things. I've decided to release a series of chapbooks based on an assortment of short stories that I love, but that haven't, to date, fit in any of the full-length books I'm working on.
My original plan was to follow an older chapbook tradition2 years ago Read more -
Blog postMy Ten
I recently read an article about Yo-Yo Ma, and how he's getting through the pandemic and isolation... it's a brilliant piece and he's an astonishing man, gifted and generous and kind and compassionate and thoughtful in multiple senses of the word.
(picture from NYT)
The article is titled: "Yo-Yo Ma Tries to Bring Us Comfort and Hope" (click the link to check it out).
A part of the article was his discussion about ten thi2 years ago Read more -
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Blog postI'm trying something new.
I'm on a writing retreat in someone else's house; I didn't break-in, they invited me (I'm like a vampire in that respect, I only enter other people's places when invited... in other respects, I'm not at all like a vampire).
It's a lovely house near Boston... lots of room, lots of light, lots of privacy and quiet. I love writing in my home for all sorts of reasons, but sometimes enjoy writing someplace else for precisely those reasons.
I fi3 years ago Read more -
Blog postWelcome to the new year!
My latest book, a collection of short stories, is doing well on Amazon and in some of the indie bookstores I've been working with for a while. I've gotten some good reviews online and through word of mouth.
I've heard from a few people who loved the Tyler books that they didn't love this collection... that's OK. Not all books are for all people, not everyone has to like everything an author publishes. I like the stories in the collection, a lot,3 years ago Read more -
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Blog postMy latest book, titled No Man is an Island... Except Me, just went live on Amazon and is available through them, via your favorite local bookstore, or you can get a signed copy by sending me an email.
It's a collection of short fiction. Fifteen stories about people who are square pegs in a round hole world; a writer’s dozen of people and places where unusual is the norm, where odd is ordinary.
I had a wonderful time writing the stories, exploring those places in my mind (or soul), an3 years ago Read more -
Blog post"Write Every Day!" - This advice is casually tossed around in any and every discussion of Writing and Writers. from the moment you start filling notebooks with ideas and poking at a keyboard, visions of sharing your stories with the world dancing in your head like wordy sugarplums... the way it's normally given, normally meant, normally received, is wrong, is bad advice.
Luckily, you found this article, so you can be SAVED.
The worst possible interpretati3 years ago Read more -
Blog postI was recently speaking with a friend who's also a writer, and we got to talking about the things we do outside of working on our current WIPs (works in progress for those who collect acronyms) to support our growth as writers, our sanity, or our connections to other people and other writers.
My answer was that the most useful and enjoyable piece of "Homework" that I give myself every month is to read a book in preparation for leading a discussion with a writers bookclub at my lo3 years ago Read more -
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Blog postI heard from my advisor yesterday... she's happy with my thesis.
{imagine the release of a breath held for months, a breath I'd not been aware of holding}
The collection of stories that I'll be submitting to the archives and archivists at Goddard College went from 27 stories to 15; I think it's a much tighter collection, more in line with what I wanted to serve up to readers, and with the revisions all of my readers helped me to find my way to is very close to the stories I had in my3 years ago Read more -
Blog postMy thesis will be finished. Not yet, not soon, but someday, and looking at the collection of stories I've put together in the semi-final stages makes me proud, and happy, and excited ... for what's next.
I found my way to Goddard two years ago, hungry to change my approach to writing, eager to improve and professionalize my stories and the way I produced and shared them with the world. My take on me was that I was more storyteller than writer, and what I wanted to get from my time a3 years ago Read more -
Blog postWhy is a guy who's written and published four novels back in school pursuing an MFA?Why is that same novelist laboring to produce a collection of short stories for his thesis?Where is he in that process ... it's been a long time since he published anything?What's next ... why ... when?Those are all excellent questions, especially the first two, and rather than Sir Edmund Hillary-ing my answer, let me try to think my way through them in this blog entry ... if you promise to read it, I promise to4 years ago Read more
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Blog postI tell people I'm a writer.
It's possible that I'm lying ... or at least that I think I'm lying.
I'm a student of story. I love the feel and shape of a good story. I've spent my life enjoying watching, listening to, and reading stories that other people tell; after a lifetime in the pursuit of story, I generally know which way a good one will bend and twist before sticking its landing.
It's this gift, or skill, that gave me the courage to write Here Be4 years ago Read more -
Blog postWriting is a task best done by oneself.
Wait, that's not true ... let me rephrase that to explain how I'm right, as well as how I'm wrong.
Writing your first draft is generally best done in private; what happens before and after that first draft is best done in some form of writing community.
One of the ways in which writing is difficult, at least for me, is that dichotomy, the bi-directional pull of introvert and extrovert.
I love sitting alon4 years ago Read more -
Blog postI just got back from two weeks in Iceland with my wife and son. We had a spectacular time exploring the fascinating island-nation. It occurred to me on landing back at Logan at sunset the other night, driving home in the dark through legions of Masshole drivers, that we'd been living in the light for two weeks.
Although the sun technically sets for an hour or two out of every 24 at this time of year, the sky never gets darker than a cloudy afternoon. We'd flown in, rented a car, and4 years ago Read more -
Blog postI recently returned from an extended trip around the country with my son Ben. We traveled a huge loop around the perimeter of the country, with the help of Amtrak's Railpass. Starting in Albany, we looped to Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, LA, New Orleans, Washington DC, and then home again, after riding about 6,500 miles of train track in varying levels of comfort.
The day we headed out, packing light
Great art Great zoo Great aquariumWe stayed in a wonderful AirBnBIt's a4 years ago Read more -
Blog postI gave a talk at Landmark College, located in Putney, Vermont, this week, and it was recorded by the local TV station for local broadcast.
The talk was titled: "Neurodiverse Characters in Fiction: Perspectives Beyond the Vanilla"
It was a fun talk to give, and a great place to give the talk for a number of reasons:I love talking about writingI enjoy writing, and reading, neurodiverse characters in fictionLandmark College's student population is largely compris4 years ago Read more -
Blog postHe came to live with us about a decade ago, low points in our lives, each for our own reasons, from which we all saved each other in a mutual rebuilding, the kind you only see where dogs are involved.
Miles was back in the isolation section of our favorite Humane Society on earth ... he jumped, he barked, a lot. In one of those cruel feedback loops of confinement, he could never really share his essential Miles-ness in that place, but we saw enough that we knew his weirdness would f5 years ago Read more
Titles By Jamie Sheffield
Fans of Carl Hiaasen, Lawrence Block, and John Sandford will enjoy Tyler Cunningham's adventure for the tight writing, clever (MacGyver-esque) approach to problem-solving, and the chance to explore the Adirondacks with this quirky and unique protagonist. "Here Be Monsters" is Jamie Sheffield's first novel.
Tyler Cunningham is a detective like no other. He can mimic humanity, but in most cases fails utterly to understand people, why they do the things they do, or act in the ways that they do. His saving grace is an insatiable hunger for knowledge that combines with an ability to make connections from a series of seemingly unrelated data-points that other people miss; this continually pulls him into other peoples' problems, where his focus and unique perceptual abilities allow him to solve puzzles that others cannot see in ways that nobody else could conceive.
In the heart of the Adirondack Park, the Northeast's last great wilderness, Tyler Cunningham, a detective who struggles to understand the human condition, finds himself trapped and powerless in the face of shocking cruelty and violence when the closest thing Tyler has to a friend vanishes as a result of his actions. His unique talents strap readers in for an astonishing thrill-ride, keeping them balanced on a knife's edge of suspense, while Tyler struggles frantically to unlock the secrets to a violent conspiracy that he finds himself swept up in, as the book rushes headlong towards a shocking conclusion deep in the primitive wilderness.
Tyler Cunningham is a detective like no other. He can mimic humanity, but in most cases fails utterly to understand people, why they do the things they do, or act in the ways that they do. His saving grace is an insatiable hunger for knowledge that combines with an ability to make connections from a series of seemingly unrelated data-points that other people miss. This pulls him into other peoples' problems, where his focus and unique perceptual abilities allow him to solve puzzles that others cannot see in ways that nobody else could conceive.
In the tradition of Carl Hiaasen, Lawrence Block, and John Sandford comes the next installment in the continuing adventures of Tyler Cunningham, first introduced to readers in "Here Be Monsters" by author Jamie Sheffield who resides in the Adirondack Park in upstate NY.
Reviewers have said that Sheffield's knowledge of, and familiarity with the Adirondack Park turns the region into a supporting character in his books and that the character of Tyler Cunningham forces readers to view life from an alternative perspective. Tyler's strange life, quirky ways of thinking, and obsession with minutiae draw the reader in, and the situations in which he finds himself make the stories hard to put down.
Cold Burn - From The Luminosi Brotherhood Series - by Rae Ford. A surprise from Chicago Detective Tyson Roberts' distant past distracts him from his preparation for the team's expedition to Antarctica. The question is, is this distraction a blessing or a curse?"
Mr. John – by Rodney Hall. Detective John Peterson stared through the blinding snow. He had to ask himself if what he saw was real, or if he was losing his mind.
A Perfect Christmas – by C.R. Garmen. A short and sweet reminder of the virtue of giving during the holidays.
Another First for Christmas – by Michelle Rabe. New vampire Eric Kincade faces his first holiday season with fangs.
Above the Bridge – by Lindy Spencer. There's a huge difference between life above the bridge and below it...except for Karma. From her, there's no escape.
Now is the Winter – by Jamie Sheffield. Richie Gloucester is a spoiled man-child on a trip away from the cold of a Manhattan winter to the tropics, with murder in his heart. His plans, and life, take a bizarre turn when he meets an unlikely heroine who helps him take control of his life ... literally.
Merry Christmas, Baby – by Brenda Tetreault. Christmas is a time of love and magic. But sometimes love needs a helping hand.
Unused to working within the layered investigations of the police and FBI, Tyler will have to find a way to solve the mystery, placate the bureaucrats, and still find a way to serve up his own particular brand of justice to the killer.
The fourth novel in the series is the most complex, suspenseful, and terrifying yet. Fans of Carl Hiaasen, Lawrence Block, and John Sandford will enjoy this look into a killer's mind.
When a friend asks for his help in a life and death matter, Tyler wants to say no, but finds himself pulled into an investigation that may draw the attention of a killer to himself and another innocent.
If he can force the killer into making a mistake, then Tyler and the innocent may be able to survive a deadly game of cat and mouse in a desolate wilderness area.
Between the Carries will take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride with a unique protagonist who isn't normally given to emotional journeys of any sort.
Fans of Carl Hiaasen, Lawrence Block, and John Sandford will enjoy Tyler Cunningham's latest adventure, in the most thrilling and revealing Adirondack Mystery to date.
Tyler Cunningham is a detective like no other. He can mimic humanity, but in most cases fails utterly to understand people, why they do the things they do, or act in the ways that they do. His saving grace is an insatiable hunger for knowledge that combines with an ability to make connections from a series of seemingly unrelated data-points that other people miss; this continually pulls him into other peoples' problems, where his focus and unique perceptual abilities allow him to solve puzzles that others cannot see in ways that nobody else could conceive.
"Bound for Home" provides a look back into how Tyler established himself as a consulting detective in the Adirondacks.
Tyler Cunningham is a detective like no other. He can mimic humanity, but in most cases fails utterly to understand people, why they do the things they do, or act in the ways that they do. His saving grace is an insatiable hunger for knowledge that combines with an ability to make connections from a series of seemingly unrelated data-points that other people miss; this continually pulls him into other peoples' problems, where his focus and unique perceptual abilities allow him to solve puzzles that others cannot see in ways that nobody else could conceive.
"Mickey Slips" opens with Tyler neck deep in someone else's problem when a father-figure from his past texts him in serious trouble. Tyler drops everything to get Mickey out of his jam. What follows is a fascinating glimpse into the relationship between these two, sandwiched in with a sleek and nasty mix of sex, blackmail, hi-tech shenanigans, a bag of sawn-off shotguns, and fantastic barbeque.
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