Action Pulp!

By Adam Messer

“I see lots of questions on the internet asking the rules of writing.  There are no rules.  If there are, I ignore them.  Tell a good story.  Make your characters real, even the ones you don’t want people to like.” – Ralph E. Jarrells.

Ralph E. Jarrells writes historical fiction with religious themes as well as non-fiction.

Please introduce yourself.

I am author Ralph E. Jarrells, retired marketing and advertising executive and, for the past 10 years, Published Author.  I write historical fiction with religious overtones and some non-fiction.  I have five books published, one at the publishers expected to be published in July and two in the works.  I like to travel, 48 states and 52 countries.  I like photography, video production and food.

What genres do you write and why?

I like historical fiction.  I think using historic facts provides an author a foundation, skeleton if you will, around which to develop a store.  I used the KJV Bible as the skeleton for my latest novel, “Jesus-Judas: Best Friends Forever” which was named Religious Fiction Book of the Year 2025.  It is a plausible, if not believable, story of a friendship between the two prior to discipleship.  Judas was a enigmatic of the disciples – eleven were from Galilee Judas was from Judea.  He was the most trusted – he carried the purse.  And, yet, he was the betrayer.

When did you know you wanted to write? How did it happen?

Mrs. Lamar’s fifth grade class.  A classmate and I wrote playlets based on the Roadrunner and Mrs, Lamar allowed us to perform them in class.

What’s one of your favorite scenes in one of your books?

I like to have some humor in my stories.  In “Jesus-Judas…” I describe the visit of the three kings to meet the Baby Jesus.  If we believe that they were kings, then they would have traveled with an entourage.  Bethlehem at the time of Jesus birth had a population of about 300.  So, each of the kings traveled with at least 100 people and as many animals.  You can imagine how the locals reacted to this extreme large group of visitors.  There are many others but the one I described still brings a smile to me face.

What makes a good character? A bad one?

I really don’t know – I guess what they do and how they do it.  I realize that is a short answer to a complicated question.  A well written character has good and bad traits, otherwise they wouldn’t be interesting.

What is your favorite book and why?

WOW!  No one book.  However, all of Tom Robbins books because he knows how to paint graphic pictures with words (my goal is writing).  All of Taylor Caldwell’s books – she knew how to make historical characters become real (something I strive to do, also).  I guess I would include Ernest Hemingway’s “Old Man and the Sea”.  I stayed in the house in Bimini where he wrote much of it – and had more than one drink at The Complete Angler.  I have 300+ books in my library, most are my favorites.

What do you want to say to your audience?

Enjoy my books.  I enjoy writing them.  Expect the unexpected.  Buy them, of course, but I don’t make a living off of royalties.

What advice do you have for new writers?

Write and read.  I see lots of questions on the internet asking the rules of writing.  There are no rules.  If there are, I ignore them.  Tell a good story.  Make your characters real, even the ones you don’t want people to like.  

Do you have anything else you would like to add?

Titles are important.  One of my books has a short title “Ill gotten gain”.  “Jesus-Judas: Best Friends Forever” is a little long.  “Fiery Red Hair. Emerald Eyes and A Vicious Irish Temper” is a historical fiction autobiography about Anne Boney, the first female pirate in the Caribbean…I know you can’t write an autobiography of a dead person, BUT I DID, And the book at the publisher is , “The Bullet, The Bible and The Best Laid Plans” a WW1 love story.  So, I prefer long titles that sell your story. I believe all of the books must have a “grabber” title.  Fight your publisher and all best practices to keep a long title if it is a “grabber”.  It is as important as a good, well written story.

Website: http://www.ralphejarrellsauthor.com/

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