Spotlight Interview with J.S. Burke

J.S. Burke (Jenny) is an author and marine biologist whose interests range from life forms at the bottom of the sea to the furthest frontiers of  math and science. As for imagination, she’s got it in spades. The third book in her award-winning  Dragon Dreamer series (a series cherished by readers aged 9 to 99) is now available. In this interview, we so enjoyed talking to her about octopuses, dragons, crystals, minerals, snowflakes—and other enchantments her life work illuminates.

Please tell us about some of the themes that drive your award-winning Dragon Dreamer series.

Thank you for inviting me to interview. Books should be fun to read. My themes include how connected everything is. Friendship is precious. When we try to see through the eyes of others, we gain perspective. Scree (octopus character) says, “What will be, will be. And then I’ll fix it.” We should work for a better world.  We never know the full story of another, so we should try to understand. In my dragon books, bullies can grow and are often redeemed. We can all benefit from sharing our different skills, perspectives, and abilities. Octopuses and dragons cooperate, helping each other survive and thrive.

As a marine biologist who has studied octopuses, did you encounter any challenges in combining characters that you have actually researched in the “real” world with those that are products of your imagination?

I changed the octopus life cycle in my Earth-like world. The octopus abilities to change colors and shape-shift are natural. They’re smart, they make friends, and have villages.  The fun is adapting real features for fantasy. An octopus can change the color of every skin cell. My characters do this intentionally, to make images and improve communication. Most of the sea medicines I note in my books are real, though I modify them. The mind-to-mind (trance-mind) communication is fantasy, but who truly knows? It’s fun to contemplate.

Please talk about the impact of undersea volcanoes and tsunamis, which occur in your fiction.

When undersea volcanoes erupt, they create tsunamis that crash upon land, then pull back to the sea, dragging trees and rocks, damaging the nearshore area beneath the waves. Undersea earthquakes can cause old coral heads to topple. They also rain down volcanic particles that could hurt the corals and release toxic chemicals that can kill fish. Ice dragon Drakor’s island was a super-volcano like Krakatoa, so I researched this. When Krakatoa erupted, the sound was heard around the world. The weather changed. Winter was harsh. Sunsets looked like fire. The sun, moon, and stars looked green. It was fun describing reactions to these odd, frightening changes.

In spite of the fact that you are writing dragon-focused fantasy, your readers, as your many reviews confirm, come in all ages. What do you think it is that makes it so easy for adults to slip into the world you’ve built?

Thank you. The series is science-based fantasy, so I simply wrote this as a “normal story.” It’s suitable for kids, with no gratuitous violence and no obvious sex. But I wrote it using adult vocabulary. Kids who read this will learn new words through context. I’ve been told the characters are relatable. Yay!! That should appeal to all ages. The characters are friends we can visit. The books are upbeat, which helps make them a good escape world. I think the detailed world-building helps anchor readers.

Besides books on dragons and octopuses, you’ve written and illustrated books on snowflakes, crystals, narwhals, and more. How did you come to have such a wide area of interests?

Art was my first love, then rock collecting, science and poetry. I wrote my crystal books to share my love for math, science, and crystals. Narwhals have always seemed magical. Narwhal’s Song is an upbeat ecology fantasy.

I grew up inland, but I watched a tide pool movie and was hooked. So, as a child, I decided to become a marine biologist. I was so thrilled when I landed my job! I had worked most of my life towards this goal. My new boss hired me in part because I could illustrate research papers. Go art! Most research papers are read by very few people, and only as needed. It was fun to write something people would read to enjoy. I include humor in my Dragon Dreamer books. I also try to have interesting chapter pix.

Your “snowflakes” are beautiful, intricate mandalas. How do you get your ideas for their unique geometric patterns?

Thank you! I’ve completed two coloring books so far. A third is halfway finished. I look for natural things with interesting shapes, like a praying mantis, shell, crepe myrtle tree, dragon, octopus, etc. I see a pattern in my mind and draw it. Then I tweak it. I can work on a design for years until I’m satisfied. I just want to see what’s in my mind.

What can readers young and old learn from your books on crystals?

I wrote/illustrated the crystal books to teach basic math and chemistry. I’m also writing Cat Math, a fun simple book with cartoons to correct common math misunderstandings. My Crystal books have been used in classes from elementary school to college. The angles of the crystals are the angles of the chemical bonds. When people better understand science, they can better understand pollution and other environmental problems. Not surprisingly, my dragons love crystals! I loved describing the copper cave, with all its funky, beautiful copper minerals.

You can find my books here. There’s a giveaway for signed copies of Narwhal’s Song on Goodreads(US and Canada). Free to enter.

Thank you again for giving me this opportunity to share!

J. S. Burke is an author, artist, and scientist. She’s worked as a marine biologist, studying creatures of the dark abyss and diving on coral reefs. Her stories blend imagination with real science and author experiences. She lives with her family, rescue companions, and dragons! The award-winning Dragon Dreamer series grew from her years at sea, a fascination with the alien, intelligent octopuses, and a love of dragons.  As manager of a marine research program, Burke has five published marine research papers. She has degrees in Math, Science, Marine Science, and Science Education. She has been certified to teach High School Math, High School Science, Middle Grades (all subjects), and Gifted students. She enjoys tutoring.