About Jim & Stephanie Kroepfl
JIM and STEPHANIE KROEPFL are a husband-and-wife team who write stories of mystery and adventure from their cabin in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. When they aren’t dodging moose, their story ideas appear during their walks with their dog, who far prefers playing to plotting novels. Jim and Stephanie are world travelers who seek out crop circles, obscure historical sites and mysterious ruins.
Read BookTrib’s review of Jim and Stephanie’s book, Merged.
Find out more at their website.
BOOKS:
Merged (2019)
Biggest literary influencers:
John Green, Lois Lowry, Laurie Halse Anderson, Neil Schusterman, Orson Scott Card
Last book read:
Aurora Rising by Aime Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. Character & Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card
The book that changed your life:
Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain showed us how a story can transport a reader into an unknown world, and make it feel so real it’s as if you grew up there. Twain created rich, flawed characters who you care about, whether they’re the hero, villain or a bit of both. He masterfully combines humor and adventure with social commentary without being preachy. Also, it was our first glimpse of a story with a teen protagonist that both young people and adults love to this day.
Your favorite literary character:
Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games has strength, courage, independence, and skills beyond the ordinary. It is her self-sacrifice at the reaping that instantly cements her as a character we can love and root for. Her sister is “the only person in the world she is certain she loves.” The conflict between strength and vulnerability is what makes Katniss a character for the ages.
Currently working on:
Re-Merged the sequel to Merged
Words to live by:
“You’ve got to be kind.” –Kurt Vonnegut
Advice to new and aspiring authors:
Know your story before you begin writing, which is how the plot changes the protagonist. The forest is just as important as the trees.
Articles / Reviews:
Testimonials
” Merged is a fascinating, invigorating vision, with fantastic characters and a voice that questions what we assume about science, art, and humanity.
- Karen Healey, author of When We Wake
” Merged is a complex and intriguing science fiction thriller that will keep teens turning pages as they race along with the characters through the drama, romance and intricate world-building.
- Gabrielle S. Prendergast, author of Zero Repeat Forever