Author Interview: Jonathan Strecker

Today I am interviewing Jonathan Strecker, author of the new sci-fi horror novel, Shimmers.

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DJ: Hi Jon! Thanks for agreeing to do this interview! 

For readers who aren’t familiar with you, could you tell us a little about yourself?

J.P. Streckers: Thank you, DJ. I am honored to be interviewed. 

I was born in a small town in Ohio – Bellevue. It is a bit south of Cedar Point, which is a well known amusement park in the area. As you will see in the book, the location is centered around Bellevue. 

As a child, my friends and I were fascinated by the supernatural. That fascination persisted into adulthood. As such, when I went to college at The Ohio State University, I majored in Psychology. As time went on, I diversified my educational ambitions, including taking classes for an MBA and completing my doctoral degree in Education. I am currently a Head of School in Western Pennsylvania. 

DJ: What is Shimmers about?

J.P.: While the story Shimmers is purely fiction, the tale embodies theories I have developed over time regarding the supernatural. James and Josh, three-year-old twins see something unusual in the forest while camping. Josh, the braver of the two, steps into a mysterious anomaly and disappears. James continues to see the shimmers, but is too frightened to interact with them until many years later. With the support of his younger brothers and best friend, Bob, the boys begin to test their own theories. As the boys experience ghosts, demons, and mythical creatures, they begin to understand the dynamics of the shimmers and devise a plan to find Josh and bring him home. If you enjoy stories that incorporate time travel, alternate dimensions, quantum theory, and the unexplained, I believe you will enjoy Shimmers.

DJ: What were some of your influences for Shimmers? 

J.P.: As I mentioned, my educational background is a myriad of experiences ranging from psychology, physics, education, and business. I tend to consider the unexplained through a logical mindset. However, I also have strong beliefs based on my own experiences, including having survived both Stage IV Cancer in my early 20s and a cardiac arrest in my late 40s. Each of those events contributed heavily to my supernatural experiences. Needless to say, I am extremely lucky to be alive and my experiences with the supernatural are quite unusual. Nothing like crossing over to the otherside to help with imagery and imagination.