Science Fiction - Valjeanne Jeffers

[Diane]

Meet Valjeanne Jeffers author of Immortal, graduate of Spelman College and currently pursuing an MA at North Carolina Central University. A member of the Carolina African American Writer's Collective, she writes both poetry and science fiction. Her poems have appeared in Revelry, 2006; The Ringing Ear: Black Poets Lean South and Drumvoices Revue 2007 and 2008 (under the pen name Valjeanne Jeffers-Thompson). Her fiction has also been featured in Pembroke Magazine, Issue 39.
Get a sneak peek at what she's working on here.

Her dreams are terrifying. In the year of our one 3075, tundra has been at peace for 400 years. There is no racism, poverty or war. Karla is a young indigo woman working as a successful healer. Yet she is tormented by lucid and erotic dreams. Dreams in which she is immortal. Two men emerge from these phantasms: the first a copper shape shifter and the other a demon more dead than alive. But when this creature appears in her apartment Karla realizes they share a lust that may one day may consume her. Together they will journey to the edge of time...to a nightmarish world of revolution and magic. But will they save tundra or perish in its destruction?


When did you begin writing?
I starting writing at the age of nine, and I won my first literary contest at age 13.
What drew you to this particular genre?
I love science fiction because my creativity is bound only by my imagination.
Why do you think speculative fiction is important?
This is a genre that gives writers a chance to critique injustice and to create worlds where people work together to stamp out racism, poverty and war. Then too speculative fiction I think, more than any other genre, offers a wonderful escape from the world we live in. You can totally lose yourself in a science fiction world -- both writers and readers -- crave that escape sometimes.
What are the key elements or literary devices you use in your fiction (Ex. vampire, space or time travel, first contact, Armageddon, etc.)?
I like to write about time travel and shape shifting, and I like to blend horror and science fiction; so I also write about werewolves, vampires and centaurs.

What are your plans for future books?
I plan to release Immortal II: The of Legend in December 2008.
Stealer of Souls, which I'm finishing now, will be released in 2009.

Favorite author, book and/ movie:
Octavia Butler is my all time favorite author, and her novel Wild Seed is my favorite book.

What do readers need to know about you and your works?
I create worlds where people have found ways, or are struggling to find ways to protect their planet's environment and to feed and house every citizen. I also try to make my characters realistic "people" that my readers can identify with. So my characters are sexual, conflicted, heroic -- in short flawed but exceptional individuals. Just like us.