1. Let’s start at the beginning. Who is Jack Calder in your own words?
I'm a 52-year-old empty-nest dad who wrote an urban fantasy novel instead of buying a sports
car for my midlife crisis. I've been married for 22 years, have three kids in college, and just took
a buyout after 27 years in aerospace & defense. I'm a big believer in experiences over material
things. I've traveled to 30 countries, lived in the UK, and I love everything from Michelin-star
dining to dive bars. That range of experience shapes how I write about places and people. I just
now write books instead of PowerPoint presentations.

2. You write urban fantasy with a grounded magic system and historical accuracy. What
drew you to this style of storytelling?
I've spent years reading urban fantasy and felt like something was missing, most protagonists
are young and brash, and the magic systems felt either too hand-wavy or overly complicated. I
wanted to write something that felt grounded in real history and real places I've visited. Authors
like Kevin Hearne taught me worldbuilding depth, and Richard Kadrey showed me how to make
places feel alive on the page. Having traveled to 30 countries including living in the UK, I had all
these experiences I wanted to weave into something that felt both fantastical and believable.

3. Your protagonist is immortal and has been fighting the cracks in reality for centuries.
What inspired this character and his world-weary outlook?
Most Urban Fantasy protagonists are young, or act young. As someone that has a lifetime of
experience, I wanted a character that felt a little world-weary, and appreciates things in a
different way than other characters I read about. I wanted characters that have some life
experience and don’t just skip through the story line as if it’s one big adventure. I felt like that
voice was missing in many urban fantasy books and that people might want characters that
have backgrounds that contribute to the plot, and not just get thrust into a situation where they
don’t yet have the skills to face the threats.

4. How do you balance magic, science, and history in your books to make them feel
believable?
I try to make it all as realistic as possible. For example, I use things like sacred geometry, runes,
wards, etc. that people study today, not just magic for magic’s sake. A lot of the principles
behind the magic are tied to engineering and science rules. As an example, magic can flow like
energy in a circuit and be conducted. So one of the characters has a background in electrical
engineering, so when he discovers things like sacred geometry and how it works, he gets the
concept, even though it isn’t exactly science. The other thing I have tried to do is make magic
rare. A lot of UF book’s magic is technically hidden from the public, but it requires a lot of
suspension of belief because it gets used in public so much that it's doubtful someone would not
find out. So, I made it exceedingly rare, which I also thinks enriches the story because when
magic is used it feels important.

5. Your first novel The Keeper of the Veil: Book One of the Veil Saga is releasing this
year. What inspired the story and its central conflict?
For years I've been collecting moments, standing in a park in my hometown thinking “what if
something ancient lived here?”. or meeting someone at a neighborhood cookout who was so
charismatic they had to become a character. The Keeper of the Veil is built from dozens of
these vignettes woven together. The central conflict came from asking: what if there were real
supernatural things that were kept at bay through a barrier between our world and the
supernatural. That’s why it’s so rare to come across supernatural things, but they do
occasionally break through which is why we know about them. And what if an immortal warrior
had to hold it together in the most unlikely place, suburban Ohio.

6. Which character in The Keeper of the Veil surprised you the most while writing?
Casey. She and her wife are James’ (the MMC) next door neighbors. Erin is integral to the story
because she has a science (data analytics) background that helps drive the investigation of
what’s going on. Casey doesn’t have the technical background that the other characters have.
So, I was worried that she would get lost in the story. However, as I wrote she came alive. She
has the biggest personality, and became the heart of the main crew, and I love writing her.

7. You mix modern suburban settings with ancient orders and medieval flashbacks. How
do you decide which historical elements to include?
It's mostly based on places I have visited. Every historical flashback is a foreshadowing event
for the next chapter or two. It introduces a character, gives insight into future decisions, and is
used to set up a dramatic event that feels more real. That allowed me to show the story and why
decisions are made rather than tell it. These are the most fun chapters to write. As far as why I
choose them, it’s more of an art than science. I know what I want to introduce and I pick a place
and a time period that fits the vibe.

8. Your magic system behaves more like physics than traditional spell work. How did you
develop it?

So, I have come up with 4 main ways magic can be used in my world. The first is simply a
“magic user” channels the energy around them and directs it to do something else. It isn’t overly
sophisticated in that sense. You need both the aptitude to do it (not everyone can do this), and
training and skill to be proficient. The second is enchanting. You use magic and the energy
around you and you imbue it into an item (e.g. James takes diamond powder and uses magic to
infuse his sword to make it sharper and stronger). This ability is even more rare. The third is
sacred geometry/arithmetic. This is using runes and symbols to channel power. You may use
runes to make a ward to protect your home. People can be taught to do this. The last is natural magic, like druids. You use nature around youto channel power. The magical energy flows and can be conducted like a circuit, so copper issued a few times to channel and contain energy, and since it behaves like electricity, the magician be enhanced with real world tools like an amplifier.

9. Humor plays a role in your stories despite the stakes. How do you balance humor with
tension?
I tried not to go down the over the top snark that you see in a lot of UF books. I use humor in a
couple of ways. I want to use humor in a way that real people do. A few ways I use it are in
dangerous or scary situations where a person uses humor to deflect their own fears. Second, I
use it in self deprecating situations. Not everyone is a confident hero that has few internal flaws,
so some of the characters that have insecurities use humor to feel loved and get attention. I also
use it as part of the camaraderie amongst friends, in a way that real people do around each
other when they are close. So good natured ribbing, or stupid dad jokes that might annoy
another character. I tried not to use it just to be funny or snarky, it comes from how people use
humor in the real world.

10. Found-family dynamics are key to your books. What does “family” mean to your
protagonist and his allies?
Since James is immortal and 1000 years old (he has a big birthday in 2036! Though I am not
sure the cake will fit all those candles), he has come to appreciate that life is not about material
things, but he also understands that life is fragile and worth living. James is a people collector.
He loves the company of true friends, but he doesn’t have a big, dominant personality. He lets
his friends shine, and I think that allows me to write the characters in a deeper and more
interesting way. The other characters aren’t just popping into the story line. They have very
distinct personalities that James appreciates, but are all very dynamic in their own way. THis
ties them all together because the different personalities all balance each other out, and each
respects and loves the others for it.

⚡ Rapid Fire (Quick Vibes)
11. Magic or science if you had to choose one?
Magic! Way more fun.

12. Writing early morning or late night?
Early morning. Nights are for marketing,
13. Music, silence, or background noise while writing?
Silence, I am too easily distracted
14. Pantser, plotter, or somewhere in between?
In between. I have a story outline, but it changes constantly as I write.
15. One word you hope readers use to describe your books.
Connected. I want readers to feel like they know these people

 The Author Journey
16. What moment made you think, “I am really doing this author thing”?
There have been so many moments like that, but the big one for me was finishing the first draft
and having a whole book sitting in front of me.
17. Publishing your first novel at age 52 is exciting. What has surprised you most about
this journey?
That I actually finished it! I've collected these stories in my head since I was a kid, but between
career and family, I never made time. Taking the buyout in September 2025 gave me that
window. I threw myself into it, writing 10+ hours a day, 2,500 words daily, and suddenly I had a
complete novel. Then a second one. Now I'm launching Book 1 on January 13th with Book 2
following in March. The biggest surprise is that once I committed, it just flowed.
18. What advice would you give to writers starting later in life or switching careers into
writing?
I think it's the discipline to just do it. It's like exercising, or eating healthy, you have to start and
then make it a habit. Once it becomes a habit it all starts to flow, and you gain the confidence to
continue. It's a self-rewarding process.

19. How do you make your characters feel real while blending historical accuracy and
fantasy?
I make the magic secondary to the characters. It’s really a story about friendship and the
important things in life that are worth protecting. Magic and history are tools to enhance that
story.

20. Which scene in The Keeper of the Veil do you hope readers remember most?
The final chapter. Without spoiling it, James has to make a choice between what's tactically
correct and what's morally right, and he chooses his values over victory. For a character who's
lived a thousand years fighting monsters, this moment shows he's never lost his humanity. I
hope readers understand his decision even if they wouldn't make the same choice. It sets up
Book 2 in a way that feels earned, not contrived.

Just for Fun
21. If your protagonist could step out of the book into the real world, what would be his
first action?
He would start the day with a coffee, have a really nice dinner with fine wines with a friend or
two, and then head out with his closest friends to a dive bar to just enjoy their company.

22. Which character would you want to grab a drink or coffee with in real life?
Casey, she would be the most fun and entertaining.

23. If The Keeper of the Veil were adapted, would you prefer a movie or a series?
A series. It would bring more opportunities to tell the story than just replicating the book.

24. What is one fun fact about you or your writing process that readers might not guess?
I don’t know that it’s that unusual, but I write during the day with 3-4 cups of coffee, then I
transfer over to a glass of wine or two in the early evening. I tend to write 10+ hours a day at the
moment.

25. When readers finish The Keeper of the Veil, what feeling or takeaway do you hope
stays with them the longest?
That the people and places feel real and lived in. Most of my locations (parks, restaurants,
shops, etc.) are real places you can visit. I wrote the story centered in the city I grew up in. I
want people to feel like they have been there too, that the characters are people that they can
relate to rather than being super heroes.