Meet the Author: Jeremiah Sanchez

Our Meet the Humans of Dark Heart series features the incredible creatives of Dark Heart. Explore their art, stories, advice, and passions. Next time you visit Dark Heart, order their drink, and invite the waves of inspiration to move through you!

So, let’s meet the wildly talented author and human, Jeremiah!

1. WHEN DID YOU FIRST REALIZE YOU WANTED TO BE A WRITER? 

My mother has a box of stories I wrote, dating back to my days in diapers. I took it very seriously. Even before I could pen my imagination myself, I would illustrate adventures, and she would add my narrative at the bottom of the scribbly pages. She nurtured my imagination, and I am forever grateful. As far as actually committing to the insanity that is novels, I was 19 when the first story took root in my mind. 

2. YOU WROTE MUCH OF YOUR "PARACHUTE MINDS" SERIES IN THE CAFE. REGARDING THE SERIES, WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THE IDEA FOR "PARACHUTE MINDS" AROSE?

Bits and pieces wove together at random times, but the moment of greatest inspiration came while I was enjoying a bottle of red and stargazing. I remember staring at a particularly vibrant night of distant galaxies, reaching my hand out for them, and dreaming of being able to explore the wonders of our universe. I imagined being able to grab hold of the light they cast and harnessing it to leap impossible distances. After that, I was obsessed. Nothing mattered more than exploring the cosmos in my mind.

3. TELL US ABOUT YOUR SERIES. 

Traveler, an extraterrestrial recruiter, invites Gideon to leave Earth to explore what the most advanced peoples in the universe fear most: the fourth phase of human exploration. Gideon, a reckless adrenaline junky with a disturbing secret, leaves Earth behind with a wink and a smile, but Traveler fears the Earthling’s wild spirit could prove too much, endangering humanity across the stars.

Parachute Minds is a gobstopper of an adventure, with layers of sci-fi, tastes of fantasy, and dashes of horror. From surviving a medieval world of swashbuckling knights, to escaping a giant planet of herculean dwarves, Gideon is relentlessly tested for the fourth phase.

A Sci-Fi love letter to The Odyssey, Parachute Minds transcends the frustration of “Born too late to explore the world. Born too early to explore space.” This series runs the full gamut, keeping readers torn between wishing the adventure was real, and thanking the universe it isn’t. Inspired by scientific theories from Stephen Hawking, Michio Kaku, and others, Parachute Minds explores our destiny among the heavens.

4. HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO WRITE YOUR SERIES? 

I wrote the first two books in just under one year. The second book of the series, “Light Switch,” will be available soon!

5. WHAT WAS ONE OF THE MOST SURPRISING THINGS YOU LEARNED IN THE CREATION OF YOUR SERIES?

Honestly, I thought this journey would be met with less excitement. I figured it was something that just fascinated me, and I was okay with that. But as I’ve studied, explored, written, and shared, it’s blown me away how many others yearn to know what exists beyond. I’ve found everyone is curious about aliens, advanced civilizations, and the consequences discovering their existence would create. I’ve been pleasantly surprised to discover Parachute Minds asks questions everyone wants answers to. Who knows…maybe it’s not fiction after all.

6. WHAT MAKES DARK HEART A SPECIAL PLACE TO CREATE? 

Dark Heart seems like a magical escape within itself. True to its name, the aura is dark, yet inviting. Everything feels personal, transportive, and designed with artful purpose and freedom. Within that environment, creativity is provided a catalyst for exploration and growth. Plus, I mean, the coffee is a fantastical sucker punch to apathy, surging the veins full of delicious caffeine!

7. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DARK HEART ORDER, AND WHY? 

The quad-shot mocha by far! It’s like taking a firehose of chocolate to the heart! Plus, four shots of kick-writer’s-block-straight-in-the-ass thrown in for good measure!

8. WHEN YOU ARE NOT WRITING, WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO? 

When I’m not actively exploring the fourth phase, I’m usually at the day job, personal training out of Loveland Athletic Club. I’ve always believed in two outlets, one physical, one mental. Between fitness and writing, I manage to stay (debatably) sane.

9. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE WRITER, AND WHY? 

A few of my favorites are Bill Watterson, Frank E. Peretti, Michael Crichton, Homer, Dean Koontz, and many others, but my favorite at the moment is Michio Kaku. He’s not a fiction writer, but as an accomplished theoretical physicist, his works have wowed, inspired, and grounded me. Using his teachings as a filter, I’ve been able to prioritize the “science” in science fiction before taking my liberties. 

10. WHAT IS NEXT FOR YOU, IN WRITING, IN LIFE, OR IN BOTH? 

Ideally, I’d be climbing aboard a rocket to go explore the universe myself! But since that’s not an option, I’m focusing my energy into promoting the first book, “Leap of Fate,” and preparing for “Light Switch,” the second installment that will truly demand readers parachute their minds. I’m currently writing the fourth book and preparing for the fifth and final.

11. IF YOU COULD SHARE ONE PIECE OF ADVICE WITH A NERVOUS CREATIVE (A WRITER, ARTIST, PERFORMER, ETC. WHO IS NERVOUS TO GO FOR BIG MAGIC WITHIN THEIR ARTS AND TALENTS), WHAT WOULD IT BE? 

The three biggest tools I’ve learned and would encourage are: 

1. Write a story you want to read. If you’re not passionate about the project, it will show. You can’t please everyone. Some will love it. Some won’t. The only person you can guarantee you’ll please is yourself. 

2. Just like children, eventually your characters will surprise you and make decisions on their own. Raise them right and let them do what is true to their character. Forcing unnatural decisions just to move the plot forward undermines the quality of your story. 

3. You’re going to rewrite everything you ever put to paper. Sometimes it takes editing many times over before it’s even just okay. Just get it out. Edit, edit, edit, rewrite, refine, and it will take form. “May death not find you sleeping.”