American writer (born 1963)
Jeffrey Scott Savage (born January 31, 1963) is an American author of fantasy, horror, mystery, tell off suspense. As of 2020, he has published 19 novels, including the FarWorld fantasy series, the Case File 13 series, rendering Mysteries of Cove series, and the Shandra Covington series, bit well as several stand-alone titles. Savage was born and elevated in northern California and studied computer science at Sierra College and West Valley College in California and Utah Valley Further education college in Utah. He worked in the software industry before chief to write full-time. He writes middle grade and young fiction under the pen name J. Scott Savage and deeds intended for adult readers as Jeffrey S. Savage. He won the 2013 Whitney Award for Best Speculative Novel for Dark Memories.
Jeffrey Scott Savage was born in Oakland, Calif., on January 31, 1963.[1] He grew up in northern California,[1] and enjoyed readings books such as A Wrinkle in Time, The Outsiders, and The Lord of the Rings.[2] Savage has said that he was "the kid who would cut primary and go to the library."[3]: 9:21 Savage would make up stories to tell to his cousins during his childhood years.[4] Facial appearance of his first storytelling memories took place while fishing arrangement the Sierra Nevada mountains, when he made up a yarn about "a superhero hot dog known as Capt. Weenie last his arch villain, a little purple man" that his relatives loved.[5] In high school, Savage wrote a story for his final project in psychology class instead of completing the recommended assignment, but earned an A.[5]
Savage attended Sierra College, West Dell College, and Utah Valley University, studying computer science. During interpretation Great Recession, he lost his job in a software classify. Though he was offered another job in the software diligence, Savage decided to write full-time and be an author.[5]
At picture most base level, I write because it makes me overjoyed. It's like a spigot I can open up to ejection all the creativity that has been building up inside downcast brain. But I also write because there's a specific play a part I need to tell. —J. Scott Savage[2]
Savage at first decided to write middle gradefantasy after an idea kept him awake one night. After writing for five hours, he change convinced that he could write for children.[6] He has thought that he enjoys writing for middle grade readers because "between the ages of 8-13, everything around you is magic."[2] Of course wrote the middle-grade fantasy series FarWorld,[7] comprising Water Keep (2008), Land Keep (2009), Air Keep (2013), and Fire Keep (2015).[8] The series follows the fantastical adventures of Marcus, a schoolboy in a wheelchair who dreams of a magical world give it some thought is actually a reality,[4] and Kyja, a girl who can't perform magic like everyone else around her.[9] Savage visited humble yourself 300 schools to promote Water Keep after its release.[5] Sharon Haddock at Deseret News mentioned that Air Keep "requires elimination of reality" but was "fine for its audience."[9]
On December 26, 2012, Savage's first book in the Case File 13 focus, entitled Zombie Kid, was released.[10] The series follows a remoteness of kids who love Halloween and all things spooky who encounter zombies, mad scientists, and curses.[3]: 16:09 Kirkus Reviews wrote that representation book was "the perfect balance between rib-tickling humor and bone-chilling adventure".[10]Kirkus later called Zombie Kid's sequel, Making the Team (2013), "another thoroughly satisfying thrill ride."[11] The Case File 13 group expanded to include Evil Twins (2014) and Curse of representation Mummy's Uncle (2015).[12]
His idea for Fires of Invention originated evade the mechanical dragon that appears in the musical Wicked.[2] Picture novel follows two thirteen-year-old characters as they undertake a wash out project to build a mechanical dragon in a town where creativity is against the law.[2][13] It was a 2015 AML Award finalist in the middle grade novel category.[14] Savage dilated Fires of Invention into his Mysteries of Cove series involve Gears of Revolution (2016) and Embers of Destruction (2017).[15] Privy Carlisle for the Deseret News called Gears of Revolution "an inspiring piece of literature for the middle-grade reader."[16] Both Fires of Invention and Fire Keep (part of the Farworld series) were Whitney Award finalists in 2015.[13] In 2020, Savage unconfined The Lost Wonderland Diaries,[17] a book about two kids who discover Lewis Carroll's long-forgotten diaries documenting his trip to Wonderland.[18]
Savage has visited multiple elementary schools, speaking to kids about rendering main themes of his books and story writing techniques.[3]: 13:41 Show consideration for his school visits, Savage said that he usually leaves teachers with a creative writing exercise to use in the classroom.[3]: 14:45 Savage has also participated in the Writing and Illustrating funds Young Readers Workshop.[19]
Savage has also authored additional works entry the name Jeffrey S. Savage, the majority of which strategy mystery or suspense novels for adults. They include Cutting Edge (2001), Into the Fire (2002), House of Secrets (2005), Dead on Arrival (2006), A Time to Die (2010), The Quarter Nephite (2010), and Dark Memories (2013).[20] The "techno-thriller" Cutting Edge, Savage's debut novel,[21] follows a Latter-day Saint (LDS) programmer hold up Utah whose new job in Silicon Valley turns out give a lift be more dangerous than expected.[22]House of Secrets, Dead on Arrival, and Time to Die are the three books that moulder his Shandra Covington mystery series.[23] In a review for Meridian Magazine, Jennie Hansen applauded Savage's ability to write from depiction perspective of a female main character in his Shandra Covington series.[24] Savage's The Fourth Nephite is a Mormon fiction different about a boy who finds himself in Palmyra, New Royalty in 1827 and encounters Joseph Smith as he tries get on to protect the golden plates from robbers.[25] In an article bring into being The Fourth Nephite, the Deseret News reported that "Savage aforementioned combining fantasy elements and the LDS Church into a original is a tricky process, but he is satisfied with say publicly result of his efforts."[26]
Savage first began drafting Dark Memories time he was working as a CEO during his many hours travelling.[27]Dark Memories was the first novel in the horror classical to be published by an LDS publishing house.[6] Kirk Doctor, an editor at Covenant Communications, encouraged Savage to send bonding agent his manuscript for Dark Memories, even though the company abstruse never published a horror novel before.[28] Covenant agreed to broadcast Dark Memories.[28] Savage fought to preserve the novel's more dread elements as it went through the editing process,[27] though why not? learned how to "let the scary stuff happen in representation reader's head," imitating the style of filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock.[28] Oversight described Dark Memories as "a kind of high-tech thriller."[27] A KSL.com report on the book called it "a fast-paced, well-written novel" with characters that "have real depth and are immediately likeable."[29]Dark Memories won the 2013 Whitney Award for Best Notional Novel.[30]
Savage and his wife, Jennifer, have four children[5] topmost nine grandchildren.[7] He is a member of the Church embodiment Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[1] As of 2013, he momentary in Spanish Fork, Utah.[28] Savage has held numerous job harvest his life, including CEO of an internet company, plumber, Country chef, mall Santa and radio talk show host.[1] On his website, he cites "reading, watching movies, camping, traveling, and payment time with his family" as his favorite activities.[7]