Darren Jenkins – Author Spotlight
From the age of seven, Darren has always crafted different works of literature, drawings, and paintings. Early in his childhood, he began putting pencil to paper in drawing many things that interest him still tills day, and at a high level; which was unusual for the age by most. Characters from comics and TV shows used to be scattered around him while while he had the vigor and excitement to draw everything he could see and imagine. But by the age of ten, he began to read the stories of the comic characters he drew.
By twelve, he went up a peg and began to become interested in something other than video games, going outside, or wrestling shows. Darren began to read some of his mom’s old books. He started reading everything from Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and James Patterson. He also read a few Stephen King books which he began with Four Past Midnight, until he was caught by his mom at least.
Although he liked reading to imagine the words vividly in his wild imagination, his first love was still his first. And by the age of fourteen, Darren’s interest in exploring the world of his craft carried his skill to evolve technically, and imaginatively into the world of fine arts. He showed a lot of interest in many art styles like cubism, surrealism, and pop art. However, during this time, he also started to become curious on what else he can do creatively. Also, he always liked comics and novels, so it felt only right to explore what he revolved around, and in the process, he became a long-time painter and fiction writer that is comfortable in his ability, but is always learning, evolving, and inspiring to create many ideas that are unique, imaginative, and thought-provoking.
His upcoming novel, Zealots of Eternal Dreams, is the first installment to a sci-fi trilogy. Within the cosmos during Earth’s twelve century, a terror-filled act of genocide that is somehow connected to Earth transpired, which initiated a series of events that stretched from the 1100s to the 21st century. A present time where not only humans are unaware that another species walk among them, but they may find their planet in the middle of an intergalactic mystery of murder and an insane extraterrestrial who was once seen as “king of the gods” by mankind’s ancestors.
Author Interview
I asked Darren some additional questions to help us get to know him better.
Where can people follow you online to learn more?
Anyone can find me on my IG @fontay.fresco to learn more that I’m working on. It’ll be something after another as the days go by leading up to the book release because I’m working on a portfolio gallery of paintings and the graphic novel series, so it’ll definitely be updates from me from the “ground up”. I’m all around in a rare form creatively right now, so yeah. It’ll be a new journey, and you’ll definitely learn more and more as the clock whine down.
What do you think readers will love mostly about your books?
I think they’ll love how I can fuse and relate names and characters that they would automatically think, you know, larger than life, and high and mighty walking the clouds, to somewhat of a grounded theme that has symbolism from who these characters are along with every environment and situation they step in. That symbolism will show readers qualities that they would sometimes relate to, or sometimes aspire to be in a way within our everyday lives.
What do you love mostly about writing?
Well, there’s a few reasons why really. I love it because it’s another avenue for me to have an output for all the ideas and worlds I’m either sitting on, or something that pops up in my head and its just interesting automatically. That’s a big reason, especially now since I feel like a powder keg of creation and energy recently. I’ve been on a personal hiatus for a long time as of my work with writing, and even painting. But now, I guess I can say I feel, like I had a rebirth.
Are currently working on any new books or writing projects?
I actually am, besides monitoring the release of book one of the trilogy in July. I’m actually working on the second and third installments of Zealots of Eternal Dreams, and I’m working on a graphic novel series with entirely different characters, backstories, all that stuff. So something that relate to a comic book is definitely in the works.