# My interests, outside of tortoises.



## jsheffield (Oct 24, 2018)

I moved to New Hampshire with my wife and son a few years ago, after being a SPED teacher in a tiny school district in Northern New York, and am able now to explore my interests and curiosity to a greater degree than back in what I think of as my old life.

I'm a writer, having published five books (four novels and a collection of novellas), and am in the process of polishing a few more for publication while I finish my MFA at a small and crunchy college in Vermont. I wrote the first few books via the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) program; if anyone has questions about writing or publishing, I'd be happy to render what help I can.

I love to read, mostly mysteries, but a bit of everything.

I live with two rescue dogs, mostly labs, and help out a few organizations shuttling rescues from vet or shelters to fosters and forever homes.

I do a lot of cooking, and am planning a cookbook at some point in the future. I really like experimenting with fermented foods, infusions, sous-vide cookery, along with refining recipes I've found online or in books to be more in line with my tastes (which run to garlic, butter, various types of peppers, and celebrating simple, yet interesting, combinations of ingredients).

I enjoy solo-canoeing, hammock camping, and exploring the world on my ebike and using my tiny trailer as a base of operations for trips. I've traveled extensively all my life, and am always planning the next trip.

I am struggling with a lifelong backpack addiction, but am 23 days since buying my last pack.

I'm glad to have found TFO, and look forward to learning more about enhancing Darwin's life through my studies and lurking here.

Thanks, 

Jamie

ps - if anyone is interested, my books can be found on Amazon or ordered through your local bookstore, I'm on FB and Instagram, and have a website I don't contribute often enough to at www.JamieSheffield.com


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## Moozillion (Oct 24, 2018)

jsheffield said:


> I moved to New Hampshire with my wife and son a few years ago, after being a SPED teacher in a tiny school district in Northern New York, and am able now to explore my interests and curiosity to a greater degree than back in what I think of as my old life.
> 
> I'm a writer, having published five books (four novels and a collection of novellas), and am in the process of polishing a few more for publication while I finish my MFA at a small and crunchy college in Vermont. I wrote the first few books via the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) program; if anyone has questions about writing or publishing, I'd be happy to render what help I can.
> 
> ...



WOW!!!
What a lovely post!
I’ve fantasized about writing a book one day. A friend of mine got her MFA in writing just a couple years ago, and I was impressed by how much work she had to do. 
Like anything, I guess, it’s much more difficult than it may appear to non-professionals.

It sounds like you are living the life![emoji2]
GOOD JOB!


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## Yvonne G (Oct 24, 2018)

I haven't the least inclination to actually write, however, I am an avid reader. I set aside a whole bedroom as a library, but when I started buying electronic books, I realized it's time to box up the books and make that room a reptile room.

My favorite reading is mystery and cozy mystery. The first books I collected were used paperback Agatha Christie, and I have all 80+ of them.

You can rest assured I'll be taking a look at your books.


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## Moozillion (Oct 24, 2018)

I love mysteries from the standpoint of figuring out puzzles. BUT I HATE violence, abuse and blood shed.
Having worked in mental health for 30+ years primarily with the indigent, I've had more than enough of that sort of thing in my face on a daily basis. It's gotten tough to find books that have an interesting puzzle situation that aren't also full of unpleasantness and darkness.
Also, having worked in mental health for so long, I find many characters in novels shallow or doing/saying things that don't really fit the personality the way it has developed throughout the book!
My dad was a history professor, so I've read a lot of history and biographies. Historical fictions usually leave me cold: so many authors apply MODERN ideas and standards to characters who would NEVER have thought or said those things within the context of their culture and times.
i enjoy history and biographies and humor.

Two books I really enjoyed recently were The Girl With The Pearl Earring and The Miniaturist. The Miniaturist got dark and unpleasant towards the end, but I could see it coming and skipped over the sections that I knew I didn't need to see. Although the ending of the book could be considered tragic for 2 main characters, it was very clear that they were simply victims of their culture and of their decisions. And love for others was throughout the book.

Jamie, I zipped over to Amazon and had a look at your books- very interesting! I may give one of them a try!


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