Category Archives: Home

Writing Backwards

Posted on July 6, 2021 by jfkaufmann

My contemporary love story collection has an unusual history, and I’m not talking here about three covers and two republishings. The writing order was mixed up a bit: I wrote the second story first, then the first, then the third. … Continue reading →

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The Bridge over the Drina

Posted on June 25, 2021 by jfkaufmann

In my last post I mentioned devşirme, or “blood tax”, the practice the Ottomans used for centuries to recruit future soldiers — janissaries — and bureaucrats from their Christian subjects. For two centuries, from the 1400s to 1600s, the blood … Continue reading →

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Wings of Courage

Posted on June 16, 2021 by jfkaufmann

I’ve always been drawn to fictional battles, brave fighters, heroic deeds, swords, banners, armors, horses… The Battle of Helm’s Deep from the LOTR trilogy never ceases to give me goosebumps (“Theoden king stands alone.” “Not Alone! Rohirrim! To the king!”), … Continue reading →

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Book Release – Guardian of the Realm

Posted on May 27, 2021 by jfkaufmann

Guardian of the Realm, the second book of the Red Cliffs Chronicles, has been released on KISS. Out of my three books, this one is my favourite. At first, I didn’t plan to do two Red Cliffs sagas, but as … Continue reading →

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Book Release on KISS – The Two-Blood Legacy

Posted on April 23, 2021 by jfkaufmann

Back in February, I was contacted by Crazy Maple Studio (CMS), the creator of Chapters Interactive Stories (an interactive story game and visual novel app). They recently launched a novel platform called KISS and offered to market my books through … Continue reading →

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The Emperor and I – Facts and fiction in my stories

Posted on March 16, 2021 by jfkaufmann

Do historical figures inhabit your fiction work? Some past events and long-dead people crop up in The Red Cliffs Chronicles—the 1621 Battle of Khotyn, the 1588 Battle of Gravelines, the 1793-1794 Reign of Terror; the fifteenth-century Turkish cartographer Piri Reis, … Continue reading →

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She Who Comes Forth by Audrey Driscoll

Posted on February 26, 2021 by jfkaufmann

The first book I read this year left me frustrated. I was way more fortunate with my second read in 2021 – She Who Comes Forth by Audrey Driscoll. I really enjoyed this mystery novel set in the early 1960s … Continue reading →

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The Inspiration Eaters

Posted on February 2, 2021 by jfkaufmann

The first book I read in 2021 was A Court of Thorns and Roses (Sarah J. Maas). It took me forever to finish it. Last January, I remember, I blitzed through seven or eight Lisa Gardner’s novels with a thrilling … Continue reading →

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The Years of Living Dangerously

Posted on November 24, 2020 by jfkaufmann

I don’t think about the past often, but every now and then something brings it back against my will and turns me inside out. This time it was an article, written by a friend of mine and once-time colleague, about … Continue reading →

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In the Spotlight: Jasmina Hanjalic – To the Mother of the Only Son

Posted on October 24, 2020 by jfkaufmann

 Jasmina Hanjalic is my high school friend, the author of several books of poetry and short stories, and an ER doctor. This poem is based on a true event, and it’s Jasmina’s intimate reaction to its absurdity. I had the … Continue reading →

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