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Author Spotlight: Jurgen “JoJo” Appelo

Jurgen "JoJo" Appelo

Welcome to my weekly Author Spotlight. I’ve asked a bunch of my author friends to answer a set of interview questions, and to share their latest work.

Today:

As an author, speaker, and entrepreneur, Jurgen Appelo travels the world to share inspiring stories about people and organizations. Slightly anarchistic, autistic, and eccentric, he happily adopted the nickname “jojo” when it was given to him at the age of sixteen. He calls himself a creative networker, but sometimes he’s a writer, speaker, trainer, entrepreneur, designer, manager, blogger, reader, dreamer, runner, freethinker, or … Dutch guy. He wrote several best-selling nonfiction books before switching sides to fiction.

Jurgen lives with his husband in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. He likes coffee, books, games, and people leaving him alone when he’s being creative.

Thanks so much, Jurgen, for joining me!

J. Scott Coatsworth: What is your novel Glitches of Gods about?

Jurgen “JoJo” Appelo: Julien’s life spirals into complexity as AI malfunctions plague the world. Amidst personal loss and shifting timelines, he must uncover the hidden motives of gods and aliens while grappling with memories of his deceased father and his desire to create better technology.

JSC: When did you know you wanted to write?

JJA: I discovered science fiction and fantasy at the city library when I was fourteen or fifteen. From that moment, I was inspired to write such stories myself. I vividly remember showing my mother a few pages of fiction I had written. Unfortunately, it got lost over time. It would have been fascinating to reread it 40 years later and see how my writing has evolved.

JSC: When did you discover that you were good at it?

JJA: I realized I had some talent when I received feedback on an early version of my manuscript from the development editor. She said, “This is one of the best I have ever edited.” I’m sure she doesn’t say that to all of her clients. Before that moment, I had never received external validation of my fiction writing skills. It was a pivotal moment for me, as I had been somewhat uncertain about my abilities. It’s easy to misjudge your own capabilities, which is why only professionals who don’t know you personally (and who are paid for honest evaluations) can provide a reliable assessment of your writing skills. While supportive, Friends and family may not offer the unbiased feedback needed to gauge your talent.

JSC: If you could sit down with one other writer, living or dead, who would you choose, and what would you ask them?

JJA: I would choose Sir Terry Pratchett. I’d ask him, “What do you wish you’d learned earlier about writing?” or “If you could start your career over, what would you do differently?” These questions might reveal some profound insights about writing his particular brand of fiction. I admire his work immensely and aspire to one day reach his level of skill and creativity.

JSC: What was the hardest part of writing Glitches of Gods?

JJA: Maintaining discipline was the most challenging aspect. It’s no wonder that 99% of aspiring authors give up halfway through. There were moments when I struggled to continue, particularly around the project’s midpoint. At that stage, all I had was a substantial amount of rough text that I wouldn’t want anyone to read. Some call it the “messy middle.” For me, it wasn’t the middle of the book itself but the middle of the entire project that was most difficult. Only when the prose starts to take shape does the writing process become inherently motivating. Many authors fall into the trap of wanting to feel good about their writing by making it pretty too soon. But I believe that’s a mistake. You don’t start decorating your living room when you don’t even have a roof on the house. First, complete the entire structure and your initial drafts. Yes, everything looks unpolished, and refining is more enjoyable than building the framework. But logically, you waste less time when you finish the structure first.

JSC: What advice do you wish you’d had before releasing your first story?

JJA: “Write ugly until the end.” You don’t truly know what your story is about until you complete your first draft. Therefore, don’t waste time polishing and tweaking early chapters because everything is likely to change anyway. By the time you reach chapter twenty, you’ll probably want to revise many elements in the first ten chapters. Resist the urge to make those changes immediately. First, focus on getting to the end of your draft. Only then should you start a new round of revisions to address everything that isn’t quite right. Otherwise, you can easily get trapped in endless rewrites of the earlier chapters, which is an inefficient use of your time. It’s better to defer major revisions until you have a complete picture of your story.

JSC: What do you do when you get writer’s block?

JJA: As a plotter rather than a pantser, I meticulously develop characters, locations, storylines, timelines, and story beats before I even begin drafting. Because of this approach, I’ve never experienced writer’s block in the traditional sense. I always know what I’ll be writing about, the purpose of each scene, where it begins, and where it needs to end. I find it challenging to understand how some writers can write whatever comes to mind without a plan. That method wouldn’t work for me – I’d likely get stuck quickly, as many other writers experience for themselves. My solution to potential writer’s block is to decide the ‘what’ (what is the story about?) and then the ‘how’ (how does it all unfold?).

JSC: What is the most heartfelt thing a reader has said to you?

JJA: One early editorial reviewer wrote that my novel couldn’t have come at a better time for her, as the themes discussed in my book were precisely the ones she was grappling with in her own life. She mentioned that the story nearly brought her to tears. That was quite a revelation for me – to realize that I’m capable of writing something that resonates so deeply with someone else emotionally.

JSC: Tell us about a unique or quirky habit of yours.

JJA: I have a particular routine when it comes to coffee. While I enjoy it, I limit myself to no more than three cups per day, and they need to be well-spaced to avoid headaches. My first coffee comes about an hour after breakfast, and the second at least an hour after lunch. I can’t fathom drinking coffee while eating – it just feels wrong to me. Also, I’m pretty particular about my cafe lattes: the espresso must be added first, then the milk. Reversing this order creates a latte macchiato, which isn’t my preference!

JSC: What are you working on now, and when can we expect it?

JJA: I am working on the sequel to Glitches of Gods, Wisdom at War. I aim to craft it as a standalone novel while continuing the overarching narrative of the Playspheres saga. It’s a challenging balance to strike. Regarding the timeline, I don’t anticipate the second book being ready shortly. The first one took me four years to write. If I can complete the second in half that time, we’re looking at 2026 at the earliest, but realistically, it may be later.


Glitches of Gods - Jurgen "Jojo" Appelo

And now for Jurgen’s latest book: Glitches of Gods:

Julien, the AI genius, craves freedom, but the gods wield total control. In this ominous world, will his android bring hope and salvation or yet more death and destruction?

Julien feels utterly miserable. Creator of the AI that killed his father, our reluctant hero deftly evades work on the world’s first human-level android, dodging the off-chance of snuffing out more lives. Instead, Julien much prefers bickering with his virtual assistant, crafting memes with his quirky friends, and shagging dates across a broad spectrum of genders. Yet, due to a maddening jump across timelines, he grudgingly faces his greatest dreads: raising a family and leading his team to win the AI race.

Drowning in new duties, Julien aims to avoid a second disaster with a rogue AI. But when a mysterious technological infection wreaks havoc on the city, Julien flip-flops between shielding his loved ones and leading his team as he battles it out with broken robots, idiot protestors, and a rather sinister cat. Learning he got himself involved in a war between cosmic entities, should Julien save his newly found family or finish his team’s android to prevent an AI apocalypse?

Glitches of Gods is the extraordinary first episode of a post-apocalyptic technothriller with an attitude. If you like cynical sentients, wacky worlds, and plenteous profanity, then you’ll love the kick-off of Jurgen Appelo’s mind-bending and visionary cyberpunk journey.

Publisher | Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads | Universal Buy Link


Excerpt

The red lantern glared like the evil eye of an undead balrog. She threw the light a scornful glance before shifting her attention to the clouds, stained and shaded with swelling gray. “Raining soon,” she remarked. The sky was different in this world. No streaks of purple glitters, no violet flashes and flickerings—just a dull blue sky and pale white clouds, now gaining the colors of ash. No dragon droppings caving people’s skulls in, either; that was a plus. She returned her attention to the pedestrian bridge, observing it was still raised, and the light remained red. “Huh. Takes too long,” Zha-Zhar grumbled.

Julien’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “Have you already mastered the proper timing of pedestrian signals?” Zha-Zhar eyed the young father to her right, protectively holding a son on each side. “You’ve only been in this world for a week,” he added, smirking like a mud mole chomping on a stolen cracker.

“You’re blabbing. Takes too long.” She shot the red light another disdainful glare.

“Hm,” he said, ogling the black lantern atop its pole. “You might be right.”

The four of them—five, if the ghost Orec had legs, she still didn’t know—were on their way to the hideaway for kiddies. Throughout the journey, Julien’s boys had been hopping on one leg, mimicking Zha-Zhar’s earlier misfortune of stubbing her toe against a kitchen stool. She’d bounded around the kitchen, cursing the gods from both this world and hers, only to find the scheming little monkeys imitating her every move thereafter, giggling, skipping, and belting, “Argh! Baldagh’s limpy cock!” until they’d arrived at the bridge. Only reaction from the father had been a raised eyebrow, while Zha-Zhar had shrugged and offered an apologetic grin.

Dad was a bit absent-minded. Clearly not too happy about the minor problems they were dealing with. Zha-Zhar had her own opinion on this world’s overreliance on silly little things. People couldn’t cross roads and bridges without lanterns giving them permission. Couldn’t handle animals without ropes and cages. Wouldn’t even make soup without buttons, knobs, and stupid symbols on kitchen stoves. “Why not use a good old fire?” she’d once asked the ghost Orec. Wood seemed more trustworthy than all these masjeens and rowbots. Huh. This world was bonkers. But had to admit she was having fun, this morning’s agonizing dance notwithstanding.

“It’s not going green,” Tim complained beside his young father.

“Patience, Tim. The bridge is still closed. We wait a bit longer.”

“I want it to go green now,” Tom whined from the other side.

“I know, Tom. Be calm, like Zha-Zhar.”

“Huh.” Zha-Zhar just scoffed in response.

The stowaway place for kiddies was one of the most perplexing things in this world. Mommies and daddies from all over town dropped their cubs in a shelter so they could go somewhere else to work. Completely bonkers. Why not take the brats with them and make them do the work? Boys herding sheep, girls tending to gardens, even collecting taxes, she’d seen it all in her world. More practical than confining them to a cave where they draw trees, cows, and weenies all day. No matter. Not her concern. She looked forward to their next encounter with the shelter’s irritable caretaker as the boys relished the woman’s tantrums. She threw an amused glance at the two little monkeys, hopping restlessly beside their father.

“What?” Something startled Julien—the Orec, probably. Had an annoying habit of whispering in his ear. “Seriously? The last time you said you were close to an answer, you disappeared for days, and my life changed completely.” Indeed, it was the Orec. “Well, this time, keep it to yourself,” Julien said. “Until you’re absolutely certain … No, don’t tell me anything unless I ask … I don’t care! … You can stuff your collection of fallacies where the power grid doesn’t shine. Just keep silent until I say it’s okay to talk … You’re welcome.” Julien faced Zha-Zhar to share his exasperation.

“The Orec?” she asked.

“He thinks he’s figured out why the world behaves so strangely.”

“Ha! Don’t believe it. Never heard of ghosts smarter than people.”

“Ah, well, that’s a sensitive topic,” he replied, turning to check the red lantern.

Zha-Zhar noticed the first raindrops patter against the pavement and, as she looked up, received a solitary droplet straight in the eye. Huh. She blinked. Boys sensed the same, screeched, and wriggled free from their father’s grasp. But bridge remained stubbornly raised, the lantern obstinately red.

“Orec,” Julien spoke again, “is this yet another malfunction?” Zha-Zhar couldn’t hear ghost Orec’s response, but Julien’s nod seemed confirmation. “Ten of them? Sweet deities. Okay, submit a new report then. They need to fix this one, too.” To Zha-Zhar, he added with a shake of his head, “It’s getting worse.”

Zha-Zhar surveyed the oppressive sky, the unyielding bridge, the defiant lantern. Enough waiting. “We go around.” Ignoring the undead balrog’s evil red eye, she veered left to start a detour.

Behind her, Julien exclaimed, “Oh f—” before calling out, “Okay, boys, let’s go.”

“Yay!” The boys darted past her, each hopping on one leg in cunning imitation, shouting, “Baldagh’s saggy tits!” As the rain fell in earnest, Zha-Zhar wholeheartedly concurred.

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