Interview with Sheri Kirkendall and her Devils Dump Series.

 I interviewed Sheri on 13/10/19 in a previous blog, now defunct.

Today, I have novelist, Sheri Kirkendall as my guest where I interview her about her spiritual warfare novels, Devils Dump and Satan's Loophole. I found Sheri's novels in a Facebook group where Satan's Loophole was being promoted. I love this genre of spiritual warfare so decided to give Sheri some exposure to promote her novels.

So sit back and let Sheri relate to us about her writing experience and her novels.

But first, what are these novels about?

Devils Dump.

What happens when the devil decides to drop in on Blessed, Tx.? Good people go bad, beaches become polluted and objects fall from the heavens. Oh and Blessed, becomes the Devils Dump. A small band of Christians join together to defeat the devil and his plan to devastate their town. Seven women in town give birth at the same time to twins and it is foretold by the angels that a 'child will lead them.' Nowhere however are they promised a victory over evil.

Satan's Loophole.

Lucifer returns to Devils Dump to finish what he started ,,, nobody can imagine what he has in store for Josiah and the rest of God's warriors, both angel and humans.

An attack at the hospital penthouse leaves one of our heroes fighting for his life; A 20 foot high snow bank on the beach forces another warrior to choose between someone he loves and his children (but are they his children) and giant whales are throwing themselves out of the sea.

Lucifer is confident of a victory this time but God has surprised for him you won't want to miss .... Is Lucifer's time finally at an end or will his sleepers give him yet another victory?

Now let's talk to Sheri. Thanks for stopping by, Sheri! Let's dive straight in. Tell readers about your writing journey. How did you get started?

I started out an avid reader and making up stories in my head. Some of these I’d stretch out over weeks …. I was usually the heroine (LOL). I rarely wrote things down because I didn’t want people to read my thoughts and laugh at me. Then I took literature in high school and fell in love with writing short stories and poems. Unfortunately, these were all lost when my grandma’s basement flooded. After high school, I worked on the local paper The Alliance Review for a couple of years but it didn’t really fulfill my need to write and I didn’t like writing what someone told me to write. After my husband died in 1994 I started going back to church. Eventually, I took over publishing the weekly bulletin and monthly newsletter. I began writing little blurbs for the bulletin and short stories for the newsletter. Eventually when it became difficult to come up with new ideas every month I decided to write a serial and include 1-3 chapters a month. That serial was Devils Dump and it took almost 5 years to complete.

What gave you the inspiration to write this series?

When it was finished I had numerous friends who encouraged me to have it published. I was skeptical but looked into it. It took a couple of months to pull it all together and polish it a little and find Createspace and have it published. I was so proud of it until I sat down to read it. So many grammar mistakes and misspellings and punctuations that were so wrong. I plan to do a second edition of the first book as soon as the series is finished. But why this subject matter? I grew up with it. I believe in the gifts of the Spirit and my grandmother seemed to have every Spiritual gift except speaking in tongues. I grew up in a hellfire and brimstone church so it was all real to me, not fantasy or something made up. I have my own spiritual gifts so like I said it’s real to me … I believe what a lot of people poke fun at. If you tell me demons are running around in your house I will PROBABLY believe you … to a point and I’d have to witness it … I think having your home and family and where you work blessed is a good thing.

Do you have a favorite Bible verse that resonates with you?

I do … too many to write here but I have one that I have had hanging in my house for years because we all have a tendency to go through hard times.

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” Jeremiah 29:11-14a

I have verse 11 hanging on my wall but you need to see it in context. So many times we blame God when things are going wrong but we need to remember only good things come from God … the rest we do to ourselves because we forget to bring God into it.

What was the hardest part of writing this series?

There really wasn’t anything too hard about writing it … at least not Devils Dump and Satan’s Loophole. I am having a little harder time on the final book which has no title yet. My inexperience as a writer and what it takes to make something readable was the hardest part. Every time I read from Devils Dump I find more mistakes. I am prouder of Satan’s Loophole. I think it is better written with fewer mistakes. I can’t afford a big-name editor but I had several friends and a preacher edit Satan’s Loophole and then ran it through a couple editing programs. I have read it through and found some mistakes but one person told me it was terrible and filled with errors … .of course he also said this was not a genre he’d normally read … so who knows?

How long did it take you to write The Devils Dump series?

When I actually sat down to making Devils Dump into a book it was several months. Satan’s Loophole was written and ready for editing and proofing in about 7 weeks and book three has been two-thirds finished for over a year. Something happened in my life and even though Satan’s Loophole was written I didn’t get it proofread, edited and published for more than a year after Devils Dump. The best of the three is book three … I guess you get better from experience. I am even awed myself at some of the things I came up with. But I have been dealing with some illness so it probably won’t be published (if completed) till Spring … but you never know when inspiration might strike. It could be sooner.

Where did the title Devils Dump originate from?

You have to read the book ☺ Actually it’s about a town name Blessed that is located on the Gulf of Mexico in southern Texas … it is a real town but location and name are not real. I vacationed there and when I decided to write the book it was the perfect setting. The blessings leaked out of Blessed and if you follow the path you come to Devils Dump (shortened from Devil's Dumping Ground)

What type of author are you? A plotter or pantser? Novelists tend to use one of the following methods:

-Plotter: by extensively plotting it out, -Pantser: as it came to you (that you write by the seat of your pants)

Or was it a bit of both?

I don’t plan anything. I don’t pre choose characters. I feel something inside wanting to get out and on the paper and I go with the flow. Usually, I am as anxious to find out what happens as I hope my readers are. The only research I do is about names; making sure a Bible quote is correct and appropriate, and sometimes locations. The closest I come to plotting is that once I name a character I make a list and how each character is related and if they are good or evil etc. I made the mistake in Devils Dump of including this list in the back of the book. Sadly I discovered people were going back and reading it first and that just took a lot of the mystery out of the book …. I learned my lesson and won’t do that again and will not include it in future editions if there are any.

Case in point … about not knowing in advance …. In Satan’s Loophole, there is a sub-plot that has two people talking every couple of chapters. I knew pretty quickly who these people were but it wasn’t until I wrote the last conversation between them that I knew if they were going to be good or evil … I love the mystery of it.

You like reading in the supernatural. Have you read any other similar novels in this genre? If so, how have they influenced the Devils Dump novels?

I have read all the expected horror authors such as Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Frank Peretti and I don’t see any of them in my writing. What I do see is that they showed me not much is off-limits … if you can imagine it you can write about it. There is one little part in Satan’s Loophole where the family goes to the window and one of the men says “we’ve been Stephen Kinged” because something is happening to them at the moment which appeared in a Stephen King novel. So if something pops into my head that might be from the influence of another writer I acknowledge it in some way … mainly my inspiration is my Bible and experiences from living with my grandparents.

What is the best part of your author’s life?

The best experience was receiving my first author’s copy of Devils Dump … WOW! what a rush seeing my words and my name on an actual book but even better than that I think were the reviews and how much my friends liked it. One even took it to her book club and they all bought copies and used it as their ‘book of the month’ … that was a great feeling that something that was bursting to get out of me brought joy to other people.

What is next after these two novels?

Finishing the third book of course and then hopefully doing a complete set of the three. I want to go back through all of them and expand on things people have said they think I skimped on (like advancing years in Devils Dump…they want more information about those unwritten years) and hopefully making them as close to perfect as I can. However though this series will end for sure after the third book, I have introduced a couple of new characters which may find they deserve a series of their own … one just never knows.

What advice or encouragement would you give a first-time novelist who wants to write in this genre?

KNOW their subject matter. As I mentioned earlier … I think … I got one really bad review that thankfully never got accepted on Amazon and the first thing the person said was he knew nothing about this genre or Christianity in general and normally would never have read it (so why did he?). But if you don’t know your subject matter then you leave yourself wide open to those who do to criticize and point out where you went wrong. Obviously, mine is a work of fiction and I took some liberties with a few things but I never went outside what would be Biblical. Then if you know you are comfortable with your knowledge then go for it .. If God put a story in your heart then you need to write it. Don’t be afraid of failure or you will fail before you start.

Apart from spiritual warfare, what other messages or themes have you included and why?

Love is important. Counting on your friends is important. Being about to read people and know when they are lying or trying to mislead you is important. These are important in everyday life. As it is said we are not islands and we need other people and it is great to have a large circle of like-minded or at least open-minded people around you. Most importantly is that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you and at the name of Jesus demons will flee from you. If you are having a bad day just call on Jesus …. Just saying the name oftentimes lifts the clouds.

Most Christian authors who write in this genre want to depict spiritual warfare as it is in reality, showing Biblical principles of this warfare, to reinforce the authority given to us through Jesus’ death on the Cross and to reveal the satanic strategy of deception, and enslavement of the human race. How close have you adhered to these principles in your novels? Have you employed any poetic licence to get your message across?

Poetic license of course. BUT not to the point where it deviates from Biblical principles. I wanted to teach and entertain at the same time. If I wasn’t going to make a story of it I might as well have just said … go read your Bible it’s all in there. My main characters are not from the Bible but every demon I researched and the names of the demons and angels are real. Their position or what they actually do for God is where I took poetic license. Has anyone had an up-close and personal confrontation from Lucifer himself as Josiah did in Devils Dump? I don’t know but I don’t know that they didn’t either.

Have you had any specific instances in your life where you had to employ these Biblical principles of spiritual warfare, including during the writing of these novels? I realise this might be personal and you can ignore this question if that is the case. If you do answer this, have you depicted any of the spiritual warfare in the novels based on these experiences?

Yes, and you are right a lot of it is very personal. I have put on the armor of God so often it now fits like a glove. I have made the devil flee in Jesus name many many times. Prayer is our strongest weapon against Satan and the other fallen angels and demons. I have actually had an angel appear to me when I was about to give up. Unlike in my book, my angel did not speak to me and I couldn’t tell you if it was male or female but I do know when I was losing hope God sent it to me to give me the courage and yes I used this many times in my books

Your novels are described as similar to or based on Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness series. Have you based your novels on the same “formula” as Peretti’s? Any ways you have deviated?

I am not sure I can answer that. I read Peretti’s books more than 20 years ago. So I imagine like with all my life experiences they could play a part but not consciously. I remember loving the series I just cannot at this time tell you anything more then they were about spiritual warfare … but I have read many many nonfiction books on the same subject. The one book I thought would influence me and I did everything to steer away from it was The Shack … I love the book and the concept and wished I had written it … it is actually quite close to one of my short stories … and I wrote mine first ☺ To honestly answer this question I would have to go back and reread Peretti’s books again. Until a year or so ago I read an average of 2-5 books a week … so it is impossible for me to remember all of them and how much influence they had.

What other authors have contributed to you being a writer of spiritual warfare novels?

Honestly, none. I read mostly horror mysteries and nonfiction like C.S. Lewis who I believe is one of our greatest Christian authors. It was mostly life that made me decided to write in this genre and what I learned in church and mostly what I learned from my very religious family

What take-home message would do you like your readers to embrace?

Just because something goes bump in the night doesn’t mean it isn’t real and that you can’t fight it and make it go away. It doesn’t mean you are crazy. Pray and call on Jesus in all circumstances.

Have you encountered any criticism from the depiction of spiritual warfare in your novels? Any from other Christians?

Absolutely none. Remember I said one reader used Devils Dump in her reading group? Well, it was a Christian reading group and they all loved it … she left reviews on Amazon for both books. Actually most of my readers are Christians and I have not had any negativity from any of them … they have actually expressed liking them very much and learning from them.

What has been the reaction of your church towards this genre that you have depicted?

Again nothing negative. Remember Devils Dump started as newsletter serial and if anyone objected I would have been asked to discontinue it. Since it went on for years I get no one objected. Also one of my big fans and one who proofread Satan’s Loophole is a local pastor and he really liked both books but felt Satan’s Loophole was the better of the two. I will also ask him to proofread the 3rd when it is done.

The title of the second novel, Satan’s Loophole, implies that Satan may have found a way to victory over God or at least over the human race. Without revealing any spoilers, is this title deliberate and hints at a significant plot arc?

I really don’t want to give anything away but consider this. When Satan wanted to tempt Job he needed God's permission. Let’s just say he didn’t have God's permission to do what he did in Satan’s Loophole. Satan does not want to bring down God’s wrath just yet and so like a petulant child he found a way to do something that hadn’t been included in the definite can and cannot do list. Never to I imply or want anyone to think Satan can pull anything over on God … but you have to read the book to learn his punishment.

I noticed that you published both these novels independently. Did you have any resistance from traditional publishers?

I am an unknown entity in the world of writers so finding an agent, or a publisher is not easy. I’d love to have had a traditional publisher but the only one I discovered wanted $3000.00 from me upfront and even I know that is now how traditional publishing works. I’d like to see movies made of my story and many of my readers have asked me why I don’t do that … people don’t understand it isn’t MY choice … most of it is just beyond my ability to navigate the publishing world.

Would you continue to publish independently?

If it is the only way I can get my books published then yes. Would I like to have an agent and a traditional publisher? Absolutely.

Where can readers find you?

Devils Dump page on Facebook  -  Satan’s Loophole Group on Facebook  -  Devils Dump Group on Facebook

Sheri Kirkendall’s author's page on Amazon  -  Sheri's blog  -  Author Page on Goodreads

Any closing comments?

I write because I love writing and because I have hundreds of stories running around in my head. Some of my earlier short stories are included on my blog and many of them are in the NOTES section of my Facebook page. One of my favorites that I wish I had made into a novel is called “The Last Trial” and it is on both the block and FB notes page.

I write because I want people to know that God is real and even though Satan is real he is a created being who has no power over you unless you give it to him.

I hope to connect with my readers and I hope they like what I do, but like many authors, I think I honestly write for myself and would do it even if nobody ever read it but me.

Also like may authors I absolutely HATE auto correct … worst thing ever invented. Sometimes I WANT something misspelt or a punctuation mark left out or added because sometimes I want things to sound like we really speak.

Anyone who wants to contact me can do so through my blog, Facebook, and Goodreads. I will answer any questions I can.

Thanks and appreciation to everyone who has decided to read my books …. Now one important question … would you please leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook and anywhere else you can think about. Reviews sell books so even though I appreciate at people reading the book I will say a special prayer for all who also choose to leave a review.

Sheri, I have enjoyed this interview! Thank you so much for giving us an insight into your writing life and the background to the Devil's Dump series. I am looking forward to reading them. I pray this interview has encouraged readers to investigate this series and be blessed and spiritually encouraged with the Biblical principles you have based them on.

We could look at a guest post to promote Book 3 when it is released. It would be great to have you back!

Now a little about Sheri Kirkenhall before we finish up:

I was born and raised in Alliance, Ohio. I bounced between Alliance and Columbus Ohio until I was a senior in high school. My dad died when I was 3 so I lived with grandparents until my mom remarried when I was 7 and we moved to Columbus. After she remarried my step-dad and I did not get along so I moved back and forth about 6 times. I started reading in earnest when I was when I go my first pair of glasses when I was in 5th grade. It became the joy of my life. I always had a book in my hand. I also wrote imaginary stories in my head that could become very involved and last nor months. I never even considered writing them down. They were all genres from monsters chasing me through the streets of Alliance after I found a secret passageway out of my grandma's house through her hat collection. In Columbus, the imaginings were more me being someone else who had a better life.

 

I began writing poetry and short stories in Junior High. I save most of them but they were destroyed when my grandma's basement flooded. Then later when I was in charge of my church newsletter I started writing short stories .... some fiction and some Bible-based and the majority of those I have saved and some are in the NOTES section of my Facebook page and some on my blog.

 

I suppose before I get too far down the road I should mention I married at age 24 to Jerry Kirkendall. We had a beautiful daughter Heather and he had two sons, Danny and Jeff. (Heather had two children Jalen and Alexi) Jerry died just after our 20th anniversary and his son Jeff died not long after that. I didn't do much writing during this period because I spent most of the time reading every book I could get my hands on. Jerry and I owned two businesses. One was a sports card shop but that was kind of a side thing. We owned and printed circuit board company which I was able to keep open after his death for about 5 years. Then technology changed and I closed it. I was also in a near-fatal auto accident the effects of which I still deal with today.  (Other jobs I had ... I drove a taxi cab on summer just for the adventure of doing it; I worked for a potter for one winter; I worked for a tv station and then I decided to try and be an author full time.

 

As I mentioned I did a lot of writing for our church newsletter and that is how Devils Dump came into being. Over about a 5 years time frame, I included a chapter at a time in the newsletter. When I retired many friends and family encouraged me to get it published (easier said than done) but because they kept encouraging me I decided to rewrite Devils Dump as a novel. It only took me two months from the time I rewrote it to publishing on Create Space ... I did all the proofing myself and I must stay I made lots of errors. I am currently in between other thing rewriting for a second printing and expanding things reader requested I explain in more depth) As soon as it was published I began book two Satan's Loophole ... it took me a couple of months to write the first draft. I sent copies out to friends and a preacher to proofread... Something changed in my life and I didn't get back to Satan's loophole until early 2019.  I gathered all the proofread books, corrected what needed to be corrected and did a little expansion and sent it to KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) in July 2019. In the meantime, I am about 1/2 way through the final book in the series. It's discouraging knowing I have a good story and everyone who has read it has really like it ...  sadly not all that many people have read it. A lot more people are reading Devils Dump now due to the sequel being out but not a lot are reading the sequel

 
I am retired ... so have all the time in the world to write but due to my injuries from the auto accident my hand only lasts so long.

If this interview has piqued your interest in these novels, click on the images below:

 

Readers and reviews are an author’s best asset, so I encourage any reader, to consider reading Devils Dump and Satan's Loophole and submit a review on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest (or any other social media you subscribe to). Reviews help promote an author’s novel to potential readers and encourage the author to keep writing.

Reviews also help get the author’s message (and God’s message) to the reader, whether Christian or not, who may need encouragement and support in their lives while being entertained by the story.