Meet John Sommer, Writer and Storyteller

A literary meet-'n'-greet in 10 pictures or less

Welcome back, friends!

If you like a good, clean fantasy, then you need to meet John Sommer.

I’m excited for you to discover his middle-grade fantasy novels, but I’m also excited for you to get to know him.

He didn’t grow up in your average, everyday kinda house, and he spent a lot of time living across the Atlantic. Which classic book rekindled his reading life? You’re about to find out. 😉

Now, I’ll let John take it away!

All About John

I was born in Indiana but soon moved to Northern Michigan. There, I spent a large portion of my childhood at a 120-acre Christian camp. In these wide spaces, I spent my summer days wandering the woods, swimming in the lake, catching frogs and snakes for fun, shooting at the archery range and pretending to be Robin Hood, riding dune carts as much as I was allowed, and playing with the new friends I made weekly.

As I grew, my parents moved again and shortly thereafter I started my first “real” job as a strawberry picker. Since my first job (which only lasted one summer), I have held jobs in many other lines of work: a grocery clerk, a sawmill worker, a landscaper, a waiter, and a cook in an industrial kitchen.

One year after college I and my wife, who was expecting our first child, moved halfway around the world to be missionaries in Ghana, West Africa. This has been my life’s calling ever since.

During my time in the tropical sun, I have discovered and rediscovered many things. Guitar playing, reading great books, and learning how not to sweat in 100-degree weather are just a few of them. One of the greatest treasures I’ve found, though, is sharing stories with my beautiful wife and four girls.

Personal titles: Pastor John, Babe, Dad, and it has already been decided by my kids, that when I have grandchildren, I will be called Grandalf.

All About John’s Books

Zao's Tales by J. A. Sommer, illustrated by John Neiner

(Also available in a hardcover collectible edition)

What would it be like to enter the world of our story books? This is a question many children have dreamed about, but have you ever considered what would happen if the characters in story books entered our world?

The Blue Book of Tales—a spinoff of Zao!

My books are like Inkheart by Cornelia Funke meets A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus.

They’re perfect for fans of The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone by Jaclyn Moriarty, The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald, and Storyteller by Edward Myers.

Books that John read and loved

• Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan

• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

• The Green Ember by S. D. Smith

• Men of Iron by Howard Pyle

• The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas G. Carr

• The King’s Fifth by Scott O’Dell

Here’s how you can connect with John

Check out his website to learn more about his books, and subscribe to his monthly newsletter, Words By the Way, to stay in touch.

And here’s where you can find him on Goodreads.

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Thank you, John, for chatting books today!

And thank you for being here, readers.

Catch you next time,

Michelle