Your Next Favorite Author—J. L. Sullivan!

Bax unleashed the magic. Now he must face the darkness

After banishing the evil djinn, Bax’s life has returned to normal—almost. His guilt-fueled nightmares won’t relent until he musters the courage to return Ifrit’s artifact and finally lay the demon to rest. But nothing in the djinn-verse is ever easy.

Someone has summoned Ifrit back into the world, placing Bax at the center of the swirling dark wishes the djinn is fulfilling for his new master.

As Ifrit’s attacks grow deadlier, Bax and his friends must uncover the identity of Ifrit’s new master and convince them to banish the evil spirit. But with no high-powered lunar eclipse for another one hundred and fifty years, banishment might be impossible.

J. L. Sullivan writes young adult novels inspired by gritty urban environments and the fantastical tales that percolate within abandoned buildings and desolate alleys. He began his writing journey in high school with a local newspaper before venturing into creating writing in college where he found himself lost in contemporary stories with magic summering just underneath the surface. His debut novel, From Brick & Darkness, a dark reimagining of an ancient myth, won multiple awards following its spring 2022 release, with a sequel coming in 2025. He currently lives in St. Louis with his wife, two daughters, and a dog named Princess Penelope Picklesworth.

Avis: Welcome to Your Next Favorite Author! 

Today’s guest, J. L. Sullivan, has joined us before, and this time he is back with his newest YA fantasy/adventure novel, From Ash and Darkness released in March of 2025. It is the second book in his Djinn adventures with Bax, Ashley, and Jason, and it’s another page turner, for sure!

            I can’t wait to find out more! Let’s begin with our first question:

Do you keep a series Bible to keep track of your characters and plot points in your series?

J. L.: Absolutely! I have several documents I use. I’m a big fan of character profiles to make sure I’m describing a character and their background consistently. And by filling in backstory on a character, sometimes it inspires a secondary plot line. Before I start a book, I also draft a one or two sentence pitch and a one-page synopsis. That doesn’t mean they won’t change along the way, in fact they most definitely will. But while I may take twists and turns, a rough synopsis helps center my story and keep it focused. 

Avis: Great way to keep track of your story and characters arcs, plot twists and focus! No wonder your characters jump off the page. 😊I’m fascinated by the Djinn in yourworld, especially Ifrit and Janni, so our next question is about them!

Is Ifrit named after a real Djinn? Is Janni? If not how did you develop them as such great characters?

J. L.: There are mentions of djinn (or jinn or genies) all the way back to ancient Sumerian texts. As a result, they have been long embedded in different cultures, evolving as cultures evolve. So there isn’t necessarily one source of truth. However, I went with Islamic lore that defines eleven types of jinn. Two of those types are Janns and Ifrits. I took some liberties with the mythology, like the idea of a vortex and the djinns’ personalities, but kept much of the Islamic mythology like how Jann are one of the weakest of the jinn and Ifrits are one of the most powerful. The benefit of writing about ancient myths that have been pervasive in different cultures is the rich mythos from which to draw inspiration.

Avis: Interesting response and so fascinating! Your research sparked your creativity and helped you generate these two great mythic characters that readers will adore, and your world building options are believable and expand our “normal” world but seem like it could exist! I loved it. 😊 Our next question is more about your writing process:

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

J. L.: It takes me almost a year or more to write a book. While writing is a passion of mine and sometimes I wish I could go faster, I like to take my time and flesh out my story. Plus, I have a daytime job, a wife with her own business, two preteens, and a very high maintenance dog! 

Avis: Well, all of your hard work of fleshing out the story and developing characters that leap off the page was worth it! This book is an excellent read, packed with adventure and suspense! 

            That’s it for today, readers! We are at the end of another interview of Your Next Favorite Author, this time with YA author J. L. Sullivan! For a review of From Ash and Darkness, please scroll beyond the social media links. 🙂

J. L. loves to connect with readers on social media or by email at contact@jlsullivan.net.

Website Link: https://jlsullivan.net/

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Review by Avis M. Adams

J. L. Sullivan’s second novel From Ash and Darkness is another YA paranormal adventure of the high impact kind. We meet Bax and his two cohorts, Ashley and Jason as they try to put the Djinn back in the bottle, or in this case, the big, bad, scary Ifrit back into the darkness. 

Sullivan picks up the story two weeks after Bax and his cohorts trap Ifrit with the help of their Djinn friend, the cute and soft Janni, a friendly and much smaller Djinn. They relegate Ifrit to his old wooden box, but the box cannot live in Bax’s closet forever. 

On Halloween, he and his friends plan to dispose of Ifrit, but when they get to the cellar and Bax opens his backpack, the box is gone!

He traces his steps back to the West End Coffee Shop. While he ordered, Jason took a bathroom break, and his backpack was left unattended. Someone stole the box with Ifrit inside.

Panic ensues, then a more calculated search begins for Ifrit, and the person who stole him. 

I was swept away with this story from page one. Ashley and Jason are joined by Scarlett, Bax’s pretend girlfriend, and with Warren, his comic bookstore owner/friend, they all search for the Djinn thief, and plan on how to overpower Ifrit and send him away for good.

Sullivan’s novel makes good on its promise to deliver a great YA read filled with Djinn lore, family drama, girlfriend problems, and lots of action! Highly recommended five-star read!