Featured Interview With J. Daniel Reed
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
J. Daniel Reed (Joe) is an independent real estate investor and author. His new novel is The First Wolf Pack: A Dog’s Fable, the legendary journey of wolf, dog, and mankind.
After a successful career in commercial real estate, Joe has spent the last year exploring his love of creative writing. In The First Wolf Pack: A Dog’s Fable, Joe combines his writing talents with his deep knowledge and respect for dogs, wolves, other animals, and nature.
Born on the Northwest side of Chicago, into a three-generation household, he was raised by a committee—grandparent, parents, and three older siblings.
Joe lives in suburban Chicago with his wife, Barbara and their Bouvier des Flandres, Keera. When not writing, he loves outdoor photography, taking walks with Keera, nature hikes, gardening, birdwatching, cooking, and grilling.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My fascination is more with writing–telling a good story–than it is with books. I do like to read, though. I did some creative writing in high school, but since then my writing has been for business. A few years ago, I told my wife a story that she loved and urged me to write it down. I worked on it here and there as my time outside of work permitted. In 2020, my job was eliminated due to a company takeover and I found myself with a lot of time on my hand. I decided to pursue that long-held dream and wrote my first novel, The First Wolf Pack: A Dog’s Fable.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read both fiction and non-fiction. Some of the authors who have most influenced or inspired me are Dean Koontz, John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, and Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage .
Tell us a little about your latest book?
The First Wolf Pack: A Dog’s Fable, my first book, was inspired by several disparate factors. Love of dogs and wolves, fascination with ancient foundational myths, the grandeur of God’s creation, and contemplating the purpose of fireflies in the grand scheme of creation. Somehow these things coalesced into a story about overcoming ignorance, narcissism, suspicion, and self-pity.
A fantasy tale, The First Wolf Pack draws the reader into an imaginary world of two ancient wolves, mighty predators who must decide to survive together or fight to the death. They engage in a fierce battle lasting two days and nights. Fully healed, they become The First Wolf Pack, a hunting machine dominating all lands they choose. Lone wolves, pressed to survive, form alliances in an attempt to destroy The First Wolf Pack. While their adversaries assemble, Arn and Versa must teach their extraordinary offspring the secrets of pack life
It’s a heartwarming and action-packed journey told from the perspective of a modern dog. Readers will discover what every dog knows about the true beginnings of human civilization and the connection between man, wolf, and dog. You will find yourself wondering if it really did happen this way.
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