RESEARCH

"Write what you know" is a phrase you'll find throughout this web site.
Jeff Stone is a big believer in this philosophy. Below you'll find a few of the things that helped shape both Jeff and his characters.

SPORTS AND MARTIAL ARTS

Sports have always been a major part of Jeff Stone's life. From Kindergarten through his senior year of high school, he played a wide variety, including baseball, soccer, football, basketball, track...even bowling. There was
one that he had always wanted to participate in, however, but never had the opportunity. That was martial arts.

While attending Michigan State University, Jeff finally had a chance to do something about it. During his final semester, he enrolled in a Tae Kwon Do class and earned his yellow belt. Then he promptly graduated and moved away from his instructor. Jeff continued to play sports, but waited another 10+ years before starting martial arts again.

After meeting and marrying his Chinese wife--in Hong Kong--Jeff decided to take up kung fu (a Chinese martial art.) Four years later, he found himself in China with the grandmaster of Shaolin Do Kung Fu, testing for his black belt inside the legendary Shaolin Temple. With temperatures soaring above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, Jeff passed his test in front of more than a dozen black belts, several Shaolin monks, and bus loads of Chinese tourists.

In addition to "animal" kung fu, Jeff studies other styles of martial arts to help increase the diversity his characters. He is a big fan of all martial arts.

ANIMAL SPIRITS

Jeff Stone's attention to detail isn't limited to his action sequences. When writing Book Three: SNAKE, he felt he needed to get closer to his main character--so he bought a python.

Jeff sometimes takes his snake, Yokwan (Jade Bangle), to school and library visits. She is much bigger now than when he visited Montessori School of Westfield in Indiana (shown at right). Yokwan is a ball python, and she will grow to be approximately five feet. Ball Pythons are also known as Royal Pythons, and live in Africa.

Book Five: EAGLE is about a character named Ying who was raised as an "eagle," but believes himself to be a powerful "dragon." Jeff's editor often teased Jeff about what he would do when he needed to "get closer" to a dragon. Turns out Jeff did a ton of research, then acquired one. Here is a picture of Jeff's Mountain Horned Dragon, resting on Jeff's shoulder. She's a sub-adult and arrived underfed and dehydrated, but she is coming along nicely now. This photo was taken the day she arrived, when she was in need of a long drink of water and several weeks worth of meals. These dragons come from Asia and grow to be more than a foot long from nose to tail tip.

BOOK SIX RESEARCH!

Jeff recently accepted delivery of his next "project"--several Chinese Mantids for
Book Six!