JP Rindfleisch IX
Cozy, Strange & Queer
Award-winning author of cozy queer fantasy and strange fiction
JP Rindfleisch IX (he/they) writes cozy queer fantasy and strange fiction — books about grief, transformation, and queer joy wrapped in found families, botanical magic, and the occasional raccoon familiar. Best known for Mosswood Apothecary and Mandrake Manor. Represented by Elaine Spencer of The Knight Agency.
Short Bio
JP Rindfleisch IX (he/they) is an award-winning indie author from Rockford, Illinois. They write cozy queer fantasy and strange fiction — books about grief, transformation, and queer joy wrapped in found families, botanical magic, and the occasional raccoon familiar. Best known for Mosswood Apothecary and Mandrake Manor. Represented by Elaine Spencer of The Knight Agency.
Full Bio
JP Rindfleisch IX (he/they) writes cozy queer fantasy and strange fiction — stories about grief, transformation, and queer joy wrapped in botanical magic, found families, and a dash of genuine weirdness. Their debut novel Mandrake Manor won the 2025 IPPY Silver Medal in LGBTQ+ Fiction, the 2024 Reader Ready Award TOP PICK, and was a 2023 American Writing Awards Finalist. The Henbane Hollow series has since been joined by Mosswood Apothecary (Tales of Valdaes), a complete six-book dark paranormal academy series (Leah Ackerman, co-written with A.B. Cohen), the paranormal comedy NRDS: National Recently Deceased Services (co-written with Jeff Elkins), and more. JP is represented by Elaine Spencer of The Knight Agency, who placed audiobook deals with Tantor Media and Simon Maverick.
Away from fiction, JP is a Dialogue Doctor and Three Story Method Editor, the author of the writing craft guide Story Hypothesis: The Missing Piece of Your Fiction Puzzle, and a recognized voice in the serialization conversation — having co-hosted both The Writer's and Reader's Serial Fiction Show with Christine Daigle. They currently co-host Write Wrong Repeat, and appear occasionally on Writer's Ink and Dialogue Doctor. JP also founded Rockford Area Writers, a community of 80+ local authors and creatives in Rockford, Illinois.
JP lives in Rockford with their husky and African Grey Parrot, and can usually be found cooking something vegan or on a walk with their dog.
Credentials at a Glance
- Three Story Method Certified Editor
- Co-host — Write Wrong Repeat (current)
- Occasional co-host & editor — Writer's Ink and Dialogue Doctor
- Past co-host — The Writer's & Reader's Serial Fiction Show (Three Story Method Podcast Network, one year, w/ Christine Daigle)
- Past co-host — Write Away
- Founder — Rockford Area Writers (80+ members, Rockford, IL)
- Speaker — Rockford Area Arts Council, Business of Art
Awards & Honors
2025
IPPY Silver Medal — LGBTQ+ Fiction
Independent Publisher Book Awards
Mandrake Manor
2024
Reader Ready Award — Top Pick
Reader Ready Awards
Mandrake Manor
2023
American Writing Awards — Finalist
American Writing Awards
Mandrake Manor
Readers' Favorite Award — Finalist
Readers' Favorite
Mandrake Manor
The Books
Tales of Valdaes · Book One · Featured Release
Mosswood Apothecary
A struggling alchemist. A small town with ancient secrets. And… a mysterious shadow ferret.
Botanical alchemist Rowan Mosswood didn't expect much when he finally graduated, so a remote research assignment in Frostfern Valley seemed fitting. With his reputation in tatters after a public alchemical mishap, and his discipline of magic considered antiquated, Rowan agrees to the university's terms: fix up an old greenhouse, study the mysterious loss of magic, and send regular reports. If he can manage all that, his student debts will disappear.
The assignment sounded mundane enough — until Rowan discovers the greenhouse is falling apart, the crops refuse to grow, and a wily shadow creature has taken up residence in his new home. As if that weren't complicated enough, there's Jimson: a too-handsome-for-his-own-good carpenter who seems determined to help… and fluster Rowan.
For fans of: Legends & Lattes · The House in the Cerulean Sea · Studio Ghibli
Key themes: Grief & renewal · Queer identity · Found family · Botanical magic · Small-town community · Slow-burn romance
Formats: Paperback · Hardcover · Special Collector's Edition · Ebook
🎧 Audiobook — Simon Maverick · July 2026Collector's Edition funded via Kickstarter · 4.26 ★ (116+ ratings on Goodreads)
Henbane Hollow Series
Book One
Mandrake Manor
A Cozy Suburban Fantasy Romance
When Mathias Mandrake unexpectedly inherits his great aunt's manor in the magical suburb of Henbane Hollow, he moves in with his two best friends — only to discover the inheritance comes with a catch: they're the neighborhood's new coven. Between a demanding HOA, lurking supernatural threats, and the magic their family left behind, can Mat, Frankie, and August keep Henbane Hollow's secrets while building something that finally feels like home?
3.96 ★ (920 ratings) · Print · Ebook
🎧 Audiobook — Tantor Media
Short Story Prequel
The Owlet Café
A Henbane Hollow prequel
A cozy-dark short story set in Henbane Hollow before the Mandrake coven was reformed. The perfect entry point for readers new to the universe.
5.0 ★ · Print · Ebook
Book TwoComing Soon
Belladonna Bed & Breakfast
A Cozy Suburban Fantasy
August's dreamwalking powers were supposed to be a gift. Now they can't sleep through the night without finding something waiting on the other side. While Mat navigates his new role on Henbane Hollow's HOA board and the manor adjusts to Frankie's absence, August must figure out whether the masked figure haunting their dreams is a warning — or a way in.
Preorder available · Print · Ebook · Audiobook (Tantor Media, TBA)
Tales of Valdaes Series
Prequel NovellaComing Soon
The Alchemist Baker of Rosen
A prequel novella exploring the botanical alchemy world of the Tales of Valdaes universe before the events of Mosswood Apothecary.
Print · Ebook · Audiobook (Simon Maverick, TBA)
Tamarack Coven Series
Book OneComing Soon
Bone and Ward
Dusty didn't plan to spend his summer at a fire watch tower in Colorado, let alone wake up naked in northern Wisconsin after accidentally shapeshifting for the first time. Now he's trying to figure out who — or what — he is, while being folded into an eclectic found-family coven renovating a farmhouse in rural Wisconsin. The magic is new. The feelings are inconvenient. The coven, it turns out, is exactly what he didn't know he needed.
Print · Ebook
Co-Authored Works
Leah Ackerman Dark Paranormal Academy · Complete Series · Co-written with A.B. Cohen
Six-Book Complete Series
A dark, high-stakes paranormal academy series following Leah Ackerman through a world of Kabbalah-based magic, demon hunters, and supernatural conspiracy. The complete arc runs six novels, from Dark Pawn to Divine King. Perfect for readers who want to sink into a fully resolved story with a rich magic system, complex characters, and genuine stakes.
Dark Pawn · Demon Knight · Deceived Bishop · Dormant Rook · Dire Queen · Divine King
Individual volumes and box set available · Print · Ebook
NRDS · Season One · Co-written with Jeff Elkins
NRDS: National Recently Deceased Services
A Dark Comedy & Light MM Paranormal Romance
There's an underfunded government agency dedicated to helping the recently deceased transition to the afterlife. When Ethan, a well-meaning but clueless new recruit, joins the rural NRDS office, he expects ordinary casework. What he gets instead: a ghostly tractor standoff, small-town supernatural politics, an eclectic team that includes a ghost named BOB, and a creeping suspicion that he might actually like it here.
4.30 ★ (63 ratings) · Print · Ebook
Serial & Non-Fiction
Tapas · Complete Serial
The Greatest Storm Mage Needs a Break
A Cozy Portal Fantasy
A powerful storm mage desperately in need of a vacation stumbles into the most unexpected found family imaginable. A complete serial available on Tapas.
Available on Tapas
Writing Craft · Non-Fiction
Story Hypothesis
The Missing Piece of Your Fiction Puzzle
Most writing guides treat theme as an afterthought. Story Hypothesis builds it into the foundation. Drawing on psychologist Manfred Max-Neef's framework of nine fundamental human needs, JP developed a step-by-step method for creating narrative resonance — one that connects a character's surface wants to their deeper psychological needs, and grounds theme in something concrete. Includes case studies and practical worksheets.
4.60 ★ · Print · Ebook
Available at: Amazon · Audible · Barnes & Noble · Books-A-Million · Better World Books · Bookshop.org · Author Shop
Press & Appearances
"Warm, cozy, a little bit sassy, and the bonds of found family and magic give a nice touch to developing both the plot and the characters."
The Novel Approach Reviews · Mandrake Manor · 4 Stars · March 2025"Bursting with magic and mayhem… soulful and quirky characters… a whimsical and delightful read. I recommend it to anyone who appreciates a magical LGBTQ+ book."
Shrabastee Chakraborty · Readers' FavoriteBook Discussions & Features
| The Author Next Door | Ep. 41 — Writing Cozy Queer Fantasy with JP Rindfleisch IX |
| Once Upon A Tangent | Ep. 4 — Book Club: Mandrake Manor |
| Books Cubed | Ep. 147 — Cozy Queer Fantasy with JP Rindfleisch IX |
| AwesomeGang | Author interview & Q&A |
| The Novel Approach Reviews | Full review · Mandrake Manor · 4 Stars · March 2025 |
Craft & Story Hypothesis
| You Are a Storyteller | Ep. 64 — Theme and Story Hypothesis |
| The Indy Author Podcast | Ep. 223 — The Tolling Bell & The Story Hypothesis |
| The Rebel Author (Sacha Black) | Ep. 222 — Story Hypothesis with JP Rindfleisch IX |
Serialization, Publishing & Collaboration
| The Indy Author Podcast | Ep. 306 — Finding Readers Through Serialization |
| Writing Pursuits | The Art of Collaboration with JP Rindfleisch IX |
| The Indie Shelf | Ep. 9 — Co-Authoring, The 5 Whys & Audacity To Take Space (w/ A.B. Cohen) |
| The Pint and Portal Author Podcast | From Laid Off to Full-Time Writer: This Author Proves It's Possible |
| Writer at Work | S3 Ep. 2 — Serial Fiction with Christine Daigle and JP Rindfleisch IX |
Speaking & Events
| Rockford Area Arts Council | Business of Art — Publishing and Online Distribution of Creative Works |
Story Angles
Each of these represents a real conversation JP is ready to have — not press-release talking points, but perspectives built from lived experience in publishing, community, and craft.
01
The Advocacy Beneath the Books
JP Rindfleisch IX writes cozy fantasy, but each book has a deeper conversation. Mandrake Manor is about communities being forced into conformity and losing what makes them distinct. Mosswood Apothecary is about capitalism and extractive industry gutting local resources. The Alchemist Baker of Rosen is about how societies demonize immigrants and make them feel they have to conceal the parts of themselves that could make a community flourish. Bone and Ward is about romantic relationships in all their forms — and breaking free from what we've been told they're supposed to look like.
02
Community is Key for Writers
JP started Rockford Area Writers, which is now 80+ members strong, as a space where local authors could communicate, meet in person, share successes, ask questions, and be involved with each other and their city. JP has been a part of many communities, online and in person, and continues to argue that writing is not a solitary practice.
03
How a Podcast Accidentally Built a Career
When Kindle Vella launched, Christine Daigle asked JP to co-host a podcast about serial fiction writers. JP said yes. When they reached out to Jeff Elkins as a potential guest, he said: "Want to write one with me?" That conversation became NRDS: National Recently Deceased Services. The podcast became The Writer's and Reader's Serial Fiction Show. Through this, JP learned that serialization kept JP moving forward, and prevented them from being stuck in the editing cycle.
04
Theme as Human Needs: The Story Hypothesis Method
Most writing guides treat theme as something you layer on after the fact. JP's craft book, Story Hypothesis, takes the opposite position: theme is your character's emotional journey. Drawing on Manfred Max-Neef's framework of nine fundamental human needs, JP developed a step-by-step method that connects what a character wants on the surface to what they actually need — and uses that gap to drive the story.
05
What Happens After the Layoff
In April 2025, JP Rindfleisch IX was laid off. They were already an established indie author — multiple published series, a writing community of 80+ people, and a Twitch audience. The layoff came when they least expected it, but it allowed them to double down and focus on writing. Since then, they had a successful Kickstarter campaign and was signed on with The Knight Agency where they ended up with five audiobook deals. They continue to be the primary income source for their household as their business continues to grow and expand.
Suggested Interview Questions
Starting points — JP is happy to go wherever the conversation leads.
- Your brand just shifted from "Dark, Strange & Queer" to "Cozy, Strange & Queer." What changed?
- Mosswood Apothecary was written as a live serial in front of readers. How did that shape the final book?
- You co-hosted The Writer's and Reader's Serial Fiction Show for a year. What's the single most important thing you learned about how readers engage with serialized work?
- The Mosswood Apothecary Kickstarter funded a special collector's edition. What was that experience actually like?
- You founded Rockford Area Writers — 80+ local authors. What made you start it?
- Story Hypothesis proposes a specific method for building theme from fundamental human needs. Where did that framework come from?
- Your books are consistently about grief, transformation, and queer joy. What makes you add that layer to your cozy fantasies?
- Mandrake Manor won the 2025 IPPY Silver Medal in LGBTQ+ Fiction. What does that kind of recognition mean for an indie author specifically?
- You write in multiple series simultaneously, across multiple co-authors (A.B. Cohen, Jeff Elkins). How do you manage that without losing your voice?
- As a Dialogue Doctor and Three Story Method Editor, you work with other writers' stories. Does editing change how you write your own work?
- What do you hope readers who've never picked up a queer book find in yours?
Speaking Topics
Story Hypothesis: Theme as Human Need
JP's signature craft talk. A practical introduction to their method for using Manfred Max-Neef's nine fundamental human needs to build theme, character arc, and narrative resonance.
Serialization as a Publishing Strategy
How to write, build a readership, and crowdfund your way from a weekly serial to a polished book — including the platform decisions, rights considerations, and craft adjustments that make it work.
Building Author Community
Lessons from founding Rockford Area Writers: what it takes to build a literary community in a mid-size city, and why the model works even without a major publishing hub nearby.
Writing Live: Accountability, Audience, and the Craft of Streaming
What streaming your writing does to the work — and to you. JP's talk on Twitch writing streams, accountability culture, and what happens when readers are present for the first draft.
Queer Representation in Cozy Fantasy
Why cozy queer fantasy matters, what authentic representation actually looks like on the page, and why JP writes books where queerness is the texture of the world.
Indie Publishing and Crowdfunding for Authors
A practical breakdown of the tools, platforms, and strategies that have worked — and the mistakes that didn't — from an indie author who's been through multiple launches and a Kickstarter.
Co-Writing Across Genres
JP co-writes a few series with different collaborators. A frank conversation about creative partnerships: how they work, when they don't, and what makes a collaboration actually last.
Credentials & Community
Podcasts
- Write Wrong Repeat — Current co-host
- Writer's Ink — Occasional co-host
- Dialogue Doctor — Occasional co-host & editor
- The Writer's & Reader's Serial Fiction Show — Past co-host, 1 year (Three Story Method Podcast Network, w/ Christine Daigle)
- Write Away — Past co-host
Editorial & Teaching
- Three Story Method Certified Editor
- Editor — Dialogue Doctor
- Author — Story Hypothesis (craft guide, 4.60 ★); appeared on Indy Author, Rebel Author, Writer at Work, and more
- Twitch writing streams — CheshirePope (accountability sprints)
Community & Industry
- Founder — Rockford Area Writers (80+ members, Rockford, IL)
- Speaker — Rockford Area Arts Council, Business of Art
- Represented by Elaine Spencer, VP of Operations, The Knight Agency
- Audiobook publishers: Tantor Media · Simon Maverick
- Five total audiobook deals placed by The Knight Agency
Author Platform
1,258+
Goodreads Ratings
4.05 ★
Avg Rating
22+
Books on Goodreads
80+
Rockford Area Writers Members
TikTok
Bluesky
X / Twitter
Booking & Press
Available for podcast interviews, panel discussions, convention appearances, writing events, and speaking engagements. For press materials, interview requests, review copies, or booking inquiries, reach out directly.
Press, Media & Booking
Literary Agent
Elaine Spencer · VP of Operations
The Knight Agency
Audiobook Publishers
Tantor Media · Simon Maverick
Download the Full Media Kit
Bios, headshot, complete catalog, awards history, press appearances, story angles, interview questions, and speaking topics — all in one PDF.
↓ Download Media Kit (PDF)