JP Rindfleisch IX
Cozy, Strange & Queer
JP Rindfleisch IX (he/they) is a writer of cozy queer fantasy and strange fiction from Illinois. Their first solo novel, Mandrake Manor, won the 2025 IPPY Silver Medal. Also Mosswood Apothecary and NRDS. Next: The Alchemist Baker of Rosen, Dec 8, 2026.
About the Author
Short Bio
JP Rindfleisch IX (he/they) is a writer of cozy queer fantasy and strange fiction from Illinois. Their first solo novel, Mandrake Manor, won the 2025 IPPY Silver Medal. Also Mosswood Apothecary and NRDS. Next: The Alchemist Baker of Rosen, Dec 8, 2026.
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 first solo novel, Mandrake Manor (Henbane Hollow Book 1), won the 2025 IPPY Silver Medal in LGBTQ+ Fiction. They are also the author of Mosswood Apothecary and The Alchemist Baker of Rosen (Tales of Valdaes), co-author of the paranormal comedy NRDS: National Recently Deceased Services with Jeff Elkins, and author of the writing craft guide Story Hypothesis. JP is represented by Elaine Spencer of The Knight Agency. They are a Three Story Method certified editor and Dialogue Doctor, co-host of Write Wrong Repeat, and founder of Rockford Area Writers, a community of 80+ authors in Illinois, where they live with a husky and an African grey parrot. Next: The Alchemist Baker of Rosen (December 8, 2026), then Belladonna Bed & Breakfast (February 28, 2027).
Credentials at a Glance
- Three Story Method Certified Editor, Dialogue Doctor
- Co-host — Write Wrong Repeat (current)
- Occasional co-host — Writer's Ink
- Past co-host — The Writer's & Reader's Serial Fiction Show w/ Christine Daigle (Three Story Method Podcast Network)
- 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
- 2024 Reader Ready Award — Top Pick
- 2023 American Writing Awards — Finalist
- Readers' Favorite Award — Finalist
The Books
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
What runs underneath it: finding the community you actually belong to, being queer without apologizing for it, and learning to let someone help you even when you are sure you don't need it.
Formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Special Collector's Edition, Ebook, Audiobook (Simon Maverick, July 2026)
Mandrake Manor
Three friends inherit a Victorian manor and end up becoming the neighborhood witches, in a magical suburb with an HOA that is set on turning everything into a cookie-cutter nightmare. Expect found family, witchcraft, werewolves, budding romance, lots of sass, and unapologetic queer joy.
The Owlet Café
A cozy-dark short story set in Henbane Hollow before the Mandrake coven was reformed. Clawed out from her grave, Ragana must navigate a changed Henbane Hollow — and a cousin who might be at the root of it all.
Belladonna Bed & Breakfast
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 looking for a way in.
The Alchemist Baker of Rosen
A side story set two hundred years before Mosswood Apothecary. Erik uses his grandmother's old recipes and a bit of forbidden magic to feed his community of immigrants, who have been left to fend for themselves by a city that is on the hunt for people doing magic.
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 Leah Ackerman 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.
NRDS: National Recently Deceased Services
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, and an eclectic team. Ghostbusters meets The Office, but gay.
The Greatest Storm Mage Needs a Break
A storm mage who spent years as a weapon in someone else's war finally runs out of things to keep moving for and stumbles, accidentally, into the most unlikely found family. A serial about PTSD and what comes after being used. New chapters release on JP's site.
Story Hypothesis
Story Hypothesis is a craft guide on theme. It uses Chilean economist Manfred Max-Neef's framework of fundamental human needs (an alternative to Maslow's hierarchy) to map the distance between what a character wants on the surface and what they actually need underneath.
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."
"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."
Book 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
- Margin Mavens — Book discussion and author interview: 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
A few things JP is always happy to talk about.
The Advocacy Beneath the Books
JP's cozy books all have a bigger conversation running underneath them (conformity, capitalism, immigration, and what relationships are allowed to look like): Mandrake Manor is about what communities lose when they're forced into conformity. 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 hide who they are. Bone and Ward is about breaking free from what we've been told relationships are supposed to look like.
Community is Key for Writers
JP started Rockford Area Writers after being told writing is a solitary practice, and the group now has 80+ local authors who meet, talk craft, share work, and show up for each other's launches. JP has been part of writing communities online and in person for years and really believes writers grow when they connect with other creatives.
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 replied: "Want to write one with me?" That conversation became NRDS: National Recently Deceased Services.
Theme as Human Needs: The Story Hypothesis Method
JP's craft book, Story Hypothesis, treats theme as part of a story's foundation instead of something added at the end. It looks at what a character wants on the surface and what they actually need underneath, and uses Manfred Max-Neef's framework of fundamental human needs (which JP finds more useful for storytelling than Maslow's hierarchy) to map the distance between the two.
What Happens After the Layoff
JP spent years in quality assurance in science manufacturing labs before being laid off in April 2025, and was already an established indie author with multiple series, an 80+ member writing community, and a Twitch audience. Since then JP has run a successful Kickstarter, signed with a literary agent, and landed five audiobook deals. A supervisor training once made JP stand up and say "I don't want to write," and JP has been writing out of spite ever since.
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
A workshop on the Story Hypothesis method: using Manfred Max-Neef's fundamental human needs to map the gap between what a character wants and what they actually need, with how to apply it to a draft and where it changes the story.
Serialization as a Publishing Strategy
JP has been serializing fiction since Kindle Vella, built a readership on Tapas, turned a serial into a funded Kickstarter, and co-hosted a podcast about serialization for a year. This talk covers where to publish, how to structure installments readers come back for, rights, and what to do when a platform shuts down.
Building Author Community
How JP built Rockford Area Writers to 80+ members in a mid-size Illinois city with no publishing hub, what it actually took, what went sideways, and why JP really believes community is one of the most underrated parts of an indie author career.
Writing Live: Accountability, Audience & the Craft of Streaming
JP has streamed live writing sessions on Twitch as CheshirePope for years (accountability sprints and first drafts in public). This talk covers what writing in front of an audience does to your process and your habits.
Queer Representation in Cozy Fantasy
In JP's words, "I personally think cozy fantasy has really opened up a way to have those deeper conversations around a character's personal journey, but also their place in a community or found family, that is harder to have in higher stakes fantasy." This talk is about writing books where queerness is just part of the world.
Indie Publishing and Crowdfunding for Authors
JP has launched multiple series, run a Kickstarter, sold direct, serialized, and signed with a literary agent while staying indie. This talk covers what has actually worked, what hasn't, and how the numbers add up.
Co-Writing Across Genres
JP has co-written a six-book paranormal academy series with A.B. Cohen and a paranormal comedy with Jeff Elkins while keeping a solo catalog going. This talk covers what makes a co-writing partnership work, what breaks it, and how to keep your own voice.
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 ★ average, 22+ books on Goodreads
- 80+ Rockford Area Writers members
Find JP Online
- Website & Shop — jprindfleischix.com, shop.jprindfleischix.com
- TikTok — @jprindfleisch
- Instagram — @jp_rindfleisch
- Bluesky — @jprindfleisch.bsky.social
- Facebook — @jprindfleischix
- X / Twitter — @JPRindfleisch
- Twitch — CheshirePope, live writing sprints & accountability streams
- Goodreads — JP Rindfleisch IX
Booking & Press
JP is available for podcasts, panels, conventions, book clubs, and speaking events. For press materials, review copies, or booking, email JP@9thBooks.com.
- Press, Media & Booking — JP@9thBooks.com
- 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.