Ex-teacher's 7th book a 'spellbinding' thriller Seewald, of O.B., mixes mystery and romance in many of her novels BY MARY ANNE ROSS Correspondent Jacqueline Seewald OLD BRIDGE - Readers who enjoy romantic thrillers sprinkled with a touch of the occult and lots of local color may want to put township resident Jacqueline Seewald's "The Inferno Collection" on their summer reading lists. The story is set in a college town similar to New Brunswick. Its title refers to the Victorian-era practice of keeping books considered inappropriate for the public locked away. The heroine, Kim Reynolds, is an academic librarian who is determined to solve the mystery of a friend's death, which is connected to one such collection. The book, published in June by Five Star Expressions, has received great reviews including one from The New York Times best-selling author Sara Paretsky, and another from Iris Green of Chick Lit Review, who described it as "irresistibly spellbinding." A former teacher at the middle school, high school and college levels, Seewald is an award-winning and prolific writer. "The Inferno Collection" is her seventh published book. Not all are romantic thrillers. Her first, "A Wind in the Pines," was for young adults. "We knew it was going to be published, but we weren't told when," Jacqueline's husband, Monte, recalled of that first book. "A friend called us from Hawaii saying she was reading the book and congratulating Jackie. That's how we learned it was out." Another young adult mystery, titled "Where Is Robert?" and published by Royal Fireworks in 1999, turned out to be a bit of a family affair. "My sons Andrew and Daniel were on the wrestling team, so they helped me keep my facts straight. Daniel is actually listed as one of the authors," Jacqueline Seewald said. "A Devil in the Pines," a picture book for kids in grades K-4, is what she describes as a "faction" book - a combination of fact and fiction. "I was working in the elementary school. The kids were doing a project on the Jersey Devil, but there really wasn't much information available, so I put together a story for them and put it into a booklet form," Seewald said. New Jersey publisher Afton printed the book in 2000, and it can be found in many schools and public libraries. While Seewald keeps the books she has had published on a special shelf, there is one there she cannot read. "Her Mother's Daughter" was published in Germany. "It sold out its first printing of 60,000, but it was never published in English," she said. Seewald does not limit herself to just novels. She has had many short stories, poetry and nonfiction articles appear in various magazines. She won the Writers Digest contest twice and, as a playwright, was a finalist in the Eugene O'Neill National Playwrights Competition several years ago. Area residents may remember her play "The Burning," which was performed at Playhouse 22 in East Brunswick after winning the local theater's playwright competition. "She is the hardest-working person I know," said Monte, who admits to being his wife's biggest fan. "Jackie is also a talented painter and she has a fantastic singing voice." Seewald also has many manuscripts that have not been published but are nonetheless "gems," her husband noted. "I enjoy writing mysteries, but I also enjoy writing romances, especially historical romances," she said. "I have a lot I haven't sold, including a mystery romance set in the Pine Barrens during the American Revolution." Seewald, who has worked as a school librarian and creative writing teacher, has always been a writer. "I have been writing since I was old enough to hold a pencil," she said. To up-and-coming writers, her advice is: "Don't quit. You have to like working with words and you have to enjoy and be willing to write and rewrite. But if it's something you want to do, keep working at it. It takes a lot of discipline." Seewald feels strongly that everyone has something important to say. "We all have something worth writing about," she said. Seewald recently received good news about her latest book. "They have asked me to write a sequel," she said. Seewald's books can be found on Amazon.com and at most local libraries. Those who don't have them on the shelves can order them for customers.