G.A. Albrethsen's Blog: Age of Restoration, page 8

In that moment…

In that moment, fear became conviction, willing her to act. She raised her hands and clasped them above her head, a white-hot flame bursting from their union. Just as the bolt was unleashed, the landscape wrenched violently away and Paciencia was left in the gloom of her bedchamber, her entire body covered in perspiration, her lungs gasping for air.

The vision had overcome her three times now, one right after the other. How many more times would it assail her? With urgency engulfing her, she vaulted from her bed, the nightgown she wore replaced by a loose-fitting blouse and skirt before her feet touched the floor. When the vision did not return, she realized something else failed to occur—confirmation.

Troubled, she left her room and padded softly down the corridor.

She glided…

She glided down a street she did not know. It held no resemblance to the glorious avenues of New Columbia, and yet, there was a certain familiarity—the dark edifices lining each side, from which roiled a river of people, pushing past her, through her, terror frozen on their faces.

What were they fleeing? While she strained to see beyond them, the crowd directly ahead of her became transparent, and her gaze locked onto the scene unfolding up the street.

She felt a chill at the sight of it. Two males and one female were suspended in the air by some force that sprang from another being beneath them. As she drew nearer, she could see the twisted agony of the captives, but the glow of the energy field surrounding them cast their captor’s visage in shadow.

The Next Big Thing… is this the AGE OF RESTORATION?

Howdy and welcome to my blog’s version of THE NEXT BIG THING…

I’d like to thank K. J. Waters of Twitter fame for cluing me in and then including me in this blog hop opportunity. You can see her NEXT BIG THING here. Cool cover, great title, and now we just need to tear her away from tweeting long enough so she can finish the darn thing!

Here’s how this blog hop works. I’m supposed to ask myself some questions, and then, I’m supposed to answer them. Not sure how I feel about this. Sounds similar to what a professor once told me (talking to yourself is a sign that you’re crazy), but since I pretty much ignored his advice then, I guess I’ll be okay now.

Okay. A little explanation about how I will be dealing with the questions. The idea here is to answer them about a work-in-progress, or about a soon-to-be-released book. In my case, I’m going to concentrate on my series, AGE OF RESTORATION. My justification for this is, many still don’t know much about my first book, even though the second book is in the latter stages of editing and could be out by the end of the year. Thus, talking about the second book exclusively, let alone my true work-in-progress, Book Three, would leave a lot behind, since it’s all interrelated. I’ll still try to be brief (yeah, right).

So, strap yourself in and enjoy the ride.

What is the working title of your book (series)?

The actual title for the series, as already noted, is AGE OF RESTORATION. The book titles, in order, are: The Foolish and the Weak, which is out now; The Wise and the Mighty, due out, possibly, by Christmas; and Same Mind, Same Judgment, that will most likely come out sometime next year. There will be other books associated with these three, but I haven’t decided yet whether they will come under the AGE OF RESTORATION series title, or something different.

Where did the idea come from for the book (series)?

This is a very good question. In fact, so good, I can’t really answer it. Not directly anyway. You see, while this series could be considered many things, it is at its heart, a mystery. If I told you where the idea came from, I’d pretty much be giving away the mystery. However, so as not to leave you all hanging, let me offer up some hints, which hopefully will serve to whet your appetite, while giving away nothing.

First of all, this series is a prelude to an exercise. An exercise that leads to how my mind works. You see, every now and then, I come across a conundrum, a puzzle, if you will, that I can’t figure out with my favorite real world instrument: logic. If something doesn’t make sense to me, I study it, find out what others have to say about it, and see if it makes any sense then. Most times, having more information about a topic resolves my confusion. There are times, however, when it doesn’t. In such cases, I have a tendency to draw my own conclusions. I get rather inventive sometimes, though before now, I haven’t ever written a couple books because of them. The answer I came up with this time was so compelling to me, though, I just had to make it into a story.

What genre does your book (series) fall under?

The Foolish and the Weak

Your guess is as good as mine. In fact, I wish more of you would read The Foolish and the Weak, then review it, and mention what you think it is, so I’ll know. The series encompasses many genres, but I don’t know if any of them is more dominant than the other. I currently have The Foolish and the Weak listed on Amazon under Alternate History and Religious & Inspirational Mystery, because that seems to be the best way to describe it, but I’ve had it listed under Young Adult subgenres prior to this. I guess that’s what happens when you throw everything into it, including the kitchen sink. Well, okay, so not everything. There’s only wisps of romance and only feints of certain paranormality which will remain unnamed at this time.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Justin Hartley

This is probably the hardest question to answer, because I kind of think the actors and actresses I’d like to see aren’t well known or popular now. In an earlier blog post, I wrote that one of the supporting characters, Brad Cantwell, could be played by someone like Justin Hartley, who played Green Arrow/Oliver Queen in Smallville on the CW.

America Ferrera

Other than that, I really don’t have much of anyone in mind, especially for the series’ main character, Paz. She is of partial Hispanic descent, and has the darker complexion, hair and eyes, but as the story progresses, her looks change. Dramatically. So, there may be a need for different actresses, or one, through make-up or CGI, who transforms from one to the other. After seeing what Hollywood did with Chris Evans as the pre-Captain America Steve Rogers, anything is possible.

My first thought for Paz would be to have someone like America Ferrera in her earlier movies. However, as Paz goes through her transformations, she gets taller and her outward appearance changes, which would probably negate the need for an America Ferrera-type actress. I guess that’s a bridge we can cross when we get there.

For Paz’s mother, Paloma, I’ve had thoughts of someone similar to Thandie Newton, just a younger version of her. The trick here is, while Paloma is just over 50-years-old, she looks like she’s in her mid-20s. She’s also 5’11″, while Ms. Newton is 5’3″, which isn’t much taller than Ms. Ferrera at 5’1″.

Thandie Newton

Anyway, I suppose with movie magic, anything is possible.

As for the other roles, I don’t really have anyone in particular in mind, except maybe someone like Allison Mack, who played Chloe Sullivan, again from Smallville (see a reoccurring theme developing?).

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book (series)?

Oh, great…

No, that’s not my sentence. That’s me not having any idea how to describe it. Let’s see…

Reality is not what it seems.

Yeah, that’ll work.

Or you could get a better idea of what the series is about by clicking here and watching the booktrailer.

Will your book (series) be self-published or represented by an agency?

Self-published. Book one already is. Books 2-8 (at least), will be, too. I’d have to be paid an incredible amount of money while retaining all rights and having creative last say on everything before I’d agree to a traditional publisher’s contract. I’m self-publishing because I like to be my own person, not because I’m trying to skip the whole rejection letter process, or think I couldn’t be published otherwise. I just flat hate the idea of others benefitting from my creativity and abilities more than I do. I know publishers can put up handsome sums to advertise and promote, but even that’s not really assured, either, and authors still do a lot of promotional leg work. Sales will always be the bottom line for publishers, which means they go with what’s hot or a safe bet, not necessarily the NEXT BIG THING.

Besides, who’s going to believe more in my books than me?

Nobody.

Case closed.

How long did it take to write the first draft?

Well, let’s see. Book One took around two months, and Book Two took a little over a month. In fairness, Book Two was partially written already, because I over wrote Book One and incorporated a lot of that into Book Two.

Who or what inspired you to write this book (series)?

Well, this goes back to the question of how I came up with the idea. So, I guess my inability to accept the answer to a certain real world situation inspired the series. What’s cool about this is, it’s a situation that many people, mostly in the United States, are aware of, in one way or another, so it’s not just something I would know or be wondering about.

What else about your book (series) might pique the reader’s interest?

I think anyone who likes to read will find something they like in this series. If you don’t like to read, I think you’ll still find something you like. Maybe you can wait for an audio version or the movies.

All kidding aside, there is something for almost anyone in this series. If you like stories which make you think, with fantasy-leanings in the modern world, where there’s a mystery to solve, you’ll like this series. Oh, and if you believe in principles over politics, that will help a lot, too.

Note: I’m supposed to announce up to four other authors who would post their NEXT BIG THING on their blog by November 14, but no one answered my inquiry, so I have none.

I hate politics

I hate politics.

You would think, as a novelist, someone who loves to invent realities, albeit fictional ones, that I’d be able to take politics in stride.

After all, what are politics if not huge distortion fields, spun this way or that, depending on the opponent, the public sentiment and the politically expedient?

Well, I can’t give politics or politicians much slack. As much as I can suspend reality when I’m watching a movie or reading a book (more than most, I’ve been told), politics is something I just can’t treat the same way.

It’s real, and it deals in the real world. When you say something that’s not true, knowingly, it’s called a lie. When you say something unknowingly, it’s called ignorance. Neither are good, though the latter is usually more forgivable than the former.

When an author sets you up, presenting a scenario as one thing that later proves to be something completely different, they’re doing it to entertain you. You didn’t have to read their book, much less buy it, so there’s some decision making taking place on the part of the reader. If the author fails to entertain, they hurt themselves more than anything. They run the risk of alienating an audience, which in turn affects sales. Rarely does it cause a war or millions to suffer.

When politicians and their spin machines present realities which aren’t truly the case, they’re doing it to convince you to believe in them. It’s all for their own personal gain. Every once in a while, a principled politician will stand up for the truth, but those times are few and far between. Do politicians pay the price for their misdirection? Sometimes, but mostly, they don’t, which only perpetuates the action of misleading people.

And, because politicians create these alternate realities in the real world, they affect the lives of real people. You and me. We’re not characters in the pages of a book. There are real consequences to not only our own actions, or the actions of those around us, but the actions of politicians turned leaders.

It’s become a given that politicians are going to lie to us. Be it for our own good, to keep us from panicking, or be it to cover up their own mistakes, to save themselves, to me, it is the same. I’d rather know the truth, know what I’m up against, rather than be lulled into some false sense of security.

Which is why I follow politics, even though I hate it.

I take no pleasure in the chess game, or the gotcha moment. I hate it when a campaign can turn on an ill-timed phrase or an October surprise. The body of work more sufficiently tells the tale, not what a politician says once in an unguarded moment.

Politics is more about parties and winning than it is about philosophies and principles. I’d rather hear someone tell me what they think, rather than tell me what they think I want to hear. I’d rather know what they’re going to do TO me than know what they’re going to do FOR me. I don’t need handouts, and I don’t need coddling. I just want the truth.

If I need reassurance and comforting, I’m not going to a politician or a political party. I’ll rely on my faith and family for that.

I am blessed

I’m not at all sure why I’m writing this. Maybe to vent. Maybe to share. Maybe someone needs this as much as I do. If so, I hope it helps.

What do you do when it feels like the world is against you?

No, I’m not talking about the real kind—where entire nations would just as soon you were dead—but more of the life’s got you down variety. At one time or another, we all experience some level of that.

It’s a virtual guaranteed part of life that we will encounter some form of adversity. Many of us are fortunate not to know what it’s like to grow up so impoverished we have no place to live and nothing to eat, or so hated, just because of who we are. But all of us will have some obstacles thrown in our path, some trials, which will test our patience and try our resolve.

Does it matter how we handle those trials?

In my experience, it does matter.

I can’t say any of mine have been impossible or particularly profound. In fact, because of that, I find myself downplaying even ones which might be considered large to others.

I can’t help it. Even when some cosmic tumbler clicks into place and all kinds of unfavorable circumstances start raining down, after some initial, “Here we go again,” or other self-pity wallowing, I find myself counting my blessings.

When I go to a dealer, which is more than an hour’s drive from my house, to buy the six-year-old SUV I can surprise my wife with, only to have it end up in the shop four times now (and counting) because the courtesy lights won’t come on, a phantom problem with the Electronic Stability Control System keeps reoccurring and at least a dead battery (still not sure if there’s something else wrong), it goes beyond trying my patience.

I suppose I could yell and scream and throw a tantrum, but at who, and what? I’ve noticed that being calm and reasonable goes along way, especially when the people you’re dealing with are used to having people fly off the handle.

That’s not to say I haven’t tried it. Just ask my son. He’s been on the receiving end of not-so-patient-or-forgiving me.

In fact, it’s been happening quite a bit lately because he wants to be more independent while he’s back living at home and basically still dependent on Mom and Dad. Convenient for him, nerve wracking for us.

Add an increasingly serious relationship with an 18-year-old girlfriend (he turns 23 next month) that is barely three months old, of which they have spent more time apart than they have together (he was in Mexico for four weeks visiting relatives with my wife, and now his girlfriend has been in Idaho going to school for the last three weeks), and it just gets worse.

I’m letting my old-fashioned upbringing show, I know. I’m supposed to coddle him and let him run the house now because it’s his life and my days of ruling the roost are past (Yeah, right!).

Still, despite our differences, my son is good and I love him. It could be worse. A lot worse. We could hate each others guts, or one of us could be in prison for murder. The fact that we can still hold some kind of conversation that doesn’t end in verbal brawls is a plus, even if it is as good as it gets sometimes.

Those two things combined are enough. None of it’s life threatening, but it grates, and there are consequences.

So, what else could happen? How about the business I’ve owned or co-owned for the last 14 years tubing? They say things come in threes, so something had to round out the Trial Trifecta, so why not that? After all, all things must come to an end, even the good ones.

Still, while we’ve had as many uncertain years as we’ve had good ones with the business, the good ones have been better than the bad ones have been worse. No, it sure didn’t feel good during the bad times, and yes, I was still looking over my shoulder during the good times because they seemed too good to be true, but because of those times, we’re in the best financial situation we’ve ever been.

Barring some kind of global meltdown (which more and more people are predicting, by the way) we’re in as good a position as ever to weather personal financial difficulty.

I suppose I could go on. I could add the nagging pain in my hip and leg that only bothers me when I’m sitting down (which is what I spend most of my waking hours doing—imagine that); or that feeling we should move to Texas, without knowing how that’s going to happen or what I’ll do when I get there, just that I need to do it because time is running out; or any of a myriad of other things going on with extended family and friends, but I’ll spare you the rest.

I’m sure you’ve got your own problems to worry about.

All I really wanted to do when I started this was to say, I am truly blessed. Regardless of the inconveniences and the nuisances and the undesirable things in my life, I am very fortunate. I have a wife and two sons who love me and I love them. We have a comfortable home and our assets exceed our debts. While the creaks and groans of getting older exist, we are generally in good health.

I can complain, and I do, but I am only being ungrateful. I believe in a life beyond this one, and I believe there is a purpose to all things. Faith in God, in a brighter day, tempers my impatience and generally brings me, even if it has to be kicking and screaming, back to a point of knowing what I can control and accepting what I cannot.

In the end, what else is there but to do all we can do, and let God fill the gap? Curse our lives and wait for death?

I hope never to feel that way, and if I do, I hope to be counting blessings after.

Among the most admired

All of my life, I’ve been around strong women. They might not think so, and maybe there’s some who would agree with them, but I’m not one of them. I know I can’t peer inside and see what’s going on in their minds or hearts (we’ll call that a good thing), but whether it’s only bluster, or true grit, the women in my life are among the bravest, most independent, most dedicated and most valiant people I know.

Many of them are wives and mothers, in addition to being someone’s sister or daughter. I think that combination of mother and wife produces some of the toughest women of all.

And when I say tough, I’m not talking about female bodybuilders, soldiers, police officers or athletes. Physical strength can be part of it, but the toughness to which I speak comes from within.

None of these tough women I know are big talkers. Maybe because they know talking doesn’t get the job done. Doing does. The women I know not only pull their weight, but they often push others to pull theirs. They even find the strength to pick up the slack when others can’t or won’t.

That’s not to say they don’t get weary, cry, get upset or frustrated. Quite the contrary. Emotions can run the gambit, and will often be on full display. However, most of the women I know don’t let a bad day, an impossible situation, an unruly child, or anything else, slow them down. They keep ploughing through.

At the same time, these women are compassionate, loving, understanding and charitable. They can give you a tongue lashing one moment, and in the next, hand out smiles and hugs. For a guy whose emotional range is much more limited, it’s mind boggling to me. All I know is, things get done.

I don’t think I’m intimidated by strong women. I grew up around them, so I just kind of expect it.

That’s why I’m befuddled, and  dismayed, by the way women are often betrayed in movies, on television, and in literature.

I know it would be a statistical improbability for all women to be as strong as the ones I’ve known. There’s bound to be some weaker ones, just as there are bound to be weaker men. Still, are they so much in the majority that they deserve to dominate the airwaves, the internet and the printed page?

I hope not, but maybe I’ve just been fortunate. Undeniably, there is plenty out there to make a woman question her worth, or lose self-esteem. From women’s magazines to entertainment programs, with their models, starlets, singers and celebrities, women are as likely to be portrayed as objects of desire, or just plain objects, than they are real people.

Yes, women can be fixated with fashion and material things. I get that. However, most of the women I know aren’t ruled by those things. Ultimately, they want what’s best for their families, and they hold the most important things above all else, including their own wishes or desires.

They’ve put education, careers, fame, fortune and their own self-interest aside. They’ve done so, because some times there are causes which are greater than self. Raising children, to them, is the highest calling of all. How they got to that conclusion in this day and age is a miracle, especially when it’s possible to have even their own gender railing against them, or ridiculing them.

Mothers are not weak. Those who put the interests of others before themselves are not fools. They are the best among us. For all that they give and endure, their praises should be sung daily, and they should be among the most admired.

Most don’t rely on their own strength anyway. They look heavenward when their own will and wisdom are found wonting. It is that quality, that faith, that surrender, which makes them among the strongest on earth.

I am grateful for the women in my life, and I thank all of them for who they are and for all they hope to be.

Run! Run for the… Oh. Hi, there! (RUN!)

Hot on the heels of the Lucky 7 Meme Award I was nominated for by novelist Kirkus MacGowan comes this: One Lovely Blog Award.

The culprit this time around? None other than R. M. Wilburn, author of the Buggy Crenshaw series, as well as her latest book, Magpie & Dilly.

She has one of the coolest looking websites ever, one that I highly recommend you at least go see. R. M. Wilburn can be found here. I’d like to thank R. M. for including me in her list of award recipients. It’s nice to be noticed, you know?

As the winner of this prestigious blogging award, I have responsibilities—kind of like a Miss America or whatever the guy-equivalent is for it. At any rate, aside from acknowledging from whom my award came, I’m also to bestow this high honor upon fifteen others.

Wow.

I don’t know if I know fifteen bloggers.

We’ll see.

First, though, I think I’ll try my hand at the last thing I’m supposed to do, which is tell you seven things about myself. As coincidence would have it, there are only seven things to know about me, so we’re good. Except, for someone who is purposefully trying to be secretive and mysterious, this becomes a somewhat delicate, if not outright difficult process.

But, here goes:

1. Compared to the population of the world, relatively few know what my initials (G. A.) stand for. Someday, I intend to hold a planetary press conference and reveal their astounding but rather mundane meanings.

2. I like Apple products. I don’t quite have one of each, at least not anything more than five years old. Since 2007, when the iPhone came out, all bets are off.

3. I cry at movies. That’s why I mostly watch summer blockbusters and avoid the whole chick flick scene. I can get drama anytime I want it. In fact, I can get it even when I don’t want it.

4. I speak Spanish. Some would describe it as fluent. Personally, I think it’s good in some circumstances and not so good in others. I do speak a lot of it, though, on a near-daily basis. Out loud. Often to myself, sadly.

5. My last name is Danish. The family tradition is that my great-great-grandfather changed it from Albrechtsen to Albrethsen when he and his brothers and their families came to America from Denmark. Being Copenhagen’s premiere practical jokers, they decided they wanted a name that no one knew how to spell, OR pronounce correctly, including their descendants. Thanks, G-G-G-Pa.

6. I was born. That’s it. Born. Little-known fact. Strange, but true.

7. Contrary to popular belief, I am not a bad guy. I like fluffiness as much as the next person. I just don’t wear my fluffiness on my sleeve, but guard it under lock and key, deep inside. On special occasions, I let it out, but not very often, since I hate the word special. As well as cute. Honey, dear, and nice are also on my vocabulary hit list.

That’s quite enough about me. Let’s see if I can make this about you. I give the One Lovely Blog Award to:

Drum roll:

Ashley Barron I’d say the best blog I read regularly on writing.

Shelli Johnson Best. Crockpot. Recipes. Ever. Also, other great stuff regarding, life, family, writing, etc.

Kirkus MacGowan Great book blog, family man, and all-around good guy. Yeah, this is payback for the Lucky 7 Meme Award! Plus, I don’t think he’s received this award yet. And, he has a new book coming out. He’ll love this!

Rebecca Scarberry Interesting interviews with authors, sensational indie author promoter. Has a novella, Messages From Henry, out.

Krystal Wade  Just a girl with a voice who’d like to be heard. How can I resist that? Plus, she has a cool Letter to My YA self thing going on right now.

Ross M Kitson Hello kidney! Hello?

Jordanna East I retweeted a tweet of hers once. She has the summer blog blues, and this is one award I don’t think she has yet (heh heh heh).

Melanie Carrico She works hard on her blog, and thus, deserves a blog award. Oh, and she writes book reviews. You might want to check her out. Like, right now.

One…two…three…eight. Hmmm. Well, between the other award and this one that makes 15, right? I guess I’ll risk the wrath of The One Lovely Blog Award police and call it more than good.

As always, none of those listed above are under any obligation by me. I cannot speak for the aforementioned OLBAP, however.

Of newspapers and novels

I publish two very small weekly newspapers. That’s my day job.

I got into the newspaper business 14.5 years ago because I love to write and because I wanted to be my own boss. Owning newspapers gave me the opportunity to do both.

I don’t do a lot of writing for the papers anymore. Once in a while, I crank out an editorial, and even more rarely, I’ll write an article. Fortunately, there are reporters who do the latter.

I thought it would be fun to share an article with you that I wrote, which ran in April, 2004, just to give you a taste of my journalistic writing style. I’ve changed names to protect the innocent and to maintain anonymity as much as possible.

THE ARTICLE

I-5 to be routed through Pierce

In a press release dated today (April 1), ODOT (Oregon Department of Transportation) announced its intention to reroute Interstate 5 through Pierce proper. The change would follow the old Pacific Highway from the area of Exit 812 until it reconnects with the current freeway north of town.

An ODOT official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the reasoning behind the proposed change was twofold: safety and economics.

“Let’s face it. There are a lot of accidents in that area,” said the official, “and something needs to be done. According to our records, the number of accidents before 1942 (when I-5 was completed) was significantly lower than it is now. Those kinds of statistics are hard to ignore.”

Since the old highway still exists, the cost of engineering and updating the nearly eight-mile stretch would be minimal.

The official also said those same records indicate that when the I-5 corridor was originally discussed, there was a strong movement to do what ODOT is planning now.

“They finally opted for a more or less direct shot from Medford to Portland,” the official said. “The thought was that direct would be safer. Also, there were some who were concerned Pierce might become more than a bedroom community.”

“I think time has proven the fallacy of both of those premises,” the official added.

A public hearing, required by state law, is currently scheduled for Feb. 29, 2005. Barring any unforeseen opposition, the rerouting of I-5 through Pierce could take place as early as January, 2007.

“We’ll have to add enough material to expand the existing infrastructure to accommodate four lanes and a median,” said the official. “Also, we’ll have to deal with the (Heritage) bridge. We might have to blow it up.”

Pierce Mayor, Robert Thompson, in a phone interview held yesterday, said it was the first he or the Council had heard of any plans to officially reroute I-5.

“Something like this definitely needs to be discussed,” he said.

“Whenever there’s an accident, where does the freeway traffic naturally go?” asked the ODOT official. “Through Pierce. We cut down on the crashes and we go with people’s natural tendencies. It’s the ultimate win-win solution.”

THE SETUP

Okay, the article is fairly cut and dry, with the emphasis on dry. Not a whole lot of excitement going on, but you can see my reporting style and that it sticks to the facts.

I should probably add that it’s not that exciting of an article, unless you live in “Pierce.” A change of this magnitude to any small rural town, regardless of location, would cause quite a stir.

And, it did.

THE CONFESSION

Except, it wasn’t true. Not a lick of it.

As far as I know, there were never any plans to reroute the Interstate through town. I never spoke with the anonymous ODOT official, and everything else was made up, too.

Yet, this story, along with a few other fabricated articles, ran on the front page of my newspaper.

Why would I do such a thing? How am I still in business? Well, it was our first ever April Fools’ issue. In the years I’ve owned the papers, we’ve done only two, the latest occurring in 2010. I’m not a great fan of April Fools’ Day, but we’ve gotten great responses each time, so it’s hard to resist.

Why the gap between April Fools’ editions? The papers are weeklies, and we publish on Thursdays. Since I’m not THAT into it, I wait until April 1 lands on a Thursday. As it so happens, because 2016 is a leap year, April 1 won’t be on a Thursday again until 2021.

Plenty of time for people to forget. Heh heh.

THE REAL DEAL

Hopefully, you’re chuckling a little, but you’re also probably wondering what the real reason behind all of this is, since the article is fake. It’s certainly not April Fools’ Day now. And, just like our newspaper readers, I don’t intend to offend you.

Well, as I said earlier, I did want to give you an idea of my writing abilities, though not necessarily the journalistic style that I referred to above. Rather, I wanted you to have a sample of what it would be like if you were reading my debut novel, The Foolish and the Weak, the first book in the Age of Restoration series.

No, I’m not saying it’s dry or boring. Those of you who have read my novel, hopefully, will know what I’m talking about.

Suffice it to say, things aren’t always as they seem, no matter how cut and dry they appear to be.

One last point. While novels dabble to a varying degree in the facts, the reader needs to be sucked into the world an author creates and remain immersed. In the case of fiction based in our day, that means supplying some reality. We don’t want the reader questioning the validity or plausibility of what we write, unless that’s the underlying reason. To question reality.

The mystery beyond the suspense

Close your eyes, and you’ll miss the best part…

In a couple posts a few months back, I detailed the behind-the-scenes of, “Who is … Paz Kirkegaard?” the book trailer for The Foolish and the Weak, the first book in the Age of Restoration series. I thought it would be fun to break the trailer down somewhat, now that the blog has video capabilities.

The novel, at its heart, is a mystery, and so the trailer needed to reflect that. However, reaction from those who have commented on the trailer is overwhelmingly how scary or suspenseful it is. That’s good, since there are moments of suspense in the novel. However, it’s been bothering me that the suspenseful parts are overshadowing the mystery.

So, I’m going to walk us through the video, without giving too much away, just to give everyone a better idea of what’s supposed to be happening.

I should note, particularly for those of you who have not read the earlier posts, that the trailer is not an actual scene from the novel, even though it may seem like it. Rather, it is a visual combination of elements found throughout the book. If you’d rather watch the video now and then come back for the breakdown you’re welcome to do so, or you can read, watch, pause, and repeat.

00:06

There’s a transition from an exterior shot to inside the dark room of a home. Immediately, there are some oddities to it. Instead of electric lighting, there are a couple of lamps. The furniture, what there is of it, is covered. The place doesn’t look like it’s currently being lived in, and yet, there is our protagonist, nineteen-year-old Paz Kirkegaard. Why?

The reality of it is, this was the cheapest location possible for the shoot. However, there is a significant turning point in the novel where Paz, her mother, Paloma, her brother, Thomas, and a “friend” find themselves alone in an abandoned home in Florida. They’re trying to outsmart men who want to kidnap Paz by seeking help from the people who once lived there, but the owners are long gone.

Therefore, the idea of Paz’s locale in the trailer is that she’s taking up refuge in a safe place where no one can find her.

00:24

After entering the room, Paz sits down at a table with a laptop on it and picks up a book. There is a larger book in the foreground. In an earlier version of the script, Paz was studying the smaller book to understand the writings in the larger one, which represents a journal her great-grandfather kept. The journal is spoken about briefly in the novel but takes on a larger role in the sequel, The Wise and the Mighty.

Instead, one could assume Paz is either doing some kind of reading, or possibly homework. I prefer the latter, since she is a sophomore at a community college.

00:34

A chat window has popped up on the laptop, and at this point, we’re able to see a close-up of it. The message comes from a paloma3155. The words, themselves, immediately establish a few things. First of all, the term mija is used, which is a contraction of mi hija, or, my daughter, in Spanish. I have no idea if it’s used much outside of the Mexican culture, but if not, that’s fine. Paloma is actually of Mexican descent, which I believe the Aztec-looking calendar avatar next to her message is meant to portray.

While mija is a term of endearment that can be used fairly loosely (my wife tends to use it with younger women she knows well—her sisters, nieces, etc.), it basically indicates that Paloma is Paz’s mother.

00:56

After Paz’s response, Paloma admonishes her not to stay up too late, because she doesn’t want her to run out of energy. At first, this seems to be a rather normal request, albeit phrased differently.

01:09

At this point, though, Paz mentions she’s still “struggling with these changes in me.” This refers back to Paloma’s use of “energy.” What those changes are is never really specified, though, again, later, there are some hints.

01:20

Paloma encourages Paz to “embrace the changes…” and that she’s already “come so far.” Again, what those changes could possibly be are not elaborated upon, but it should be concluded that Paz is undergoing some kind of transformation. Since she looks like a normal, young woman, it’s hard to know what those changes might be. Perhaps they manifest temporarily, or maybe they’re happening internally?

As I alluded to earlier, the scene in the novel of the abandoned home marks a significant turning point, and the first major manifestation of this “change” Paz is undergoing. There are actually ongoing manifestations, but many of them are subtler.

01:44

A video window pops up. Normally, this wouldn’t be too out of the ordinary, given the technology that’s available these days, but in this particular case, it’s a little freaky. Instead of seeing another person at a different venue, we see Paz’s back!  That’s not supposed to happen!

Technology has a fairly significant role throughout the novel. There is the consumer technology the Kirkegaard family uses, particularly Thomas. There’s the cool security tech that Colin Haynes uses (Colin is Paz’s father’s chief of security), and there is technology that Paz’s would-be kidnappers have access to that seems cutting-edge, if not superior. If that weren’t enough, there’s something else way beyond all of that—so good, you only know it’s there because there’s really no other explanation for it besides “otherworldly.”

02:31

Paz is in shock and disbelief about what’s happening. There is a camera somewhere, but it’s not at all obvious where it is, and instead of being hidden away, she’s suddenly very vulnerable. She tells her mother something is wrong, but the answer that comes back could hardly be from Paloma.

02:38

The next message that pops up refers to darkness always triumphing over light. This is perhaps the first point where we know for sure that greater forces are at work, though we still don’t know what they are.

Throughout the novel there is a significant battle between light and darkness unfolding. Some of it is symbolic, but some of it is actually more than that.

02:53

There is a cool strobe effect that begins here and then continues until it is apparently swallowed up by darkness. Paz alternates between being jumpy, screaming soundlessly, and possessing a strange serenity. This is actually a visual representation of the changes referred to earlier, and the struggles Paz is having with them.

Okay, that’s enough. I hope I’ve given you plenty to chew on.

Enjoy!

What? TWO book covers?

I have two book covers for The Wise and the Mighty.

How did this happen?

It’s a long story. Suffice it to say, this is what happens when artist number one disappears, artist number two is brought in and starts from scratch, and then number one reappears and finishes their artwork.

If you stopped by a few weeks ago, you saw what I thought would be the book cover for The Wise and the Mighty, the second book in the Age of Restoration series.

I thought I’d go ahead and reveal the second rendition and ask for comments about which version you all like the best.

Option one is above. Option two is below.

Similar to the cover for the first book, The Foolish and the Weak, these new covers portray a scene that is written about in the first part of The Wise and the Mighty, but it doesn’t really play out until near the end of the book. Those who have read The Foolish and the Weak will have an idea of what’s going on from the excerpt for The Wise and the Mighty that was included at the end.

The scene takes place in a forested area a few miles southwest of Mineral, Virginia. I’m not going to go into great detail about what’s happening there, or why, but a few things should be obvious. The three women in white dresses with dancing white flame represent the story’s three female protagonists, Paz Kirkegaard, her mother, Paloma, and the ever mysterious Paciencia. They are outnumbered by the men in dark suits. A battle has already been fought, and this is more or less the lull between round one and round two.

So, please feel free to leave comments about which book cover you like best.

I’m going to refrain from including artist information for now, because it’s quite possible some of you might know one or both, and I don’t want to prejudice opinions one way or the other.