Transitions--The Changing World of Michael Neill

It's been a month since I began writing the fourth book in the Michael Neill series. Quite frankly, I should be farther along than I am, but my speed at writing is tempered by my painstaking focus on quality, and I must admit that I've re-written the opening paragraph to the prologue at least a dozen times.

At that pace, it seems that this latest adventure for the good captain will take quite some time to complete. Not necessarily. I seem to find my stride with each book after finding satisfaction with the novel's preamble, and I'm happy to report that the first ten pages have now met with my approval.

That brings me to the gist of this post. As an author, there comes a point where I find myself fully immersed in the fictional world that surrounds me. I hesitate to say that I've created this world; that seems a bit pretentious. I prefer to think that a properly fueled creative spark ignites the gifts God has given me, and it's His prompting that pushes me to tell the stories that well up inside.

I have rejoined old friends; Michael Neill, Christina Arrens, and Master Gunnery Sergeant Daniel Neill. And what would Michael's world be without Willis Avery, who has now accepted the mantle of Secretary of Defense?

It's a comfortable place for me, but it's never stagnant. Changes come and go, friendships are formed, and in some cases, friends are lost. Readers of 'Trinity Icon' are aware of a rather wrenching loss suffered by Neill and company. I won't spoil it for those who haven't read the book, but a death toward the end of the novel was very hard to write, and a character present in all three books will be missed.

But life goes on--even in fiction. There are new challenges in book four, and new characters. Cullough McKeckney joins the cast, along with Ukrainian scientist Radya Zhukov and Australian genius Taylor Brisbane. A few old friends turn up; readers met Xander Voskov and Yuri Tereshenko in the last book, and there will be a few more surprises in the fourth installment. New and old technologies are combined, posing formidable threats, and Neill's antagonists employ a weapons system protected from the West by something called--well, that would be a spoiler, so I'll leave that for the book's publication (we all know how crafty the Russians have been throughout the series, and it's not about to end).

I've felt compelled to include an even stronger testimony to the power of faith, and a more thoughtful and unashamed presentation of God's salvation through Christ. Neill will continue to struggle with his feelings for Christina, and ponder the reasons for his father's death. Again, my goal is to tell a compelling story that rests on solid characters--the same kinds of characters we all meet every single day.

And so I've written much of this to encourage other authors, or writers hoping to see their literary efforts published. It's also for those who might be working on their second or third book, or those thinking about a genre they've never considered. I think it's safe to say that once your God-given creativity is turned loose it's hard to say where you'll find yourself, but the blessings are wondrous.