Questions and Answers about The Crest of The BEAST Book Series:
...Since I first began writing “The Crest of The BEAST Book Series”, the questions I hear most commonly are: “What is your book series about? Is the main character a personal representation of you? What genre does the series fit into? Is it Christian?” and “What age group is your targeted audience?”… So, in an effort to finally lay out a concise and clear answer to all of the above, I decided to finally sit down and write a bit more.
“Is Adlai you?” No, and yes. Adlai, to me, encapsulates the fragile, temperamental, and (often) rash emotions of my younger years; she’s passionate, but she’s also very impetuous, and this (along with her short-sightedness) frequently gets her into trouble. Her follies and foibles are mine (yes, that is my embarrassing admission of guilt); as such, there are moments when she can be somewhat ridiculous—and sometimes even I get frustrated with her. Her perspectives on the future tend to bounce back and forth between the emotions she presently experiences attached with her circumstances—the dire bleakness of her situation, as opposed to her wistful dreaming about how life should be (which stem more from fanciful ideals than practical reality). There’s a part of me that sometimes wants to shake some common sense into her, and there’s another part of me which keenly admires her bold determination to defy her fears and keep hoping for a better, brighter future, despite all the heartbreak she has hitherto faced.
When I first started to construct Adlai in my mind, she was practically perfect—and everything (physically, at least) that I wanted to be. And then I realized suddenly that nothing in me related to the image of perfection I had created. The truth was that I knew more of mistakes and mishaps, awkwardness and failure. I didn’t know what it felt like to be a flawless beauty—I did know what it was to be a mess—to have hair frustrations, an imperfect complexion, average body, and to look in the mirror and wonder if the woman staring back at me had anything at all extraordinary to offer. With this in mind, I decided that I couldn’t write about someone who “had it all together”—I needed a young woman who related to the insecure youthful girl still living inside me—and every other woman—whether sixteen or sixty. Because to me, that’s who and what Adlai embodies—the heart-aches and the aspirations of women the world over, who struggle every waking day to rise above mediocrity and make a difference, and who hunger to attain some degree of true greatness.
“What is the series about/what genre does it fit into?” The works of Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and George MacDonald have directly impacted my writing, as have the myriad of Greek, Roman, and Norse myths I read as a youngster, together with my favorite faery-tales from childhood. If I was forced to narrow it down, however, I would have to say that The Crest of The BEAST is really the story of Eve (and of all future generations after her) being seduced by the cunning deceiver of Old, and of the Pandora’s Box of heartache and turmoil that has been our world ever since. It is a story of Sin and Redemption; of epitomized Loveliness that chose to love the Unlovely and Unlovable. It’s a tribute to the greatest Love-story ever told—of how the great Lover of the human Soul pursued his wayward Bride to the ends of the earth, in a relentless search that has spanned across a thousand universes and endless eternities. It’s the tale of a God who chose to shed immortality in order to be with and save his beloved, and who is left scarred and disfigured through his choice. In order to save one under the Curse, he must become Cursed—a branded Beast—so that he can come wake his Sleeping Beauty from her darkened slumbers, and save her from a fate worse than death.
“Is it Christian, and if so, does it adhere to Christian standards?” The essence and principles of the Book Series are Christian in nature. It’s an allegory using the medium of fantasy fiction to convey deeper truths to the readers. And while I certainly do hope that Christians will enjoy my books and be strengthened in their individual walks with Christ, my primary purpose in writing is to reach the non-Christian reading audiences around the world (okay, and the disenchanted bench-warmer Church attendee). In particular, it is my heart’s desire to reach teen girls and young women through the pages, and to “talk” with them (through the conversations between my characters) about relationships, choices, life, and “the bigger picture.” My prayer is that those who might otherwise never pick up a Bible, would (through the course of reading my book series) be caused to contemplate Biblical concepts and principles, sin and salvation, and all in preparation for that final meeting with Christ Himself. That much said, however, it is not my intent to do a re-write of theology, and I do take creative license where and when it helps the flow of the story-line (to the best of my knowledge, none of these in any way deviate from godly Christian standards). Again, it is simply an allegory—symbolism cloaked in story-telling to convey deeper truths.
“What age group is the Book Series appropriate for?” I have specified 12 and up as the appropriate reading audience, and for a couple reasons. First, because certain themes and story elements are only suitable to a more mature reading audience, rather than young children. And second, because of the literary content—I have done my best to write a series with compelling, gripping content that is also delivered in such a rich, captivating way so as to encourage/promote literacy and education among young people, by increasing their word knowledge and familiarity with the broader spectrum of the English language. Individuals with a proper command of the English language tend to have greater confidence in presenting themselves, their ideas, experience, and goals to others, which in turn impacts their success in education and career ventures. It is my sincere hope that by the time my readers have finished each book, that not only will the horizons of their minds be widened by new ideas, but that each will walk away edified morally and spiritually, as well as being enriched intellectually and scholastically.
I greatly appreciate all the interest and questions I have received from you all! Please feel free to send me further inquiries at any time, and I will do my best to answer them. And as always, thank you for reading—I am truly honored and privileged that you would take a step into my personal world of wonder and creativity. I hope you fall in-love while reading, just as I did in dreaming up and writing The Crest of The BEAST Series.
Love to All,
“Charlie”
C.A. CLARK
Author of The Crest of The BEAST Series © 2014
“Is Adlai you?” No, and yes. Adlai, to me, encapsulates the fragile, temperamental, and (often) rash emotions of my younger years; she’s passionate, but she’s also very impetuous, and this (along with her short-sightedness) frequently gets her into trouble. Her follies and foibles are mine (yes, that is my embarrassing admission of guilt); as such, there are moments when she can be somewhat ridiculous—and sometimes even I get frustrated with her. Her perspectives on the future tend to bounce back and forth between the emotions she presently experiences attached with her circumstances—the dire bleakness of her situation, as opposed to her wistful dreaming about how life should be (which stem more from fanciful ideals than practical reality). There’s a part of me that sometimes wants to shake some common sense into her, and there’s another part of me which keenly admires her bold determination to defy her fears and keep hoping for a better, brighter future, despite all the heartbreak she has hitherto faced.
When I first started to construct Adlai in my mind, she was practically perfect—and everything (physically, at least) that I wanted to be. And then I realized suddenly that nothing in me related to the image of perfection I had created. The truth was that I knew more of mistakes and mishaps, awkwardness and failure. I didn’t know what it felt like to be a flawless beauty—I did know what it was to be a mess—to have hair frustrations, an imperfect complexion, average body, and to look in the mirror and wonder if the woman staring back at me had anything at all extraordinary to offer. With this in mind, I decided that I couldn’t write about someone who “had it all together”—I needed a young woman who related to the insecure youthful girl still living inside me—and every other woman—whether sixteen or sixty. Because to me, that’s who and what Adlai embodies—the heart-aches and the aspirations of women the world over, who struggle every waking day to rise above mediocrity and make a difference, and who hunger to attain some degree of true greatness.
“What is the series about/what genre does it fit into?” The works of Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and George MacDonald have directly impacted my writing, as have the myriad of Greek, Roman, and Norse myths I read as a youngster, together with my favorite faery-tales from childhood. If I was forced to narrow it down, however, I would have to say that The Crest of The BEAST is really the story of Eve (and of all future generations after her) being seduced by the cunning deceiver of Old, and of the Pandora’s Box of heartache and turmoil that has been our world ever since. It is a story of Sin and Redemption; of epitomized Loveliness that chose to love the Unlovely and Unlovable. It’s a tribute to the greatest Love-story ever told—of how the great Lover of the human Soul pursued his wayward Bride to the ends of the earth, in a relentless search that has spanned across a thousand universes and endless eternities. It’s the tale of a God who chose to shed immortality in order to be with and save his beloved, and who is left scarred and disfigured through his choice. In order to save one under the Curse, he must become Cursed—a branded Beast—so that he can come wake his Sleeping Beauty from her darkened slumbers, and save her from a fate worse than death.
“Is it Christian, and if so, does it adhere to Christian standards?” The essence and principles of the Book Series are Christian in nature. It’s an allegory using the medium of fantasy fiction to convey deeper truths to the readers. And while I certainly do hope that Christians will enjoy my books and be strengthened in their individual walks with Christ, my primary purpose in writing is to reach the non-Christian reading audiences around the world (okay, and the disenchanted bench-warmer Church attendee). In particular, it is my heart’s desire to reach teen girls and young women through the pages, and to “talk” with them (through the conversations between my characters) about relationships, choices, life, and “the bigger picture.” My prayer is that those who might otherwise never pick up a Bible, would (through the course of reading my book series) be caused to contemplate Biblical concepts and principles, sin and salvation, and all in preparation for that final meeting with Christ Himself. That much said, however, it is not my intent to do a re-write of theology, and I do take creative license where and when it helps the flow of the story-line (to the best of my knowledge, none of these in any way deviate from godly Christian standards). Again, it is simply an allegory—symbolism cloaked in story-telling to convey deeper truths.
“What age group is the Book Series appropriate for?” I have specified 12 and up as the appropriate reading audience, and for a couple reasons. First, because certain themes and story elements are only suitable to a more mature reading audience, rather than young children. And second, because of the literary content—I have done my best to write a series with compelling, gripping content that is also delivered in such a rich, captivating way so as to encourage/promote literacy and education among young people, by increasing their word knowledge and familiarity with the broader spectrum of the English language. Individuals with a proper command of the English language tend to have greater confidence in presenting themselves, their ideas, experience, and goals to others, which in turn impacts their success in education and career ventures. It is my sincere hope that by the time my readers have finished each book, that not only will the horizons of their minds be widened by new ideas, but that each will walk away edified morally and spiritually, as well as being enriched intellectually and scholastically.
I greatly appreciate all the interest and questions I have received from you all! Please feel free to send me further inquiries at any time, and I will do my best to answer them. And as always, thank you for reading—I am truly honored and privileged that you would take a step into my personal world of wonder and creativity. I hope you fall in-love while reading, just as I did in dreaming up and writing The Crest of The BEAST Series.
Love to All,
“Charlie”
C.A. CLARK
Author of The Crest of The BEAST Series © 2014
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