This group has been designated for adults age 18 or older. Please sign in and confirm your date of birth in your profile so we can verify your eligibility. You may opt to make your date of birth private.
The Grittier Side of Michael Neill
Eye of Charybdis, book four, is progressing nicely. Not as quickly as I'd like (I've mentioned in past blogs that I am a monumentally slow writer), but this is one story that I am very interested in getting right.
In the first three books, Michael Neill has overcome many of his difficulties through prayer and the support of his colleagues. Eye of Charybdis takes a somewhat different turn; in this story, the past has begun to wear on the Captain. He's suffered personal losses; the deaths of two close friends, and he's reminded of the tragic demise of his parents (more of the details surrounding Neill's dad's death are still being unfolded). His life has been threatened on several occasions (shot by Chinese troops, nearly drowned, and on the wrong end of a rocket torpedo--all in the space of just a few hours), and in Trinity Icon, the enemies of America have targeted those closest to him.
The circle tightens further in book four, and Charybdis will reflect the real-life challenges of those serving around the world. In Trinity Icon, an assassin's bullet shatters some of Neill's confidence. He feels regret, and is forced to live with the realization that death is ever-present. His own harried experiences have left scars, obscuring his focus. The specter of post-traumatic stress rears its ugly head, not just for Neill, but for those who have shared the Captain's adventures. How they deal with these pressures is a commentary for everyday life.
But the book isn't just about challenges. There's more romance. More action. More behind the scenes political machinations. Things ramp up considerably in the new first chapter. There will be a deeper emphasis on Neill's spiritual side, and the choices he makes to safeguard the legacy left to him by his earthly father.
Just as more pressure comes to bear on the characters, opportunities for the future present themselves too. Sooner or later, this series will turn a corner, and commitments and alliances will be forced on Neill and his friends. More on that later.
I guess what I'm trying to convey is that we all face peaks and valleys, and it's no less so for those I write about. I have taken these characters into my soul, and I try to breathe life into them every chance I get. Their dynamics change. Our existence is always fluid, and not always to our liking. I've been thinking about this for some time. The world of Michael Neill is about to become grittier and more complicated, and should cause readers of the series to find common ground with protagonist and antagonist alike.
In the first three books, Michael Neill has overcome many of his difficulties through prayer and the support of his colleagues. Eye of Charybdis takes a somewhat different turn; in this story, the past has begun to wear on the Captain. He's suffered personal losses; the deaths of two close friends, and he's reminded of the tragic demise of his parents (more of the details surrounding Neill's dad's death are still being unfolded). His life has been threatened on several occasions (shot by Chinese troops, nearly drowned, and on the wrong end of a rocket torpedo--all in the space of just a few hours), and in Trinity Icon, the enemies of America have targeted those closest to him.
The circle tightens further in book four, and Charybdis will reflect the real-life challenges of those serving around the world. In Trinity Icon, an assassin's bullet shatters some of Neill's confidence. He feels regret, and is forced to live with the realization that death is ever-present. His own harried experiences have left scars, obscuring his focus. The specter of post-traumatic stress rears its ugly head, not just for Neill, but for those who have shared the Captain's adventures. How they deal with these pressures is a commentary for everyday life.
But the book isn't just about challenges. There's more romance. More action. More behind the scenes political machinations. Things ramp up considerably in the new first chapter. There will be a deeper emphasis on Neill's spiritual side, and the choices he makes to safeguard the legacy left to him by his earthly father.
Just as more pressure comes to bear on the characters, opportunities for the future present themselves too. Sooner or later, this series will turn a corner, and commitments and alliances will be forced on Neill and his friends. More on that later.
I guess what I'm trying to convey is that we all face peaks and valleys, and it's no less so for those I write about. I have taken these characters into my soul, and I try to breathe life into them every chance I get. Their dynamics change. Our existence is always fluid, and not always to our liking. I've been thinking about this for some time. The world of Michael Neill is about to become grittier and more complicated, and should cause readers of the series to find common ground with protagonist and antagonist alike.
No comments have been added yet.
