Can you tell us a little about the main characters of
your book?
There are several prominent characters in the different
books of the Erabon Prophecy Trilogy but there are two that are the
overarching main characters throughout the entire series: Nuke and Ti’Sulh.
Nuke (born Yohanan Chaikin) has always felt different from
others because of his skin’s unusual ability to conduct electricity. This was
also how he got his nickname, Nuke. His skin conductance inhibited the
electronic equipment the physician used to do his medical examination physical
when he entered the Academy. His friends said he was “nuclear” and nicknamed
him Nuke. He later came to accept his nickname and began to prefer it over his
birth name. Yet this characteristic allowed him to accomplish amazing things on
these alien worlds. For example, hydrolyze water into hydrogen and oxygen so he
can breathe oxygen under water, create lightning in a dust storm, or control
another animal or human by placing his hands on their temples. These feats
allow him to fulfill designated prophecies these alien cultures believe about
one coming who would do such things and assist them in getting ready for the
return of Erabon.
Nuke is attracted to the Myeemian, Ti’sulh, another main
character, and who is somewhat of a religious leader of her people. Yet he
doesn’t know if he should pursue a relationship with her due to them being so
different from each other in physiology, background, and culture. This is tied
to the theme of unity through diversity. While it can be achieved, the
ramification of doing so needs to be considered.
The genesis for the storyline happened over dinner with some
friends one evening at a local restaurant. The conversation went far and wide
and even verged on the ridiculous. We started talking about aliens, and our
conversation at first posed the general types of questions most think about:
What would aliens think of us humans? How different would they look from us?
How advanced would their technology be from ours? Those thoughts then led to
deeper questions. What would be their core beliefs? Would they serve a
different type of God than we do? As we talked, we came to the realization that
if truth is truth, then our God would also be their God. The way they look, the
customs they follow, and the way they worship may be different, but the essence
of who God really is should still be the same if God is really God of the
universe. That dinner conversation was the genesis of the trilogy that
developed: Erabon Prophecy Trilogy.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything,
what would that be?
Don’t take what others say with total conviction. Most
times, their advice is not an absolute requirement, but a guideline to consider.
Granted, many of their points are useful and can be taken to heart, but they
are not gospel. The main point is to be aware of their topics as potential pitfalls
and not overuse the writing elements they discuss, not necessarily avoid them
all together. It is their overuse that is the faux pax and not their use
itself.
So, study all the proper ways of writing and proper writing
techniques and try to avoid all the pitfalls writing experts warn you about.
Yet, remember that the most important thing about your writing is you. If you
get lost in your own writing, then your writing is lost. Your writing will be
different from that of anyone else, and it should be different—unique to you.
It should also be as good technically as you can make it and not lose the
essence of you in the process. Even more importantly, you need to be
purposeful. Your writing is to engage your reader, so be purposeful in your
writing. Ask yourself questions about your writing. Why did I use that word?
Why did I use that punctuation at that spot in the sentence? You don’t have to
follow traditional methodology, but there is a caveat to that statement. You
need to know that you did not follow traditional methodology and that you
purposefully chose not to follow traditional writing techniques. Every
sentence, every word, every punctuation should be purposeful—chosen by you as
the author for a specific purpose, to elicit a specific emotion, feeling, or
ambience.
Study. Learn. Write. Enjoy the process. But most of all, be
purposeful. Your readers will thank you for it.
What would you say is one of your interesting writing
quirks?
Many times, I will go out to a restaurant franchise (like
Saladworks or Dairy Queen) and get something to eat and then write, edit, or
proofread. For some reason being at different venues helps me more than sitting
at home and writing from the same place all the time. Most of the time I am at
home at the dining table or in my comfy chair, but I do find the change in venues
helpful to keep ideas flowing in my mind.
Do you hear from your readers? What do they say?
I have not yet received much feedback from my readers. Yet,
the limited feedback I have received has for the most part been positive. I
describe my writing as futuristic fiction with a science fiction feel and a Christian
perspective. I have had some readers even from other faiths read some of my
books and they commented that they enjoyed them. I have had others say they are
not science fiction fans but enjoyed my books because they were so thought
provoking. Therefore, while the major audience would be those who enjoy books
with a moral perspective, this does not limit these books to just that audience
entirely.
What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author?
I had one agent tell me that they loved the way I wrote but
did not want to represent me. I kept pressing her to find out why as I didn’t
know how to change anything if she couldn’t tell me why. She then became blunt
and stated she didn’t want me to become a project for her. This took me aback
at first, but then I realized she was saying that the way I wrote and put words
together was good, but just not refined. That’s when I went to studying the
craft of writing.
One reviewer who commented on my book, T-H-B, stated that
she thought my chapters were too choppy and should flow better between
chapters. That hurt until I read another reviewer who stated they felt the book
was like being in a movie and each chapter was like a scene. That was when I
began to realize that what some readers don’t like, others do. That helped me
to realize that I need to keep being me and not try to change my writing
technique due the negativity of one reviewer.
What has been your best accomplishment?
This may not be the kind of answer you are looking for, but
I thought it was an interesting fact at least. One of the conferences my
publisher supports is Christian Product Expo. This is mainly composed of Christian
bookstore owners. One of the owners confided in me that they have a hard time
stocking Christian fiction novels because their stores are extremely limited in
shelf space, and the major demand they have from their customers is for
self-help
type books. Because of this feedback, I decided to not go to this event
one year. I received feedback from my publisher that many of the store owners
were disappointed I had not attended because although they don’t have the
capacity in their store to stock and sell my books, they themselves loved my
books and were disappointed I did not attend so they could get my next book from
me at the conference. That was very encouraging to hear.
Do you Google yourself?
I had to smile when I read this because I do that more often
than I want to admit. I also have my name as a Google Alert so I can be
notified if anything comes up about myself. So far, the only thing that has
come up recently are my blog posts that get published once or twice a week.
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
I will say that another series, The Adversary Chronicles,
has just started. The first book of this series, Rebellion in the Stones of
Fire, was published in February of this year. This series tells of various
Bible stories but are told in a unique and original way that most likely have
not heard before. In addition, they are told from an angelic perspective. This
first book is about the fall of Lucifer and the worldwide flood. I want readers
to better understand and appreciate biblical scripture and perhaps gain a
perspective about God they may have not considered before. For example, in this
first book, it demonstrates the flood was more about God’s love than it was
about God’s vengeance.
The next book in this series, The Holy Grail of Babylon
will come out in June or July of this year. It is currently being prepped for
the printer. This is about the biblical story of the tower of Babel in the book
of Genesis but takes a very science fiction take to the story. I doubt anyone
has read a story like this one!
The third book of the series, The Defining Curse,
will come out in the Fall and is currently undergoing proofreading by my
editor. This is about a curse that was pronounced by the prophet Jeremiah to a
king of Judah who is later taken to Babylon and placed in prison. It is a story
of how God uses the prophet Daniel to change the course of history for this
prisoned king and the nation of Israel as well.
I have just completed a first draft of the fourth book of
the series, The Luciferian Plague, which should come out in early 2023.
It is about a nefarious group who is trying to depopulate the world using nanotechnology
to alter one’s genetic code.
I’m now contemplating what kind of series or storyline to follow
this one.
Fun question – if you were princess or prince,
what’s one thing you would do to make your kingdom a better place?
I think a similar theme to the Erabon Prophecy Trilogy:
unity through diversity. Each and every person has unique talents, gifts, and
experiences that can enrich others’ lives. If everyone accepts that and not get
their ego in the way, then so much more can be accomplished and so much more of
life can be enjoyable.
Do you have anything specific that you would like to say
to your readers?
I want my readers to be entertained by producing a good story
in which they can immerse themselves and get lost in. But just as importantly,
I want readers to perhaps learn something about God they may have not known or
considered. I think God and the Bible are amazing and others may think so as
well if they are given a better understanding and appreciation of them. I think
my books are good for those who do or do not take these aspects seriously. If
they consider that part fantasy, they can still get a good story with
entertainment value. Yet, if they want to go further and work through the
understanding with the characters as they go on their quest to understand
deeper matters, then they will not only be entertained but learn something new,
unique, and different along the way. I hope readers find that an exciting aspect
to my books.
