As I sit down at mycomputer, I am struck by the eerie presence of someone behind me. Leavingbehind the blinking cursor, I realize that the cast of my latest novel, The Path of the Fallen, are standingbehind me. E’Malkai, sullen and burdened by the weight of the pilgrimage he hasundertaken, stands behind the immovable figure of his Umordoc guardian,Elcites. Arms crossed over his chest, his gaze unsettles me despite how muchtime I have spent in his company whilst writing The Path of the Fallen. Arile, proud hunter of the north, leansagainst his spear and inspects the wall with a carefree look upon his face.Fe’rein, shrouded in the darkness that complements him so well, seethes with adark mix of irritation and confidence.
E’Malkai: I heardthat you wanted to speak to us.
Me: (clearing mythroat) In a manner of speaking, yes.
Fe’rein: (glowering)What do you want? We have business left unfinished.
Me: I am releasing The Path of the Fallen, after nearly adecade hiatus, and wanted to let potential readers know a little more about it.Instead of giving them a dry summary or an adjective-laden exposition, Ithought getting to know the characters might be a fun exercise.
Arile: (not makingeye contact and looking away with a bored look on his face) What preciselywould these potential readers want toknow about us? We are an open book (snickers).
Me: Let’s start withsomething simple: Describe yourself to the readers.
Fe’rein: Darkness.Death. There is little else to know.
E’Malkai: (shiftinguncomfortably behind his guardian) I do not know what to say about myself. Ithought I knew what I supposed to do with my life, but there was alwayssomething missing. When I learned about the history of the Fallen and thejourney my father began, I realized that I had to find out more, learn aboutwhere I came from.
Elcites: (grunting) Iam no more than what is expected of me. I guard E’Malkai. That is all thatmatters.
Arile: I am the lastof my people. We once could hear all the voices of the earth. The world hasbeen broken. I can no longer hear what I once could. My people have beenscattered into the winds, but I can still hear their distant voices. They speakof a new age, and of a final war.
Me: That all soundsquite dire. You make it seem like there is only darkness and sadness. Arethere no happy moments in your life, memories that give you pause and hope whenyou consider them?
Elcites: The day Iwas given my charge, when I first met young E’Malkai, was the greatest andsaddest day of my life.
E’Malkai: (looking upat the stoic look on his guardian’s face) I recall playing with my uncle onceupon a time. (Pausing) The world changed, and so too did those memories. Icannot seem to look back upon the strained moments of my life and seehappiness.
(Fe’rein scoffs andcrosses his arms over his chest. He clearly is not going to answer thequestion.)
Arile: Each day isfull of happiness and sadness, joy and terror. I find grace and importance inthe simplest of tasks. This day is a gift. We must not look upon it withsorrow.
(I start to speak,but Fe’rein interrupts me, his power crawling over his skin like a swarm offrightening insects.)
Fe’rein: What makesthis story any different than any ofthe other drivel available?
Me: That is a bitstrong, isn’t it? I would like to think that my writing offers a freshperspective on the fantasy and science fiction genre. I always try and includeelements of ethics and philosophical assumptions in my novels, and this one isno different. I love to explore the elements of good and evil, as well as themurky gray area that is exposed when decisions and choices and are no longereasy. I think it captures the essence of the monomyth, or the hero’s journey, as well as being a rousingadventure tale that a reader of any age can enjoy.
E’Malkai: How is itdoing so far?
Me: It is a bit earlyin the game to really say much about it. I released it almost a decade ago andit was well received, but it was in desperate need of a strong editing session.Now, I feel like it accurately reflects my growth as a writer and that it has astrong chance of being pretty successful, perhaps my most successful workyet. Let’s put the focus back on you: Whatdo you want from life?
E’Malkai: I want toset things right…
(Fe’rein standssuddenly. Elcites turns, interceding between the Dark Creator and the youth.Arile moves soundlessly behind the mion.)
Fe’rein: There isnothing to set right. I did what was necessary. They took Summer away from me.They had to pay.
Me: (standing) Itseems as though I have struck a nerve. Let’s try something a bit easier, shallwe? What’s the most important thing in your life? What do you value most?
Arile: (lowering hisweapon) The search for truth, questioning my place in this world. Complacencyweakens the mind. I value knowledge, intelligence, and logic.
Fe’rein: (sittingonce more with a huff) Solitude. The power to do what I must to keep what Ihave claimed. Once, I valued family and love, but those times have passed.
Elcites: My charge,my mission.
E’Malkai: My family,the people who depend on and believe in me, even if that faith is misplaced.
Me: Speaking offamily, did you turn out the way you expected? Theway your parents predicted?
(Elcites maintainshis ambivalent stare and Arile inspects something deeper in the darkness of theroom.)
Fe’rein: I did notknow my mother and father well. I have memories of them, brief glimpses of whothey were, moments in time frozen and exaggerated. I used to wonder how theywould judge me, but that doesn’t matter to me any longer. I turned out the wayI did because of the choices I made. My father could not have known what wouldfall into my path. His plan for me is irrelevant.
E’Malkai: (looking athis uncle, Fe’rein, with sorrow) I did not know my father, but as I travelednorth I learned much about the man he was and who he wanted me to be. My motherwas secretive of my past, but I do not blame her. I realize now that she didnot want me to die as my father had.
Me: That is quitesad. The path of the fallen began when Seth, your father, was cast from theFallen and then ends when you return. Were you afraid of traveling north byyourself, E’Malkai? What is your greatest fear?
E’Malkai: Not beingable to do what is necessary. Turnabout is fair play: At what point in yourlife did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
Me: A meaningfulquestion indeed. I think I always knew I wanted to be a writer. When I wasabout six, I designed an entire play for my cousin’s birthday: sets, script,and little figures on Popsicle sticks. As the years went by, I found that thenotion of storytelling was very attractive. This pursuit led me to writing myfirst novel in high school, a space opera that I published in 2002. Since then I have published ten novels and plan on telling stories until someone spreadsmy ashes over the sea. (Turning to Fe’rein) Fe’rein, what is your greatestregret?
Fe’rein: Beyond beingsummoned to this ridiculous farce, I would imagine the content of my life wasthe result of walking down a path to darkness. It was not sudden or abrasive,but instead incremental and engrossing. My greatest regret is taking mybrother’s life. It was too late for me by then. I could only see darkness,despair.
Elcites: (clearinghis throat) What was your intent with writing The Path of the Fallen? Why did you set us down this path?
Me: I wanted to tella very particular story: one in which the line between good and evil becomeblurred and the consequences of a hero’s actions mean much more than defeatingthe bad guy. I liked the notion of a family saga wrapped up in an epic sciencefiction/fantasy novel. The hero’s cycle makes for a powerful story and oftenanswers fundamental questions about the human condition. Hopefully, my book issuccessful to that end. (Taking a step forward and gesturing to Arile) Arile, howdo you decide if you can trust someone? Do you test the person somehow? Or areyou just generally disposed to trust or not to trust?
Arile: Trust, likerespect, is earned. When I first met E’Malkai, it was his naivety and simplemanner that let me know that I could trust him. Generally, the test of whetheror not a person is trustworthy is created by the environment, selected for bypressures that challenge a person. The idea of being predisposed to trust, ornot to trust, is born of not trusting oneself. Have you written many morestories? Are we to carry on, storyteller?
Me: As the bookcloses, the story does not end. The path has ended, at least metaphorically,but the journey is far from over. Book ofSeth returns to the beginning, giving us a glimpse of the life of SethArmen, as well as Ryan Armen before he was corrupted. The sequel, which takesplace after The Path of the Fallen,is called Breath of the Creator andweighs in on what comes next. There are several other novels with transientbeings not of your dimension: a supernatural detective solving murders in SanFrancisco; a young man who discovers what it takes to be responsible as theworld falls apart; a love story set in an epic fantasy world. (Spreading myhands wide, acknowledging all of them) This question is for all of you, what is one strong memorythat has stuck with you from childhood? Why is it so powerful and lasting?
Arile: I will neverforget when I returned home from a hunt and found my village decimated, wipedfrom this earth by Umordoc. I took the long walk into the tundra, to die, butfound peace and a new home. The winds have been my companion ever since.
Fe’rein: Yourquestion is foolish, storyteller. My childhood was a lifetime ago. I am nolonger that frail boy who walked beside his brother on the tundra.
Elcites: I do notrecall my childhood. I was born on Terra and raised in Culouth. My youth wasdevoted to learning everything I could about human beings and their ways sothat I might one day protect E’Malkai.
E’Malkai: Once I hadfond memories, but now they all seem like lies meant to obscure my path.Storyteller, do you read other stories? Are you readinganything right now, or have you read anything recently that is worthmentioning?
Me: I have beenreading A Dance of Dragons by GeorgeR. R. Martin. I have become very invested in that world, though I will admitthat the pace of the narrative has slowed dramatically. I find myselfundulating between being surprised and intrigued by the story and then suddenlybeing quite bored.
Elcites: Howdid we come into being?
Me: I am assuming youare asking me about my writing process. For ThePath of the Fallen I wrote it for four months straight, including Book of Seth. Generally, I like tocreate a living outline that evolves as the characters come to life and beginto guide the narrative. It is dependent on the world I am invested in at anygiven time.
E’Malkai: Areour names meaningful?
Me: They are notderived from other lore, if that is what you meant. E’Malkai was named as homageto the naming scheme of the tundra people. It really depends on what I amwriting. For instance, The Journeyhas names that are quite significant in terms of their meaning. Otherwise, Ilike to invent names for a particular world.
Arile: Howdo you define success as a writer? Have you been successful?
Me: Success iselusive once you define it. It becomes something that you aspire for regardlessof the process and the craft. I would like to think that success is writingstories that people in enjoy and connect with, even if it is negatively. Ithink I have been successful in a very limited way: people have read my booksand enjoyed them.
E’Malkai: Doyou have words of wisdom about writing that you want to pass on to novelistsand writers out there who are starting out?
Me: Write what youlove and learn from criticism. The publishing world has changed. I have beenwriting for nearly a decade and I find that every year there seems to be a newopinion on which way the wind is blowing for fiction. Stay the course and dowhat you love. If writing novels and telling stories is what you want to do,then do that.
Fe’rein: I havenoticed that you ask this ridiculous question of other storytellers: Whatis your End of the World Playlist? Why do you ask this question?
Me: I like hearingwhat people think about the notion of an end-of-the-world scenario. Also, Ihave a zombie novella of the same name and I like having the vibes out therefor it. Do you guys have anything specific that you want to say to the readers?
Arile: E’Malkai ofthe South will do what he must to set the world right. His story will be passedon for generations.
Elcites: The path of the fallen is filled with both adventure and sadness. Follow E’Malkai and betransformed.
Fe’rein: I will havemy day, in this life or the next. I am not evil, nor is E’Malkai good. We aremerely opposite perspectives. You decide who visited more harm upon the world.
E’Malkai: I wouldlike to think that I have done the right thing, taken the right path. Thestoryteller will not give away his secrets, but he might give you a glimpse.The greater question is: Do you have anything specific that you want to say toyour readers, storyteller?
Me: I am honored foranyone to read my novel. I hope that it will foster and appreciation of readingand the arts that is slowly disappearing among children and adults alike. Ilove to hear back from readers, so if you would like to get in touch with me,please be sure to check out my links below.
