What
inspired you when writing Imperfect
Beasts?
A
few years ago we asked ourselves a simple question, how is it that
the world is overflowing with dark and terrible things, and yet,
somehow, we manage to go on in the face of such unspeakable evil?
Well, one day, while looking at the Shroud of Turin, which hundreds
of millions of people believe to be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ,
the answer to that question came to us.
“History
does not teach us about man’s faith in God. Rather, history stands
as a living testament to God’s faith in us.”
It
was that answer, and the Man who provided it, that inspired us to
write this novel.
What
do you think makes a great story?
Maggie
and I rely heavily on three key elements found in almost every great
story.
1.
A creative plot that moves along at a brisk pace is absolutely
crucial. To that end, we stacked Imperfect Beasts with dozens of
terrific twists that expand the story from a simple supernatural
thriller into an epic that spans 2000 years and features some of
history’s most iconic figures. Just as importantly, we also built
our story around a nifty trick we learned from Steven Speilberg and
George Lucas. They fashioned the plot of Raiders of the Lost Ark
after the old black and white movie serials from the 40s and 50s.
Those short films always ended in cliffhangers to keep moviegoers
coming back week after week. So we employed that same idea at the end
of every chapter. Not surprisingly, our readers tell us that they
often read more than 100 pages at a time because they can’t wait to
see what happens next.
2.
Character development is a must because human souls are a journey
unto themselves. Thus, the characters in this book, both good and
evil, undergo tremendous change as the plot unfolds. In fact, one of
the more unique things about Imperfect Beasts is that the story is
told through the eyes of our main character, Lon. This allows the
reader to live the adventure, not only through Lon’s eyes, but his
soul, and that, ultimately, is what this novel is about.
3.
Plausible situations and vivid storytelling are also high on our
list. To that end, we went to great pains to make sure that every
twist in this story makes sense to the readers, and that every scene
is described with the kind of detail that makes it come alive in
their mind’s eye. As a result, readers have told us, time and time
again, that they experience the book as if they were watching a
movie.
What
makes this story unique?
There
are a few things that make it stand out from the pack. For starters,
it strikes a perfect balance between lots of fast paced action and
heartfelt emotion. It is driven by a terrific mystery that gets
better and better as the book goes along, and best of all, it
concludes with an epic climax that wraps up the first story
beautifully while leaving the reader wanting more. In other words,
this novel and these aren’t characters aren’t something you walk
away from and forget.
What
are your ambitions for your writing career?
I
began writing professionally in 1985, and through it all, the only
thing I have ever cared about is touching the souls of my readers.
Maggie shares this conviction. We’ve made a good living, which is
great, but, for us, it’s all about connecting to the readers.
Fortunately,
everyone can relate to the kind of stories we tell because, in one
way or another, every life is heroic, filled with dangers,
temptations, and opportunities to call forth our better selves. So,
when someone tells us that we took them on a wonderfully vicarious
journey, be it through time, around the globe, or best of all, of
self-discovery, we feel we’ve achieved everything we could hope
for. Anything else is icing on the cake.
When
did you decide to become a writer?
It
was never a conscious decision for either of us. We were born
writers. Simple as that. Maggie has loved literature since she was a
child, and pursued it through a Ph.D. and two Master’s Degrees. I,
on the other hand, was hired to write professionally right out of
high school and continued doing so straight through my college years.
When
writing Imperfect
Beasts
did anything stand out as particularly challenging?
That’s
an interesting question because the greatest challenges in life
usually produce the most rewarding results, and that has absolutely
been the case with Imperfect Beasts. One of the most difficult
aspects was writing a story that is, at its core, a spiritual
journey, but also combines the elements of a supernatural thriller,
an action/adventure, and a love story into a single and easy to
follow narrative that carries the reader until the very end.
Thankfully, based on the feedback we’ve gotten, we pulled it off,
and then some.
Beyond
that, Maggie and I both agreed that hitting emotional notes and
bringing characters to life in the round were crucial to the success
of this story. We knew we had a terrific plot with one jarring twist
after another, but that wouldn’t count for much if our readers
weren’t emotionally invested in the characters. So it shouldn’t
come as any surprise when I say that what really gets us excited is
when our readers point to specific moments in the story and tell us
how they were affected emotionally. Knowing that you filled someone
with a sense of wonder, brought tears to their eyes, or made them
want to jump off their couch and head into battle alongside Lon,
Vicky and Sophie is the greatest compliment we can get. We feel
blessed given how often that has happened with this novel.
How
did you come up with the story of Imperfect
Beasts?
We
wanted to explore both ultimate evil and ultimate good in a way that
covered everything from what lies in the human heart to the
supernatural. In order to do that in a creative and fun way, we
weaved together strands of history in a manner that has never been
done before. We also took traditional themes and ideas found in the
horror genre and gave them newfound depth and emotional weight.
Unfortunately, I can’t say much more than that without giving away
several of the spectacular twists and turns that make this story so
addictive.
What
do you like to do when not writing?
Maggie
loves to travel, and as it happens, the research for our novels has
taken us around the world. We’ve been blessed to traverse
underground Christian cities in the land once known as Asia Minor,
visited England to read directly from the oldest known parchment of
the Gospels, made pilgrimages to the tombs of Christ’s apostles,
and even walked in the footsteps of St. Paul. That said, we are far
from done. There is lots more to see and learn about.
I
spend much of my time doing artwork. My college degree is actually in
illustration, and as a freelancer I’ve had my work published on
four continents. I work in oils, acrylics, mixed media, color
pencils, pen & ink. You name it, I do it.
They
can visit our new website at www.dawnofdarness.net
and sign up to receive our upcoming newsletter and blog. They can
also watch the video trailer for Imperfect Beasts at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI0i7PFTCFI
on Youtube. Lastly, they can follow us on Facebook at The Dawn of
Darkness Trilogy.
Imperfect
Beasts
is the first novel in the Dawn of Darkness series. When do you
expect the second book to be released?
While
we don’t have a specific date as of yet, I can say that we plan on
releasing the second and third volumes within just a few months of
each other. This is an epic story with a very dramatic climax, so
once readers get to the end of the second book, we don’t want to
keep them waiting.