An Introduction

I began thinking about an interesting story back in 2011, and eventually, this idea turned into a plan to write a book.

What would happen if a young woman woke up in a strange land with a fuzzy memory and didn’t know where she was? What would she do and how would she react? Who can she trust? Who’s to say the first person that offered to help her wasn’t the one who placed her in this situation?

What would she do if the world was controlled by supernatural forces? If she’s called to greatness, how will she contend with beings that possess awesome power?

I’m fascinated with books, television, and cinema where people live in a dystopian landscape. When the human element of survival is put to the test I stayed glued to page or screen.

My favorite post-apocalyptic movies and TV shows are 28 Weeks Later, The Walking Dead and Fear The Walking Dead, War of The Worlds, I Am Legend, District 9, The Road, Blade Runner and 1984.

My favorite writers are Stephen King, Cormac McCarthy, H.G. Wells, George Orwell, George R.R. Martin, J.R.R. Tolkien, F. Scott Fitzgerald, C.S. Lewis and any movie where Peter Jackson is in the credits.

There are so many more to read and watch, though!

The opening sequence to 28 Weeks Later is pure gold

Over the years I have developed ideas for my story, but first, let me share some background information about how they evolved.

I’m inspired to write when I listen to music or when I see an interesting image or illustration, and it is through these means my ideas have continued to grow. I created a file on my computer where I stored various things that sparked my imagination. I purchased small notebooks and began writing ideas in these books whenever thoughts came to mind. I had to keep one next to my bed so I wouldn’t need to walk to my desk to write thoughts on paper after retiring for the day. Before I kept the notebook next to my bed, I would tell myself “oh that’s a cool idea, you’ll need to write that down tomorrow”. Unfortunately, fascinating plot ideas were lost after a dreamy eight-hour slumber.

I’ve enjoyed writing since I was in elementary school. I liked creative writing assignments and did well when I applied myself. I remember in the sixth-grade I wrote about my classmates, incorporating them into modern day Keystone Cop scenarios.

It was a lot of fun (for me) and elicited laughs from fellow students. However, being the unaware kid that I was, the laughs came at the expense of a few students. The teacher read the stories aloud each week until she realized that I had crossed the line, grimacing halfway through my story and stating “now I remember why I wasn’t going to read this to the class”. She left me off with a warning and some egg on my face. Lucky me.

Now, back to the future…

The story of the young woman I thought of in 2011 went from random ideas and scribbles in notebooks to outlining a series of books based on her life and adventures.

I had no clue when I started that the story would continue evolving past the confines of one book. The more I fleshed out ideas, the larger the story grew. At first, I thought one large book, or maybe two. After a few months, I considered making it a trilogy (visions of The Lord of the Rings dancing in my head).

And then it dawned on me that I was starting the story of her as a woman in her twenties. What about her childhood and high school years? Was the world in a dystopian state her entire life or did she experience the fall of humankind?

A prequel, maybe?

Yes! I can channel my inner Star Wars story structure with the best of them.

This blog is a place where I will share parts of the story with you. The words, illustrations, and updates will be found here in this small corner of the Internet.

So without further ado, I’d like to invite you to join me on an epic adventure through The Seasons of Darkness.

The Pale Horse of Pestilence

The above illustration was created exclusively for The Seasons of Darkness by Dima Zasimovich. He works in the gaming industry and has created much of the concept art for this project. I am excited to work with him.

There are many images to share. Although these aren’t graphic novels, they may contain illustrations to provide the reader with visual reference points. Don’t worry, I’ll allow the writing and your imagination to do the majority of the work!

A quick disclaimer…

The Seasons of Darkness is a work of fiction. It’s based upon ideas of the future and is influenced by the book of Revelation in the Bible. My story is not meant to add or subtract from the Bible. It is not a story about how I think the Revelation (revealing) will happen (or is happening, or has happened). I am not interpreting the Bible and then retelling it, I’m using it as a means of inspiration to write a story. There is a lot of speculative analysis regarding the contents of the book of Revelation and questions are better addressed with a pastor, church elder, or Bible study leader.

More about the main character…

Aside from her lack of memory and being lost in the wilderness, this is the ongoing story of a woman coping with her past decisions and her struggle to forgive herself. How will she move forward with life once she realizes how her actions have affected people? She’s told she has a great calling in life and she ultimately must decide if she has the courage to see it through.

How does she overcome choices made that deeply hurt scores of others? Where does forgiveness begin? How does she know she’s not the person she used to be?

As it is in this story, it is in real life. Sometimes giving up feels like the best choice. Many times you don’t see a way to dig out of the hole you’re in. Many times you feel as though you don’t deserve a second chance.

The struggle is real. Can you relate?

I certainly can.

It’s difficult coming to terms with past decisions. When you reflect on how you’ve affected others, you realize why some people remain isolated, medicated, or even take their own lives to escape the emotional pain. Acceptance of what you’ve done is only the beginning. The real challenge lies ahead and it’s a tough road.

The protagonist exhibits some of the traits and experiences of my own. In a future post, I will share my testimony with you. We all have a story, and it’s important to share them with each other. I will share family photographs and stories, too. I have a wonderful family and would like you to get to know them.

In the meantime, here’s the logline for my story:

A young woman must organize and lead an army in a post-apocalyptic saga where supernatural forces battle for the last remaining souls on Earth.

It needs polish, but you get the idea.

The working titles are as follows:

Book 1 – Awakening

Book 2 – A Journey West

Book 3 – The Battle of San Francisco

Book 4 – Northern Allies

Book 5 – As Yet Untitled

I do not have a working title for the prequel. I will update you when it becomes available.

In my next post, I will share additional illustrations and introduce you to a few of the characters. A writing excerpt will be provided, too.

I welcome comments and questions throughout this journey. I would love to hear from you.

See you soon, and thanks for joining me!

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