Dragon's Fire (Beating Back The Darkness, Book 1) by Tiger Hebert

Dragon's Fire (Beating Back The Darkness, Book 1)

“It didn’t always feel like this. How? I can’t remember, but it wasn’t like this. No, not like this…it was cold and dank, and then there was the fear. To stand in his presence, in awe and reverence of his power, his might, it was intoxicating…but the fear never leaves.” Ekrin, High Priest of the Black Dragon.

A rising tide of violence is spreading across Darnisi, and it threatens to cast all of Aurion into war and chaos. A terror straight out of nightmares is at the heart of the corruption. Using the dark arts of seduction, the shadow drake bends and twists the will of those who would seek his power, to his own ends. Aurion’s remaining races forge unlikely alliances in order to survive the dragon’s scourge. As reality sets in, our survivors face a very grim future. Could their only hope of survival truly be found in the cryptic writings of ancient prophecy? 

The Guru's Review: 

Do not let the fact that this is a debut novel from an unknown author prevents you from reading this novel. If I did not know that this was this author's debut novel, I would have considered that I had read a well-constructed novel from an experienced author!

The first thing that I noticed from Hebert is that this author has two things that stand out, a very vivid and deep imagination and a passion and love for his God. Both these unite and help form the basis of this well-crafted novel. Hebert's imagination shows itself firstly in the well-developed world building where he describes the world of Aurion and its two main continents of Darnisi and Antirri. This forms a launching pad for Hebert's description of the different species that populate this land, specifically that of the Darnisi continent in this novel. Here we are introduced to dwarves, orcs, elves, humans, centaurs, and minotaurs. Goblins are described briefly and are more of a side plot line. Rather than have these species being separate despite living on the same continent, he has created links and connections via the history of Aurion and as the novel progresses, these connections become very important and contribute to strengthening and cohesiveness of the plot. 

The characters in this novel are ones that you can become endeared to. They are many and varied, Hebert does not withhold from showing what makes them tick, and what their strengths and weaknesses are. All in all, well rounded and relational. I have many favourites and a fondness for most of them. Those that are portrayed as evil have evilness exude from their nature, especially Ekrin and Slayvin, those portrayed as good and honourable are just that, especially Dominar. Even those, such as Nikolai, who struggle with character traits of integrity and forgiveness, attract the reader's empathy and support. 

If there is a glue that binds everything together in this novel, it is the spiritual aspects. Hebert does not hide his love of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is where his love of Jesus shines through and reflects his personal relationship with Jesus. He has not hidden the biblical truths of forgiveness, salvation, repentance, God's agape/unconditional love, biblical spiritual warfare. None of it comes across as preachy or condescending. I believe it would not be offensive to any reader who may be struggling with their relationship with God, those who are seeking God or provocative to those that do not believe in God at all as it is not directed at this last group at all. Hebert has successfully woven these biblical themes/doctrines into the plot, its history, its prophecy, and essentiality to the life of all the species of Darnisi. It becomes the fabric of this novel. It is not out of place like it has been in some other fantasy novels; in Dragon's Fire, it has its rightful place and fits extremely well. The culmination of this spiritual side to Dragon's fire is when Hebert introduces the promised one, the Frelsarine, described in the prophecy of ancient texts as the mighty warrior king of God sent from heaven to bring light to the world of Aurion that is in darkness and under the grip of a new darkness. His name is Aneri'On. Hebert has portrayed Him as He is in the bible, Jesus, king, warrior, victor, saviour, healer, sacrificial lamb, redeemer, forgiver to name a few.

I was very emotional at Hebert's portrayal of Jesus as Aneri'On, described above. Solely because it reinforced in me who He is, why I believe in Him, why I need Him and why I need to surrender daily to Him. This portrayal of Jesus and His interaction with the characters is one I will never forget. One of the things I expect from Christian fiction and have stated in the "Why Christian Fiction?" page in this review blog is that,

• it has entertained me immensely,
• it has encouraged my walk with God, 
• it has not deviated from known biblical doctrine, and it will not, I believe, lead a non-believer astray or promote false doctrine, 
• it honours God, 
• it does not encourage worship of the created (eg angels) instead of the Creator (God). 

This novel ticks all these boxes for me.  Subsequently, Hebert has portrayed the nature of spiritual warfare as being true to the bible, with prayer being the main basis here and having a right relationship with God, surrendered to Him. He has portrayed the evil dragon, Slayvin, very convincingly, exuding evilness, with demonic enslavement to those he entices in his deception. This is also true to the nature and demonic deception that Satan uses as described in the bible. Hebert also describes through the character of Ekrin, Slayvin's high priest, the desire for power, notoriety, and satiation of the selfish desires of our fallen, sinful nature at the cost of enslavement of their souls. 

One aspect I thought clever on Hebert's part was the use of exact phrases from the bible used in a different but also similar situation to that of the bible with the same meaning and importance retained. I chuckled at this when I realised what Hebert was doing. I look forward to more of this. 

The fight scenes are very realistic and I felt that I was there fighting with all the various characters in their various fighting skills and weapons used. I do not know if Hebert has practised writing fighting scenes and developing battle strategy but he has successfully portrayed these very convincingly. This is a highlight in this novel as the plot deals with physical and spiritual warfare so there are many instances necessary to have this executed successfully. Hebert does not disappoint. Most authors struggle writing fight scenes and most hate having to do write them. This does not seem to the case for Hebert.

With any fantasy novel, there needs to be successful world building to make the world of the novel believable, credible and realistic to the reader. Hebert does this very well by including, 

• a map of the Darnisi continent with its cities and basic topography,
• various species of beings and their history, 
• ancient prophecy, 
• spirituality based on the bible and the gospel 
• demonic oppression and possession
• the supernatural intervention of spiritual beings
• basic ancient language, carvings and symbolism that ties in with the history and spirituality of the races of Aurion
• The Chronicles of Aurion, a series of short stories that serve as a prequel to the Beating Back the Darkness series.

From this, Hebert has added depth to this world building and has created the framework for further development of this world in future instalments. I can see from the ending of Dragon's Fire that the stage is set for exploration of a specific past history of Aurion and this just indicates that Hebert has further development of this world building he has started here. I am very much looking forward to this. Again, it shows the depth to his imagination. 

I must mention of Hebert's writing style. It is smooth, concise, no hiccups, I understood straight away what Hebert was describing. This definitely contributes to a well paced and fluid narrative overall. An important quality that defines a good writer is their ability to show and not tell. I have mentioned in previous reviews that showing engages the reader in what is being described while telling disengages the reader. None of the latter is found in Hebert's writing. Great asset to have in a debut novel and writing expertise. 

I have only one aspect of the novel that I struggled with. I have stated that Hebert is very proficient at writing/plotting fight scenes and he did this very well in the training he described between Isiirial and Seratu. I just felt that it went on for too long if he was using this to show the budding romance that was developing between the two of them. But despite this, it did not sabotage or derail the plot just slowed the flow and pace somewhat. Minor hiccup and not a major distraction. 

I must also encourage future readers to read The Chronicles of Aurion before reading Dragon's Fire. While these first three shorts do not show a direct link to this novel, they do show more of the depth of imagination and world building that forms the basis of this current instalment and provide some background history of the various species of beings in Dragon's Fire. 

This is one wonderful reading experience. Well crafted, refreshing, totally absorbing and very much escapism. I have been edified with the presentation of the Gospel and adherence to biblical principles and doctrines without compromise. Very much entertained and encouraged. 

I eagerly await the next instalment with great anticipation. 

Highly Recommended.

To buy or read an excerpt of Dragon's Fire and/or The Chronicles of Aurion, click on the BUY or PREVIEW icons on the image below: 

Guest Blogger: J Z. Howard, Why I Write Edgy Chrisian Fiction.

I recently joined a group called Edgy Christian Fiction and I was befriended by an author called J.Z. Howard, author of All of Me Wants All of You. After reading the blurb for this novel, I found it to have an interesting, albeit controversial topic, sexuality from a Christian/biblical worldview. I have experienced in Church life that is a topic that is either poorly addressed or ignored in most Christian churches and Christian circles and that is a tragedy as it should not be like this seeing that sex and sexuality is part of our makeup as created beings by God and a gift from Him as well. 

Reading J.Z's website, I also find that he has no qualms writing about sex and sexuality from this worldview and he is very passionate about this topic. I also discovered he is passionate about edgy Christian fiction as he outlined in a recent blog post called Why I Write Edgy Christian Fiction. I love this genre and most of my reviews in this blog reflect this. I found this blog post very encouraging and convincing, not that I needed much convincing seeing I review in this genre, so I felt it worthwhile re-posting it here to further encourage Christian and non Christian readers alike.

Now before we launch into J.Z's blog post, here is a little about him:

Hello. I’m J.Z. Howard, the author of All of Me Wants All of You.

I write Edgy Christian Fiction for readers who find traditional Christian novels too sterile and which reflect only “nice” issues in real-life relationships.

My fiction does not shy away from issues of sexuality and pleasure, spiritual confusion and fear. Human relationships are complex, nuanced, and full of emotional and ethical gray areas. In this context, my characters struggle to connect more powerfully with the Sacred to find the guidance, faith, and strength to make choices that edge them closer to each other, and lift them closer to our Creator’s vision for their lives.

I write Edgy Christian Fiction because Jesus was edgy. 

I live with my wife and true love (along with our dog “Waffles”) in a cozy home with knotty pine paneling in Minnesota, and enjoy regular get-togethers with my beloved adult daughter and teenage grandson.

Prior to writing full time, I worked for 10 years in television, and for 17 years as a professional addictions counselor helping people to discover the rewards of recovery and joys of staying sober. I’ve also directed award-winning videos and published three addiction recovery books.

Throughout my life and career, I’ve looked at life through the eyes and hearts of people who strive for the very best in their lives. I’ve learned that by developing and balancing both the masculine and feminine qualities in our life, we become more motivated to live selflessly. In that way, we can contribute generously to the lives of others and gradually inherit the magnificent spiritual blessings we were created to enjoy.

My optimism and the inspiration for the good I try to do come from God, the rock of my Christian faith.

Why I Write Edgy Christian Fiction

What do I mean when I say that I write Edgy Christian Fiction?

Basically, it means that I identify with the people who live in this fallen world and with humanity’s redemptive struggle. As an author and as a human being I seek to engage with the world rather than to separate from it, to associate with a wide variety of folks rather than to avoid interacting with them.

So, if you go looking for my books in a Christian bookstore, you won’t find them there. That’s because the novels in those bookshelves are written from a different mindset, one of “safety first” that sees the world as impure and riddled with temptations, and therefore a place to be avoided and shunned (even to hide from). Please know that I don’t like violence or foul language or perversion or depravity even though, like you, I live in a world of profanity, crime, addictions, abusive relationships and flat-out evil. My characters fight against temptation, act selfishly at times, make love with their clothes off, and struggle to use their faith to mold their decisions and behavior.

The media, our politicians and our celebrity culture all serve to fuel these problems. In my stories, I willingly recognize (not deny) that issues like these exist but do so with discretion so as to not glorify them or compound their effect. Reflecting such realities is necessary, I believe, and can be done tastefully for the purpose of showing God’s redemptive power to confront and overcome these ills.

As Christians we live on the same earthly soil as everyone else, and because we strive to be generous to one and all, we bring supernaturally inspired energy, answers, perspectives and solutions to mankind’s problems and disturbing events. The holy presence of Christ residing in a Christian is meant to flow outward to others in super-human ways to heal, enlighten, challenge, encourage and forgive.

The perfect example of this is my hero, Jesus. His encounters with the lame, the poor, the depressed and those who suffered on the fringes of society all demonstrated how the Holy Spirit flowed through him to help others. In his day, the “fringes” of society sadly included women — half of the population. But nothing stopped Jesus from regarding women and girls with the same respect and unreserved compassion as the men of his day.

You can imagine the men’s utter surprise whenever they witnessed his loving behavior toward (here’s a brief list): the women caught in adultery, the Samaritan woman at the well, the woman with chronic bleeding, the widow donating her penny, and the woman who poured perfume on his feet. Jesus’ followers were not a Good Ol’ Boys Club. Nor was his a life of royal pleasures or the privileged comforts of the wealthy elite. Instead, his feet got dirty and his hands touched diseased body parts at the same time his words inspired disciples
and delivered people’s souls.

When it came to edgy, Jesus was the edgiest

Like him, Christians can be and should be change agents. For everyone. For the better. Anywhere and everywhere. And that applies to me as an author who portrays Christian characters in worldly situations and ugly predicaments as they allow the Holy Spirit to mold them, and move through them, for their own good and the benefit of the characters they encounter, worldly or not.

By showing life’s underbelly, edgy authors encourage readers (like their characters) to walk the mean streets and dark alleys where humans congregate “even to the ends of the earth.” Just like Jesus did with prostitutes, tax collectors, the lame, the sick, the poor and even his enemies. Edgy stories represent the opposite of cloistering oneself away like a monk from the messy fray of life. (Please note that I am not disparaging the need for personal prayer and devotions, or the many examples of excellent stories in the oeuvre of “traditional” Christian literature by authors such as C.S. Lewis and Madeleine L’Engle).

Novelist Mike Duran has written widely and wisely about these perspectives — see his blog, Why Christians Can’t Agree About Christian Fiction. “Safe” Christian fiction, however, as Mr. Duran points out, “seeks to critique the world and separate the Church from it, while ‘edgy’ Christian fiction seeks to contribute to the world and bring the Church to it.”

I believe Edgy Christian Fiction is for readers who find traditional Christian novels generally too sterile. My stories of Edgy Christian Fiction do not shy away from issues of sexuality and pleasure, spiritual confusion and fear. My stories go beyond the confines of traditional Christian literature in subject matter — like beyond-the-bedroom-door sex and scenes that appropriately reflect violence, profanity, lying and deceit.

Through my stories I want to invite readers to consider the marvelous possibility of partnering with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit for their own lives, just as my characters struggle to do the same. My role as author is to show the reality of Jesus’ grace, love, power and mercy in ways that inspire readers, all without being preachy.

As my hero Jesus said, “In the world you will have trouble, but take courage for I have conquered the world. Trust in God; trust also in me.” These words touch my heart and are a battle cry. They define my writing goals and capture the essence of why I write.

Q: Why do I write Edgy Christian Fiction?

A: Because Jesus was edgy.

For those who are interested in J.Z Howad's All of Me Wants All of You, it can be purchased from Amazon: 

Fierce: A Western Trilogy of Terror and Discovery by Clay Dolan

Fierce: A Western Trilogy of Terror and Discovery

In the spring of 1876, when two Colorado deputies return to the tree they’d tied their horses to before chasing a fugitive into a forest, the horses are gone, without a trace. As they walk back to town, leading their bound prisoner, they discuss the possible reasons for their predicament. Xavier Garza, the half-Zuni deputy, believes he knows the answer: Atahsaia—a Zuni word meaning cannibal demon. His partner, Thomas Wilkins, scoffs at such superstition, until the mounting evidence changes his perspective on monsters—and on trust.

The Guru's Review:

I bought this trilogy as it combined two topics that interest me immensely, the legend of Bigfoot, of American lore, and the Nephilim mentioned in Genesis 6: 4. Further intrigue due to Dolan connecting them together.  I must stress that those who do not believe in the Bible may find this connection preposterous and misguided, rubbish even, as evidenced in a few of the reviews of the individual books in this trilogy.

However, Christians who believe in the bible and accept that the Nephilim are the product of fallen angels producing offspring with human woman as Genesis 6: 4 states

The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, as well as later, when the sons of God slept with the daughters of other humans and had children by them. These children were famous long ago.(God's Word Translation)

will find Dolan's proposal very entertaining and very plausible. Some translations, such as the Amplified, substitute Nephilim for giants, 

There were giants on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God lived with the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

This substitution is supported in the appendix titled Bigfoot and the Bible, at the back of the novel, where Dolan has documented his research, 

The Hebrew word the modern translators translated as "mighty men" is gibborim......The word can mean mighty men, but it also can mean giants

There is evidence of skeletons excavated all over the world, including the American continent, that are well over 10 feet tall. From this, Dolan has depicted the legend of Bigfoot to be the Nephilim or as the the Zuni Indians call them, Atahsaia—a Zuni word meaning cannibal demon.

It is from this background that Dolan successfully creates the plot of this trilogy. Rather than tell this story through the eyes of the main protagonist, Xavier Garza, Dolan does this through a secondary main character, Thomas Wilkins, having him narrate this story in the first person narrative. This is very successful as it provides the reader with a unique platform to be involved in this plot. Having Thomas's character as an unbeliever enables the reader to view this trilogy through his perspective. I have not read any Christian authors who have used this method and I found this very refreshing. At many times during the story, we find Thomas questioning/challenging Xavier about God and his faith in relation to the Nephilim and the answers Xavier provides challenges Thomas' own beliefs about God. It is a unique way of seeing Xavier, a committed and surrendered Christian, witness to Thomas and the rest of the Nephilim hunters in this way through his practice of prayer,, obedience to God's direction and not being afraid of the Nephilim as his confidence and security come from God's protection and eradicating this scourge on humanity God's way. 

While reading this trilogy I kept thinking that the way Dolan has interspersed examples of the above, it would definitely minister to any reader who is seeking God or has questions about Him. As well as this, it also consolidates the spiritual side of the plot. For me though, it also shows the depth of relationship Dolan has with God and shows no shame in portraying this through the character of Xavier; and so he should not as the bible encourages us to not be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. 

What moves the plot in this trilogy is the continued attacks by the Nephilim and the motivation of Xavier through his mission from God to eradicate them and see God's justice prevail. This provides the action, mystery and intrigue in this trilogy. Together with the elements mentioned above, Dolan has balanced this plot well and it all fits in together very nicely. My only criticism is that the trilogy ends very abruptly, with some loose ends still hanging, but Dolan leaves the reader with a question to solve this, 

Will Bart persuade Xavier, Thomas, and Walter to join him for more Atahsaia hunts? Its your call. If I get enough requests on my Clay Dolan blog, then, yes, they will resume the hunt.

I must also make comment that for the unbeliever or Christian that does not accept what Dolan has proposed here, or the Christian that does, the Appendices are essential reading. Not only for the knowledge and background that this trilogy is based on but also to see how extensive Dolan's research is that adds credibility to his series.

Highly Recommended.

Interview With William Woodall (Author of The Last Werewolf Hunter series, Stones of Song Series and The Tyke McGrath Series)

Today, I am interviewing William Woodall, author of teen and young adult, edgy Christian speculative fiction. He has written three series, The Last Werewolf Hunter, Stones of Song, and Tyke McGrath. William requested that I review The Last Werewolf Hunter series. I had bought this series last year and had not read it since. His request gave me the incentive I needed to read it now and not later. I am glad he did as I loved it so much, I felt it was worth interviewing him to see where his ideas come from, discuss the ins and outs of this engaging series with a unique take on the werewolf story. 

I found William to be a person with a great love of God, a vivid imagination and a passion to entertain, uplift, encourage and educate in Christian living and biblical principles his teenage and young adult readers in the three series mentioned above. I would have loved to have had these series when I accepted Christ at 19 years of age. It would have contributed to my learning to be disciplined in living the Christian life and increasing my faith in God.

So, allow me to introduce to you, William Woodall! 

William, thanks for stopping by! We are all eager to learn about you as author and story teller extraordinaire! 

How about we start with you telling us a little about yourself?

Well, let’s see. I’ve lived my whole life in Arkansas and Texas, and I became a Christian at the age of sixteen. My relationship with Jesus is the most important thing in my life, and it’s my dearest wish that my life and my writing will give Him glory and be a blessing for my readers. I’ve worked as a high school science teacher, a child abuse and foster care worker, a family counsellor, and even as a real estate agent for a while. I studied family counselling and molecular biology at college, which I guess goes to show what eclectic tastes I have. I’ve taught English in Russia, survived two tornadoes plus a vicious bout with cancer, and witnessed some answered prayers that were nothing short of miraculous. God has taught me a lot of things over the years, sometimes in very colourful and turbulent ways, and I hope to share some of that with my readers.

What inspired you to become an author?

I’ve always enjoyed telling stories, ever since I can remember. I still have a few that I wrote with a green crayon in first grade. I started out writing poetry for the most part, and I’ve been told that now and then some of that lyric quality still shows itself in my novels. For example, when Cody McGrath (in Many Waters) says things like “In the beauty of love may life be finished; to the glory of God may all things come to completion”, then that’s just poetry, of the same type you’d find in the Psalms, the reflection-with-variation type which the Hebrews used. You wouldn’t necessarily recognize it as such because it’s buried in the text with nothing to mark it off, but it’s definitely there.

Were you expecting your books to have been so successful?

At first I really didn’t think much about that aspect of things. There’s not a big market for a Christian werewolf story, unfortunately. I wish the series received more attention than it does (as any author would), but then on the other hand I’ve had dozens of readers who wrote to me to say what a blessing the stories have been to them. Even if I’d never sold a single copy, it would have been worth it to me just for that.

Do you think there is anything significantly different about Christian Fiction as opposed to non-Christian Fiction?

The only principle that unites all the different varieties of Christian fiction is the desire to honour Christ, which is also the only thing that separates it from all other fiction. It’s the intent of the heart which matters, and not the content. A book could talk about Jesus on every single page and it certainly wouldn’t count as Christian fiction if the only reason it mentioned Him was to curse and blaspheme His name or to mock His teachings (either explicitly or implicitly). On the other hand, a book which teaches readers to follow His words (even if it never mentions Him by name), is something which honors Him.

Do you prefer to extensively plot your stories (plotter), or do you write them as they come to you (pantser, that you write by the seat of your pants)?

Some of both. I don’t write down a lot of plans ahead of time, but I’m always turning things over in my mind and figuring out how I want them to work. I’ve been known to scrap an entire book and start over if I decided it wasn’t going to work out the way I wanted it to. I mostly write the first draft in pantser mode, and then come back to it for several major rewrites after at least two or three readings by people I know I can trust to rip the book to shreds with the harshest and most nitpicky criticism they can think of. I want them to be meaner than snakes, because I know in the end it will make my story a thousand times better than it could have been otherwise.

What was the hardest part of writing your books?

I think for me it’s the fact that stories can get uncomfortably real sometimes. There are times when characters encounter situations that make me uneasy and which I’d really rather not deal with if I had my way. Readers often have the idea that an author can write a book any way he pleases, but that’s not true at all. Within reason, yes; we can choose our characters and settings and the genre we’ll use and those kinds of things. But after the story is begun, it tends to take on a life of its own and sometimes it leads us to places we never would have willingly gone. Writing a book is one of those humbling experiences which will force you to do a lot of soul-searching you never anticipated. You can’t really live inside a character’s head for months or years without learning what it’s like to feel their pain and sometimes even cry with them.

How has writing and being an author impacted your relationship with Jesus Christ?

One of the most important ways that writing has deepened my relationship with Christ is through simple vicarious experience. The more my characters suffer and yet still hold on to their faith in Jesus, the stronger my own faith becomes. Walking with God is a beautiful thing, full of excitement and wonder and love, which is something I try to display in my stories. But writing about these things is also a way of experiencing them myself in fresh ways that never would have been possible in real life, and I find that those vicarious experiences draw me closer to God just as they would if it happened in real life. That’s exactly what I hope they will do for my readers, too. Another thing writing has done for me is that it encourages me to study the Scriptures more often than I might if left to myself. Part of what I try to do in my work is to teach my readers (mostly kids) some truths about God, and for that I have to study. The things I learn for the sake of writing a story don’t just disappear when the book is finished, though. They enrich my life as a Christian in all kinds of ways I never could have foreseen ahead of time.

Do you have a favorite genre that you read?

Mostly the same kinds of things I like to write. Science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, and similar genres. I prefer Christian fiction when I can get it, or at least relatively clean stuff. Some science fiction is so openly and relentlessly hostile to Christianity that it’s like slogging through a blistering desert of atheist propaganda just to read it, so I try to avoid that kind. Other than that, I read a little bit of everything from time to time, even classics. I like Victorian novels and Romantic poetry, even Shakespeare on occasion.

What do you like doing when you're not writing?

I like to read, and fish, and spend time with my children. I like most of the things Zach and Cameron like, actually.

Why target teens/young adults in your writing?

Mostly because that’s what I like to read myself and that’s the age group I spend the most time with in everyday life. I’m a high school teacher and I’ve always enjoyed working with kids, so it was natural for me to write for this age group.

Do you think you will ever write for adults? If so, what type of novel would you write or genre?

I like to think my work appeals to adults as well as to young people. A child can read it on one level as an entertaining adventure story, but there are always more subtle themes under the surface which are there for more experienced readers. Kids won’t catch them, but adults will. There are jokes that only adults will understand, and nuances that only someone who’s been a parent himself, or been deeply hurt by a romantic partner, or struggled with questions about God, would ever spot.

Where did the idea for werewolves come from for The Last Werewolf Hunter series?
 
The original seed for this series came from watching “Teen Wolf” when I was a kid, and even though the two stories are a lot different, sharp readers might detect the same light and humorous approach in both of them. I knew I wanted some comic relief now and then, and that I didn’t want to write something dark and scary. I wouldn’t have enjoyed that, and I don’t think my readers would have, either.

In your research on werewolves, did you come across any convincing evidence that they exist?

No, but I have no intrinsic reason to disbelieve in such things, either. I don’t doubt that Satan has the ability to grant such powers to human beings, nor that there are human beings who would be glad to accept those kinds of powers if offered the chance. That’s why I deliberately didn’t keep the traditional werewolf folklore about the curse being passed on through getting bitten or inheriting a gene for it. I wanted it to be a deliberate choice on the part of those who accepted it. If such things really exist, then that would be my best guess as to how they came to be. I’m not by any means trying to say that I think my story is a true one, but it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility, either.

In Behind Blue Eyes, Book 2, you have the solution for the breaking of the curse something simple and biblical rather than something more spiritually complex such as what can be found in other Christian novels of similar ilk. What was your motive for this?

This was mostly because I wanted to move gradually from simpler situations to more complex ones as the story progressed. Zach needed to learn his “milk lessons” before he was ready to accept or understand the meatier ones. I also thought it was important to show that solutions don’t always have to be complicated and difficult.

What was your rationale for keeping the werewolf mythology/tradition regarding the use of silver bullets and knives to kill werewolves, and silver crosses to ward off werewolves?

I kept quite a bit of traditional folklore about werewolves, because it seemed to me that it added to the realism of the story. The idea that silver is poisonous to werewolves already exists out there in the world, so it wasn’t a thing I needed to make up and then convince readers to believe. The story about the Beast of Gevaudan is also real, and so is Mont Mouchet and many of the other things. If any reader became curious and decided to look these things up on the internet, he or she would find plenty of background information, just as Zach did in the story. All the settings involved in the story are real, too, including Wolf Mountain, Coca-Cola Lake, and all the other places Zach visited. It was my intention to add the smallest dose of fantasy possible, to make the illusion stronger. Local people would have no difficulty instantly recognizing almost every place I described.

You specifically leave out the blood and gore that typifies other werewolf stories. This seems to be appreciated by many readers even some who would not read other werewolf stories. What was the rationale behind this?

This was partly because I don’t care for blood and gore myself, and partly because I didn’t feel that it would be appropriate for my younger readers. I feel that in a way it’s my job to protect them from things like that, just as any adult should protect any child he knows. I also didn’t feel that a lot of gratuitous blood and gore would honor Christ in this case, which must always be the first question that anyone should ask about anything he’s thinking about doing. The key word is “gratuitous”, of course. There were a few bloody scenes when that was appropriate, such as when Cameron was shot in Behind Blue Eyes and when Gabe Garza attacked Zach in Truesilver. Those scenes wouldn’t have been effective if I hadn’t done them the way I did, so they were necessary. But I did try to keep it to a minimum.

You have created a very convincing background to the Last Werewolf Hunter series. Some would call this world building where an author creates an infrastructure to make the world of the novel realistic, believable and credible for the reader. You have achieved these three criteria in The Last Werewolf Hunter. You have created this by showing:

• the nature of the curse,
• how it is invoked/created,
• its effects,
• history going back two centuries,
• Related mythology,
• prophecy,
• spiritual solution including “supernaturally empowered” artefacts and substances,
• characters in your three series related genealogically to each other in some way and the series' are interlocked.

Did you find this difficult to develop? I can imagine that you would have also had fun doing this regardless!

I did have a lot of fun with the world building for this series. Much of the back story I didn’t actually have to invent myself, since it already exists as part of various mythologies. The rest of it took several years of hard work, and even though it was mostly enjoyable it was never easy. One thing that became really difficult as the years went by was to keep my story straight. That is, to make sure I didn’t contradict something I’d already said in a previous book. That puts some pretty rigid boundaries on where you can go with a story, and those boundaries narrow down still further with each new book that comes out because there are more and more facts that have to be conformed to. I think that’s one reason why sequels are so often not as good as the first book in a series. They get progressively harder to write every time. That was something I never understood until I tried to do it myself, but the challenge was fun.

You write very well in the first person narrative, it really does bring Zach alive, makes him relational and very three dimensional. Experiencing this series from his point of view, draws the reader in and keeps them engaged throughout. Was this your intention to use this type of narrative when you were planning TLWH?

It was partly intentional, and partly just that it made it easier for me as an author to get inside Zach’s head and think the way he would have. I was able to project myself into his shoes and imagine what I would have done in his place, and that made the story much easier and more fun to write. I actually enjoy reading the story myself occasionally, even though I’m the one who wrote it.

The Last Werewolf Hunter series is your first published work, have you written in second or third person in any of your unpublished work, if you have any?

I’ve never written in second person because I don’t like it, frankly. But I’ve written three books in third person: Nightfall (Book one of the Tyke McGrath Series), Unclouded Day (Book One of the Stones of Song series), and Bran the Blessed (Book Three of the Stones of Song Series). Everything else (so far) is in first person. Cody McGrath tells his own story, and so does his grandson Tyke. There are particular reasons why those three books are done differently, but it would be hard to explain them without giving away spoilers.

In a previous interview, you were asked is there anything you would change in the TLWH series. You answered that you might tone down the opening ritual scene in Book 1 as some readers felt this was too graphic. I personally did not find this scene overly graphic and I had to read it again to see if I had missed something when I read this feedback. I then realised that the edition I had read had this ritual scene modified. Just wanted to ask that instead of considering toning that original scene down, could you not had added a warning or disclaimer at the beginning stating that some readers might find this scene disturbing but you have developed it this way to add realism and credibility to the werewolf curse to show how it is accepted?

In the first edition of Cry for the Moon, there was a short additional scene on the second page in which Zach’s grandmother killed a rabbit, and it was this scene which some readers had thought was too graphic. It was only one paragraph long, and after thinking about it I agreed with the readers and removed it because it gave several people the mistaken impression that the book was much bloodier and more violent than it actually is. The scene was never crucial to the plot, and no one has noticed anything missing since it was removed several years ago, so I think it was the right call to make. The first few pages are much more representative of the book as a whole at this point.

I stated in my review of Behind Blue Eyes that I felt Zach was based on you as a teen and Justin as you as an adult. Any truth in this observation?

There’s a lot of truth to that, actually. Zach is very much me as I was at that age, although maybe a little wittier at times. It’s always so much easier to come up with exactly the right comment when you’ve got plenty of time to think about it. And Justin is me too, a little older and wiser perhaps. Not everything is the same, of course, but enough that those who know me well wouldn’t have any difficulty spotting the resemblance. It’s very much there, even down to little details like the kind of truck I like to drive and my fondness for EasyCheese, bass fishing, and marshmallowy-soft beds. You’ll learn all kinds of things about me by reading my books if you pay attention, even though you might never know which details are real and details are real and which are not!

In More Golden Than Day, you have further developed the history of the Werewolf curse and this necessitated the solution outlined in Book 2 to be applied in a more complex way to the final solution of the werewolf issue worldwide. I found this a really clever development and I can draw a correlation to the reason of the incarnation of Christ. I cannot say it any other way without giving away spoilers for potential readers of the series. I see this as a subtle way of connecting the message of this series to the bible and spiritual truth. Your thoughts on this?

You’re absolutely right. As Brandon Stone says in another book, “God loves reflections”. The world is full of hints and images, things that remind us of something bigger than themselves. Not a single snowflake or grain of sand is ever identical in all the world in all of time, but yet we never fail to recognize sand or snow. This method of endless variation on a few central themes, this spiritual counterpoint, is the very idiom by which God writes the story of the world. Therefore I was only imitating Him when I took an idea from a previous book and used it in a slightly different form for a new purpose. That’s what He does all the time, and it’s something which will be seen again throughout the other books that follow these. There are a lot of Scriptural references like this, such as the use of blood sacrifice to give life and the use of the werewolf curse itself as a symbol for sin.

You use items that were blessed from God (the sweet water, the crystal rings and Guardian stones) to be the vessel/method of breaking the werewolf curse instead of other direct spiritual warfare/biblical methods such as using the name of Jesus, praying against the curse, using the Word of God etc.?

Yes, and that was intentional also. While there’s definitely a place for the kind of direct spiritual warfare that you mention, there’s also a place for the indirect kind. As Dr. Anderson mentions in Bran the Blessed, God likes matter. Jesus healed a blind man by putting mud on his eyes, even though He could certainly have done it directly just by speaking the word. The lame were healed by bathing in the Pool of Bethesda when an angel stirred the water. Moses brought forth water from the rock by striking it with his staff. We see God using material things as a conduit for His power in this way throughout Scripture. No one should make the mistake of thinking the objects or substances have any kind of intrinsic power themselves, but no one should overlook God’s liking for indirect methods, either. I wouldn’t venture to try to explain why He sometimes chooses to work this way; I only know that He does. There’s a mistaken tendency among some people to think of God as something purely abstract and spiritual, which makes Him seem less real and less involved with the world. By having Him use material things to exert His power I was hoping to partly counteract that false impression.

In a Facebook discussion we were involved in relating to what is edgy Christian speculative fiction, you state,

"I have written about werewolf curses, witches and sorcerers who have real power, Christian characters who have true dreams about the future, and other things like that. But still, my work is deeply Christian both in outlook and in content. My opinion is that there should be no topic whatsoever which is off limits to a Christian writer, and that we need to fight the enemy on his own ground, without fear and without apology. That said, I don't put any sex or cussing in my work. My books include The Last Werewolf Hunter series, the Stones of Song series, and the Tyke McGrath series, which form an interlocked set of twelve books with overlapping story lines."

What do you consider is characteristic of edgy Christian speculative fiction (ECSF)?

For me, ECSF is any type of Christian fiction which deals with topics or situations one doesn’t normally find in that genre. Christian fiction has a reputation for being an unexciting genre, to put it mildly. And even though I can respect and understand that readers often use regular Christian fiction as a kind of sweet escape from the ugliness of the modern world, I don’t think it should be limited to that purpose. There are real monsters in the world, and as C.S. Lewis once said, since it’s so very likely that our children will meet cruel enemies, at least let them have heard stories about heroes and saints who conquered the Devil and the World through Christ our Lord. Then let them remember those things and find courage in them when they have to face their own battles with darkness, which they will surely have to do sooner or later. This, to me, is what edgy Christian fiction is really for, to train the minds and strengthen the hearts of those who read it. It’s a kind of spiritual battle-training, if you will. Here we can meet the worst that evil can throw at us and learn not to be afraid.

I have not read the Stones of Song series or the End of Days, (The Complete Tyke McGrath series), but I plan to very soon!. Are these series also in the ECSF genre?

Yes, they are, although not quite in the same way. Tyke McGrath is science fiction, which deals with the relationship between faith and science and follows the journey of one boy (Tycho “Tyke” McGrath) from a kind of lukewarm Christianity which he rarely thinks about to a living faith which can work miracles. Tyke himself is the nephew of Cameron and Joan from The Last Werewolf Hunter. The Stones of Song deals with some very harsh topics like child abuse, alcoholism, and teen pregnancy, but this is done in order to illustrate another Scriptural principle – that however deeply we’re crushed, to that same degree God will exalt us if we keep faith in Him. This series is largely the tale of Brandon Stone, the youngest of the Curse-Breakers and undoubtedly the one who suffers the most for his calling, but also the one whom God entrusts with the greatest gift and responsibility of all. He’s also Tyke McGrath’s great-uncle.

What take home message did you want readers of TLWH to embrace?

That God is great beyond imagining, and that He can and will turn even the most terrible things into blessings for those who love Him.

You have 3 series that are interlocked with overlapping storylines, The Last Werewolf Hunter, Stones of Song and the Tyke McGrath series. Would you mind giving an exclusive glimpse of what we are to expect next?

Right now I’m working on two projects at once. The first one is a non-fiction study of the Law of Moses compared to the slightly different form of it found in the New Testament. I have to admit, that’s been a fascinating study which yielded a lot of surprises. I discovered I didn’t know half as much about the Law as I thought I did, and I hope some of the insights I came across will prove to be as useful for my readers as they were for me. My other project is a new science fiction series which will involve Camber Carpenter, Stephen Stone, and a few other of the younger characters from the Tyke McGrath series. So it will be another continuation of the same basic world, just with different focus.

Anything else you would to say about your books or specific series?

Each series is quite different in tone and focus, even though all of them deal with the adventures of the five Curse-Breakers and the ways in which God has called them to fight evil in the world. Their stories are tightly linked in both simple and complex ways, and all five of the Curse-Breakers are related to one another in various ways. I’ve provided family trees on my website so interested readers can see these relationships at a glance. I’m often asked in what order my three series should be read. All three of them are written to be self-contained, so it doesn’t really matter in which order you read them. Chronologically speaking, The Last Werewolf Hunter would come first, then Stones of Song, and finally Tyke McGrath. But even if you started with Tyke McGrath, it would only mean that the other two series would be background story for you. It wouldn’t keep you from understanding anything.

Any closing comments?

Interested readers should definitely visit my website, which contains a wealth of information about me, the three series, and other things. You will find family trees displaying how all the characters are related, a glossary of terms and places, free downloadable discussion questions for each book, quotable quotes, photos of several characters and locations mentioned in the series, music files where you can listen to songs mentioned in the text, links to free novels and short stories, and many other things. It’s a huge site which is easy to navigate, and well worth exploring.

Where can readers find you?

Website - http://www.williamwoodall.org

Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/bluearkansascowboy

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2876219.William_Woodall

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/William-Woodall/e/B002FQ9VZM

William, thank you very much for a very insightful look into your world as an author and the background and structure to your 3 series. This has enhanced my appreciation of your novels especially The Last Werewolf Hunter series.  I pray that more teens and young adults will investigate your series and be encouraged in the way of the Lord as they read them.  I am looking forward to your next novel and I am sure your fans are as well.

Guest Blogger, David Alderman on The Crossover Alliance and Kickstarter Campaign

Today I would like to allow David Alderman, author and founder of The Crossover Alliance to talk to you about this Alliance and its exciting new venture. But before I do, I would like to explain why I am doing this. 

Not too long ago, I came across a book, Black Earth: End of the Innocence by David Alderman and I was intrigued by the mix of genres: fantasy, science fiction, supernatural, alien invasion, demons, apocalyptic. Little did I know then that I was reading a book in a new genre, edgy Christian speculative fiction. I loved the Black Earth series and then realised I loved this new genre. Soon after, I was asked by David to join his new community, The Crossover Alliance, and this introduced me to more books in this genre. It has been encouraging seeing it transform "from community to website to, now, an online publishing company" to quote David below.

I have read some great books from the authors in this new company, such Mark Carver, Jess Hanna, Nathan James Norman and Donovan Martin Neal. This has motivated me to seek out others as well. This review blog contains a  lot of my reviews from this genre. Now, I am a strong supporter of edgy Christian speculative fiction from reading and reviewing these books and getting involved. I enjoy the real world content, the Christian worldview, the depiction of Christian characters being real, not being shy in showing their flaws, their failings, their struggle with faith, coping with real life situations and showing God for who He is and that He is still relevant in today's secular and humanistic world.

I will now let David speak about this new Publishing company, how it was formed, what it means for the future of Christian fiction and to encourage readers and authors reading this to consider supporting us in raising funds to get this Company up and running and making a positive impact in the world of Christian fiction and beyond.

The Crossover Alliance and Kickstarter Campaign

by David Alderman.

Publishing has come a long way since the dawn of books, and I’m not just referring to the method of publishing. Sure, we have digital e-readers now and we can print-on-demand. The beauty of those methods though is that they have opened the doors for self-publishing. And self-publishing has opened the doors for brand new genres that nobody thought existed before now. As readers, our options for obtaining a book in a genre that we’ve always wanted to read is no longer laser focused. And as writers, we have more freedom in finding our target audience. It’s a beautiful match made possible by technology and our ever increasing desire to make everything digital and everything easily accessible.

This being said, I think Christian fiction – both traditionally published and self-published - has been behind the 8-ball when it comes to breaking new ground in the realm of genre. Most Christian fiction has traditionally fallen into a handful of narrow categories, including romance, allegory, and apocalyptic. Until recently, science fiction and horror were never really considered ‘appropriate’ genres in the Christian marketplace. Authors are breaking that mold a bit by proving that Christ-centered themes can indeed be placed in edgier frameworks without performing a sacrilegious travesty.

When one gets beyond the genre issue, Christian publishing still finds itself almost always restrained by a specific set of rules that governs its titles: no cursing, no sexual content, no gritty violence, no ‘dark’ tales, no unhappy endings. Traditional Christian fiction has always been more prone to shy away from revealing the very ugly, very messed up side of life. Most stories are injected with redemptive themes – sometimes forced, and most Christian fiction stories tie up the end of their tales with a neat and tidy little bow that would more than likely never exist in the real world.

It’s not to say there’s anything wrong with these types of stories. There’s a market for them, and audience for them, and an obvious demand for them. But there are many readers out there who enjoy reading secular fiction but would like to see more Christ-centered themes, and many readers who enjoy reading Christian fiction but would like to see less ‘fluff’ and more real-world content. They want to see the rules be broken, not for the sake of breaking the rules, but for the sake of reading and creating real, unapologetic stories.

I broke the rules in 2009 when I self-published Black Earth: End of the Innocence, the first installment in my apocalyptic Christ-centered fictional series. I felt like a fish out of water when I wrote and self-published the manuscript, but many Christians and non-Christians supported my storytelling endeavors, stating that it was time for Christian authors to start writing edgier stuff. My isolation in this strange vacuum prompted me to find a unique name for this type of fiction. Edgy Christian fiction was already taken up by most of the romance genre, so I made a point to differentiate myself from the crowd and came up with edgyChristian speculative fiction.

At that point, I began networking with other authors who specialized in this homegrown genre and created The Crossover Alliance. 

TCA was originally started as a community for readers and writers of edgy Christian speculative fiction to gather and network with one another, but has since gone through a few transformations from community to website to, now, an online publishing company.

To this end, I just recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the first year of The Crossover Alliance’s publishing costs - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2054728317/the-crossover-alliance-first-year-fiction-catalog. 



This includes professional editing, cover design, and other various business expenses. If you want to support this type of fiction, please consider pledging to our Kickstarter campaign. You can score some awesome Kickstarter rewards, including subscriptions to our publishing catalog, unique bookmarks, and other goodies. Not to mention, you’ll also be responsible for changing the very face of publishing by opening up a market for edgy Christian speculative fiction.

David N. Alderman is an indie author of two speculative fiction series—Black Earth and Expired Reality. You can find all of David's work at www.davidnalderman.com. He is also the founder of The Crossover Alliance (www.thecrossoveralliance.com), a publishing company specializing in edgy Christian speculative fiction. He participates in National Novel Writing Month (www.nanowrimo.org) each year. When he’s not writing or spending time with family, you can find David gaming on any number of different consoles.

Christian Fiction photo by Beatrice Murch https://www.flickr.com/photos/blmurch/134916897/