Greetings readers, bloggers, geeks, and authors and welcome to The ToiBox of Words. I’m your host Toi Thomas, author of Eternal Curse, and today I’m sharing a special interview with author, e a lake, about his fiction book entitled, WWIV – Darkness Descends. Enjoy!
Where did the idea for WWIV – Darkness Descends come from?
I had a million scenarios running through my mind as I wrote the larger novels in this series. And because those novels focus tightly on one person or group, I wanted to give the readers an opportunity to experience the Darkness through many eyes, not just one set. Each novella is non-recurring, just like the primary series, so you get the view the world from as many points of view as I can create.
How did the title of this book come about?
It isn’t until the third book in the primary WWIV series that the event, which caused all the problems, is referred to as the Darkness. I wanted to write more about the Darkness, in short story form, so that readers would get a true feel for what happened around the world. Thus – Darkness Descends.
What genre is this book and why did you choose to make it so?
Post-Apocalyptic and Dystopian. It fits; the event that changes the world – takes away all of our cool gadgets and even most vehicles – makes it seem as if a nuclear blast or EMP has occurred. (But I’m not telling what really happened until the last book of the Shorts).
What would you say is the overall message or the theme of this book?
The Darkness has arrived. And the world will never be the same…ever; though hardly anyone knows the scope of the issues. Learn what happened immediately before, and shortly after the event that will change mankind happens.
Tell me about the experience of writing this book; how long did it take.
Since many of these stories were already floating around in my mind, this novella was a rather quick write. No more than four weeks as I recall. I did a chapter at a time, and let the characters reactions tell the tale. The only research I needed, was time zones around the world. Time is an important issue in the novella.
Tell me about the main storyline within this book.
In part one, it is nearly the same time throughout the world. Each chapter progresses by one short minute. Until chapter 6, when the event has just occurred. Part two deals with the aftermath, at various times. Instead of repeating the same order as part one, or even reversing the order, I arranged it willy-nilly. Demonstrating what has happened to our world.
Who is the protagonist of this story?
Each chapter has several characters that are highlighted. For the most part each of these unassuming folks are the protagonists. The same characters are highlighted in parts one and two. There is a bonus chapter at the end of this novella. It takes the reader inside the Oval Office in Washington. I will let you decide if the President is a good guy, or not.
Who is the antagonist of this story?
Truly – here in this novella – the event is the antagonist. Imagine someone or something that takes away all your electricity, all forms of communication. Most modern vehicles won’t even make a sound when the key is turned. The Darkness is the bad guy here – the true villain.
What is the major conflict in this story?
The Darkness is nearly the only conflict in each short story. Then, realizing what may have happened, people take over. This idea (people turning rotten, like unattended fruit) is more prevalent in the longer books, the main novels. But I hint about what happens to some of our humanity in several chapters in this book as well.
Where and when is this story taking place?
According to United States Central Standard Time, the event – The Darkness – descends upon our world at 2:33 a.m. It’s a warm humid evening in Madison, Wisconsin when it arrives. And all around the world, within seconds after that time, the darkness engulfs everyone. It is very silent, almost without commotion; but make no mistake, the world is about to become a dark place.
Are there elements of your personality or life experiences in this book?
Since the story unfolds in eight different locations around the world, I used some very familiar settings. I grew up in southern Wisconsin, a mere ten miles from Madison. I’ve visited the Black Hills of South Dakota often (I even honeymooned there back in 1980). And while on business I once dined in Utrecht, Holland. I’ve met, in some form, all of the characters in this novella. Almost every character I’ve ever created is based on a real person from somewhere in my life.
What is something you wish wasn’t real and hope doesn’t happen to you?
It’s all fiction, so it’s all made up. But one thing I hope never happens, one thing I pray never befalls the earth, is the Darkness I’ve laid out in this novella. If it ever did, God forbid, all of humanity is in a lot a trouble.
Do you have any special plans for this book in the near or far future?
In the distant future, perhaps next year sometime, I would like to make this book available for free. Just in the electronic format, of course. But I would like to place this in the hands of any reader who would like it, always free. I’m still not sure how possible (or likely) this goal is, but I’d still like to try.
Okay readers, bloggers, geeks, and authors, that’s all for today. Be sure to follow this blog to see who will be visiting next time. To obtain your copy of WWIV – Darkness Descends, please visit the links provided.
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