Q&A Time

 

 

We’re halfway through the launch celebration for Dronefall Four, Nightstare! This had been a great week. I hope you all are feeling as energized as I am right now.

Well, you guys sent me some good questions, so let’s jump right in, shall we?

 

What was your first glimmer of inspiration for the Dronefall series?

There are several inspirations I can remember, but to be honest, I don’t know which came first. I became interested in drones and fascinated by the idea of mass drone surveillance in college. I was using it as a topic for a debate in speech class. The debate wasn’t that great. I don’t do well with tight time-limits. I guess that’s why the Dronefall series is so long.

 

What excites you the most about sharing Nightstare with the world?

This book’s been long in coming, and it contains events that I’ve been thinking about for a long time. It pretty much hits the midpoint plot-twist for the whole series, and things get increasingly crazier from here. I also feel like Nightstare packs more emotional and thematic punch than the previous books, so I can’t wait to see how readers react.

 

Who’s your favorite character in Nightstare?

I love my main cast, of course. Halcyon is becoming an increasingly interesting lead, Reveille is my favorite sidekick ever, Zoltan is great, Dorian is…Dorian, and Shep is way cooler and more important than I ever expected him to be.

But, in Nightstare particularly, a character that takes a surprising place in my heart is Reverend St. Cloud. I think few people are going to suspect how huge his role is going to be from the first book, where he really just seems like another of many confusing obstacles. But moves the plot in amazing ways as we get along in the story, and he’s also a very complex person with a lot going on. Just wait and see.

 

Who’s you’re least favorite character in Nightstare?

Elder Boaz. He’s a jerk.

 

Which Dronefall book was hardest to write?

Each book has it’s own challenges, but I think the hardest was book two, Lightwaste. Not only did it have the built-in anxieties that always come with the second book in a series, it also has a very different plot than the others. There’s a lot of confusion and back-and-forth that Halcyon has to face more or less alone, and a lot of information to introduce. I also pulled no punches with the cultural criticism in the second book, so there was a lot of time spent dealing with some very real-world ugliness, so it was difficult in that way, too.

Have any of your reasons why you’re writing Dronefall changed since starting the series?

When I started writing Dronefall, I think I was more motivated by frustration and a need to have my say than I am now. I was in college, which really opened my eyes to the state of things and the direction society is taking, and that really lit a fire under me to counter the lies that are being told out there. Of course, there’s still some of that, that’s called being a dystopian writer, but I think I’ve really connected to some deeper themes in the story, now. These days, I really just want to inspire other Christians and help them see a future where Christ is both relevant and winning.

What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned?

I’ve learned loads of technical things writing this series, but I think the biggest lesson I’ve gotten out of this so far is to never stop pouring yourself into what we feel inspired to do. It literally doesn’t matter if anyone ever reads it. If it feeds your soul and gives you a sense of purpose, that in itself is worth it.

What’s the theme scripture verse?

There are a lot of themes I think about when I think about this series. It’s hard to boil a six-book series down to one. But I think when you watch Halcyon Slavic going through this big weird labyrinth of a story, you see her asking something over and over: “Why me?” and not in a self-pitying way. She doesn’t know why she is where she is, or way the things that are happening to her are happening to her.

I’ve never picked a specific scripture for this. But I know it occurs a lot with people throughout the Bible, as well as with us today. Things can seem very random, and it’s hard to see how our story fits into the big story. And yet, it does, and our part is no mistake.

How do you hope your readers feel at the end of the Dronefall series?

This isn’t going to be one of those dystopian stories that just kind of collapses into rubble at the end. That doesn’t mean everything is going to be all wrapped up and tied with a bow, but I have no intention of being a downer after getting people invested for six whole books. Actually, I want my readers to be excited at the end of Dronefall. I want them to be looking up and believing in a future—their future—where there is still meaning, joy, and healing. I want people to have open eyes and look for the deeper purpose under what happens in this world, knowing they don’t have to panic or feel forgotten in the tides of time and chaos, because God is writing the story, and we all have a place in it.

Thanks again for the questions, guys! See you tomorrow with a special surprise.