Guest Post: A. Finlay talking about "Blinding Darkness"
April 14, 2015
Someone once told me that the characters in your dreams are all a projection of you. The same is true in writing. For anyone who has read my books, I’ll understand if you’re a little concerned. One of my favourite characters to write is my bad guy. Lucifer. I hear ya, he’s been written to death, snort, eye roll, groan all of that, but as my last post states, I’m basing characters and storylines on research that I’ve done, so making up all my characters wouldn’t really work.
In saying that, I’m not one for the typical evil guy. Luci isn’t going to fly at you, arms outstretched and murder you in some brutal manner. He’s going to wait until you’re not home, sneak into your house and eat all of your cheese. Because you love cheese and it will confuse you.
The worst type of baddies are those who aren’t openly evil. They butter you up, wear you down and then make you think you’re losing your marbles. But they’ve commandeered your marbles. They’re stroking them softly and then flicking them off the overpass. This is why Lucifer is fun to write.
So if my meanies have sass, what about my mainies?
This is where it became a little more difficult. I think when one writes material that contains religious content, there’s an expectation for the protagonists to be one dimensional good guys. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure those types of people exist, but they’re sitting in an immaculate room, sipping herbal tea and watching Little House on the Prairie. Not fighting demons.
This might be the reason my first book was rejected from a few (not all) Christian bookstores. I’ll never forget the time one of my review copies was returned to me by a little old lady who ran small Christian bookstore. She was sweet as sugar and said she read the whole thing but it just wasn’t something she was willing to stock. When I sat in my car and inspected the book, I saw that it was tattered and covered in candle wax. Candle wax! What on earth could have gone on while she ploughed through the pages? Bless her wooly moccasons, I think I may have traumatised the poor woman.
My point was to highlight that my characters aren’t perfect, but now all I can think about is little old ladies throwing cups of tea at baddies. It could work. I really shouldn’t rule it out.
Binding Darkness, the second book in the Shadows of Light series, follows on from the first. Aaliya has mastered many of her angel abilities, her life is a straight path of friendship and fun, but she’s complacent.
It’s the story after the happy ending where the true depths of the characters are revealed. Just because she was born into a life, does not make her worthy of it. Like seeping darkness that closes in on the day, Aaliya’s world changes before her. She is under attack, but it’s not her life that he wants. The most dangerous battle she will fight is that of her mind.
Did you like how I told you about the book without actually telling you anything about the book? I can’t spoil the first in the series by blurting out everything about the second.
So it’s back to writing for me, I’ve only a few chapters until I’ve finished “Afterglow”. I’m so excited I’m about to lose the plot entirely (I really need my plot) and I’m sure you’re anxious to get back to your cheese. You might want to check it’s still in your fridge. (gasp).
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As Aaliya and her friends are thrown into the public eye, her world falls apart;
Arael is called to duty, Daniel leaves with no explanation and Sophia is strangely calm about it.
A new friend named Sariah enters her life, but is violently taken from her.
As Aaliya searches for Sariah, the world grows darker; bats swarm the skies, crows appear in odd places and shadow-like spirits lurk in broad daylight.
Aaliya is vulnerable, alone and doesn't trust the most important people in her life. To overcome the darkness, Aaliya must first fight her most dangerous battle.
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