Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Joseph Nassise. Joseph is the author of the
Great Undead War series,
Templar Chronicles,
Riverwatch,
Eyes to See and
King of the Dead.
The Road to Redemption
I spent some time this past week talking to various English literature
and creative writing classes at the Christian high school just down the
street from where I live. The kids were very enthusiastic and I really
enjoyed the time we spent together talking about the writing process and
how one goes about becoming a writer.
As part of my introduction to each class, I noted that most of my work
falls into a genre commonly known as urban or contemporary fantasy and
defined that genre as fantasy set in a modern setting, often with
supernatural elements. Inevitably, at some point in the discussion with
each class, one of the students asked why I wrote the kind of fiction
that I did.
I explained that the vast majority of my work deals with the issue of
redemption, that journey from personal darkness back into the light.
Sometimes that journey is almost literal, such as Jake Caruso’s journey
beneath the foundations of the Blake family mansion and into the tomb of
the Na’Karat in RIVERWATCH or Cade Williams repeated journeys into the
Beyond searching for the lost soul of his wife Gabrielle in the Templar
Chronicles series. My most recent book, King of the Dead, is no
exception. In fact, the entire Jeremiah Hunt Chronicle is set up around
this very process.
When we first meet Jeremiah in the opening scenes of EYES TO SEE, he is a
less-than-likeable character. Okay, I’ll admit it – he’s pretty much a
total jerk. For years he has been focused on discovering what has
happened to his daughter, Elizabeth, to the detriment of all else. He
has lost his job and his wife as a result of his obsession and somewhere
along the way he began to lose his humanity as well. He withdraws from
associating with others and begins his slide into darkness, culminating
in his Faustian bargain with the Preacher to give up his sight.
EYES deals with the search for his daughter and his need to rely on the
help of others to get him where he wants to go. For a man who has been
alone and walking in darkness (literally) for several years, this is no
easy task. In KING OF THE DEAD, Jeremiah continues walking the path he
has set for himself, though not without a few detours along the way.
As I explained to the kids the other day, I write about redemption and
restoration because I think that is part of our human condition. It is a
path that all of us – man, woman, child – must take at some point in
our lives and therefore one that touches every reader in one way or another.
King of the Dead (Jeremiah Hunt #2) by Joseph Nassise
Joseph Nassise shook up the urban fantasy genre with Eyes to See, a novel New York Times bestselling
author Jonathan Maberry called “heartbreaking, deeply insightful,
powerful and genuinely thrilling.” In a devil’s deal, Jeremiah Hunt
sacrificed his human sight in exchange for the power to see the hidden
world of ghosts and all of the darker spirits that prowl the streets.
Hunt uncovered a world of murder and magic that took his daughter from
him and nearly cost him his life, but that was only the beginning....
Now
Hunt is on the run from the FBI, who have pegged him as a
mass-murdering dark sorcerer. His flight from the law is diverted to New
Orleans when his companion, a potent witch, has a horrific vision of
the city under magical siege. When they arrive, they realize that the
situation is more dire than they could have imagined: the world of the
living faces a terrifying attack by forces from beyond the grave. King of the Dead,
the second book in this groundbreaking series, promises more of
Nassise’s electrifying writing that will enthrall readers looking for a
supercharged, supernatural thrill.
Release Date: November 27, 2012 Tor Books
Genre: Urban Fantasy
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Goodreads.
Thank you Joseph for joining us here today at From the Shadows!
To learn more about
Joseph Nassise and his books, please visit his website. Also, don't miss our
interview with Joseph here.
