Let's Cast "The Coming Evil"!

Howdy.

I remember back in the day reading Wizard Magazine and always excited to see a feature called "Casting Call" whereby the staff at Wizard had a little fun and cast who they thought would fit best with hypothetical comic book movies.

Well, I thought I would give the same treatment to The Coming Evil Trilogy. Seeing as how this series began as a script (and one day I'd like to see it return to that format, if God so wills), I've always thought of this trilogy in movie terms. So, for fun, we're gonna sit down and cast The Coming Evil Trilogy. Some of these actors I had in mind while writing from Day One, while others I came up with just for this feature. Some of these actors have aged considerably, and some of them--sadly--are no longer with us. Therefore, this is a total dream cast, and I think that each of these actors embody the essence of the characters.

Here's the cast, broken down by each book. KEEP IN MIND, THERE WILL BE SOME SPOILERS BELOW!

THE STRANGE MAN

Dras Weldon: From the jump, I always envisioned Ethan Embry (circa Can't Hardly Wait) as Dras Weldon. I mean, come on, look at that guy! He's got this open face and this squirrely smirk. He seems to be the absolute last person you would choose to fend off the armies of hell--which is why he's exactly perfect for Dras.

Rosalyn Myers: While Eliza Dushku's turn as Faith Lehane in Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a major inspiration for the character of Rosalyn, I went through a major Jennifer Love Hewitt phase when I first started writing The Strange Man back in the late '90s. I think she's gorgeous; her eyes are so expressive and I think she has a great sincerity and vulnerability in her performances. In the books, Rosalyn goes from girl-next-door, to tormented victim, to lost soul. I think JLH could handle all of that and make us feel for her character's dark journey every step of the way.

Jeff Weldon: My wife and I agree that a young Tim Daly would make a perfect Jeff Weldon, while my brother leans towards The Vampire Diaries' Ian Somerhalder (who might also make a pretty good Strange Man, no?). However you cut it, we need an apple pie, upstanding good man and I think Supernatural's Jensen Ackles is a perfect fit. I think the early seasons of Supernatural show that Jensen is a powerhouse of an actor. He can be cute, threatening, burdened, desperate to please his father, and kind. He's got the full range (and I hear the girls think he's hot). Well, okay, I'll admit--he is a pretty good-looking man.

Isabella Weldon: When Jennifer Lopez is not all done up in her glamorous dresses, I think she displays a real down-to-earth beauty. She exudes strength, but also warmth and humor--everything a woman needs to play Isabella.

The Strange Man: This is a hard one, and I've changed my views on who should play the titular villain. But, these days, I'm gonna throw it to Tom Huddleston. Have you seen his creepy Loki grin? I think this actor could capture the suave appeal of the demon in his human form, as well as cutting loose and being wide-eyed evil and sadistic.

Lindsey McCormick: For the Strange Man's first victim, I would select none other than Vampire Diaries sweetheart Candice Accola. She's the right mixture of bubbly innocence and beauty--and we'd all instantly hate the Strange Man for taking her out of this world.

ENEMIES OF THE CROSS

Sheriff Hank Berkley: For my money, the late great Lane Smith will always be Hank Berkley to me, hands down. He played the father in Son-in-Law (yeah, Pauly Shore!), and Perry White in Lois & Clark on ABC. I see this man and some of the characters he's played and I just want to give him a big ole hug. And that's exactly what kind of reaction I get from Hank. Hank is fatherly, a bit dopey at times, but all Southern heart. Mr. Smith would have knocked that performance out of the park.

Danny Carpenter: As stated in a previous commentary, I've always envisioned Norman Reedus as everyone's favorite rebellious punk with a heart of gold.

Millie Walker: Precocious Mara Wilson from Mrs. Doubtfire would have been perfect for the soft spoken, though courageous, toddler who dared to shove a defiant finger in the face of hell.

Annie Myers: Michelle Trachtenberg was the cute, though annoying kid sister in Buffy, and I believe she would have served the same purpose as Rosalyn's cute, though annoying kid sister :p

Leonard Fergus: Again, as already noted in one of my commentaries for Enemies, I want Bill Cobbs to play Leonard. That voice, that gait! Accept no substitute.

Christopher Perdu: Well, it has to be a young Robert Redford, right? I mean, I said as much in the book!

Deputy Ryan Stevenson: We need a hulking guy with a sinister glint in his eyes. Browncoats rejoice as I believe Firefly's Adam Baldwin would be a perfect and intimidating Deputy (and later Sheriff) Stevenson.

Will Baxter: Okay, so I chose Hayden Christensen. Attack of the Clones notwithstanding, there's something about this actor that I want to like. I believe (a younger version of him) could play the shy, untried assistant pastor--but with a darkness brewing in his eyes.

Ray McCormick: "Doom! Doom!" Marvelous character actor Jeffrey Combs has all the Lovecraftian nuance to play Lindsey's grieving father who falls victim to terrible visions of the Doom That Has Come to Greensboro.

Earl Canton: I struggled with this one, but I think I've settled on Clancy Brown in the role of Earl, playing the embittered father who distrusts his local government and wants answers for all the "mysterious events" going on in Greensboro. I've loved Clancy Brown in everything I've ever seen him in, so I'm confident he would bring an intensity, and also a great sadness, to the role of Earl.

DARK HOUR

Jack Weldon: For the role of Dras and Jeff's father, I needed a man who could just look at you and either build you up or cut you down. The late Jason Robards is just that good.

Reid: When Christopher calls in for some angelic backup, he gets this long-haired hippy in a "God Is Nifty" T-Shirt. Dean Haglund as Langley in The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen was, quite obviously, the inspiration for Reid and I can't imagine another actor playing him.

Carter Ross: I pretty much just ripped off Carter's look from the character of C.J. in the remake of Dawn of the Dead anyway, so let's just cast the same actor, Michael Kelly, yeah?

Sarah Browning: This was a tough cast, but I really like Mary Elizabeth Winstead. I think she's a solid actress and would make a great "cute nerd" who makes eyes at Danny. She's smart, quirky, and confident: good qualities for the Haven's resident computer tech.

TJ Walker: Shawn Hatosy's turn as a discontent jock in '90s creature feature The Faculty puts him in the prime position for the role of misguided monster in our movie.

Rebecca Walker: Penelope Ann Miller was a name that sprung to mind while creating this list. She's got a tenderness, honesty, and fierce motherly instinct that could serve her well in the Dark Hour.

Franklin Whitaker: It's a Supernatural reunion! Papa Winchester himself, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, was always Franklin in my book. He's gruff, got the look of a hard worker, and has an easy-to-love smile.

LENGTHENING SHADOWS

Bonus round! I would be remiss not to include my dream casting for the Arbigast Group as featured in this e-novella that takes place between Enemies of the Cross and Dark Hour.

Jon Arbigast: I've already admitted in an earlier commentary that the character of Arbigast was directly inspired by my wide-eyed admiration of James Woods in John Carpenter's Vampires. Man, I love that guy.

Rashonda Spencer: I've never considered anyone else for the role of Arbigast's right hand woman than powerful lioness Angela Bassett.

Zabuto LeBeau: Idris Elba is everywhere these days, and there's a reason for that: He's just so blasted cool. He carries himself with humble confidence and power--perfect for Zabuto.

Nathan Callahan: Once again, the only person, in my mind, who could play the crude and brutish monster hunter is character actor Mark Boone Junior (and, hey, he's in Vampires too!).

Rachel King: Smoking hot Rachel Nichols would be a great fit as the rookie who has to prove her muster to the likes of Jon Arbigast.

So, there we go! The trilogy is cast! Do you agree or disagree with my casting? Who would you cast? Feel free to chime in and join in the fun!

What's Next?

Now that The Coming Evil Trilogy is over, the question I get asked most often these days is "What's next?" I mean, I've only been working on this series for my entire adult life--where do I go from here? Well, as a matter of fact, I do have a lot of projects going on, but as for my next series, it's already started--and it fits squarely in the world of The Coming Evil!

"You can’t even begin to understand the places in between, the unknowable depths of eternity, the mind-shattering realizations that wait just beyond your rather limited peripheral understanding of space and time."

This line is uttered by the Strange Man in Dark Hour, the final book of The Coming Evil Trilogy, and serves as a hint at my new book Rift Jump!

Rift Jump came out last summer through Splashdown Darkwater, my publisher for Dark Hour. In it, readers are taken to this "In Between" that the Strange Man was referring to and discover it to be the supernatural plane where all the angels and devils in all my stories, including the Strange Man and his gremlin hordes, originate. The In Between is the metaphysical glue that holds together the near-limitless worlds of the multiverse, an intricate network of alternate realities and parallel dimensions.

Rift Jump introduces us to Michael Morrison, the young man chosen by the Light to journey across this multiverse, combating some great Evil that is worming its way through the In Between, trying to consume the multiverse. The Strange Man knows this particular Evil very well and, if you've read The Coming Evil Trilogy, you might recognize it too, and already know the damage it could cause.

While The Coming Evil centered on the battle of good and evil across the landscape of small town Greensboro, Rift Jump takes that same battle to the cosmic stage. It's a clash of titans in this book, and shows what larger battles exist in the world--the multiverse--of The Coming Evil.

I have one more book to write in this new series, I believe. Among my many other projects, I'm slowly working on the follow-up to Rift Jump, that will bring to resolution whatever dangling plot threads remain after that first book. But, in the meantime, you can purchase Rift Jump from Amazon for its new low price in print or Kindle.

When Rift Jump was initially released, it was sort of lost in the midst of The Coming Evil Trilogy. But now that the Trilogy is finished, I'm hoping people will take another look at the book. It's already starting to get a little more attention out there in the world, garnering me a great new review and has even been nominated for a 2013 Clive Staples Award for Christian Speculative Fiction.

I hope you all go check out the book and get a look at the larger mechanics operating in my fictional world. Rift Jump is an action-packed wild ride, straight into the In Between where devils lurk and back again. Don't miss it!

Today, I'm over at Lisa Godfrees' blog, discussing all things Rift Jump, as well as offering two free copies of the book! But the giveaway only lasts for a week, so hurry over, read the interview, and leave a comment (over there) for your chance to win!

The Trilogy is Complete

Look what came in the mail today, completing the set :)

To me, this story was never meant to be "The Strange Man and its sequels", but one story that could only be told when all three parts were fit together. It's a good feeling to know that the whole story--the real story--is finally told, and that they make such a striking trio on the bookshelf :p

Thanks to all who have taken the journey with me, and to those just discovering the path for the first time, welcome! Complete your own collection of The Coming Evil Trilogy, by visiting these helpful links:

The Strange Man
Enemies of the Cross
Dark Hour

Also available--Lengthening Shadows, an exclusive e-novella set before the dramatic events in Dark Hour.

"The Coming Evil"--The Story So Far

My publisher has informed me that all the last minute formatting is done on Dark Hour--the final installment in The Coming Evil Trilogy--and will be off to the printer shortly. That means you may be able to purchase the book in little over a week! This saga that has consumed my entire adult life is coming to an end. That fills me with a mix of emotions, but I might share those later.

Right now, in order to prepare you for this epic final confrontation against the Strange Man and his demonic hordes, here's a little refresher course on the series thus far. The following can be found as a preface in my recent enovella release Lengthening Shadows, which takes place after Enemies of the Cross, but before Dark Hour.

It goes without saying (and yet here I am saying it) that the below is filled with spoilers, and only skims the surface of events from the previous two books. Both The Strange Man and Enemies of the Cross are available online and in stores, so go out and buy your copy today to experience the excitement firsthand!

Now, on with the guide:


For over a hundred years, the small town of Greensboro has told stories of a Bogeyman lurking in the spooky North Woods. As an unusual storm blows through modern day Greensboro, slacker Dras Weldon discovers that the legends are terrifyingly real. A demonic “strange man” has returned to visit his wrath on the town that expunged him so long ago. However, the monster’s plans are temporarily put on hold when he spots Dras’ best friend, Rosalyn Myers. The Strange Man becomes fixated on the young woman, preying on her bitterness, desiring to have her for himself. Desperate to save his friend, Dras matures overnight, setting aside his selfish attitudes in order to combat the Strange Man. He first seeks the help of his older brother, Jeff, a pastor at the Good Church of the Faithful, but after a lifetime of being disappointed by Dras’ irresponsible living, Jeff refuses to believe his brother’s story. Alone, and armed only with a faith he once discarded, Dras faces down the Strange Man in the dance hall known as The Rave Scene. However, the Strange Man has orchestrated events to frame Dras for the murders the demon has committed while in town. Deputies led by Ryan Stevenson storm The Rave Scene and arrest Dras, beating him nearly to death. Dras is only spared by the intervention of Sheriff Hank Berkley.

Branded “The Greensboro Ripper”, Dras is sentenced to imprisonment in Wexler State Penitentiary. With Dras removed, the Strange Man steps up his pursuit of Rosalyn in earnest, repeatedly visiting her and tormenting her—but also wooing her to his side. Alone and vulnerable, Rosalyn begins to confuse right and wrong and suspects that, though she loathes the Strange Man for what he’s done to Dras, the demon might also be her only salvation from a town and people who have outcast her. Dras’ brother, Jeff, struggles with guilt and regret for not coming to his brother’s aid, even as he discovers a conspiracy amongst the Greensboro leaders to conceal the Strange Man’s actions. As Jeff learns, the conspirators—calling themselves “The Committee”—have been secretly aiding the monster in order to return prosperity to their dying town. Only now, Leonard Fergus, one of the conspirators, is having misgivings about their deal with the devil and reveals the terrible truth to Jeff. As Jeff gets closer to tearing down the conspiracy, the Committee responds in kind, using the young pastor’s newfound obsession as ammunition to have him dismissed from the pulpit. Jeff’s marriage to Isabella is on rocky ground as Jeff pushes everyone away, desperate to get revenge against the Strange Man and the men who collaborated with the creature. Jeff’s only friend is Danny Carpenter, a young drug pusher who, in the midst of his own rehabilitation, comes to trust the ex-preacher.

Together the duo unravel the mystery at the heart of their town and learn the truth: The Strange Man is orchestrating events to bring about something he calls the “Dark Hour” that will see the return of his Master to the Earth and the presumable annihilation of mankind. But the deeper Jeff descends into the Strange Man’s dark secrets, the more he loses himself, nearly succumbing to a supernaturally-charged viscous black goo that has the ability to bond to men and turn them into shambling monsters. Jeff’s only way to save himself is to renounce his cause and to do the nigh impossible—trust God to have a plan.

Conquering his inner demons, Jeff encourages Danny to back away from the fight, as Jeff reunites with his wife. Sheriff Hank Berkley and teenager Annie Myers, Rosalyn’s sister, have come to learn the truth, as well, and join the three in biding their time, waiting for the Strange Man’s next move, ready to act whenever God calls them to action. It’s a painful decision as the town is moving closer and closer to the Dark Hour. The knife is twisted even deeper into the backs of the faithful when Rosalyn finally gives in to the Strange Man’s will, consuming the black goo, lost to darkness…

"Lengthening Shadows"--Commentary

In case you missed it, last week I released a brand new tale set within The Coming Evil Trilogy. Lengthening Shadows is an e-novella set between Enemies of the Cross and Dark Hour. It sets the stage for that final book in The Coming Evil Trilogy--due to hit the market in February 2013. So, here we are for a commentary on the new story. However, because Lengthening Shadows introduces many concepts that will be explored in full in Dark Hour, I'm saving the commentary on those aspects for Book Three's commentary.

There is one thing that Lengthening Shadows has that marks it as a unique entry in the saga--the inclusion of The Arbigast Group.

An early roster of the Arbigast Group appeared in my short story "Flesh and Blood" found within the pages of The Midnight Diner Vol. 3. The Arbigast Group is my answer to the grizzled monster hunters--a not-so secret passion of mine. I get a thrill at the idea of a group of guys getting together for the sole purpose of hunting evil. I've always imagined what kind of brotherhood might exist in such a group, facing nightly terrors that the world refused to believe in. I imagined it would be a life of quiet sacrifice and no glory--save for the moment you were slaying some unthinkable creature.

More specifically, the Arbigast Group, and its inclusion in The Coming Evil Trilogy, was informed by two sources: John Carpenter's Vampires (based on the amazing John Steakley novel Vampire$) and that Schwarzenegger flick End of Days.


The leader of the Group--Jon Arbigast--is a thinly veiled homage to James Woods in Vampires. He's crude, loud, a bit egotistical, and a drunk. But, at the heart of him, he's a man who loves his team and would gladly die for them. I'm pretty sure Vampires was a flop at the box office and pelted by critics as being misogynistic. I suppose some of the latter criticism is warranted, but there is such a tenderness that Woods adds to his tough guy monster hunter that really left a lasting impression on me. I wanted to create a character like that to explore. Being knee-deep in my Buffy obsession at the time, it was refreshing to see hunters struggling to win. I had become so used to a hunter who barely had to fight to defeat a hellborn foe--and always had a cutesy comeback, to boot--that it was quite shocking to be reminded of how "blue collar hunters" had the harder battle. These guys had to rely on their teammates and their quick thinking and every inch they gained in the war against vampires was won only with blood and tears. I wanted to write hunters like THAT, not like Buffy.

Years passed. 2003 rolled around and I was looking to break into writing for the Halloween film franchise--ironically enough, also a John Carpenter movie. I wrote a script that saw a group of mercenaries--either originally built by Dr. Loomis or inspired by the wild-eyed bogey chaster--hired to hunt down Michael Myers. I even pitched it as "John Carpenter's Vampires meets Halloween". This team was called The Loomis Group. I made a lot of contacts that year in the Halloween machine (which would eventually lead me to write "White Ghost") and knocked on Dimension Films' door in order to pitch it. But, things fell through, no one returned my calls, and the script languished. Same old story. I was pretty bummed, even though looking back, I can already tell that my super action movie take on a Michael Myers movie would have probably ticked off quite a few diehard fans. Perhaps, then, it's better it didn't get made. Nevertheless, I really liked the concept and I liked the characters. Seeing as how I'm not a guy who likes to let a good idea go to waste, I started thinking about turning this script into an original story and bringing this group to life in an original work.

However, I couldn't very well call them "The Loomis Group" anymore (Well, I guess I could, but I didn't want to). I was aware that John Carpenter took the name "Loomis" from Hitchcock's Psycho. I decided to return to that source and mine Psycho for another name. Ironically I turned to the closest thing to a "monster hunter" you could get in the movie--that of private investigator Milton Arbogast, coolly played by Martin Balsam. I spelled the name phonetically, though, making for a one-letter difference. After giving the characters a name-change, I had a handful of gunslinging spook killers, but no one to pit them against.

I said my other inspiration for the Arbigast Group came from End of the Days. Now, I've only seen that movie once, and that was in the theater on opening weekend way back in 1999, but I remember that I did not like it at all. Back then, I was just starting to formulate the early versions of The Coming Evil in my mind, and it struck me that a big muscle guy with lots of guns and a mean snarl wouldn't do a lick of good against the Strange Man. The entire point of the Strange Man was that he had to be fought with faith, so, early on, I had the question of what would happen if the traditional Hollywood tough guy went toe-to-toe with my monster. So, after 2003, it finally clicked that I could bring in my Arbigast Group into The Coming Evil Trilogy.

The results are found in Lengthening Shadows.

That idea rotated in the back of my mind for a number of years, until I finally brought the Arbigast Group into the first manuscript of Dark Hour. But, honestly, I had so many things going on in that draft and was well over 200 thousand words (Enemies of the Cross was 120k for a point of reference) that I had to cut something. So, I took all the scraps from Dark Hour, re-fitted them, and produced Lengthening Shadows--a prequel tale.

Still, though, I struggled just a bit with whether to bring the Group into the world of The Coming Evil. Now understand that practically everything I write "fits together" into a single mythology. From Rift Jump to The Coming Evil to most (if not all) of my short stories. So, from the moment I first wrote the Group in "Flesh and Blood", I knew they were connected, but I hesitated on making that connection blatant. Why? Because the Group hunts various kinds of monsters, but I wasn't sure how open my Coming Evil readers would be to the idea that more supernatural creatures than the Strange Man existed in this world. The Coming Evil is rooted very firmly in a Christian worldview, and I was aware that most of my readers also adhered to such a view. How would they feel about me dropping in werewolves, vampires, and the like into their belief structure? Especially since I couldn't give the "Coming Evil explanation" for werewolves and vampires in this book, due to time constraints.

I essentially had to drop the bomb that traditional monsters were real without giving any explanation for them at this time. I wasn't sure how that would go, or if I was going to stretch the bounds of believability in the fictional universe I had created. In hopes of diffusing the tension a bit, I was careful when describing the things that Arbigast faces not by their traditional names, but by the somewhat vague description of "ghouls, ghosts, phantoms, things in the closet, things under the bed, flesh eaters, dead walkers, blood drinkers, savage man-beasts, unnatural predators, everything people feared as children and grew up to laugh at, before they discovered they were real".

I thought this would suffice to get across the idea of the things Arbigast faced without having to get TOO specific. Ideally I'd like to continue writing Arbigast stories sometime in the future, and then I can get more into the specifics of my versions of the classic monster mythologies. We shall see.

There is, at the moment, one other short story with ties to the Arbigast Group slated for publication and that's "Divide and Conquer" coming soon in the Monsters! anthology. That story also connects the Group to my other monster-chaser character Vinnie Caponi: Urban Mythologist who made his debut in last Halloween's A Cat of Nine Tales occult detective anthology. Could there be a full-length Arbigast Group novel in the future? Honestly, I'd love that, but at the moment, my plate is full enough for two Greg Mitchells. I need to clear that away before I'd be able to dive into such a project. But the Group definitely has more stories in them, and it would be great to finally cut loose and just write about some denim-clad gunslingers traveling the American backroads, blasting away every kind of monster I can think of. Sigh... Only time will tell.

Thanks for sticking around for these end notes to Lengthening Shadows. I hope everybody checks out the e-novella. It's available for $2.99 at Kindle and Smashwords. And most importantly, be here in February when we release Dark Hour!

Coming Soon--The Coming Evil: Lengthening Shadows

Little bit of news today for those of you who've been waiting. Back when I announced that the third and final installment of The Coming Evil Trilogy was headed your way early '13, I made mention of a special "inbetweenquel" e-novella to be released in a few weeks. Ready for more details? Howabout we start with this outstanding cover, whipped up by occult investigator/author/buddy Bob Freeman!

Nice, yeah? Now, here's what the book's about: 

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THE RESISTANCE HAS BEGUN 

Rebellion is in the air as the demonic visitor known only as “The Strange Man” begins his takeover of Greensboro. Promising prosperity and hiding his true identity, the creature adopts the name “John Graves” and makes himself at home in his position as the town’s new mayor.

It is a time of sedition as former pastor Jeff Weldon and a small band of faithful warriors plot to overthrow the hellish regime. By day, they carry on in their quiet lives, but at night they venture into haunted Greensboro on dangerous missions. A war is brewing in the town’s shadows as even the remnants of the Committee—the original conspirators who helped pave the way for the Strange Man’s arrival—now plot to betray him, hiring a group of hardened mercenaries to kill the monster once and for all.

In the middle of the conflict is Annie Myers, still reeling from the grim fate that befell her older sister Rosalyn. Annie’s new and blossoming faith is put to the test as she encounters a new and fearsome monster on the outskirts of Greensboro who is taking control of the skies.

As the Dark Hour draws nigh and the shadows lengthen, it becomes all the harder to determine who is friend and who is foe, and if anyone will survive the battle to come.

 
Stay tuned here in the weeks to come to read more about this new novella and to purchase your own e-copy upon its release!

Next Big Thing--"Dark Hour"

Last week, Weird Western author Ed Erdelac was tagged as part of the "Next Big Thing" Tour, where he was posed 10 questions about his latest book Terovolas (read his post here). As per the rules of the tour, Ed tagged another batch of authors to answer the same questions this week. Ed tagged me, so here I am, talking about my upcoming novel Dark Hour, the epic finale to The Coming Evil Trilogy, slated for an early 2013 release. Read it, yo!

1) What is the working title of your next book?

The Coming Evil, Book Three: Dark Hour

2) Where did the idea come from for the book?

Dark Hour is the final installment in The Coming Evil Trilogy, and the entire basis of this mega-story was my childhood desire to take my love for roller coaster monster movies like The Monster Squad and fuse it with my passion for the Bible. I am captivated by the struggles of the people of faith in the Bible, and how God used unremarkable people to accomplish feats of hope and inspiration. So, you know, I wanted to write that—only with tons of slimy, snarling, flesh-eating monsters.

3) What genre does your book fall under?

Christian Horror! It’s my goal to pit a group of Christian believers against a chthonic terror outside our perception of reality. It’s very Lovecraftian in the sense that it reveals how tiny we humans are in the cosmos, yet whereas Lovecraft’s characters despaired or fell to madness in the face of such truth, my characters have to stack that against their faith and worth in God. It’s a test of belief. Some will fail the test, some will pass. Therein lies the drama.

4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

Since The Coming Evil Trilogy originally began as a screenplay back in the late 1990s, I’ve thought about this question a lot. Over the years, my answers have changed. For the main character of Dras (drAHz), I think of Shia LaBeouf now, while I used to envision a young Ethan Embry back in 1998. They’re both boyish and squirrely enough to pull it off. For Dras’ best friend/soul mate Rosalyn, I imagine an I Know What You Did Last Summer-era Jennifer Love Hewitt. For the dastardly Strange Man who seeks to tear Dras and Rosalyn apart, I’m torn between Johnny Depp and, surprisingly Tom Hiddleston who recently played Loki in Thor/The Avengers. I need someone who can pull off creepy, but alluring as well. And he’s gotta be able to grin like a sadistic devil.

5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

As the demonic Strange Man’s master edges closer to Earth, a small band of monster fighters will have to make their final stand for the soul of their town.

6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

The book will be released by Splashdown Darkwater.

7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

At least a couple years of actual writing, but many more years before that of formulating in the back of my mind. The real kicker is the road to publication. I finished my first draft back in 2009, but then I went to work finding a publisher and getting the first two installments of the saga published!

8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Ah, books are tough. I’m a movie guy and, again, this started as a movie. I still think of it as a movie in book form. At its heart, Dark Hour is a war/invasion novel. I think of Battle Los Angeles or either major film adaptation of War of the Worlds in terms of intensity and scale and human drama with an alien invasion for a backdrop. Most recently, it’s a lot like the TV show Falling Skies. Very much about an outside force taking over and a ragtag resistance struggling to overcome their own bickering to do any good. And, of course, there are copious amounts of destruction.

9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Humanity. That’s a really broad and pretentious answer, but Dark Hour is all about the best and worst of humanity. We can be a sickening, hateful, arrogant bunch, but every once in awhile, one of us does something that is so outstanding and selfless and admirable that it captures the attention of the world. I think most people want to be “good people”, but we so easily lose our way. The road to hell, and all of that. Also, Hebrews 11 in the Bible has a big influence on me and this book. It’s often nicknamed “The Faith Chapter” and it gives a passionate overview of some of the most notables heroes of faith in the Bible—those who shut the mouths of lions and overthrew kingdoms and what not. But, what strikes me most is the latter part of that chapter that lists a plethora of unnamed saints who were brutally murdered in various horrible ways for their faith. They never saw the fruits of their efforts, but they died with their head held high and their sight on Heaven. The Bible said the world was not worthy of such as those. Those are my heroes—the nameless ones who gave everything for what they believed in. I hope that, when push comes to shove, I would have that kind of courage.

10) What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?

The first two parts of The Coming Evil Trilogy are available online and in stores everywhere. Look for The Strange Man and Enemies of the Cross and get all caught up before war breaks out when Dark Hour hits early 2013! Plus, readers might be intrigued to read my most recent novel release Rift Jump. It’s a teen-angst romance adventure story through the multiverse with parallel dimensions and the unknowable evil lurking in the dark spaces in between the worlds! Rift Jump is a cosmic take on my uber-mythos and gives some perspective on where all those nasty monsters in The Coming Evil Trilogy hail from. I also recently did an interview (with Ed, ironic enough) about the book. Check it out!

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Now it's my turn to tag more authors! Be sure to check out these blogs next Wednesday (the 28th) for their answers to these questions!

Bob Freeman
Frank Creed

Major Announcement--"Dark Hour" Cover and First Details!

This year, October has been an unusually busy month for me, between my first movie being released to DVD and a plethora of short stories I've written over the last couple years finally seeing print. But today--on Halloween--we have saved the best for last.

Here is the cover for the third and final installment in The Coming Evil Trilogy--Dark Hour!

Not only do we have the cover for you today, but I come with a major announcement: The Coming Evil is moving to a new home for its last act. None other than my pal Grace Bridges at Splashdown Darkwater will be publishing Dark Hour in 2013. Grace and I had so much fun working together when Splashdown published Rift Jump, and I'm looking forward to teaming up with her, once again, on this most important book. Dark Hour is my favorite book of The Coming Evil Trilogy. Absolutely everything I have written--really in my entire career--has been building up to this book. If you thought you knew The Coming Evil, you haven't seen anything yet. I have poured my heart and soul into every page of Dark Hour and for about 15 years now, I've been dying to finally reveal it to you all. The first two books in the Trilogy were only a prelude--this book is for all the marbles. To me, The Coming Evil was never three individual books, but one long epic told in three parts. Now, the story will be told in full.

While the first two books were released in February over the past couple years, I can't guarantee another February release for Dark Hour. With the move to Splashdown, I expect a small delay. But don't worry, it's coming and it's going to be epic.

So two big bombshells this morning--but I have one final announcement to make on this, All Hallow's Eve. In the weeks leading up to Dark Hour's release, I'll be releasing a brand new Coming Evil novella--for e-readers only--that will serve as an "inbetweenquel" bridging the gap between Enemies of the Cross and Dark Hour! That's all I'm willing to say on that front, right now, but needless to say, we're wrapping up this Trilogy with a bang.

Now is the perfect time to get caught up on the other two books in the Trilogy! Together, the three form one complete story. The Strange Man and Enemies of the Cross are both available in stores, as well as on Amazon and Barnes & Noble--in both print, Kindle, and Nook versions. Don't delay! The End is Near!

Enough talk. Ready for the details on Dark Hour? Read on and, in case you missed it, check out this interview I did yesterday over at New Author's Fellowship where I talk about my love for and approach to horror and, most specifically, "Christian Horror"! Happy Halloween everyone!

__________

THE END IS HERE

Greensboro has fallen.

Swayed by the demonic Strange Man, the townspeople of Greensboro have sacrificed their freedom for prosperity. Monsters lurk in every shadow and the few who oppose the new regime have been chased out of town, forced to wage their war in hiding. For ex-reverend Jeff Weldon and those under his care, it is a losing battle, but the tide begins to turn with the return of his brother, Dras. Dras arrives at his hometown to find it has descended into darkness—but the worst is yet to come. The Strange Man’s final plan is falling into place and the Dark Hour is close at hand. Dras, Jeff, and the last of Greensboro’s protectors work frantically to unlock the Strange Man’s secrets and uncover the key to stopping the Dark Hour before all is lost. But when Dras discovers the fate of his best friend—Rosalyn Myers—he will realize that he has more to lose in this battle than he ever imagined.

Dark Hour is the explosive final act in Greg Mitchell’s The Coming Evil Trilogy. All bets are off as the remnant of light clash with the armies of darkness. The final fates of Jeff, Isabella, Dras, and Rosalyn, along with all of Greensboro, will be decided in a desperate last stand.

"Rift Jump" Commentary (Part Five)

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four

Here we are at the end of our commentary for Rift Jump. Thanks for tuning in. And don't forget--we're running a Goodreads giveaway! Enter for your chance to win a signed copy of the book, yo!

PART FIVE: FACE THE MUSIC

At last, our hero must face his destiny.

The Strange Man from The Coming Evil Trilogy

This is where our villain, the Maestro, makes his debut. To me, the Maestro has always been a pawn. The Rage is the real enemy. It was difficult writing the Maestro as I wanted to make him very different from the Strange Man (pictured left). Whereas the Strange Man is all about theatrics and delighting in the sound of his own voice, I wanted to make the Maestro completely unimpressed with everything. He's a composer of pain and very serious about his work. Unflappable.

The biggest surprise in this episode is the change we see in Sara. She's kicking some major tail up 'n here! Sara was always meant to evolve into a very tough fighter, but, honestly, I was going to save that for the second (and perhaps final) book in the Rift Jump sequence. But I wanted to give readers a little taste of what they can expect from Sara in the follow-up novel.

So what about this follow-up novel anyway? Tentatively the book is entitled Sara's Song. Whereas Rift Jump was more focused on Michael's internal bout with the Rage, its sequel will be Sara-centric. The entire story is about the pair of them, so it made sense to me that each one got their own book. Together, the two halves make a whole and their story will be complete.

The idea of the multiverse is explained in this section, as Michael comes face to face with Truth. Fellow Splashdown author Travis Perry wrote a very insightful essay on the nature of Chaos equaling the loss of choice. Great stuff.

Michael also faces his inner demon in this section--in this case, a giant sludge monster with his face. Again, like I talked about last week, this totally snuck up on me as a sort of an echo of the junkyard fight scene from Superman III. Also, with this fight, we now begin to see a stronger connection to The Coming Evil Trilogy. Yes, the black goop that Michael  hacks up in this section is the same evil slime that takes over Ray McCormick in Enemies of the Cross. It's sin, in its purest, most concentrated form. Sin creates monsters. It latched on to Ray and drove him mad, and it dwelt inside Michael for his whole life, pushing him towards violence.

In this section, we also meet Toby, who was originally based on my little brother, Jeff. There's a nine year age difference between my brother and I, but we've always been very close. We like most of the same movies, music, TV, books, video games, etc. A fact about my brother is that Jeff is a video game freak. He has been since he was two years old when I taught him to hold a Nintendo controller. He was cracking the Konami code--on his own--before he could write his own name. He's like that movie "The Wizard", without the autism. Seriously, he was six or seven and I'd take him to arcades with me and watch him wax the floor with guys twice his age on Street Fighter or Tekken. He was--and still is--that good. So, the original Toby--who was named, rather obviously, Jeff--was a pint-sized fighter. The original high school draft of this particular story featured "Jeff" as this eight-year-old street fighter, a kind of living embodiment of Jeff's gaming skills. It was pretty embarrassing, looking back, so I obviously took out the "eight year old street fighter" out of the current version, but I tried to give the character--re-branded "Toby"--a fighter's spirit. We'll see more of that fighter in the sequel, whenever I get around to writing it.


The real-life Jeff is, in a way, also the one to praise (or blame, depending on how you liked the book) for Rift Jump coming to your grubby hands. As I've said, the original Rift Jump stories were just things I wrote once every couple years or so to blow off some creative steam. I never took it very seriously at all. There came a point that I'd all but forgotten about it. It was just a funny little high school memory. But my brother is a writer, as well. For years he's been developing his own contemporary dark fantasy series. A mega-epic that spans generations and chronicles the struggles of good versus evil across, quite ironically, the multiverse. Jeff began writing his multiverse stories totally apart from me or mine. Like I said, we think a lot alike, and his daydreams eventually led him to parallel worlds as well--though in a different direction. When I discovered this, I told him "Hey, I wrote a multiverse story too, once upon a time." I told him about my old Rift Jump stories and told him he should totally have our characters meet. I thought it'd be a hoot. So, a couple years ago, he did just that, resurrecting my old characters and breathing new life into them. As I suspected, it was a riot. Jeff has a keen sense of ridiculous humor and he took my melodramatic characters and, essentially, lampooned them. It was such a thrill seeing my characters in a new light.

But it also got me thinking. Jeff's new take on my characters awakened something in me. I began to question how I would interpret these characters after all this time. I had grown up, and these were a child's characters. How could I take what they were, but put an adult spin on them? After that, my imagination took off. I started writing Rift Jump stories in earnest. Still for fun, and still with no desire to see them published. But it was a wild ride, and I turned out, maybe, 10 new stories in just a couple years. It just kept coming. The more I wrote, the more invested I got in my creations. The more serious they became to me. And, before long, I realized that I was writing a real story. One that I wanted to put out there, on the market, for others to enjoy.

Jeff's own story has gone through many drafts as he's experiencing a similar process with his own stories. He began writing them when he was 12 or so, but as he's grown into his own man, he's revising his stories. Re-crafting them. I've helped a little, but I've also backed off a lot. I think he's got some GREAT ideas and a real sense of drama and excitement. I know how his story ends and it's amazing. I can't wait to see him finish it and then the real adventure begins for him: publishing :p

Thus concludes our commentary for Rift Jump. Thanks for hanging around. I encourage all of you to go out and pick up a copy of the book. We've gone the small press route this time around and it is super hard to get your name out there. So, please, support the book. If nothing else, post and re-post. Let the world know that we're here with a wild ride through alternate timelines and alien worlds! If you're still shaky on whether or not this book is your cup of tea, I invite you to check out this nice (and totally unexpected) review by Jessica Thomas!

Everything You Need to Know About "The Coming Evil"!

In just a few short weeks, on February 7th, the second book in The Coming Evil Trilogy--Enemies of the Cross--will be invading bookstores across the nation. Can you believe it? For some of you, you've waited a whole year for this book. For those of you who bought the original self-published version of The Strange Man, you've been waiting since 2007! For me, I've been waiting since 1999!! I'm extremely excited that the trilogy is finally moving along, at long last.

To better equip you for February 7th, I've prepared a helpful guide to give you a crash course in the world of The Coming Evil. Whether you've read The Strange Man and need a refresher, or whether you've never heard of this story and you're ready to jump into Enemies of the Cross blind, here's everything you need to know about Book One to get ready for Book Two.

Obviously, this thing is full of spoilers, so if you've yet to read The Strange Man, you still have plenty of time to order your copy and get it read before Enemies of the Cross is unveiled. The book is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, CBD, and for you e-readers, it's also on the Nook and Kindle!

Ah, enough plugging. On with the guide:



In The Strange Man, we are introduced to the small country town of Greensboro, a once-thriving community that served as the last stop on the way to the City, but has now fallen on hard times since the highway was moved. Shops have closed up, jobs have been lost, and families are struggling. At a time when the collective mood of Greensboro is one of apathy and bitterness, it is the perfect striking point for the demon known only as "the Strange Man".

For over a hundred years, the people of Greensboro have told stories of a cadre of monsters lurking in the North Woods. But now those stories take on a whole new meaning as the Strange Man and his horde of flesh-eating gremlins descend upon the brittle town during the night of the terrible storm. The Strange Man was banished to the North Woods long ago by the faith of the town's forefathers and, now that that faith has diminished, he is ready to exact his revenge from the shadows.


His first victim is Eldon Granger, a homeless man living in the North Woods, who tells half-true ghost stories to the local children. Next is Lindsey McCormick, a pretty young woman whose car is found at the bottom of Greensboro Park Lake. Her body is never recovered. The demon also visits the bedroom window of five-year-old Millie Walker, though no one will believe her chilling tale.

As the rain pours, the Strange Man encounters The Rave Scene, a hangout for young twenty-somethings looking to escape their dreary small town life. It is here that the demon fixates on Rosalyn Myers--an outsider in Greensboro, haunted by the memory of her father who committed suicide years ago. The bogeyman is attracted to Rosalyn and seeks to corrupt her. However, there is someone standing in his way: Dras Weldon.

Dras is a foolish young man who's refused to grow up. His is a life of monster movies and comic books. He lives life only for himself, drinking away his nights and sleeping away his days--much to the disapproval of his older brother, Reverend Jeff Weldon. Jeff and his wife Isabella have tried to get Dras to commit to the faith he once claimed as a child and return to the Good Church of the Faithful, where Jack Weldon--the boys' dying father--served as pastor for years. Dras is content to live in eternal adolescence, but is forced to face reality when the Strange Man approaches him. What Dras doesn't know is that he is marked by God and the Strange Man cannot destroy him. Instead, the demon hopes to remove the boy from Rosalyn's life by threatening him. Terrified by a head-on confrontation with a creature he believed was only a story, Dras briefly considers the Strange Man's offer to leave town and save his life.

But, with Rosalyn's soul hanging in the balance, Dras rises to the challenge of standing up to the monster who would harm his best friend.

Sobering up, he puts aside his immaturity and attempts to share his faith with Rosalyn, an effort that is an utter failure thanks to Dras' lifelong hypocrisy. Time is running out as night falls, and Dras tries to convince his brother to help him in his battle. But after a lifetime of being disappointed by Dras' actions and attitudes, Jeff refuses aid. Hurt by the dismissal, Dras strikes out on his own, facing down the Strange Man's demonic brood of gremlins. The monsters chase after Dras, tearing through Main Street, but by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Scriptures, Dras manages to survive in time to reach Rosalyn's side at The Rave Scene, where she's gone to blow off some steam.

However, in retaliation for Dras' defiance, the Strange Man orchestrates a plot to frame Dras for the mysterious disappearance of Lindsey McCormick and the murders of Deputy Dane Adams and little Millie's older brother TJ Walker--all victims of the demon's cruelty. The bogeyman petrifies Millie into corroborating his story to Sheriff Hank Berkley, a tired man who's just barely keeping the town together in the midst of this bizarre onslaught. While the town comes alive with talk of "gremlins", Hank struggles to make sense of it all. Dras pleads with him via radio that the bogeyman from the old stories is real and has returned, but refuses to turn himself in for the crimes he knows he didn't commit.

Dras confronts Rosalyn one last time in The Rave Scene, pleading with her to listen to him--to turn herself over to God in order to be saved from the monster's plans. Before Dras is able to finish, however, Deputy Ryan Stevenson and a band of angry lawmen arrive to arrest Dras for the murders they believe he's committed. Dras decides that he can't run forever. The Strange Man has him trapped, but Dras believes God can bring some good out of it. Praying that he's told Rosalyn enough that she can carry on the battle without him, Dras surrenders himself to the police--who viciously beat him. Even when Jeff, having come to his senses and deciding to help his brother, arrives with his wife Isabella, they can do little more but watch helplessly as Dras is beaten. Sheriff Berkley arrives and breaks up the carnage, and, as Dras' friends gather around his broken and still body, the Strange Man calls out to Rosalyn's spirit, tempting her to join him in the darkness.

But Rosalyn's eyes are only on Dras.

Defeated for now, the demon retreats to the North Woods and the lake where he murdered Lindsey McCormick. Her death has served as a catalyst, polluting the waters of Greensboro Park Lake and turning them thick and black. The Strange Man is angered by his personal setback, but knows that the real battle for the soul of Greensboro has only just begun...

To be continued in Enemies of the Cross, in stores February 7th!

Interview with Dras Weldon: Star of "The Strange Man"

It's not every day that a fictional character gets asked to sit down and talk about their book, but that's exactly what happened when Dras Weldon--unlikely hero of my fright tale The Strange Man--was invited over to POV Boot Camp for an exclusive interview. You've read his exploits, now hear the story straight from the man-child himself!

Special thanks to Andrea Graham for the opportunity to indulge my split personality(ies).

Follow the link to read this eye-opening expose!

"The Strange Man"...The Movie Poster?

I had a reader send this in today: A mock "vintage" movie poster for The Strange Man!



Super cool!

Alas, for now we can only dream of seeing the Strange Man on the silver screen. Maybe one day, yeah? We'll keep at it!

Special thanks to A.V. Runeby for cooking this up and passing it along.

Interview and Review

The last couple days have been crazy. My phone's been ringing off the hook, so to speak, and there's been movement on a lot of different projects. I'm busting at the seams ready to share with you guys, but I want to wait a little bit longer before announcing anything just to be on the safe side.

In the meantime, Cindy Loven was gracious enough to review The Strange Man last week on her blog, and this week has conducted an interview with yours truly. Follow the links below to check it out!

Read the review!
Have your mind blown by my insightful interview!

New Podcast Interview---With Me!

Hey, everybody, my buddy Paeter Frandsen over at Spirit Blade has just posted his podcast interview he did with me a few months back. Come hear my melodious voice (with way more Southern drawl than I had realized) as we talk The Strange Man, Christian Horror, and monster stuff! Go now! Go listen!!

http://paeter.libsyn.com/horror-writer-greg-mitchell-interview

Book Two Update!

Things are moving full-steam ahead on Book Two!

My editor and I have been hard at work the last couple weeks, hammering out the kinks, tightening the screws, and I'm confident this book is going to be bigger and better than Book One. I've learned a lot from those who have reviewed the book and found some room for improvement, and have incorporated their sound advice into this book.

Yesterday, we worked on the back copy (what it says on the back of the book). Recently, I took a new author photo for the back, and I hear the team is hard at work on the cover. As soon as I receive it and get word that it's okay to show, I'll debut it here on this site. I'm also planning on posting an excerpt from Book Two as a special Halloween treat, and I'm in the early stages of crafting a brand-new original tie-in short story that will plant some seeds for Book Two. Look for that around Christmas time, if all goes well.

It's been confirmed that Book Two will be entitled "Enemies of the Cross" and will be released February 2012. What can you expect to find in this next installment? Secrets will be revealed--changing everything you know--and everyone will be forced to choose a side in the upcoming war between the last remaining "saints" of Greensboro and the forces of hell. There will be new characters, returning favorites, and even more gruesome monsters. The stakes are raised as the mystery of the Strange Man's master plan unfolds.

If you haven't read Book One, The Strange Man, now is the perfect time to get caught up and prepare yourself for Book Two. The Strange Man is available wherever fine books are sold, and you can order it on Amazon in paperback, or on Kindle.

I'm very excited to finally see Enemies of the Cross come to life. And, again, I'll remind you that, even if you've only read the original self-published Xulon edition of The Strange Man (without the plethora of extra scenes as found in the current and "canon" Realms Edition), you can still pick up Enemies of the Cross and know what's going on.

Stay tuned as we head towards the finish line and prepare yourself for Enemies of the Cross!

CSFF Blog Tour--Highlights

I did it! I survived the CSFF blog tour.

For three days, readers commented, critiqued, and discussed The Strange Man, and I think I anxiously bit my nails the entire time. I'm grateful to everyone who participated. They were all very kind and I learned a lot from their reactions to the book. Here's a few highlights for me.

The book is scary. More than one reader commented on how scared/unnerved/creeped-out/disturbed they were by the book, so I'd say mission accomplished :p Rebecca LuElla Miller even went so far to say in the comments section of this review:

"...this is definitely the spookiest the CSFF Blog Tour has ever featured. It's not for everyone, that's certain, but people who like roller coaster adrenaline rushes will probably like this one."

Spookiest ever! Not sure if that was intended as a compliment, but I certainly take it as one :)

Even my publisher--Realms Fiction--shared in the praise:

Dona Watson said, "I applaud Realms for taking on this project. It is an exciting time to be in Christian speculative fiction."

I'm exceptionally happy when people have cause to celebrate my publisher because of the book. Publishers take a financial risk with every book they contract, and I always understood Realms perhaps took a great risk putting out an unapologetic "horror" book about monsters and ghastly things in the Christian market that is dominated by prairie romance (not that there's anything wrong with Bonnet love). In a business-sense, it seemed like an unwise move, but they took a chance on me, and I'm forever grateful to them for that. I'm glad others are noticing Realms' innovation with their "supernatural suspense" line, as well.

It wasn't all sunshine and roses on the tour. The actual writing took a couple hits--a big one being my POV-hopping, which I've already admitted to in the commentary for the book. So, I wasn't surprised, nor offended. There was some "logic concerns" about how fast a spinning tornado of flesh-eating gremlins are, but thankfully these things didn't distract too much from the story for the readers. I'll take these lessons with me as I head into edit mode on Book Two: Enemies of the Cross.

What was most exciting, however, were the discussions. Finally people were noticing the subtler points of my story and I saw discussions ranging from bogeymen, to the reality of devils and their power, to the legitimacy of Dras' childhood conversion. Great conversations.

Noah Arsenault also conducted a brand new interview with me, for those interested.

The blog tour was a very positive and encouraging experience. I've learned a lot about my craft, about the expectations of readers, and about how my words come across to someone not living in my head. I feel like I've returned from a trip and I've got that "pleasantly exhausted" feeling like the tail end of a vacation. Now it's back to work on my writing.

In the meantime, I leave you with this vintage trailer from John Carpenter's 1980 classic The Fog in honor of The Fog Day! On April 21st, a mysterious fog enters the coastal town of Antonio Bay...and brings something with it. Grab your popcorn, turn off the lights, and enjoy :)

The Strange Man--Christian Sci-Fi/Fantasy Blog Tour!

Welcome to my 100th post! And what better way to celebrate four years of blogging about The Coming Evil Trilogy than to announce the book tour for The Strange Man over at Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy Blog Tour.

These guys don't fool around! For the next three days, my baby book will be put under the microscope. Who will love it? Who will hate it? Who will burn me in effigy? Find out by staying tuned to the blogs below. Join us for three days of review, analysis, discussion, and maybe an interview or two. You won't want to miss it!

And, in case I forget anyone in the coming days, special thanks to everyone at CSFF who signed up to read and review the book. Even if you don't like it, it still means something to me that you tried :p

Noah Arsenault
Red Bissell
Kathy Brasby
Grace Bridges
Beckie Burnham
CSFF Blog Tour
Amber French
Tori Greene
Katie Hart
Bruce Hennigan
Timothy Hicks
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Inae Kyo
Emily LaVigne
Shannon McDermott
Matt Mikalatos
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Gavin Patchett
Andrea Schultz
Kathleen Smith
Donna Swanson
Jessica Thomas
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Dona Watson
Phyllis Wheeler

"The Strange Man" Commentary (Part IV)

Here we are at the end! For those who have stuck with our commentary, thanks for tuning in. I realize many might not get much out of my reflective ramblings, but I like to get my thoughts out, nonetheless.

If you've yet to read the others parts, here are the links:

Part I
Part II
Part III

Page 233--The Strange Man reveals a bit more of his motivation here: He hates humanity. A lot of times when I've seen demons or classic villains in movies and books, they want to rule the world or be worshiped or whatever. But the Strange Man is not so conceited. He just hates people. They disgust him. I’m not the biggest fan of humanity myself, at times. All it takes is about ten minutes reading the comments section on any number of news articles on Yahoo and you see how much hate and bitterness and ego and ugliness is out there. In church, I’ve often heard a lot of blame being placed on the devil for the evil in the world, but I think a lot of it is just people. The Strange Man, like all devils, was an angel once. It was his job to look out for these “selfish, arrogant people”, watching them kill each other and shake an angry, defiant fist at God. He’s experienced their hate and has become corrupted by it. Now he’s the embodiment of man’s cruelty, turned back on them. Poetic justice?

Page 238--Dras talking with Hank over the CB is new to the Realms Edition. After having inserted more of Deputy Dane Adams into the story, and building up his relationship with Hank, I really felt Hank needed a moment to learn that his friend had died. Bring some closure to that arc.

Page 243--New scene. Again, trying to build up Jeff and Isabella as part of the main cast.

Page 249--The second “witnessing” attempt. This is another scene I agonized over. Worked and re-worked and re-worked for years. I originally wrote this scene coming out of a very evangelical culture in the Christian film industry. Every movie had a “money shot” where someone laid down the gospel--the “altar call” scene. The whole movie practically built upon that moment--unfortunately oftentimes at the expense of character, plot, good writing, etc. Someone shares the gospel, someone gets saved, and everything is wrapped up in a nice bow. Part of the thing I wanted to do back then with The Strange Man was show that “Hey. We can tell the gospel, but have all the other stuff too.” I wanted the message in there, sure, but also good characters and plots, excitement, etc, and to also turn the “gospel scene” on its ear--where it’s not a neat and tidy conclusion. It wasn’t until many years later that I discovered how vehemently some Christian writers are against this kind of scene period. They would say that this is a trademark of bad writing and that this is the reason “Christian Fiction” is not taken seriously by the literary world. But I felt that this was a vital scene to the characters. This is a big moment for Dras because he finally gets it now. Things like “God” aren’t just stale old dogma he’s been passed down in church--they are things that he’s experienced for himself and, now, he’s sharing that from his heart.

But there are ways of doing this kind of “gospel” scene and there are ways not to do it. I’ve struggled with how to do this scene correctly. In the past, no matter how many times I wrote this scene, it felt like I was hitting pause on the story, turning to the audience with a twinkle in my eye and saying, “Now, kids, let me tell you about Jesus.” Unfortunately, that’s how it reads in the Xulon edition. In the beginning I was so afraid of getting it “right”, of saying everything the Reader needed to know to understand the gospel--that’s the Bible teacher in me. Plus, as I said in the last part, the Bible is the foundation to my fictional mythology, too, so where's the line between "preaching" and just explaining the rules of my fictional world?

Originally, this conversation with Dras turned into a whole sermon--pages and pages worth (though I trimmed it a bit for the Xulon Edish)--and, soon, it wasn’t genuine to Dras anymore. It sort of stayed in the “canned gospel” approach that failed Dras the last time. When I sat down to write the Realms Edition I KNEW this scene was the first on my list of things to rework. I felt extra-sure when my editor--a CBA editor--told me the scene was too preachy and unrealistic! So, I scrapped most of this scene. More than that, I scrapped my old way of looking at things. This scene wasn’t about saying the right things for the Reader. This is Dras and Rosalyn’s lives on the line here. I focused on my characters--on Dras. After everything he’d been through in this story, what did he need to say to Rosalyn? I wrote this scene from the heart--Dras’ heart--to Rosalyn. The scene is about ten times shorter than its original incarnation and, dare I say, ten times better. Does it still come off as preachy? Well, I guess that depends on the Reader. But I tried. Whattya gonna do? It is what it is.

Page 253--Rosalyn asks Dras, in essence, “If God’s so great, why is my dad dead?” I added this for the Realms Edition because it suddenly struck me that of course she’d ask this. And, of course, Dras doesn’t have an answer. In my own life, I think I’ve tried too hard to answer all the tough life questions for people, thinking that, if I do, these people will come to a faith in Christ. But it’s called “faith” because we don’t have all the answers. Some people aren’t okay with that. Rosalyn isn’t, but what can Dras possibly say in defense against her tragedy? It’s a messy question with no easy answer and I’m proud of myself for not trying to answer it here. I would have ten years ago. I would have spent ten pages trying to convince Rosalyn why God is still good, even when bad things happen. But, now I know better. Sometimes God has to defend Himself and I’ve got to trust Him to do that in His own time and His own way.

What I like about this scene, is that Rosalyn still rejects what Dras is saying, which, to me, drives home the message of this book. This is not a conversion scene! This isn't a book about Rosalyn “accepting Christ” in the end. Dras hopes that happens, of course--it’s her only salvation against the Strange Man. But the more important battle, to me, was Dras claiming his faith. A part of that meant sharing it, yes, but it’s the act of sharing it that was important, not the result. Some people think this book ends on a cliffhanger because we don’t know what happens to Rosalyn--and, sure, it is designed to leave you ready for Book Two--but I think Dras’ sacrifice here is a solid ending to his story in this book. He’s learned a lesson. He’s become a man, at long last. Will it make the difference for Rosalyn? Well, only time (and the sequels) will tell.

Page 260--Some readers have expressed confusion over Dras’ eventual fate. Is he dead? Is he alive? I thought it was pretty clear, myself.

Page 261--Thus begins the new ending for the Realms Edition. One of the first things my editor at Realms pointed out was that the Xulon Edition just stopped. No real ending. Of course I answered “But there’s two more parts to the trilogy!!”, but my editor said, very kindly and patiently, “Greg, you’re gonna tick people off if you don’t give them a satisfying conclusion in this book.” This was my attempt to remedy that. I gave Rosalyn and the Strange Man a kind of “final battle” here, but again had to be careful not to ruin things to come. I had to hold back and allow for a type of victory, but still keep the threat and the tragedy alive. It was difficult, but I really like this confrontation with Rosalyn and the Strange Man. Again, she’s not “accepting Christianity”, just choosing her love for Dras over the Strange Man’s lure.

Book Two picks up about fifteen minutes after The Strange Man ends.

Page 263--"The Hour" is capitalized on purpose. And what an ominous purpose it be. Ooooohhhh...

Page 263--Another new scene. Another hard one to write. This was a further move to “wrap up” Dras’ journey, by having him reflect on what he’s done, what he’s been through, and wondering what will happen next. I like ending this with him talking to his father. I find it fitting that, at the end, Dras was finally Jack Weldon’s son.

Page 265--Epilogue. This is from the Xulon Edition and serves as a setup for the direction the series will take in Book Two. Looks like the bad guy won this round. We can only hope things fair better for our heroes in Enemies of the Cross: The Coming Evil Trilogy, Book Two (tentatively scheduled for release Winter 2012 from Realms Fiction)!

Page 266--“To Be Continued...” Cheesy, right? Old-fashioned? It’s no secret that I love the Back to the Future Trilogy and this is my direct tribute (rip-off?) to the “To Be Continued...” first glimpsed at the end of the first BTTF movie on VHS. When I first saw that, I was like “What? To Be Continued? You mean, there’s more?! YES!” These days “TBC...” is sort of a groan-inducer, I imagine, but I was excited to include it. And, yes, you can be sure the other two installments will follow suit with BTTF, with a “To Be Concluded...” at the end of Book Two and an accomplished “The End” that wraps up the trilogy :p

Page 267--“Among the Dead”. This is commentary for another day, but I will say that I’m really happy to see this short story included in the publication. I view it as The Coming Evil Book Zero, really. It was a dream of mine to see the story of The Coming Evil expand past the trilogy into short stories, comics, sequels, prequels, sidequels, whatever I could get my hands on. The day I sat down to write Among the Dead I was feeling discouraged and so bogged down with the trilogy. I wanted to just cut loose and write a totally separate adventure with these characters just for fun. I cranked out this story in an afternoon and I had such a blast. I can’t even describe it to you. I think I even cried a little. It was so liberating. I didn’t think too hard about anything or what it “meant”. I just wrote something for the heck of it. This was such a powerful moment for me as it was my first inkling that these characters had more life in them that just a single trilogy. They felt real, with lives that extended beyond their battle with the Strange Man. Now, on the blog below the trailers to your right, there are a number of short stories for your reading pleasure (they’re free, yo!), chronicling Dras and Rosalyn’s life before the events of Book One, but Among the Dead will always be the first. It’ll always be special.

That concludes our commentary for The Strange Man. If you’ve managed to sit through my entire rambling, congratulations! You win a cookie! Seriously, you who have bought the book and enjoyed it...it’s meant the world to me.

Thanks for listening, and be sure to keep it tuned here for more updates, short fiction, and interviews. See you back again for (possibly) another commentary when Enemies of the Cross, Book Two of The Coming Evil Trilogy, hits stores and the Strange Man’s war with the faithful of Greensboro really begins.

It only gets crazier from here.