Nature cycles through her paces: earth, air, water, and fire. I suspect there is a connection between these elements and the hereafter.
Propelled forward by a promise, my fellow spirits and I wander the world of the living searching for our purpose.
Will delving into the metaphysical side of death, the science of the afterlife, provide the answers? Maybe if I can understand why I continue to exist, I will be able to rest in peace. That is the goal—the ultimate finale—sans encores.
The soundtrack of my death snakes through my story. On the plane of the dead, I continue to reconcile this existence with the off-kilter dissonance of the ever-present music resounding in my mind.
Prologue: Nature’s Elemental Truths
Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the boogeyman, our questioning of truth begins the moment we uncover the lies.
Woven within the fabric of life, lies take on an existence of their own. Snap out the cloth; let mythology fall like dead leaves in the autumn forest. What remains is truth, green, musky, slippery. Wrap yourself within truth’s folds, for there is nothing warmer on a cold day. Have faith in what is real—the purity of existence.
When you accept the fundamental elements of nature, there is no reason to create comforting, ritualistic lore. Develop a wanderlust and experience for yourself all the magic surrounding your senses when they are exposed to the physical realm. Drink it in; allow it to slip down your throat. Caress it with curious fingers. Embrace the deepest level of tactile sensation. Listen for the dissonant music emanating from all life.
For the unafraid, heaven exists in nature’s truths. I feel the honesty of life because my heart plays the dissonance of the dead.
Lynn Lamb and I took some time this week to discuss her many creative endeavors. She has a degree in film and is the author of ten books that have earned their rightful place on readers’ bookshelves.
Not only is she a chart-topping author, she is also an independent filmmaker, a graphic designer, and a scriptwriter. Her hometown of Monterey, California, has been a great source of inspiration for the characters in her books.
One of her greatest aspirations is to produce the great American documentary.
Now that I’ve introduced you to Lynn let’s get to know her a little better.
What inspired you to be a writer?
I’ve always been a writer. Even before I could read and
write. I have a degree in Film, so telling stories is ingrained in me.
Is writing your full-time profession?
That’s the goal, but I also do graphic design. My business is Book Banners Etc. and you can visit my website here: www.bookbannersetc.com
Photo courtesy of: Lynn Lamb
Have you won any awards?
I’m not really big on entering contests, but I have won
awards in the past. Mechaniclism received three 5-Star Book Reviews, and
Claudette Melanson’s Book The 12 Terrors
of Christmas, featuring my story Bring Me Flesh and Bring Me Wine, has one three awards: Read Free.ly’s 50
Best Indie Books of 2017 (#10), finalist in the Indie Book Awards, and finalist
in the Top Shelf Awards.
How long have you been writing?
I have been writing novels since 2014, but as far as
creating stories, I’ve been a writer all my life.
Which genres do you write?
I’m a genre hopper. I write horror, metaphysical fiction, dystopian, science fiction, dark fantasy, paranormal, and apocalypse.
Photo courtesy of: Lynn Lamb
How many books have you written?
Lullaby of the Dead,
Volume One of the Opus of the Dead Series
Dissonance of the
Dead, Volume Two of the Opus of the Dead Series
Monte Vista Village,
The Survivor Diaries- Book I (Perma-free)
The Beginning at the
End of the World, The Survivor Diaries- Book II
Moving Mountains,
Survivor Diaries, Book III
Frozen Webs, The
Survivor Diaries- Book IV
Wanderers on the
Winds, The Survivor Diaries- Book V
The Oxymoron of Still
Life (short stories)
Mechaniclism:
Apocalyptic~Horror (novella)
Featured in The 12 Terrors of Christmas, by Claudette Melanson
Photo courtesy of: Lynn Lamb
Your work seems to focus on a post-apocolyptic future and to draw inspiration from the darkest elements of humanity. Can you tell us a little about why you write in this style?
My Survivor Diaries
Series is post-apocalyptic fiction. I have had a life-long fear and
fascination with a nuclear apocalypse.
While I was growing up, there was no such thing as watching
television around the dinner table. We spoke of world news and events, and I
was introduced to the subjects of nuclear holocaust and the Cold War at a young
age.
Looking back, perhaps I was a bit too young. I remember
staying up at nights worrying about something happening to my family. After
reading Sadako
and the Thousand Paper Cranes, by Eleanor Coerr, my
fears only worsened.
Writing
about nuclear war and survival is a way to help tame those worries and allowed
me to play out a scenario where my family and I not only survive but become
experts in forging the land independent of society as we know it today.
The
main character, Laura Patton, becomes a leader of a group determined to make a
new life for themselves, and in that way I am able to feel some control over
the prospects of nuclear annihilation.
What are the challenges of
writing in this genre?
Sometimes it feels too real.
What message are you sharing in your books?
At the end of the book, I tell my readers the same thing each time: As always, my final note: remember that our earth is our only home, so please live every day dedicated to protecting it and all of our neighbors, both near and far, who dwell here.
Photo courtesy of: Lynn Lamb
What are you working on now?
I just finished writing Dissonance of the Dead, Volume
Two of the Opus of the Dead Series. So, next up is editing.
Do you have a new release coming out?
Please see above
What advice would you give to new writers?
Write, write, write, and don’t be pressured to release
before you are ready.
Is there anything else you’d like your readers to know?
(appearances, signings, giveaways)
