Into the Darkness of Daylight Author Interview

How did you find time to write Into the Darkness of Daylight?

It's more of a matter of making time to write, and sticking to a plan. My engineering job has me traveling the world, so I spend a great deal of time in airports, on airplanes, riding in taxi cabs, or otherwise in waiting situations. Writing is an excellent way to enjoy these times.

Is this your first novel?

Well, yes, this is the first one I've completed. In college, I had aspirations of being a writer. I started writing several novels, but lacked the discipline at that time to see them through. I did, however, write a screenplay for a theatrical comedy about being a woman in engineering school.

Are you going to revisit any of those projects?

Perhaps. I'm working on my next novel already, and it won't be science fiction. It will be more of a dark thriller. Depending on what type of project I'm excited about after that, I might revisit some of those characters and situations I imagined for past projects.

Where do you find inspiration for your stories?

Into the Darkness of Daylight was first hatched when I was living in Saratoga Springs, NY. My friend had challenged me to put together several themes based on "what I wanted to be when I grew up," and merge them into a novel plot. I actually merged most of these themes together while wandering around one of those dollar stores waiting for him to be done with an appointment. I didn't really get on the track of finishing Into the Darkness of Daylight until another good friend challenged me to keep writing it. I knew in the beginning that the plot would take Jim Wells to Korea, but I didn't know at the time that I would ever get to actually go to Korea. I was quite excited when I was told I would be going to Korea on an engineering business trip, and the places I saw there in my limited free time colored the story more than I could have imagined initially.

Into the Darkness of Daylight has many intertwined themes. Would you care to summarize them?

Yes. First off, it is my hope that anybody who reads this interprets it in their own way. While in literature classes in school, it kind of bothered me that there was only one acceptable interpretation of most works of literature. Some teachers didn't accept any deviation from the normal "book report." My reasoning was that a person should be able to interpret any work of literature in their own way if they could explain and show why they came to their conclusions. As to themes in Into the Darkness of Daylight, a major concept is the effect of emotions on the foundations of societies. Would daily life run any smoother if nobody had feelings, or would it just be plain and barren? What if an emotionless society suddenly felt the effects of emotions? What if a megalomaniac was the one introducing emotions into this emotionless society for his own benefit? What role do emotions play in religion? The Cold War also plays a big role in this story. To me, the Cold War was a huge waste of resources that could have been better put to use rebuilding the nations ravaged by World War II. I mess with the Cold War and the Korean War (truce) a bit in this one.

If Into the Darkness of Daylight is ever made into a movie, who would you pick to play Jim Wells?

I'd pick my dad, Lowell Dean. He's an actor. The Cold War always kind of bothered him, and you'll see that portrayed in Jim Wells in the book. Dad is still pretty bad ass at his age, and so is Jim Wells. My dad was born around the same time as Jim Wells. I look a lot like him, and you can check him out on IMDB.

What about the villain, Ash Thorl? Who would you pick to play him?

Dana Lee comes to mind. He's been in a variety of movies, but usually plays some type of Chinese general or gang leader. I want to see him in a role where his character is trying to conquer many galaxies. He and my dad would play off of each other very well.

What about Bobby Montague?

I'm stumped on this one. How about you read Into the Darkness of Daylight, and make a suggestion or two?