I am so thrilled to be the last stop on Paul Anthony Shortt's blog tour for Silent Oath, which is #2 in Paul's Locked Within Trilogy. Let's hear what Paul has to say about writing this exciting urban fantasy thriller:
Happy
Halloween! Here we are, at the end of the Silent Oath Blog Tour. I’m
delighted to be here with Karen, who hosted the final post for last
year’s blog tour, and was instrumental in the series being published to
begin with.
It’s
a tricky thing, writing the middle-part of a trilogy. In many cases,
the middle-book/movie is seen as the weaker installment, filler just
there to set things up for the finalĂ©. It’s understandable. When we
think of trilogies, they often fit into the 3-act structure. The
beginning and end have solid, reliable purpose. But the 2nd act of a
story is typically there to serve as character development and for the
introduction of complications that will be resolved in the 3rd act. It
can be difficult to turn that 2nd act into a story in its own right.
But
one element of the 2nd act that can help define a trilogy’s mid-point,
and make it stand out in the reader’s mind, is the Darkest Hour.
The
Darkest Hour is the moment where all seems lost for the heroes. They’ve
had their greatest weakness exposed and the villain is at the height of
their power, in story terms. The reader knows, deep down, that the hero
will rise and overcome, but for now, just for a moment, all seems lost.
What a time to end a book.
I
love when the hero is set up to fall like this. Knowing that I get to
have a whole movie or book where the hero struggles back from defeat and
finally defeats the villain is a thrill like no other. All too often,
I’ve seen villains defeated with little tension or effort on the part of
the hero. It leaves me feeling completely let down. I want to see the
struggle, the hardship. To feel every wound and emotion.
As many of you may already know, Silent Oath ends on a low point for Nathan. He suffers through things that make his experiences in Locked Within seem like a trip to Disneyland. Enemies are gathering against him, and even his allies’ faith may be shaken by what’s to come.
Of course, the Darkest Hour has one thing that cannot be overlooked.
Hope.
No
matter how bad things get for the hero, the reader will want to believe
that there’s still a chance to set things right. They may not have any
idea how, but they need to know that the hero is ready to keep fighting.
Silent Oath ends with pain and loss, but it also ends with hope. Because there are still people to fight for New York, whatever the cost.
I said it once, and I’ll say it again.
With
the fate of the world in the balance, and the forces of the Council,
Athamar, and the goddess Morrigan united against him, Nathan Shepherd
will return for one final battle.
About Paul Anthony Shortt:
A
child at heart who turned to writing and roleplaying games when there
simply weren't enough action figures to play out the stories he wanted,
Paul Anthony Shortt has been writing all his life. Growing up surrounded
by music, film and theatre gave him a deep love of all forms of
storytelling, each teaching him something new he could use. When not
playing with the people in his head, he enjoys cooking and regular
meet-ups with his gaming group.
Paul
lives in Ireland with his wife Jen and their dogs, Pepper and Jasper.
Their first child, Conor William Henry Shortt, was born on July 11th,
2011. He passed away three days later, but brought love and joy into
their lives and those of their friends. The following year, Jen gave
birth to twins, Amy and Erica, and is now expecting their fourth child.
Paul's first novel, Locked Within, was released on November 6th, 2012, by WiDo Publishing. Silent Oath is the second book in this urban fantasy trilogy.
About SILENT OATH:
Hope
has returned to New York City. Nathan Shepherd leads a small band of
dedicated fighters against the Council of Chains and the city's
supernatural masters. But it's not enough. Because from the shadows of
Nathan's former lives comes an old enemy, one who knows terrible secrets
that Nathan has not yet remembered, secrets that could undo everything
he has fought for.
Nathan's only chance to uncover the memories of his previous existence,
and to conquer these new forces of evil, lies in Elena DeSantis. A woman
he has fought beside in past lifetimes. A woman he has loved.
Together, Nathan and Elena are the only future the city has.
Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pashortt
Twitter: @PAShortt