“From his style, you’d think Jason Brannon was the dark double of Ray Bradbury. He cares more about character and realism than most writers I’ve read and his plots flow like well-orchestrated music. Indeed, Brannon’s writing has a classical feel, reminiscent of the best traditional work in the genre, even when he’s going for gut-wrenching terror and torture in-extremis.” ~ Michael Arnzen, International Horror Guild Award winning author of Grave Markings (Dell Abyss)
A near death experience transports Jamie Burroughs into The Maze, a realm built by angels and demons and filled with traps and riddles for those haunted by their mistakes.
For Jamie, The Maze becomes a terrifying journey through a world of darkness where his soul and the lives of those he loves hangs in the balance. With his family in danger and his soul in peril, Jamie is forced to reevaluate the kind of man he truly is as he struggles to escape The Maze before it’s too late.
GUEST POST
The Maze: Art Imitates Life
As a writer, I've always heard that I should write what I know. I've also heard that it is important to create realistic, three-dimensional characters that are true to life. Are such things even possible when writing a novel about a strange maze filled with traps and the minotaur who lives there, feasting on the sins of the lost? Certainly, that was my goal when writing The Maze. I created my protagonist, Jamie Burroughs, with the intent of appealing to a broad reach of people, and it was easy enough to create an everyman that most could identify with based on a very specific set of struggles that most readers could relate to. But what about the minotaur that torments Jamie in the dark hallways of the labyrinth? Could I successfully integrate any of myself into a half-man, half-bull creature that dines on transgression? Strangely enough, I think I did.
At its core, The Maze is a story about a man who is forced to examine all of his shortcomings in a strange labyrinth. The minotaur's function in The Maze is to serve as a sort of mirror for those flaws, revealing each one to Jamie in gruesome detail and forcing him to face the consequences of his sins. Obviously, the overwhelming majority of events in The Maze aren't true to life given their fantastical nature so I couldn't draw from personal experience when crafting the tale. Yet, when imagining the dichotomy between man and beast, I thought about Jamie and the minotaur as two sides of the same coin, light and dark. Jamie makes mistake after mistake in his life and the minotaur is the consequence for those shortcomings. Cause and effect. The minotaur is the negative effect for every transgression Jamie has ever committed, and he spends most of the novel suffering for all of the pain he caused. In a sense, the minotaur is Jamie's conscience that has awakened and become something horrible that will make certain he pays for all of the bad things he has done over the course of his life. Jamie gets his comeuppance through the minotaur's torments.
So how did I interject a little bit of myself into the minotaur? Simple. I imagined the kind of creature that would be necessary to make me pay for all of my own personal flaws and shortcomings. I envisioned what kind of beast would be my dark side if personified. I also tried to imagine something that would be terrifying. Far too often, it is difficult to see the consequences for our actions even though often times those consequences are horrible. I wanted to create the living, breathing embodiment of cause and effect and show that no misdeed goes unpunished. If I were trapped inside a maze, this is the kind of monster I would expect to show up and sort through the failings of my own life.
Was I successful in writing what I know and creating a three-dimensional character in the process? Ultimately, that will be for the reader to decide. Given the challenges in writing The Maze it's a good thing I didn't decide to write a story about a death angel visiting a small town....oh wait...that's the one I'm writing now. Should be fun to see how I'll project some of myself onto the death angel from the Book of Exodus!
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About the author:
Jason Brannon is the author of The Maze and The Tears of Nero. His fiction features flawed characters trapped in impossible situations that test and try their faith. He currently lives in Amory, MS.
Threats become promises. Whispers become actions. Words become bullets. He must fight – not only for his life, but to save his honor, prove his integrity, and protect the woman he loves.
Published: June 14th, 2015
His dark past haunts him. His new life taunts him.
After twenty years in the gangs and a hefty prison sentence, an early release gives Shawn the opportunity to turn his life around.
But that isn’t so easy when gangs are involved.
Only a year into his fresh start, the gang catches on and makes Shawn’s life miserable. After all, once a gang member, always a gang member. His very blood belongs to them.
Threats become promises. Whispers become actions. Words become bullets. He must fight – not only for his life, but to save his honor, prove his integrity, and protect the woman he loves.
An ember of hope glows in the darkness, strengthening his resolve. Will her support and his determination be enough to dispel the shadows of his past?
A story of discovery and faith, love and perseverance.
2. Christian literature – many people would expect some religious lecture. What does Christian literature mean to you and what we will find in a Christian Suspense novel respective in Where Shadows Lie?
MB's INTERVIEW
1. From Holding the Future Hostage and Where the Shadows Lie, how do you see yourself as a writer?
I have learned much about the craft of writing between publishing “Holding the Future Hostage” and “Where Shadows Lie.” I would like to say that my writing has greatly improved since publishing my first book. I am continuing to pursue writing helps and courses in attempt to learn and progress more. I try to always keep an open mind for techniques that may help tell my stories more effectively and to connect with readers better.
2. Christian literature – many people would expect some religious lecture. What does Christian literature mean to you and what we will find in a Christian Suspense novel respective in Where Shadows Lie?I understand that when people hear the term “Christian fiction” they may expect a sermon. Even as a Christian myself, I personally prefer books that aren’t very “preachy.” Therefore, I tried to keep the Christian message as a very real component of certain characters’ lives without it coming across as “preaching” to the reader. I did my best to write in a way that shows the Christian aspects of the book being personally important to my characters. However, I classify this book as Christian suspense for a couple of reasons. Firstly, if someone is opposed to Christianity, they may not enjoy some parts of the book, as Christianity plays an important part in certain characters’ lives. Once again, I tried to keep it from being “preachy,” but everyone’s comfort level is different—especially if they are already not open to the concepts of Christianity. Secondly, for those of my fellow Christian readers, I purposely classify it as Christian so they’ll realize that even with the dark cover and gang-related plot, it does have a message of hope.
3. Good vs. bad is a universal theme and easy to recognize from the start/blurb in your book. What other themes we will find and how did you put them together?
Definitely good vs. bad is a prevalent theme in my book, but also hope, overcoming difficulties, perseverance, love, determination, humility, and faith. I didn’t start writing the book with the plan to work all these themes into it. Instead, I knew I had a story to tell and let it unfold as I wrote. The themes present in the book worked their way in naturally. My job was to make sure it was as realistic as possible. I pray the thread of hope throughout the book can encourage my readers.
4. In your opinion what should every suspense story have?
Action and cliffhangers. This is probably a given, but I do believe it’s the cliffhangers that keep readers turning the pages. However, it is also necessary to give readers a “breather” here and there. This is accomplished by sprinkling sweet and gentle chapters throughout. These sections remind readers of the simple pleasures of humanity (it could be something as small as enjoying an ice cream cone on a hot summer day) amidst the danger and action. Not only that, but it would seem that the contrast between the gentle scenes and the action scenes makes the danger feel that much more suspenseful.
5. How did you choose your stories’ subjects and what are your plans for future as an author?
My first book’s plotline was inspired by a particular photo I had as my laptop wallpaper at the time. This photo is featured at the back of my book, “Holding the Future Hostage.” The photo reveals a jungle river scene, in which I imagined a girl swimming in the water. I wrote a sentence, which grew into a paragraph, and it expanded from there. While I wrote that book, I became very intrigued with one of its characters, Shawn. He quickly became my favorite character, and by the time the book was ready to publish, I knew my second book would tell Shawn’s story. Based on the character he already was, I knew my second book would involve a lot of gang activity and suspense—which is exactly how it turned out.
I plan to continue writing more stories. I definitely desire to publish more novels and I am even considering a children’s book. I am taking a break at the moment, but I doubt it will be long before I get to work on another project. One of my ideas for my third book involves telling another character’s sub-story from “Holding the Future Hostage.” I can’t wait to start another project, even with as much as I’m enjoying my short break.
Tialla Rising is a Christian young woman living with her family in the mountains of Arizona.She loves to write and will passionately spend hours long into the night developing her stories. Like most writers, Tialla fills her spare time with reading from her favorite fantasy and mystery genres.
A good book, a stormy day, and an iced coffee comprise her favorite moments.
