Inherited Religion in Christian Fiction

On Monday I shared some background to another of my Black Earth characters – Pearl – an immortal girl intent on ending her life in the beginning of End of the Innocence. Her story is an interesting one because it brings up the topic of this post – inherited religion.

In the series, we find out that Pearl was crafted in the Depths, an extension of Hell. Her mother, Evanescence, created Pearl and attempted to set within her a purpose for destruction. Evanescence attempted to seal Pearl’s fate by marking her with a black key mark – which would later unlock all sorts of trouble – and assumed that Pearl was destined for the purposes of Hell simply because Pearl was born in Hell.

The idea that one can be born in Hell is a controversial one to say the least, especially in Christian fiction, but this IS fiction we are talking about here, and Pearl’s birth story sets the stage for the rest of her place in the Black Earth series. At first, Pearl attempts to kill herself because she knows she has been created for an evil purpose. She wants nothing to do with Earth’s destruction and so she decides to take herself out of the picture and go home – to Heaven – to be with her father, God.

Pearl is an interesting character because she was born in Hell, yet she knows God. God has called her as His child, even though her body was formed by Evanescence – Queen of the Depths – and cared for by the denizens of Hell. Even though Pearl was born into atrocity, she knows she is not bound by it. And so she decides to follow her own path and find a destiny worth living for.

In general, the term inherited religion refers to religious beliefs and customs passed on through family, such as Christianity, Catholicism, Mormonism, etc. Pearl’s origins reflect inherited religion because Hell is something she was born into, yet when she begins to question her purpose, she finds there are other roads that truly exist, regardless of what Evanescence tries to convince her of.

Most children are raised in this inherited religion, and most don’t usually question the beliefs or reasons for such religious practices or beliefs. One problem I have seen within the Christian community, is that certain Christians don’t want other Christians to question Christian beliefs, for fear if one questions Christianity and realizes it is not for them, that they will turn from the faith and follow an undesired path.

I would argue in favor of the opposite. Questioning your beliefs is probably the best thing you can do in your life, especially if you’ve been raised to adapt your belief system to those around you, i.e. family. Just because you’ve been raised in a Mormon, Christian, Atheist, or Pagan household doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take the opportunity to sit down, do some research, and study the beliefs behind these religions (or lack thereof) to see if you truly believe what they believe. Yes, I’m saying this about Christianity as well.

Too many Christians nowadays scoff at the fact that other Christians want to question everything under the sun in regards to the Christian faith, the Bible, and Jesus Christ. Did he really die on the cross for our sins? How old is Earth, really? What does the Bible say about finances, sex, hate? As children, we question everything, and sometimes our parents give us half-hearted answers either because we won’t completely understand the truth behind something yet, or that our parents are simply lazy and don’t want us questioning the foundations of the family environment.

When asked why the family goes to church or believes in God or celebrates Christmas, many parents opt for the “because we always have” approach. This is detrimental. What ends up happening is children grow up and eventually wander out into the ‘real’ world with no foundation to their faith. They stumble into the wrong crowd, happen upon the wrong things, and they have no Biblical or faith-based backing to fall on. They just have “because we always have” to lean on, and that is about as flimsy as a house of cards in a hurricane.

Many Christians don’t approach these matters in Christian fiction. It seems taboo to venture down the road of questioning because we fear we’ll stray from God if we find answers we don’t really want. But if those of us who are grounded in our faith truly believe that God is real and the Bible truth, than what do we have to fear if a loved one wants to know more about why we believe what we believe? Are we afraid they will find out Christianity is all a scam, a crafty device created by man to trick the world? Instead of smothering our friends and family with fear and doubt, we should be sitting them down and offering to answer any questions they have to the best of our ability. And if we can’t answer them, find someone who can. Or simply lead them to God and believe He will answer their questions.

Fiction is a wonderful vehicle for venturing down these paths. Fiction can ask the hard questions and set the stage to answer them in a meaningful way. Fiction can open doors to discussion in regards to inherited religion.

Next week we’ll take a good look at the character of Ryan Anderson, and explore the theme of betrayal in Christian fiction.

New Compendium Entry - Pearl

Yesterday I gave you a look into the character of Pearl from my Black Earth series. Tomorrow, we'll be taking a look at inherited religion and it's place in Christian fiction. Today I'm happy to say that a new entry to the website Compendium has been added: Pearl's character profile.

For those who are curious what the Compendium is, it is a (ultimately) massive database that I am building from the ground up that will house information on any and all things from both my Black Earth and my Expired Reality series. Each week, new entries will be added to the Compendium. Right now, I'm in a blog series exploring the different characters (and themes) of my Black Earth series, and the majority of released Compendium entries during this series will be character based.

Black Earth Character Spotlight - Pearl

Last week I gave you a glimpse into the character of Daisy Pierce, and we took a look at how faith can be a greater benefit to Christian fiction when it's used properly.

This week we’ll take a look into the character of Pearl, an immortal girl torn between our world and the Depths.

Pearl’s origins are some of the most uncanny in the Black Earth series. Crafted by hand by her mother, Evanescence, Pearl’s form was put together in the Depths – a sublevel of Hell itself. Pearl took months to create, and when she was finished being crafted, she came to life as an eighteen year old with basic knowledge of Earth, humanity, and a very limited knowledge of creation.

When Pearl originally awoke (was birthed) in the Depths, she absorbed knowledge that allowed her to discern that the Depths, and the domain of the Dark One, was not a place she wanted to be. She was told the plans her mother, Evanescence, had for her, and this caused Pearl to flee the Depths – after a long and grueling escape attempt – and make her way to Earth, where she wandered in hopes of finding a way to kill herself so she wouldn’t have to witness the destruction about to befall the planet.

In the beginning of the Black Earth series, in the prologue to End of the Innocence (Falling), we find Pearl on the top of a high rise in Phoenix, about to throw herself off in another attempt to kill herself. She knows what is coming and wants nothing more than to be with her Father God in Heaven.

The interesting thing about Pearl is that even though she was crafted in Hell itself, by the Queen of the Depths, Pearl still acknowledges that her true creator is God and that He has a better place for her to reside in than the Depths or Earth. Although Pearl ends up going about reaching Heaven in the wrong manner – mostly due to her limited knowledge of things – her heart is in the right place. She wants to reside with the One who truly created her, and not those who have crafted her for evil intentions.

What’s funny, is I first formed the image of Pearl in my mind when I heard Skillet’s song, The Last Night, which speaks of suicide. I wondered what it would be like for someone immortal to want to commit suicide to escape the travesties on Earth. Fortunately, Pearl’s attempts to kill herself all fail, and she is ultimately united with a young man – the main character of the Black Earth series – Nathan Pierce.

Throughout the Black Earth series, Pearl learns what it is to make one’s own destiny and not conform to the inherited religion or beliefs one is born into - more on that Wednesday. Even though Pearl finds herself marked with a black key tattoo, one placed there for nefarious purposes, she fights with every ounce of will she has to make her own destiny and follow where her heart is leading her – into the arms of God.

Pearl’s character brings a splash of beauty and sorrow to the Black Earth series, and she is probably one of my favorite characters. When she cries, rose petals flutter from her eyelids and she carries with her a sweet scent of cherry blossoms wherever she goes. When she finally does meet Nathan Pierce in person, Nathan gives her a reason to stick through the tragic events that befall Earth, but along the journey, Pearl also comes to know God better and realize the purpose she was truly created for.

Where will we find Pearl by the end of the Black Earth series? Who knows? Well, I do, but I’m not telling yet.

This Wednesday we’ll take a look at the theme of inherited religion in the Black Earth series and how it can serve a purpose in Christian fiction. Tomorrow, Pearl’s character profile will be added to the Compendium on the official website, and next week we’ll take a look at the character of Ryan Anderson and the theme of betrayal in Christian fiction.

As Worlds Collide

When I was twelve years old and first decided I wanted to be a writer when I grew up, I was just beginning work on the characters who would later show up in Endangered Memories, my latest young adult science fiction/fantasy novel. And when I first started the Expired Reality series - which Endangered Memories is pulled from - I pictured the series running at least a dozen books.

I still picture the series running at least a dozen novels, in addition to some shorts stories and novellas I plan on throwing in there every now and then. But when I started my Black Earth series - a sort of prequel to the events that occur in the Expired Reality series - I planned on the series running about four or five books. And then the fifth book would bump up against the first book in the Expired Reality series and the novels would continue down the line.

But something changed the other day. Something happened which was a bit unexpected and I guess all the blame can fall on my characters.

That's right - my characters.

As long as I've been writing, I've come to realize that my characters have a mind of their own. I can do my best to try and kill them, but if they want to live badly enough, they'll find a way to live. The reverse is true as well, and nothing saddens me more than to watch a beloved character die. I'll admit that it does scare me a bit that my characters can have such a mind of their own.

This brings me to my main point of this blog post. The other day I was working on Dark Horizons, the third installment of my Expired Reality series, and a couple characters showed up unexpectedly. Both are from my Black Earth series. Both are unique in that they were able to survive and live through the 100 year gap between the events of Black Earth and the events that serve as the beginning to Endangered Memories.

These characters, for those who have read the books in my Black Earth series, are Griffin and Pearl.

I originally planned on having Pearl show up in the Expired Reality series, but much later down the line - like maybe the fifth or sixth book. But she just strolled on the page while I was writing Dark Horizons and revealed herself to me and some of my other characters. "Hi," she said as she waved to the rest of the cast. "Just dropped by to make my presence known."

Griffin on the other hand wasn't a character I planned on revealing in the Expired Reality series...ever. The scenes I have been working on in Dark Horizons have a young man who paired up with one of the heroes - Veronica Amorou - as she attempts to escape the police. Throughout the scenes I wrote, he's only mentioned as a young man. I had no name for him, figuring I'd come up with one by the time the second draft came along. But it seems my characters got sick and tired of him not having a solid identity and finally pressed him to reveal his name.

"My name is Griffin," he said.

So there you have it. Two worlds, two unique novel series, thrust together, joined with a bond that cannot be broken. All because of my characters. Characters who refuse to die, who refuse to remain in the shadows of the past and strive to remain immortal.

The Great Witch Evanescence - A Character Profile

Since I like to post on aspects of writing on Fridays, I figured I'd take some time out today and introduce everyone to one of the villains from my stories - Evanescence. Also known in some circles as the Great Witch. She is a character found in my current scifi/fantasy series, Black Earth, and will be found in my young adult series - Expired Reality - debuting this summer. As a side note, Expired Reality takes place 100 years after the events of Black Earth, just so everyone is clear on the chronology of events in regards to the references made in this post.

Evanescence is a powerful, nefarious witch who first made an appearance in the original drafts of my young adult novels years ago.Her birth came when I attempted to create a dark, mystical character who had, at one point in the past, fought for Earth's destruction and almost perished because of it. During this great battle - which will be told toward the end of my Black Earth novel series - Evanescence is drained of most of her magic and health and is forced to go into hiding on the planet of Anaisha. There, she enchants one of Anaisha's richest men, Jerad Montlier, using his money and power to gain herself sanctuary in his home while she regenerates her dark powers.

Magazine ad that served as inspiration for Evanescence

A lieutenant in Satan's own army, Evanescence is currently found in my Black Earth series as a lieutenant in the merged armies of Satan and the alien entity known as Legion. Together, these forces travel through the universe, smothering planets in darkness and emptying them of life before destroying them completely.

Evanescence is more than a witch, she is also mother to an immortal girl named Pearl. Pearl can be found in the Black Earth books, at first trying to kill herself in a desperate attempt to avoid having to watch what will become of the Earth at the hands of her evil mother. Despite Evanescence's attempts to gain Pearl's assistance in destroying the earth, Pearl refuses and quickly becomes enemies with her mother. This feud is only agitated when Pearl decides to pursue romance with a mortal.

In the Black Earth series, Evanescence's character is usually always presented with blue color schemes. She is seen in the novels wearing a bright blue corset and gown. Her eyes glow cerulean and her black hair is streaked with blue. She wears a necklace that carries a sparkling blue gem - possibly one of the sources of her powerful magic.

Evanescence's weapon of choice is a silver staff that she uses both to attack her foes with dark magic and to control the black mist of Legion. The staff also enables her to call forth terrible creatures - such as hellhounds - which she looses upon the planets she is conquering. Although in the Expired Reality series she is first seen as a somewhat decrepit woman who lacks any powers at all, she is still able to enchant and deceive almost any mortal she comes across.

Look for Evanescence in Black Earth: End of the Innocence, Black Earth: The Broken Daisy, and throughout the upcoming Expired Reality series debuting this summer.