

Arena has left the nation’s administration with a dead president and a weakened military, and while the tragic memories continue to scar her, the government struggles to regroup without its leader. For the people who still remain in hiding, it’s evident the country is all but lost, and with Russian operatives taking over, the nation’s hope of recovering is grim.



After months in hiding, Arena and her brother, Gabriel, fight to survive the aftermath while they trudge through unkindly terrain across the country to rejoin their friends, but what they soon discover may staunch their journey. The government’s failed attempt to rebirth a broken nation has caused civil unrest like no other.



After reuniting with their friends, Arena’s decision to stay changes when she discovers the secrets of a refugee camp behind a clandestine group of rebels, known as the Southern Resistance. With an opportunity to escape to a permanent safe haven, Arena risks her life to lead the new fellowship. But the darkest days are upon them, and with a new war brewing, Arena’s path will take a dark turn as her survival is in jeopardy.



Into The Darkness captures the cruel truth behind our darkest secrets which may often cause us to question our faith. In this graphic second installment of the LAST LIGHT FALLING series, J.E. Plemons continues the grim story of Arena Power’s fate, testing her faith while she and her brother search for an answer to their survival in a brooding world filled with chaos









Interview:



What do you like best about developing characters?







Oh, hell, I could write an essay about this, but I won't. I love when my characters teach me something I'm not expecting. The story is always about interesting characters whether they inspire, move, change, or even discourage you. But then surprisingly, there's that smidgen of compassion for the most unlikely character that you never intended to happen. When my story changes, which it often does throughout countless drafts, so do the character's development, but when the characters unexpectedly change, that’s when the plot unfolds into something magnificent, purely by accident.







Who was your favorite character to write?





No doubt, Arena. It was so easy to create and develop her character because I mirrored her traits and personality from my own daughter. But the mundane trials she grows up with and faces in the story are based on my own personal experiences. I just thought it would give the novel better appeal if I vicariously lived them through this 15 year old girl.







Who are your favorite authors? Why?





C.S. Lewis and Tolkien without a doubt for their courageous unsolicited effort to go against the pretentious grain of the book publishing world during their time. They both have created timeless characters and stories to which have inspired many to follow in there writing footsteps. Robert Lewis Stevenson and Jack London, two of the greatest authors of our time, for their masterful real-life characters and colorful story telling through prose and poetry.







What is the most rewarding thing about writing a book?







Simply put—finishing it. Okay maybe that's not all, but it sure helps. I get joy out of someone else diving into the story I just created, feeling and reacting to the characters as I would. It's always rewarding to see a reader get something else out of the writing that you didn't expect.







What is your response to this: "Indies are killing the book industry"?







I'm somewhat mixed about this. You have to understand that I worked in the entertainment business for years, specifically music publishing, where the industry has a lot of pull on how people alter it. Just like the music industry is now, independent authors have vast opportunities to promote, market, and publish their works. Unfortunately, that may be two million too many. Just because you like to sing, doesn't make you a singer, a pleasant one that is. That goes for writers alike. Yes, it's great that we as independent authors have more avenues to divulge our work, but you have to compete with millions of others doing the same, and bad ones I might add. It can really persuade avid readers to avoid Indie authors and their subpar writing according to the "Big 5." The book industry has dramatically changed. The "Big 5" traditional publishers will have no choice but to join, or at least make a viable attempt to support and open up more doors for serious writers in the Indie world. The playing field will level out eventually giving the serious authors a chance to give readers a wider variety of expression. I'm somewhat glad that the Indies are killing the book industry. There's less pretentious and pompous attitudes that dictate which novel will be a success based on marketability alone. The only good thing about the current publishing world is that I have access to an abundant number of excellent authors' works at my fingertips, but more importantly, so do our readers.







What is your next project?







I'm delighted to be almost done with book III, Last Light Falling - Kingdoms Of The Ten (working title), but no spoilers here I'm afraid. Your welcome to visit my website to get a sneak peek of the cover this Winter.







Final Thoughts?







If you're looking for suspense, adventure, and a large dose of gratuitous violence, the Last Light Falling series will be sure to supply it for you. I'd like to think this isn't your typical run-of-the-mill, cookie cutter apocalyptic novel. It brings with it a bit of controversy about the human existence and the plight to which it extends after death. Whether or not you believe in a deity over our being, this story will entertain. It's graphic, raw, and real, and it will leave you wondering if our current state of being will evolve into something as horrific as it does in the novel. It's scary to think how brooding our political state is in to the possible future it may become. This book will give you a glimpse into a conceivable future that is both disturbing and evil. It will leave you with more questions than answers, but it will surely make you think what our political leaders in this world are capable of creating. This first person character driven story isn't aimed to preach or convert. It's merely an interpretation of the book of Revelation that is aimed at entertaining and nothing else. What you get out of it as a reader will come from your own imagination and convictions. This isn't about the end of the world as much as it's about the characters trying to survive in it.





Giveaway:





