Book Blog Tour with Alan J. Fisher
Today we are finding out about Alan J. Fisher who hails all the way from The Dominican Republic.
So hello Alan, tell us about yourself.
Where in the world are you?: Santo Domingo, The Dominican Republic
Where in the world would you like to be? Hard to say, I’ve travelled so much
Books – buy links: I have quite a few so use Amazon Author link;
amazon.com/author/alanjohnfisher
Website link: https://cyclebiker2.wixsite.com/alanjfisher
Blog Link: https://cyclebiker2.wixsite.com/alanjfisher/singlepost
Social Media (Please provide links & handles):
Facebook: https://facebook.com/alanjfisherauthor
Twitter: alanjfisher0
Instagram: alanjfisher75
Tumblr: alanjfisher75
Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Lupernikes/videos
Favourite book: The Lord of the Rings
Favourite snack when writing: Coffee…coffee…lots and lots of coffee
What do you write on? My laptop using Word of Google Docs
Where do you write? Some poetry, mostly fantasy science fiction I suppose and a lot of genre-crossing stuff
What are your current projects? Ongoing collaborative project you’ll have to keep an eye on my weekly video blog to find out about that! Also upcoming trilogy set in my Hegemony universe which is going to blow everything else I have ever written away.
Can you share a little of your current work with us (no more than 1000 words)?
Sable could see the winged multitude behind him and there were millions of them, like unto a rain storm themselves. This was Judgement and they really should be leaving but every set of eyes was riveted on the unfolding confrontation on the hill.
"Brother," Michael's voice was softer but it still carried. "Why? Why must it come to this again? Why must you continue this ... this ... rebellion?"
"Because it is right Michael." Lucifer's equally soft voice carried through the silence to the ships as if the vacuum of sound created by a thousand straining ears were sucking the slightest noise towards them. "Because The Father is wrong and He must see it, because He refuses to see how wrong He is."
"What you have done is wrong, Lucifer!" Michael growled. "How do you dare continue to accuse The Most High? Still you dare?"
"Somebody must, brother and I am the only one with the nerve ...” "You certainly have nerve, Lucifer!"
"I am making something better, Michael, breeding race which would please Him and make Him proud of all of His creations. We the first and they," He gestured to the ships, caused everyone on board to duck or flinch as Michael's gaze fell upon them. "The beginning of the new. Those," He indicated the mostly supine slaves. "Are an insult to Father. Look at what Adam and his wife did! Look at how they err and do nothing but fail and disappoint Him. I have made -"
"You, Lucifer, YOU assume to think you can do better than The Father? To improve what He made. To presume YOU know better?"
"I not trying -"
"You corrupted them with your evil and have forced His hand Lucifer! You know what is coming now. There is no appeal, no gentleness this time. No pulling of the blow. This is it. They," He swept his spear toward the ships causing a not very slight panic "Must be cleansed and undone. You, you know what you did and the price of it."
Lucifer bowed his head and remained silent.
Sable nudged the neph next to him and signed to him Cast off now! We don't have much time. Silently he nodded and nudged the man next to him. It passed along the chain and the last man who, with painful and deliberate care began to undo the rope from the ship. Others eased their way to the rowing benches and took hold of oars. The nephs on the other ships saw them and began to do the same. Slowly, in deep silence and considered fear, ships began to back out towards the ocean. Nothing could be heard but carefully restrained grunts of effort and the slap of wave on oar. If they could just get clear of the harbour...
"Lucifer and you Fallen rebels to God!" Michael roared. "You have been Judged and Sentenced. We are here to complete your Punishment!" He quietly and held up his spear on high, a strange light flickering under his skin, as if his very blood were fire or lightning; the electricity from the spear flowing over and under skin.
The ships were carefully backing out of the harbour, silent oarstroke by terrified oarstroke. No man or woman dared breathe, let alone speak. One stroke of exaggerated deliberateness at a time. Every creak or splash seeming to sound like a thunderclap. Almost clear...
"Do you have anything to say, brother?" Michael asked, almost gently.
Lucifer shook his head and, together with at least fifty other Fallen, he stood tall and proud, looking straight at the host suspended above him and right into Michael's eyes. "Do it and get it over with." "You could still beg His forgiveness Lucifer!" Michael pleaded. "Throw yourself on His mercy. He is a forgiving God. Beg Him with an open heart and He may welcome you back to His Halls ...”
"I cannot, brother," Was that regret in his voice or resignation?
Sable looked ahead of the ships, tearing his gaze away from the scene with a great effort of will. They were nearing the natural breakwater at the mouth of the harbour now. They needed five more minutes and, once clear of the bay and in open water; they could bend the oars and maybe, before the rains returned ... maybe...
"Please Lucifer! Return to us! He is so pained by your stubbornness and your accusals, Lucifer! Please; ask his forgiveness, brother," he help out a beseeching hand. "Come home."
It was like every single neph on every single ship stopped breathing at the same time. All hands froze, all eyes locked on the two figures on the hill. Nothing else mattered, nothing else existed. There was no sound but the soft splash of the waves and the creak of the decks. Such was the pleading tone of Michael's voice, so strong his wish, so deep his desire and so convincing his manner that every single one of them were silently begging Lucifer to accept, to go home and end this happily. Many fell to their knees, tears streaming down their faces, expressions twisted in anguish, hands help aloft in supplication. They waited, they watched, their hearts straining and every desire begging...
"No." Lucifer stated and every voice on every ship cried out in horror, they wailed and lamented. Hands fell nerveless from oars. Sable's eyes widened and fear tripped in his heart. "No, Michael I cannot."
"Can not, Lucifer, or will not?" Michael's voice dripped disgust, enunciating every word, voice shaking. On the ships hands clenched on oars in rage also. Sable watched with curious detachment as his fellows fell under the magic of Michael's voice, muttering and murmuring, eyes wide and mouths poised to cry out, eyes angry. Why am I unaffected? He wondered. How are my ears proof to his spell? "Will not? How can you be so cruel?"
Why did you write that? What inspired it? The Bible somewhat, the Book of Enoch and a bit of life. This project is quite exciting because it will be so unexpected. Everyone who reads it has their impression of what it’s going to be about, then they read the next chapter…I want to smash preconceptions and genre boundaries and make people really think…I mean really, for themselves and in challenging what I’m writing or arguing they’re making a start…
Do you have any advice for other writers? Don’t be afraid. Every single one of you is going to think that your writing is awful and that no-one will like it but that’s not necessarily true. Write your heart out, which regularly and make each thing you write the best you have ever written. Then, one day you’ll see something amazing…
Who is your favourite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work? Terry Pratchett, the latest and greatest; he could do great humour, incredible darkness and teach valuable lessons in the same book. Even in his fight with Alzheimer’s he remained the teacher…
Which author do you most resemble? Good lord! Gaiman maybe, my hair can be messier depending on the day?
Can you tell us a writerly joke? Irony is when someone writes ‘you’re an idiot’…
Anything else on your mind? Not right now but thanks Rob, been a pleasure!
