Please tell my readers a little bit about your book.
Children of Time
is
a dark fantasy/science fiction novel that is a wild ride, taking place both in
the “real” world and a dark, hellish realm. This book is intended as a
stand-alone novel, but it can also be considered a third part in a series also
comprising of my novels An Inner Darkness
and A Light in the Dark. In Children of Time, readers will
experience with the characters what it is like to all but lose one’s mind. What
is real? What isn’t? Suspense is the name of the game as the reader will be
gripping their e-readers so tightly their fingers become embedded in the
plastic (or in the cover, assuming one is still reading actual books). Children of Time also takes up the ambiguous fate of the
villain from An Inner Darkness and A Light in the Dark to offer readers of
those novels an opportunity to see what happens to him, while also offering an
entry point for readers unfamiliar with my work.
Describe the
genre of this particular title, and is the only genre you write in?
As
stated above, I place this book in two different genres, dark fantasy and
science fiction. I enjoy mixing genres. My first novel, Harvester: Ascension, is a science fiction thriller, and my next
two—An Inner Darkness and A Light in the Dark—are urban fantasy.
My fourth, 9111 Sharp Road, is YA
horror. With this one, I decided to go much darker than before. I was going for
something that had the strangeness of Ray Bradbury with the darkness of Stephen
King. Having
said that, I believe even if dark novels aren’t necessarily
your thing, you may
find yourself enjoying it immensely. Paranormal romance writer Kathi S. Barton
recently read Children of Time and
described it as “A book that isn't my usual cup of tea but had me staying up
way past my bedtime…. I've never been so drawn in and so captivated by a book
in my life.”
 |
| Author Eric R. Johnston |
When did you
start writing toward publication?
My
first effort toward writing a publishable novel started in October of 2009 when
my friend Andrew Utley and I outlined the idea for what eventually became Harvester: Ascension. While searching
for a publisher for that book, I wrote An
Inner Darkness.
Why have you
become a published author?
For
as long as I can remember I wanted to be an author. Not only was writing in the
family—Ruth White, author of Belle
Prater’s Boy, Sweet Creek Holler, and Little
Audrey, among others, is my aunt—but creating stories was something I
obsessed over as a kid. I always played stories out in my head, imagining all
kinds of interesting scenarios. It also didn’t hurt that I developed a love of
reading at young age, getting my first exposure to horror and science fiction
from R.L. Stine, Bruce Coville, and Christopher Pike before the age of ten.
What is your
writing routine like?
For
most of my books, I handwrite a draft, or portions of a draft, not caring about
consistency, grammar, or anything else that can bog you down in this initial
effort. Usually during this process, ideas come to me that hadn’t previously,
so by the time I’m ready to sit down and type, I have a better idea of where
I’m going and what I’m doing. That is when I worry about consistency, grammar,
etc. I do my best thinking with a pen and a notebook. Once I have a typed
draft, I go over it at least four or five times, usually more, adding in the
nuances that make novels fun to read, while fixing any issues.
Please Share
three fun facts about you that most people don’t know.
I
have a twin brother; in high school I could run a mile in 4 minutes, 20
seconds; I’ve read every novel Stephen King has published.
A twin? Fabulous. A nearly 4 minute mile? Congrats. One of my sons read all SK's books (too scary for me)! What’s next for
you?
My
current work in progress is called In the
Pale Moonlight, a continuation of the YA horror series I started with 9111 Sharp Road. In this story, readers
will learn more about the town of Orchard Hills and how it became overrun with
vampires and ghosts, as well as getting more background on just what is up with
the house at 9111 Sharp Road.
BOOK BLURB
Shawna
McCullough is enjoying a quiet evening with a book when her six-year-old
daughter, Alexis, awakens and talks of dreaming about her own death, describing
it in vivid detail. They fall asleep next to each other, but when Shawna wakes
up just after midnight, instead of her daughter, she discovers a strange man in
her bed. She also now has two daughters, neither of them Alexis, and she’s nine
months pregnant.
This
is only the beginning of the strangeness as she discovers the man is just as
confused as she is. He is Mark LaValley, a police officer who claims to have
been killed in this same house years earlier while answering a domestic dispute
between her and her husband, a dispute that led to his death. Except in this
reality, he is no longer a police officer but a substitute teacher.
It isn’t long before Shawna and Mark realize they have been entrusted with guarding “the children of time,” as a demon known as Zuriz Falcon, who has been exiled to another realm, sends his henchman to kidnap the girls, including the one she’s pregnant with. Only with the powers of these three “children” and that of a collection of unique books can Falcon be released from the dark realm to unleash his evil upon the world.
MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Eric R. Johnston received a degree in History and English from University of Michigan. He is the author of An Inner Darkness, A Light in the Dark, Harvester: Ascension, 9111 Sharp Road, and Children of Time. When he isn't writing, he is editing and teaching at local high schools and middle schools. He also enjoys running and weight lifting. He lives in Imlay City, Michigan, with his fiancé, daughter, and two step-daughters.
How can my readers buy your book?
You
can find more information about Eric R. Johnston and Children Time by visiting:
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