Christian fantasy author Zachary Hagen chats with me today about his new novel, Eternity’s Edge.
Bio:
Zachary Hagen is a Mississippi-based fantasy author and teacher. He lives there with his wife, Claudia, and their dogs, Flynn and Bellaluna. When he isn’t busy writing his next book or teaching, you can often find him at a great restaurant or reading a good book.
From a young age he was enthralled with the world of story. From the stories his parents read to him from his blue bedtime story books (if you know, you know) to the first two series that he read, The Chronicles of Narnia and A Series of Unfortunate Events, Zachary’s tastes continued to develop throughout his years of reading.
The influences for his first series, The Eternal Chronicles, include Christopher Paolini, J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and others.
Welcome, Zachary. Please tell us about your current release.
Eternity’s Edge is the penultimate entry in my series, The Eternal Chronicles. It’s full of political intrigue, romance, fantasy magic, and the healing power of faith and trust in those who love us.
What inspired you to write this book?
I’d have to go back to the series inspiration. There are a lot of influences, but as far as the actual spark, I’d say that there was a moment in college when I was discussing literature with a friend, and they’d never read The Chronicles of Narnia. I was so shocked that they’d never read it, especially when they cited its age and style as the reasons. Narnia was and is important to so many people, so I decided that it needed a spiritual successor that carried on the legacy of symbolic and important story the way C. S. Lewis did.
Excerpt from Eternity’s Edge:
Beaten and bruised djinn leaders filled the throne room, now in the elevated courtyard atop Taariq’s palace, angrily screaming their grievances at Taariq and Viola atop their iron thrones. They’d come from everywhere throughout Lux Terra, driven out of the metropolitan areas by angry rebels, hungry for djinn blood.
Finally, Taariq had enough of the yelling and screaming from his underlings and he burst up out of his seat and roared with enough power that he almost sounded like Solarium had all those years ago. The roar bathed the djinn gathered there in flames and put out their own. While they remained unharmed, they were sufficiently frightened into quiet submission to their emperor.
“That’s enough!” he screamed. “Are you djinn or hand-wringing dwarf house wives? If you all had an ounce of decorum to share between you all, you’d be leagues less pathetic!”
One especially brave djinn stepped forward, still dressed in scuba gear, from his time in Aquaré, and said, “Taariq, we were driven out of the regions by force! What’s stopping this rebellion from coming here?”
“He’s right,” said another, stepping up. “Your highness, even with our powers, we could not overwhelm them. If our entire army subdues one region, we’ll lose the others in the process. Without the willing surrender of the other races, our united country will fall.”
Taariq sat back in his chair and eyed the two brave—foolish, but brave—souls with grudging respect. These two were leaders among their countrymen, and he couldn’t have that. The power of the Circle was alive and well within him. The combined and cooperative power of his and six other djinn who he’d destroyed for the Circle members coursed in his veins. He’d never overheated before, but this situation was boiling his blood within him, and he felt the heat rising. Beads of sulfuric sweat glistened on Taariq’s brow, and his head steamed.
What exciting project are you working on next?
Right now, I’m working on the last book in this series, Eternity’s End, which I hope will be out in June or July of 2024. I’m really excited to finish that up. After that, I have two books in mind that I’m excited to finish up.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I honestly can’t remember a time when I didn’t think of myself as a writer. The day I finished the first draft of Eternity’s Well I felt like an author, but I’ve always been a writer even before works of mine were for sale. Writing is an integral part of who I am, and it has always been in and with me.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I have ADHD, so I don’t think I could ever do just one thing. I’d get too bored, even with writing. I also teach, I’m finishing my Master of Education, and my wife and I own a soap and bath product company called Reylias Luxury Soaps and Bath. I love all that I do, and I feel blessed to be able to have multiple dreams and follow them all.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I don’t know if it’s a quirk, but I think of my characters as people, which is part of why it’s been over a year since my last release. After some of the deaths in Eternity’s Refuge, the previous book, it was hard to get back into the world of Lux Terra without the familiar personalities I’d come to know and love being there, too.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A novelist and a teacher. I’m not the kind of person to change my mind once it’s been made up.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
It is an absolute honor when anyone reads and shares what they think, positive or not, about my work. It’s such a surreal and amazing thing to know people I’ve never met are reading my books, falling in love with my characters, and living in the world I’ve created through their imaginations. Thank you for reading, thank you for going on this journey with me. And, of course, please pick up a copy of my new book and the previous ones if you haven’t read them. If you loved Narnia, Lord of the Rings, or the Inheritance Cycle, these books are absolutely for you.