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Blog Tour: The Gathering by Randy Lindsay (spotlight, interview)
The Gathering: End’s Beginning
written by Randy Lindsay
published by Cedar Fort Publishing
find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, iBooks, Book Depository, Goodreads
About the book: Robert Williams didn’t expect an early honorable release from his mission, but upon his return home, he sees the reason for the surprise decision. Unemployment, rampant violence, and frequent food shortages have put the United States on the brink of another civil war. As the threads of society unravel, the Williams family must adapt to drastic changes as the long-foretold gathering begins to take place.
What was your inspiration for writing this particular story? People tend to fear the unknown. There is a strong reaction to anything we haven’t encountered before. The events leading up to the Second Coming will be a whole new experience for all of us and I wanted to make it just a little less terrifying. If people have a chance to look at what’s coming, even if it’s just a fictional account of the events, then I felt that they could deal with the situation better when it actually happens.
The Gathering is fiction based on prophecies about the end of the world. How much of your story is fiction and how much of it is recorded prophecy? Good question. The Gathering is a piece of speculative fiction. That means I started with a premise and then tried to imagine how that would really happen. The further away the story moves from the initial event mentioned in prophecy the more speculative it becomes. In this first novel, I started with a couple of premises that have been prophesied: the United States government in turmoil, the increasing occurrence of powerful natural disasters, and the literal gathering of the Saints. Then I built my story from there.
How close to the prophecies are the events in The Gathering? I did my best to keep The Gathering as close to the prophecies as possible while putting them in situations that the reader would accept. Some events are easy. Depicting the super storm that sweeps through the region was not only believable, but stayed very much within the framework of what has been prophesied. Now, the return of the lost Ten Tribes will be a different matter. That is an event that will be mostly speculation and very little prophetic fact.
How many books are planned for the series? Five total. Each one focuses on a specific stage of the apocalypse. The next one deals with a war in Europe and the general reaction to the Saints gathering together during a time of hardship and chaos.
How did you come up with the title? I didn’t. The wonderful folks at Cedar Fort Publishing did that. They were able to boil down the essence of the story into two words. The Gathering. As soon as I heard it I knew they had nailed the title.
Are any of the characters in The Gathering based on people you know? Not exactly. In my spare time (whatever that is) I do family history. Many of the names I used were combinations of my ancestor’s names. The personalities of my characters are totally made up. Although, I do know quite a few characters in my life and I can imagine they would make for one exciting story if I threw them all together.
Are any of the scenes in The Gathering based on an event in your life? One. I seldom use elements from my life, but the scene where Robert takes the tests to become a security guard is based on a similar event that I experienced.
Were there any challenges in writing this book? Yes. The Gathering was a challenge because it is not what I usually write. It primarily deals with a normal family, in a normal environment, and only slowly brings in elements of the fantastic. I’m used to writing stories about aliens, or monsters, or angels who routinely interact with the human world. It was tough to turn the challenges of everyday life into an adventure.
Did you have any challenges in getting the book published? Yes. I actually wrote this story twice. My first manuscript was rejected for being too political. I asked the editor I was working with at the time if he would take a second look at it if I made changes. Well, those changes ended up being a complete rewrite of the book and the second story was much better because of it.
What was your favorite chapter to write? The last one. That one meant I had finally finished telling my story. However, Chapter 27 was the easiest for me to write because it was closest to what I normally do and I had the most fun writing Chapter 20 where Robert goes on a date with Sierra.
What are you working on now? Too much. I am almost finished with a murder/comedy with the working title of Exit Stage Left. I’m also putting together an anthology of quirky Christmas stories that I plan to self-publish. And while neither of those projects fit into my current published category my fans can look forward to a play/novel that I’m working on that I have titled Nine Months with Angels.
Is there anything you would like to share with your readers? Tough times bring people together. Please, keep that in mind whenever tragedy strikes. If you can, reach out and help and if you are the one that needs help reach out and accept it. We’re all in this together.
About the author: RANDY LINDSAY is a native of Arizona. He lives in Mesa with his wife, five of his nine children, and a hyper-active imagination. His preoccupation with “what if?” has led him to write speculative fiction. Although The Gathering is his first novel, Randy has had short stories published in Penumbra e-zine and several anthologies during 2013. If you want to find out more you can check him out at RandyLindsay.net.
