Breaking the Mold

If you are familiar with St. Paul, you know he was something of a writer. His letters make up a huge part of the New Testament. He told the Christians at Corinth. “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” Interesting, but what does it have to do with writing today?

An author who has written multiple books, especially those authors with books in a series, develops a bond with their audience. You might say that they come to speak the same language and hear the same voice—the author’s voice. According to St. Paul, when the voice departs from that which is familiar to the hearer, the bond is broken. The author sounds like a barbarian to the reader.

Series success can shackle an author. The problem is multiplied when the author jumps ship for a different genre altogether. The voice might be the same, but the words sound strange to the reader. Rick Nelson had something to say about that in his song Garden Party, after being booed off the stage.

I wrote Bayou Moon intending it to be the first in a series. Number eight will be out soon, by the way. I am not tired of Landry’s story and have no plans to end it anytime soon. The Red River series was not planned. I did not intend to go beyond Death Rides the Red River. While it has a different setting, it is still horror and still werewolves. I took Hershel Lowe from that series for a new book, Pandemonium. Red River is done. Those Texas werewolves are gone. Hershel Lowe may go on.

The Mann of God series was never planned. They just kind of got away from me. I blame (and thank) the readers who asked for more. I’ll admit to a share of the blame for giving in so readily. The genre is different, the sound is different, and the message is undisguised. Now, there is fantasy vying for my attention and an audience of its own. I’m not confused, fickle, or beset by attention problems. I simply have many interests and can’t say no to them all.

The problem with being all over the place genre-wise comes into sharp focus when I take my books out to public appearances. The horror covers scare off the Western readers who are put off by fantasy and the cryptids. It creates an uncertain sound. The good part is that I often get a chance to explain how it all fits together and see a reader break out of the mold and cross into new territory.

Jack LaFountain