A warm welcome to author Caleb James joining us today to talk about his new release “Exile”, book 2 in The Haffling series.
Between Courage and Cowardice
By
Caleb James/Charles Atkins
A dead hero is no hero at all. As an ex first responder, these are words to live by. Long before I became a psychiatrist−and yes, that’s my day job−I was an EMT in Boston and witnessed many acts of heroism. Those who repeatedly saved the day had found that delicate balance of doing what needs to be done without recklessness or bravado.
Which brings me to my new novel, Exile, the second in the Haffling trilogy, and its unlikely hero, Liam Summer. In book one−Haffling−the protagonist, Alex Nevus, is a classic hero who puts everything on the line for those he loves. It’s who he is.
Liam is the opposite. Raised as the cat’s paw of an evil queen, he has done horrible things and ruined many. Gifted with incomparable beauty coupled with a potent magic to glamour and enslave, Liam has proven useful to his despotic monarch. But then everything changes and Liam is presented with a rare opportunity—a chance for redemption.
For me this theme of finding one’s courage lets me dive below the surface of the snap judgments we all make about people. In worlds where everything has a cause, Liam did not wake up one morning and decide to do the bidding of his murderous monarch. But the seeds that brought him there have deep roots and hold him tight.
More than that, Liam makes us face a painful reality. Courage, in the face of tyranny, comes at a cost. The response for some to “Give me liberty or give me death” swings at the end of a noose. If a dead hero is no hero and becoming the agent of evil robs you of your self-respect and your soul, is there another option?
This is the road which Liam must navigate. He despises the being he’s become, and he knows no other way. But maybe there’s a road map. Perhaps, Charlie Fitzgerald, a New York City firefighter who runs into buildings to rescue strangers and asks for nothing in return, can show him that path.
But Liam, as he gazes into the mirror of self-reflection, does not trust himself. The queen’s tethers are strong, and the path he’s followed his entire life is smooth, safe, and all too easy to continue. He is forced into hard and dangerous choices. Will he achieve redemption or will Charlie, like so many before him, lay broken at his feet?
Blurb:
Liam Summer, with the face of an angel and the body of an underwear model, has done bad things. Raised as the cat’s paw of a murderous fairy queen, his beauty has ruined many. When Queen May’s plot to unite and rule the fairy and human realms fails, Liam wakes naked and alone in a burning Manhattan building. Unaware the blaze is arson and he its intended victim, Liam prepares to die.
Enter ax-wielding FDNY firefighter Charlie Fitzpatrick, who Liam mistakes for an ogre assassin. As Charlie rescues Liam, he realizes the handsome blond has nowhere to go. So he does what he and his family have always done… he helps.
As for Queen May, trapped in the body of a flame-throwing salamander, she may be down, but she’s not out. Yes, she failed the last time, but Liam and others will pay. She knows what must be done—possess a haffling, cross into the human world engorged with magic, and become queen and Goddess over all.
As Liam realizes the danger they all face, he discovers unexpected truths—that even the most wicked are not beyond redemption, and that love—true love—is a gift that even he can receive.
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Bio (Caleb James/Charles Atkins)−Caleb James is a pen name used by psychiatrist and author Charles Atkins, MD for his paranormal fiction. He lives and works in Connecticut, is a member of the Yale volunteer faculty, loves a flea market, gives a lot of workshops (including experiential writer’s trainings), and lives with his partner and too many cats.
Links:
Web site: www.charlesatkins.com
Facebooks: https://www.facebook.com/charles.atkins.37
Twitter: @CharlesAtkinsMD