Friday, August 2, 2013

The Journey with Dan O'Brien


Welcome to the first day of The Journey blog tour. It will run until August 9th and will feature excerpts and new author interviews each day. But first, here is the obligatory blurb about the novel to settle you into this strange world:

The Frozen Man. The Translucent Man. The Burning Man. The Wicker Man. The guide known only as the Crossroads, together these are the signposts and totems of the world that the being called the Lonely inhabits. Seeking out the meaning of his journey, the Lonely is a being consumed by philosophical inquiry and adventure. Filled with exotic places and age-old questions, the Journey is a book that seeks to merge the fantastical and real. Join the Lonely as he seeks out answers to his own existence and perhaps the meaning for us all. 



A few questions for the author:


Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity? 

The beauty of life is that perceptions change. I have seen madness where I later saw organized chaos, of which I am a fan. Sometimes a story seems like a convoluted mess until I get into it and realize that there was something very captivating deeper in the text. 


What’s something you know you do differently than most people? 

I have a very strict sense of organization and self-discipline that makes it appear as though I am working a lot harder than other people. I do not see it that way, though the evidence is in my production. I like to stay very busy. That is my meditative state. 


How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy? 

This is a fairly context-driven question. Having different interests is the spice of life. If others did not have hobbies beyond what I consider safe, then I might never undertake something new. We cannot all have the same interests, even if I think mine are the best. :)



Here be an excerpt for your enjoyment:


I
The Passing of the Darkness


The open arms of the darkness embraced the being, the one that had been called Th’bir. He went into the darkness not knowing what would become of what he had left behind. That darkness flirted with his mind, his being. From that darkness a new man arose, that man was called the Lonely. 

The world below and the world above were not so different to the eyes of the Lonely. He saw both through a crystal glass. The reflection he saw there was duplicitous, one of the man he was and of the being he had become.

This realm was filled with both nothingness and everything. Those who walked there soon became infused with the shadows that danced in their hearts. But the Lonely walked the path, watching perdition as if it were a wonderful play.

The Lonely called out into the darkness. 

“Who am I? Where am I going?”

The darkness responded with silence, though that silence encompassed more truth than the Lonely could begin to comprehend. And as he walked along the path, he saw the inverted reality that he had yet to understand.




Bio: A psychologist, author, editor, philosopher, martial artist, and skeptic, he has published several novels and currently has many in print, including: The End of the World Playlist, Bitten, The Journey, The Ocean and the Hourglass, The Path of the Fallen, The Portent, and Cerulean Dreams. Follow him on Twitter (@AuthorDanOBrien) or visit his blog http://thedanobrienproject.blogspot.com. He recently started a consultation business. You can find more information about it here: http://www.amalgamconsulting.com/.




All of his books are only 99 cents on Kindle right now!


Download The Journey for free on Kindle from 8/5 until 8/9!


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1 comment:

  1. All right, you got me. I'm intrigued. I'm putting The Journey on my reading list.

    ReplyDelete