Did you ever consider the deeper meaning behind what happens in a book? Beyond the action...beyond the emotion...beyond the obvious details?

Some books are all action, but for some of us, weaving spiritual perspectives into our works is as natural as breathing. I met Jim Melvin, author of The Death Wizard Chronicles on the first day of his virtual book tour. We are both cruising the blogosphere this month, and we came to enjoy each other so much that we arranged a 2-part unscheduled side-trip. I feel so grateful to have met a new friend. That is an unexpected-benefit of touring, in my opinion. Most of us are checking out each others' stops and interacting with each other, and I have made several new friends of the touring authors and our gracious hosts.

Jim Melvin. and I interviewed each other. You can read part 1 of his interview of me here.

Today we are each sharing part 1 of the interview. Next weekend you will get part 2.

The Pit: The Death Wizard Chronicles: Book 1

by Jim Melvin

Only a Death-Knower can die.

And live again.

Only a Death-Knower can return

from death.

And remember.

Only a Death-Knower can tell us

what he has seen.
Not all care to listen.

Torg, the Death-Knower wizard, is imprisoned in a horrifying pit bored into the solid rock of a frozen mountain. His captor is Invictus, the evil sorcerer whose power threatens to engulf the land in eternal darkness. Torg spends twenty-two days in agony before making his dramatic escape and setting off on a series of adventures that will change the fate of the planet Triken.

First of all, Jim, I am delighted that our paths converged. Thank you for agreeing to this exchange of unusual author interviews where we are addressing some uncommon issues.

I met you on the first day of your first Virtual Book Tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotions and discovered some things about you that intrigued me. One thing I learned from you is that you are Buddhist. I understand your book is not about Buddhism, but writers often weave some of their own experiences into their books. How has Buddhism influenced your series?

All writers, especially fiction writers, are products of their world view. They are shaped by their beliefs, life experiences, and environment. Buddhism has played a major role in my world view, in terms of how I live my life and treat others. The philosophical aspects (more so than the ritualistic aspects) of Buddhism really appeal to me: the art of meditation, the concepts of karma and rebirth, etc. And all of these things are woven between the lines of The Death Wizard Chronicles. That said, I do not presume to market my series as a work of Buddhism because Buddhism is a very passive and morally based religion, while my work contains graphic violence and R-rated sex.

How do you weave spiritual or metaphysical principles into your stories?

As we all know, literary fiction is theme-based. The author chooses his or her themes up front in a highly specific manner, and then carefully weaves these themes into the narrative using a variety of literary devices. My most important theme is the "fear of death" and how this fear affects human beings, both consciously and subconsciously (or unconsciously, if you prefer). The main reason we fear death is because we don't know what it is. A large portion of Buddhism is spent looking death in the eye and examining this fear. My characters constantly face death, both in literal and figurative sense. Between the lines, they die symbolically: They can't catch their breath; they delve deep into tunnels and caves; they become trapped in claustrophobic situations. But rebirth then occurs: They rest and recuperate; they re-emerge from the tunnels and caves; they escape their claustrophobic traps. This is one way, at least, that I weave spiritual and metaphysical principles into my stories. Another is through the liberal use of allegory.

I know that you meditate. Do you meditate before or during your writing time?

I try to meditate once a day, usually before bedtime. I'm not proud to admit this, but I don't meditate nearly as much as I should or as much as I have in the past. If I were more disciplined, I would meditate before every session of writing, because the process of meditation so beautifully clears the mind. Writing itself is a form a meditation, in that you become single-minded on a particular task.

Do your beliefs about karma and the afterlife enter into The Death Wizard Chronicles?

Many people don't even believe in karma, but when you meditate mindfully, karma becomes an evident phenomenon. As for afterlife, I believe as Buddhists believe that all living beings are locked into a series of births and rebirths that extend for eons. Portions of the karma from our previous tag along with us in our present life and beyond. My main character is called a Death Wizard, or more accurately a Death-Knower, because he is able to die temporarily, feed on death energy, and then return to life. Therefore, he literally knows death. This, of course, is symbolic of birth and rebirth, while also containing allegorical elements of Christianity. In terms of karma, the Death Wizard purposely sets in motion a series of events so that karma itself might be used to defeat an evil sorcerer.

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Thank you, Jim! I am excited to share the rest of your interview next week!

You can read part 1 of his interview of me here.

Next week he'll answer questions like:

Have you had an experience of dying and coming back? Or has someone you know had this experience?

and

Do you converse with your characters or hear/feel them talking in your mind?

All six books will be available for purchase at rainbooks.com, amazon.com, and select bookstores in the U.S. and Canada.