BooksChatter: ℚ Call to Arms: Nations Fall [1]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Randy Lindsay to talk about Call to Arms: Nations Fall (11 August 2015, Cedar Fort, Inc., 234 pages) an apocalyptic science fiction novel.

Author Q&A | Synopsis | Teaser | Other Works by the Author | About the Author | Giveaway & Tour Stops

Hello Randy, welcome to BooksChatter.

What was the inspiration for Call to Arms: Nations Fall?

"This story deals with the events leading up to the end of the world (the Second Coming) from an LDS [Latter Day Saint] perspective. I wanted to write a realistic story that would give people warning of what they could expect and also to give them hope in an increasingly chaotic world."

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"Virtually none. Anything pulled from my life that shows up in the book is by subconscious accident. The characters in my book are true heroes while I’m pretty average. "

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for Call to Arms: Nations Fall - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"The cover artist is Michelle May. She does wonderful work. Part of the book takes place in Trento, Italy. I found some pictures of Trento while I was writing and used them to help me with the descriptions of the city and to give me a feel for the environment. One of the pictures is of the Fountain of Neptune. The cover for Call to Arms: Nations Fall is an apocalyptic version of the picture I used during my writing."

Why should we read Call to Arms: Nations Fall and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"I think readers will see similar events to what I’ve written happening in the world today. The reason they should read it is to open their eyes to the crumbling world society and use that as inspiration to prepare themselves for upcoming events. My stories on this topic are meant to be as realistic as possible. The characters, for the most part, are people like you and me trying to get through life as best they can."

Can you tell us something quirky about Call to Arms: Nations Fall, its story and characters?

"All of the main characters are named after people in my family tree. Calvin McCord, for instance, is my great-great-great-uncle."

Who would you recommend Call to Arms: Nations Fall to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I would recommend it to fans of apocalyptic fiction, religious fiction, and to a lesser extent military fiction. We see the beginning of World War III in this story. As far as warnings, usually my readers comment about how they couldn’t put the story down so you might want to wait for the weekend to start on the book. However, even though I write clean fiction there are a couple of scenes that are rather intense and some military action scenes. I n movie terms I would give it a PG rating."

If you could / wished to turn Call to Arms: Nations Fall into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"I do have a few actors picked out for some of the roles.
Robert Williams would be a young Richard Thomas (John-Boy Walton)
John Williams would be Karl Urban
Sarah Williams would be Emma Stone
Calvin McCord would be Brian Cox
Nelson Boggs would be Sean Penn
Sierra Weintraub would be Alexandria Daddario"

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"Most of what I write is Fantasy/Sci-Fi. What I find myself wanting to write about the most is the conflict between angels and devils-with humans firmly stuck in the middle. My favorite reading genre is post-apocalyptic sci-fi."

What is your writing process?

"I have a moment when I’m excited about an idea for a story. I spend a couple of weeks plotting the story. Then I spend the next six months writing the story from the outline."

What is in store next?

"There is a follow-up novel planned. Actually, I have 3 more stories in the series planned. I have to tell you that I really feel bad for Robert. He has a long and painful road ahead of him. And poor Calvin, despite his excellent leadership the government he hopes to save is doomed. Frankly, I’m not sure what I’m going to do with him."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"No pets. I have a daughter who loves to be with me. She attends most of my author events and really helps me out. Here is a picture of my daughter, Lucy, with one of my fans at a book signing. Randy Lindsay"