Interview with Author Alan Van’t Land

Alan Van’t Land is author of Eternal Light of the Crypts (new book from Full Quiver Publishing).

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.

     I was blessed with a multicultural upbringing. My family moved from Wisconsin to Hong Kong when I was six, and from there to Malaysia when I was ten. I attended a small Evangelical missionary boarding school as one of many “business kids,” where my parents and a devoted staff immersed me in the Bible. My siblings and I spent our free time exploring the jungle beyond our backyard.  We didn’t move back to the US until I graduated high school, and then I went straight into the US Air Force Academy. When I graduated, I cross-commissioned into the Marine Corps, and served as a logistics officer.

When I started dating my future wife, I started going to Mass with her. I began investigating Catholicism and stumbled onto the history of the Early Church. I had never heard of it before, much less studied it. It not only led to my conversion but also sparked a life-long interest in early and medieval church history, to the point that I earned my graduate degree in it. Despite that, though, I never used it professionally, instead serving in the military and the police department.

Beyond work and writing, I love to play games with my family and hike/bike/camp/ski the Rockies. My desire exceeds my ability in gardening, woodworking, and playing piano, but I keep trying anyway.

2. What was the inspiration for your book?

     In late 2014 I bought and read Furta Sacra: Thefts of Relics in the Central Middle Ages, by Patrick Geary. It’s a modern, historical study of early medieval relic thefts. My wonder at the motivation behind anyone stealing saints relics, when everyone believed he might get killed just for trying, inspired my character Egilolf. Geary’s main thrust—that bones without a written record authenticating their source and justifying their acquisition would have been just bones—necessitated Egilolf’s companion Aristeus. I kicked around ideas for a few months before writing an outline over six weeks. No more than 20 percent of that outline still remains in Eternal Light, but that first sketch got the ball rolling.

3. What drew you to writing historical fiction?  This is a novel that depended on extensive research, correct?

     My interests in writing and historical fiction were separate until Eternal Light. I’ve been writing since grade school, but never historical fiction before. My fascination with history, as I said, stemmed from my study of the development of the church, particularly with regards to saints and relics. When I studied about relic thieves, the book idea seemed to come naturally. By the time I sat down to draft the outline for my first historical fiction book, I had been studying various angles of church history for ten years. Very little of this book was something I had to research while I outlined or wrote. I did delve into Saint Philibert, Saint Martial, and Saint Valerie, and researched Limoges and the church of St-Philibert-de-Grand-Lieu, where my characters find the relics of Valerie. But all the rest of the research—the laws, saints, catacomb art, the medieval view of stars, Viking invasions, processions, food,  magic—all of it I had already read and studied before. I got to write a book in a world I already knew and loved.

4. What do you hope the reader will take away from your book?

     That depends on the reader. For the Catholic, a love of our glorious saints, many buried in time and space even more than earth. For the Protestant, an appreciation of the breadth of time where Catholicism was the only Christian faith, facing insurmountable challenges century after century, only to rise again. For the historical fiction lover, a vivid picture of the early medieval world: its daily rhythms, values, fears, and hopes. For the modern warrior, a step on the road to peace. For anyone not totally pigeon-holed by those categories, a renewed sense of wonder when gazing at the stars, or at least an adventure from your Sunday afternoon couch.

5. How do you find time to write?

    Time is a lesser problem for me than energy. I’ve put in a fair amount of overtime in some of my police jobs, particularly as a Crimes Against Children detective, but for me writing—creating—takes spare brain power and emotional energy. Many work days leave me with none. I’ve heard of writers making themselves write at least five minutes a day, and that’s likely a better strategy than mine. My writing came and went in waves, particularly on vacations and during less demanding work assignments, or when I could spare a few hours to go to a coffee shop and exchange this world for an ancient one.

6. Are you working on any other writing projects?

    I’ve almost always been working on writing projects since middle school. Some were mere ideas, some actually made it into notebooks of world-building, character backgrounds, and plot outlines. But until Eternal Light, I never wrote more than a handful of pages (I would like to skip over two very rough books I wrote in middle and high school, which will remain appropriately buried in my basement). Since Eternal Light, I’ve tinkered with a historical fantasy about 9^th century missionaries to a group of newly discovered race of dog-headed men. That’s obviously made up, but the idea is historical, since two German bishops in the mid-800s actually reported the behaviors of such creatures and debated whether they were rational and descended from Adam. But I set aside that work when I stumbled upon The Life of St Gerald of Aurillac, a saint and noble who lived 70 miles south of Limoges, reigning from about 880 to his death in 909. The setting, time period, and the subjects of St Gerald overlap too much with Eternal Light to pass it up as a sequel to Egilolf and Aristeus’ stories. I have the outline nearly hammered out, so I’m hoping it will come to fruition faster than another six years.

7. Who are some of your favorite authors?

     Historical fiction: Stephen R. Lawhead’s Pendragon Cycle about King Arthur in a historical dark age of 5^th and 6^th century England and Wales blends history and Celtic myth. The only thing he missed was the Church’s irrefutable ties to saints and relics during that period. Or Umberto Eco: despite the success of The Name of the Rose, he captured the medieval imagination best in Baudolino.

     Fantasy: For scale, I can’t beat Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time epic series, which I started in high school and finished in my 30s. But for sheer style, I’ve always loved Steven Brust’s Khaavren Romances, especially The Phoenix Guards. But if you didn’t care for Dumas’ The Three Musketeers, you may want to pass.

Catholic apologetics: Rod Bennett, for without his Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words I wouldn’t have found the history whereby I came to accept the Catholicism I had already fallen in love with. For a study of historical works, it’s extremely approachable for any reader.

War novels: Tim O’Brien, particularly in The Things They Carried, paints trauma accurately but obliquely with his short stories.

Science fiction: Ray Bradbury. In high school, I was caught up in pulp fiction Stars Wars books, and never appreciated the likes of Farenheit 451 or the Martian Chronicles. My 10^th grade English teacher had better taste.

Hagiography (stories of saints, typically written a long time ago): Prudentius, of course.

Comics: Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes. No explanation needed.

Eternal Light of the Crypts is available in print or on Kindle.

An Open Book – August #openbook

I’m joining with Carolyn Astfalk and Catholic Mom for An Open Book. Here’s what I’ve been reading and/or working on!

Eternal Light of the Crypts by Alan Van’t Land

Synopsis: 890 AD France.

The last imperial heir of Charlemagne is dead, and every duke is proclaiming himself king. Egilolf, a former soldier, could care less. He needs to steal bones. A saint’s bones.

With the prospect of a large payout, he recruits the scribe Aristeus, a refugee fleeing Viking invasions. Perhaps he should have told his new companion the true reason he’s pilfering saints. Together the thief and scribe must dodge bandits, Vikings, and warring lords—not to mention their own lies—only to find unearthing bones the easiest step.

Yet Egilolf’s fiercest battle is the one within. How can defending the weak be just, when God abandons him when he has to kill? And when Vikings become more than a faceless enemy to Aristeus, will he, like the ancient martyrs he’s always extolling, risk death to convert them?

Reviews:

“I really enjoyed the sneak peek. A wonderful story well-told.”  A.K. Frailey, author

“Eternal Light of the Crypts is one of the best-written debut novels I’ve ever read. Painstakingly researched, beautifully written, and engaging from start to finish. This tale of two relic hunters is both comic and substantive.” Carolyn Astfalk, author

A Church in Crisis by Ralph Martin

Amazon Synopsis:

Nearly forty years ago, Ralph Martin’s bestselling A Crisis of Truth exposed the damaging trends in Catholic teaching and preaching that, combined with attacks from secular society, threatened the mission and life of the Catholic Church. While much has been done to counter false teaching over the last four decades, today the Church faces even more insidious threats from outside and within.

In A Church in Crisis: Pathways Forward, Martin offers a detailed look at the growing hostility to the Catholic Church and its teaching. With copious evidence, Martin uncovers the forces working to undermine the Body of Christ and offers hope to those looking for clarity.

A Church in Crisis covers:

• polarization in the Church caused by ambiguous teachings
• initiatives that accommodate the culture without calling for conversion
• Vatican-sponsored partnerships with organizations that actively contradict the teaching of the Catholic Church
• and the recycling of theological errors long settled by Vatican II, Pope St. John Paul II, and Pope Benedict XVI.

Powerfully written, A Church in Crisis reminds all readers to heed Jesus’ express command not to lead His children astray. With ample resources to encourage readers, Ralph Martin provides the solid foundation of Catholic teaching both Scripture and Tradition to fortify Catholics against the errors that threaten us from all directions.

My review: Ralph Martin has written an excellent book on the state of the Catholic Church at the present time. And he does not mince words. He lists the reasons why the Church is in its current crisis and the ways to improve this awful situation. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. 5/5.

All Things New: Breaking the Cycle and Raising a Joyful Family by Erin McCole Cupp

Amazon Synopsis:

It’s time to break the cycle.

Not every family is the perfect model of Catholic family life. Some of us approach parenting still wounded by childhood experiences that were less than ideal. When we start our own families, at best we feel a bit unprepared, and at worst we feel paralyzed with fear that we will repeat our parents dysfunctional, abusive behaviors.

In All Things New, Erin McCole Cupp draws on her own and others experiences to discuss how to develop a joyful family life when our own experience of being parented was damaging. Erin wrote this book for moms and dads who want to parent better than they themselves were parented.

Drawing on the Holy Family as the model of family life, and distilling practical lessons from the Two Greatest Commandments and the Beatitudes, All Things New shows readers that, while change isn’t easy, God has given us all the ingredients we need to create a holy, joyful family.

My review: I just finished this book and I can’t say enough good things about it! A longer review coming, but I highly recommend this book for anyone who had had to endure abuse in any relationship.

The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner

Amazon Synopsis: A young mother, blond and pretty, vanishes from her South Boston home, leaving behind only one witness—her four-year-old daughter—and one suspect—her handsome, secretive husband.
 
From the moment Detective Sergeant D. D. Warren arrives at the Joneses’ snug little bungalow, instinct tells her that something is seriously off with the wholesome image the couple has worked so hard to create. 
 
With the clock ticking on the life of a missing woman and a media firestorm building, D.D. must decide whether Jason Jones is hiding his guilt—or just trying to hide. But first she must stand between a potential killer and his next victim—an innocent child who may have seen too much.

My review: I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller that had me guessing constantly who was a good guy and who was a bad guy. Excellent story and characters. Warning: language. Highly recommend! 5/5.

Falling by T.J. Newman

Amazon Synopsis: You just boarded a flight to New York.

There are one hundred and forty-three other passengers onboard.

What you don’t know is that thirty minutes before the flight your pilot’s family was kidnapped.

For his family to live, everyone on your plane must die.

The only way the family will survive is if the pilot follows his orders and crashes the plane.

Enjoy the flight.

My review: This novel has everything I could ask for in a thriller. A plane that’s about to crash, a pilot who’s been blackmailed to crash the plane in order to keep his family alive and great characters. And the short synopsis alone reeled me in. If you’re looking for a non-stop ride, this is it. Highly recommend. 5/5.

My #MeToo Moment in the House of God: Lifting the Curtain on the Other Side of the Clergy Sex Scandal, Young Adult Victims of Predator Priests and Bishops

by S.B. Zak

Amazon Synopsis: When I came forward to report the abuse, it should have stopped. But it did not. When the perpetrator was about to be promoted and once more I made a report to competent authorities, he should not have been advanced. Nonetheless he was. Proper and effective measures should have been taken so that others would have been spared his assaults. However they were not. Similar incidents should not still be a problem today. Yet they are. Current leaders should be dealing with this situation in an open, transparent manner. Regrettably they are not. This is the story of my #MeToo moment in the Church, both the actual events that took place more than thirty years ago when I was in the seminary, and what is happening today as I seek to have church leaders address this often overlooked aspect of the clergy sex scandal, adults — whether younger or older — who are targeted by predator priests and bishops.

My review: I’ve been downloading and reading about clerical sexual abuse for the past six months as research for my work in progress (which is loosely based on the effects of the abuse my father suffered at the hands of a priest when he was a freshman at a Catholic high school.) I wasn’t surprised that there was a plethora of books on that topic, but I was surprised that there aren’t more books like this one, from the point of view of a seminarian thirty years ago. It’s not a story for the faint of heart, but it is well written. It could’ve gone through a few more edits as there were typos and grammar errors, but overall, it’s a great book. 4/5.

Sexual Violence and the Violence of Silence

by Jewel Lee Herder, Ph.D.

Amazon Synopsis: Sexual Violence and the Violence of Silence takes a candid look at the clergy sexual abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia from a historical and cultural perspective. The author reveals the five veils of silence—the actions or inactions of the church hierarchy, congregation, law enforcement, media, and general public—that shrouded these cases of clergy sexual violence and exposed the internal maneuverings by administrative officials to silence all those involved or who knew about the abuses. This violence of silence had a profound effect on the victims by adding to their pain and suffering and interfering with their ability to heal and obtain justice. The author begins with the history of the founding of the Roman Catholic Church in America and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and leads the reader through the confession and testimony of Father William Hogan, a nineteenth-century priest who acknowledged his role in grooming parishioners in the confessional, attested to the sexually abusive behavior of many of his colleagues, and argued for the pervasiveness of clergy sexual violence in the church.

The reader will also be exposed to graphic grand jury testimony of the victims of a small representative sample of accused sexually violent priests from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia—Father Gerard W. Chambers, Father Joseph Gausch, and Father Nicholas V. Cudemo—who targeted their victims based on race, class, and gender. The author includes the historical context in which each priest lived and served by presenting these priests to the reader in chronological order based on their date of ordination. To assist the readers in their understanding of the scope of the cover-up by the leadership of the church, the author examines the administration of the bishops or cardinals supervising the archdiocese during the tenure of each of these predator priests.

My review: This was a difficult book to get through, not just because of the topic and the testimony of witnesses (now adults), but because the author was clearly anti-Catholic. And while in many respects, the author is correct when she speaks of moving abusive priests from parish to parish was clearly wrong, her own anti-Catholic bias shone through too strongly for me and I had to skim over sections. Only recommend this book for those with a strong stomach. 3/5.

The Cross and the Godless by Joseph Mauck

Amazon Synopsis: 1979 -Terror reigns in Nicaragua. The Sandinistas have seized power. Julian Mendero, leader of the Christian opposition, is arrested for stealing a national treasure-the Valdivieso Cross. But not before his son, Pedro, flees to the Sanctuary underground and begins an arduous journey to the US border.

Months later, FBI Agent Steve Rodriguez enters the murky world of the border killings, a series of inexplicable murders. When evidence points to a foreign death squad he enlists the help of Carol Shannon, a Sanctuary activist searching for Pedro. But Carol is reluctant to help. Trauma of a recent sexual assault has left her fearful and suffering nightmares. Yet Steve’s compassion-and Carol’s commitment to end the killing and find Pedro-gradually builds trust, while mutual attraction soon gives way to passionate desire.

Mysteries unfold when Steve consults notorious ex-patriot Hector Rone. He learns Rone’s lover, Claudia Haas-antiquities expert, thief, and femme du monde-has joined two militant priests in their search for Pedro and the Valdivieso Cross. Tensions rise when Steve learns the death squad leader may be the father of Carol’s unborn child. Time is short. Steve must find a way to stop the death squad, find Pedro and the precious Valdivieso Cross, and save the woman he loves from making a terrible mistake.

My review: I thoroughly enjoyed this work of fiction from Joseph Mauck. The story is compelling and the characters are well-developed and believable. It’s a difficult read because there’s a sexual assault, many murders and the nature of the antagonists in this story, but it’s well worth it. It’s for mature readers so it’s not for the fainthearted, nor for children. Highly recommend!

Interview with Joseph Mauck, author of The Cross and the Godless

Joseph Mauck is the author of The Cross and the Godless.

Where did you get the idea for this story?

The first inklings of The Cross and the Godless came to me as I followed a news story way back in 1981, when increasing numbers of political refugees from Nicaragua and El Salvador made their way across the US/Mexican border.  I lived in Southern California at the time, when the ongoing violence in those two countries alarmed a great many Americans.  For me, the horrific murders of nuns and priests was particularly troubling.  But I also read about magnificent acts of  courage and sacrifice on the part of Christian volunteers who helped thousands of people. And yes, there were horrific murders along the border. Some were attributed to death squads. Helping destitute immigrants in those days was a dangerous undertaking. As a dramatist I couldn’t resist writing a story that reflected that same Christian courage.  At first, it was just a one page outline.  But with careful thought and a lot of research over the years, I pulled the story together between other projects. 

The big jump forward came about seven years ago, when I finally got fed up with all the filth and hedonism in mainstream American culture.  Fortunes have been made by the constant appeal to our greed, lust, and all that we think of as the “dark side” of human nature, and those who create these ugly stories don’t care whether children are exposed or not.  These are the same people who say they never have enough fresh stories for books, movies and television, but always seem to ignore Christians writers with great stories, both fiction and true-life.  Add to that Planned Parenthood’s growing influence, and I realized I had to do my part to fight back. Writing The Cross and the Godless  –  a suspense-thriller with a solid pro-life love story  –  became my way of  taking sides in the cultural wars.  Yes, it has its share of violence and contemptable behavior, but it only reflects what we find in the darker parts of a  fallen world.  Overall, I’d have to say The Cross and the Godless expresses the determination of good people trying to survive dangerous circumstances, and fight a persistent, unmerciful evil.  I’m proud of this book.  It’s a good read.     

The truth that each person is a unique and beautiful creation of God runs throughout this book. Why was it important that your reader understand this fundamental truth in the context of the story?

For the past several decades, mainstream crime fiction has gradually become increasingly harsh and brutal in its depiction of human behavior. Certainly one can say this gradual degradation only reflects today’s headlines. But that doesn’t explain why the counterforce of Christian writing—through the depiction of heroic characters, such as teachers, extended family, neighbors, and the like—has not taken root and grown at a similar rate.  The arguments of “profit margins” and “the bottom line” can’t explain it; stories with less violence and happy endings can be profitable too.  Nor can we simply write it off as a kind of “secular cynicism”; our current social debasements are the result of failings far more complex than that.

On the other hand, at the heart of your question, we see a way of turning things around, a way out of the morass of ugly depravity and its seemingly constant surrender to evil intent. We need only remind the reader that even the worst among us was born of God’s love. In other words, all children are born innocent. This “fundamental truth” not only allows for the broader development of an antagonist’s motives (such as the emergence of childhood trauma) it provides for the exploration of the deepest thought and behavior of all characters. More importantly, by reminding the reader “that each person is a unique and beautiful creation of God” we inspire hope, which might be the only way to survive a fictional crisis. Moreover, in the real world of increasing degradation, hope is a powerful antidote to real-life cynicism.        

Writers tend to include aspects of themselves in their characters. Do any of your characters possess your strengths or flaws?  Or are they all based on others?

My central protagonist, Steve Rodriguez, has a few quirks I see in myself. He’s a bit too hard on himself when he makes mistakes, and he’s especially cautious when it comes to self-pity. Like me, he knows self-pity can slow him down, discourage him, or distract him from the task at hand. In real life, I guess that’s one fault I have wrestled with from time to time, and that certainly made it easier to write about when I fleshed out Steve’s character. 

Charlie Bregetti, too, comes to mind.  As Steve’s second in command on the FBI task force, Charlie’s tough exterior tends to obscure his love for God and country, and it takes a while before we see his fondness for children, his respect for the meek and suffering of the world. Especially strong is Charlie’s compassion for the innocent victim. It’s there, all right. But it emerges slowly. Come to think of it, there’s a lot of my father in Charlie.  Deep down, a lot of love for humanity. Bill Mauck—to know him was to love him.       

What writing projects are you currently working on?

A few things right now. But it’s too soon to talk about. Maybe after the second or third draft. I’m sure there’s other writers who, like me, feel uncomfortable talking about new work in the early stages. The way I see it—the way I feel it—describing unfinished work can only hinder one’s creative engines.  

On the other hand, I have a new project that’s set to go.  I’m searching for a producer of my new play, Quinn’s Gift, a contemporary two-act drama about a black middle-aged widower who, with God’s help, finds justice for a murdered white father and daughter. 

Do you have any favorite authors or books you can recommend to my readers? I enjoy reading James Lee Burke.  His characters carry on despite their inability to correct enormous, self-destructive faults. Sometimes his supporting characters are too patient, too forgiving I think, but always colorful and interesting. Even in the darkest prose, Burke’s love for humanity shines through.  

Buy The Cross and the Godless here on Amazon.