The Monarchs follows a teenage boy with unique psychic abilities living in a laboratory who escapes and goes on the run with an ordinary orphan girl. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

This is a good question, as it is often difficult to discern the source of the inspiration. The original idea for The Monarchs came to me all the way back in 2014 during a senior year of college spring break beach trip. At the time I was questioning what I wanted to do with my life (having chosen philosophy as one of my majors) and was searching inward for answers. My own process of spiritual awakening, questioning the nature of reality, and exploring the potentials of consciousness through modalities such as lucid dreaming were obvious inspirations for this novel and are reflected in Samuel’s journey.

Moreover, I’ve always been fascinated with psi phenomena and the possibility of supernormal abilities. Even as a kid, I was obsessed with the movie Matilda—about a young girl who could move objects with her mind—and the X-Men series. Eventually, I came across the concept of indigo children which reignited my interest in supernatural abilities—as well as a possible shift in human evolution—and inspired the idea for “new youth” children. Music was another big inspiration, particularly M83’s “Midnight City” music video, which shows psychic kids being tested at a facility. Only later when I researched the Montauk Project, which the show Stranger Things is based on, did I understand that this might be more of a reality than most people realize.

One point I’d like to add is that although the novel may be taken literally (a teenage boy with psychic powers escaping a facility), from another perspective, it may be interpreted as an allegory for spiritual awakening and enlightenment. The opening scene, which is very dreamlike in nature, shows Samuel attempting to escape the laboratory complex with no end in sight. This represents the endless maze of the thinking mind, the dream of the egoic personality which many teachers and mystics insist that we must awaken from. Luna hints to this later in the novel when teaching Samuel how to meditate: “Beyond the thinking mind, escaping its never-ending labyrinth of illusion, there exists a force infinitely more intelligent.”

From there ensues a hero’s journey which forces Samuel out of his comfort zone, leading him to confront his shadow, learn through challenges, and awaken to his essential oneness with God (or, using an analogy of a book, oneness with the author and all other characters). This culminates with him breaking out of character and transcending the strings of time—symbolizing cutting the cords to his past and dying to his time-based egoic self. The evolution and awakening of Evelyn from her coma also represent that of the earth and humanity as a whole. This novel is loaded with symbolism and synchronicity, and although I left several things up to interpretation, there are many Easter eggs and hidden surprises that readers may not immediately pick up on.

The writing in your story is very artful and creative. Was it a conscious effort to create a story in this fashion or is this style of writing reflective of your writing style in general?

Thank you for the kind words. Because music is a central theme (and I often used lyrics from popular songs in the dialogue), in general, I did try to make the writing more lyrical and poetic, allowing the sentences to flow in a smooth manner. I wanted my writing to be affecting to the reader, instilled at points with uplifting wisdom, while being careful not to sound verbose or pretentious. Truthfully, because this is my first novel, it took me a while to find my writing style, and it is still a learning process. It took a leap of faith, and years of trial and error, to trust the ideas that came to me and discover how to put them together into a coherently written story. My editors were also a big help. I am grateful for the journey.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

Beginning with Samuel’s conversations with his wise tutor, Walter, and expounded on thereafter, this novel explores several philosophical and metaphysical themes, including the existence of God, free will versus predeterminism, human evolution, planetary ascension, and the dreamlike nature of reality. Before embarking on his hero’s journey, Samuel tells Walter that he feels he has no control over his own destiny—that he is trapped like a puppet on a prewritten path. Here and at points throughout the book, we see Samuel developing a sort of metacognition of being a character in a novel—one who indeed is on a path that is already written, yet strives for free will.

Samuel must reconcile this paradox with the ultimate realization of his essential oneness with God (again, oneness with myself as the author). There is no separation between me, him, and all other characters; it is simply an illusion, a game of “one consciousness interacting with itself.” From this highest level, beyond the conditioned limitations of the egoic personality and into God or “author” consciousness, Samuel comprehends that he does have free will, as in a sense he has “written all of it.” His identity as the small, helpless, separate character dissipates as he attunes to the power to write his own destiny. He dies to his old self and is reborn as a Monarch, a symbol of personal sovereignty and spiritual transformation.

As previously mentioned, music is a central theme, as is the idea that we are living in a musical universe, or the view that “all things could be expressed through vibration, sound, and geometry.” To compliment this theme, many song lyrics are quoted in the book, some explicitly referenced, and others hidden in the dialogue. Samuel gradually picks up on the fact that there is music all around him—that his consciousness is but one note in a cosmic symphony. I had to receive print license permissions for 24 different songs to be included in the novel, from artists ranging from The Beatles to Fleetwood Mac to Jimi Hendrix to The Flaming Lips. This was a journey in itself, but it was worth it to preserve the musical element. Some song references may contain hidden clues pertaining to the story when interpreted correctly.

The book is not without darker themes, including the perpetual cycles of human war and division, government corruption, and secret experimentation (some researchers have spoken of “Monarch” mind control programming, which is the lesser-known negative connotation to the symbol). Although another human division is introduced in the book, between the larger-eyed “new youth” and the “ordinary” people and children, the ultimate theme I strove to emphasize is that only through unconditional love, acceptance, empathy, and forgiveness can we truly heal our planet and transcend the influences that have long kept us divided.

As the sagacious Leon puts it, “We are but dream characters in the mind of God, striving for Self-realization, though only a select few may consciously remember this. Most identify entirely with their egos, and this generates great inner conflict.” We all have a choice to stay stuck in our characters, our narrow ego identities trapped in the game of duality and separation, or strive toward something higher—a deeper connection with ourselves, with nature, and with all other beings. Taking this path requires a leap of faith into the unknown, opening our hearts and allowing a greater intelligence to guide us through life, which is one of Samuel’s main lessons.

I find a problem in well-written stories in that I always want there to be another book to keep the story going. Is there a second book planned?

Another great question. During most of my time writing The Monarchs, I didn’t plan for there to be a second book. Yet as my first editor told me, this story is almost too big to contain in just one book. I now realize that it is meant to be a trilogy, and I have already (albeit very loosely) outlined the story for books 2 and 3. I’m not going to give it away, but it will be done in a way that plays with time, lending a chance to fill in more of Samuel’s backstory, his time at the Facility, and the world in general, while also pointing toward an incredible future destiny.

Books 2 and 3 will further explore mind-bending themes such as the multidimensional nature of self, extraterrestrial life, other incarnational existences, and even other timelines. I’m excited to expand on this story, and I will continue to trust what comes to me. Stay tuned and thank you for the support.

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