We Had A Reason To Fight
Ignition 2084 follows a warrior in the insurrection who is fighting for his people and a chance at freedom and peace from the ones that want to destroy all others. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Ignition 2084 was a response to 2020. Disease ran as rampant as racial disparities, politicians failed to prove their trustworthiness and care for the public, and violence was on the rise. Between the wrongful killings of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor; the increase of domestic violence; the rampant deaths from COVID-19; it seemed that for many of us that year, we had a reason to fight for freedom and peace from the things (or in some cases, people) that were so determined to destroy all others.
What were some of the emotional and moral guidelines you followed when developing your characters?
A lot of the characters in Ignition are based on real people from throughout my life. Some are friends, enemies, mentors, students, or family of mine, so when developing the characters I wanted them to be true to form. I wanted this to be a love letter to the people who helped me to become who I am, but I also wanted to recreate the realness of the people from whom the characters derived their base. They had to have their own views, not just the view that I present as the author. They had to present their own motivations for the good or bad that they do, and regardless of which side they fall on, there are always questionable thoughts, words and actions between them. Just like in life, I wanted to see how they would forge a path ahead, or even if they would.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The effects of war on family was one of the central themes, along with the effects of war on individuals. I wanted to explore the side of military life that I got to see as a military brat that often gets overshadowed in stories. There is an equal focus on survival and the inequality of rich and poor as it relates to the ideas of freedom and tyranny, and of course a somewhat obvious focus on racial tension.
Will there be a follow-up novel to this story? If so, what aspects of the story will the next book cover?
A sequel novel is underway, codenamed “Project ShadowStorm,” and is set to release around the holiday season this year. This one picks up where the last one leaves off, with a mixing of new and old characters that endeavor to put an end to the war that began in the first installment. There will be a lot more action, a few compelling moments, a few loose ends tied up, and a deepening of the in-world mythos as we continue to address some of the important issues in our society in the hopes of making real change over real conversations.
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The year is 2084, and the Hanzo Gear’s done a lot to level the playing field against Kingdom Scarlet in the last 38 years. After the Second Civil War destroyed America in 2020, the minorities displaced by the autocratic Kingdom split into three factions, all watching for just the right moment to strike back.
The Kabuto Sanctuary built a network of tunnels during the war, and relied on stealth and sabotage. The Yoroi Alliance, nestled in the Grand Canyon, lay numerous deadly traps to keep the outsiders at bay. The Yaiba Insurrection have continuously engaged their enemies directly, and when they were pushed to the brink of extinction, they created the Hanzo Gear.
The Reds are on the move again, more determined than ever to bring the other factions to heel. John Hamlin is the strongest warrior that the Insurrection has to offer, but when his home is invaded and the people he loves are threatened, captured or killed, the strength that had preserved his peace for years is called into question.
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/03/12/we-had-a-reason-to-fight/
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