The Stain of Guilt (Author Interview)


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BF4DR95Y/


The Stain of Guilt looks like an exciting story.  Can you tell us a little about it?

It is the second book in the Theodore Saga series. Basically, Theodore died in the first novel and it was all about him going through the denial of being dead. He finds himself on an adventure in a strange land and having to fight monsters and get stronger. The second novel is about him processing the guilt of leaving his wife behind while facing a new threat in a new city.

 

How many books do you have planned for the series?

I plan on having one book for each stage of grief. Book three is almost complete and it has Theodore dealing with anger while he battles pirates. Book four will cover sadness and the last book will complete the saga with acceptance.

 

What inspired the idea for your book?

I had the idea to process through the stages of grief through a series of novels during the covid pandemic. So many people are dealing with grief, and I thought that this may be a good way to help support someone who is struggling with grief to find peace and know that there is hope. If the books help even just one person, they were completely worth all the time and energy.

 

How did you come up with the title to your book?

Each title has some sort of double meaning and so far, they have all just popped into my head. I love to think of puns and use words in interesting ways and I think that comes through in my books.

 

What will readers get out of your book?

I really hope that they have fun reading the books, but also are familiarized with the stages of grief and how to process through them. I care about people’s mental health and hope to write more novels in the future to help with healthily processing trauma.

 

Can you tell us a little about Theodore?

Theodore is meant to be an average person. I believe that the average person would rescue a child in danger. I believe that the average person is trying their best to make the world a better place. Theodore is meant to be relatable, but also will rise to the occasion for the good of those around him. Theodore is who I hope the average person is, when push comes to shove.

 

What part of the book was the most fun to write?

I’ve really enjoyed getting creative with how Theodore handles problems and uses the seemingly random abilities and powers he acquires. It has been fun to write different scenarios and then go back and laugh at how absurdly awesome it all came together.

 

What was your hardest scene/section to write?

It is most difficult for me to write the raw emotion of going through one of the stages of grief. I want to make it a fun and easy to read book, but I also want the emotion to be there. All this while being sensitive to people who are going through grief in their life. They may be processing through the stage they are reading through.

 

What do you like to do when not writing?

I like to play board games and card games with the people I love. I am fortunate to have quite a few close friends and I know I am lucky, but it has also taken intentionality and time to get here.

 

Where can readers find out more about your work?

I’ll be posting to facebook.com/mdeclanmorris and will continue to publish new novels through Amazon.