C.S. Elston

Worshipper, Husband, Author, Screenwriter, Home Cook, Fan

The Inspiration Behind “The Four Corners” Trilogy

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C.S. Elston

Admittedly, I’ve told this story before. But it answers a question I get asked a lot and, with the recent release of “The Four Corners of Darkness,” I thought it would be appropriate to, once again, share the inspiration behind the series.

I was driving down the 101 freeway just north of Los Angeles, California, somewhere between Studio City and Sherman Oaks about fifteen or sixteen years ago. Looking out the side window of my Jeep Wrangler as I passed by a sea of houses and apartment complexes, I don’t know why I was thinking about this but, all of the unhappy home environments that exist all around us entered my mind. I thought about the fact that a lot of people who feel unloved, really are in fact loved. They are just in an environment where the people who love them either don’t know how to say it or show it, or they’re too wrapped up in their own problems to recognize the ones they’re causing in the lives of the people they love by simply not expressing the love they really do have deep down. Sometimes, we just overcrowd that love with so much self-created, negative clutter, that no one can see it because it’s like a wonderful gift hidden in the back of the closet where no one will ever have the opportunity to enjoy it.

That got me thinking about how quickly someone’s attitude could change if they were faced with losing the person or people they love. Somehow, that translated into this fantasy world called Kadosh, which is a Hebrew word that means “set apart for a Holy purpose.” In the books, people are being yanked out of the real world and separated onto islands, presumably, for eternity. So, while God intends for these people to love one another, the fact that they are not doing that in the real world gives the demon ruler of this fantasy world the ability to pull them into his realm where he can keep them apart from one another.

Absence truly does make the heart grow fonder. And, in an extreme situation like that, the aforementioned gift is going to find itself through the clutter in a hurry. Then what do you do? When love and regret overwhelm you like that, you can’t keep it inside. You must let the people you have those feelings for know about it. In the case of the Snyder family in “The Four Corners,” that means an incredible journey lies ahead. Ultimately, the risk is worth the potential reward.

The sequel, “The Four Corners of Darkness” is inspired, at least in part, by a one-act play I acted in while attending college at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon. I think it was called “Doors” but, I can’t remember for sure and, I have no idea who wrote it. But the play was about a bunch of people who seemed permanently trapped in a house. The doors were locked and couldn’t be opened, and the windows had bars on them. It was an allegory about sin and salvation. Ultimately, someone from the outside, who had been there before and been shown the way out, had to go back inside and pay it forward. In the same way, while the Snyders and a bunch of others find their way back home at the end of the first book, their youngest child, Kinsey, recognized the responsibility that came with that accomplishment. He knew they would have to go back and show those who didn’t take the journey with them the first time, that there is, indeed, a way to get out and go back home. Now that the second book is out, I guess I’d better get to work wrapping this story up with the final installment of “The Four Corners” trilogy. . .

When I Knew I wanted To Write Fiction

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I recently did a Twitter #MounceChat interview and a participant, Racheal Colby, suggested that I turn some of the questions and answers into blog posts. I’m taking her advice and thought, why not start with the very first question which was “When did you decide you wanted to be a fiction author?” So, following her advice, here was my response:

I was a very imaginative child. Whether I was playing with matchbox cars or out in the woods with friends (or, even alone) I was always creating plot. I didn’t know what it was called back then. But, that’s exactly what I was doing. One of those plots, I later thought about turning into a screenplay. Then Pixar made Cars and I decided that I didn’t want to look like a copycat.

As soon as I began to learn how to read, I started writing stories down. I was also an athletic kid so, if the weather permitted, I was outside throwing or kicking a ball. But, growing up in the suburbs of Seattle, a lot of days were rainy. On those days, I was inside writing. I tried to get my friends to write with me. They accommodated me at times but, for the most part, I was the only one truly interested. While I thought of myself as one of the neighborhood jocks, I suppose I was also one of the neighborhood nerds.

All that to say, I think I always wanted to write fiction. Even before I knew what that truly meant. I said I was going to be an author from the time I was a little boy. I took a detour when I fell in love with movies and became a screenwriter. But, then I met Andrea (now my wife) and decided to move back to my hometown and write my first novel. Three books later, that’s now what I’m doing full-time and I’d be happy if I never did anything else.

 

The Gift of Rio is Now Available!

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I’m excited to announce that the second book in the Gift of the Elements series is now available!  Although the events depicted make it chronologically book one – don’t let that confuse you, the books are independent but connected stories and can be read in any order and still make complete sense. Paperbacks and eBooks are now shipping on Amazon and the limited edition, signed and numbered hardcovers are available, exclusively, through the publisher, Electric Quill Press. In fact, they are now offering a bundle that includes both The Gift of Rio and The Gift of Tyler that saves 10% compared to buying the books separately.

Also, in celebration of The Gift of Rio’s release, Amazon is offering The Gift of Tyler eBook, at no charge, for five days only. The promotion started today and ends Saturday so, if you don’t already have it and you prefer your books digital, go to Amazon right now while you can get The Gift of Tyler for free! But, if you’re like me and you prefer to touch the physical pages of your books, head on over to Electric Quill Press and save 10% on that bundle that includes both books.  Then you will have plenty to read as you travel over the holidays!

Happy Thanksgiving!

My Favorite Thing About Being A Writer

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October 20, 2017

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C.S. Elston

 

 

One of the many questions that I’ve been asked repeatedly is, “What’s your favorite thing about being a writer?” Surprisingly, it’s not an easy one to answer. Perhaps that’s because, on any given day, my answer changes depending on my mood, my latest project or for countless other reasons. However, a handful of answers do seem to come up a lot.

I love that writing gives me a voice. People can express themselves in many ways. That’s one of the numerous things that makes any kind of art so great. For me, it’s through writing. Everyone has something to say and I have the privilege of saying it through writing.

I love that writing lasts. We don’t have videos of events that happened thousands of years ago but, we do have written accounts. Homer and Dante didn’t make movies but they did write The Odyssey and Inferno. The written word is a timeless tradition that I am very proud and honored to join on any level that I can.

I love that writing takes me and others on adventures. As I flesh out a story, I get to go on the adventure with the characters. When I write in “The Four Corners” series, I get to go to a fictional world called Kadosh. “The Gift of the Elements” series has taken me as far away as Japan and will eventually take me to both Chile and Finland. Then, when I finally finish and send the story out into the world, others get to go on those same adventures. I, for one, think that’s awesome!

Perhaps more than anything else and, therefore, the answer I give the most often and would probably pick as the number one reason if forced to narrow it to only one, is that I love that writing means I get to create something new. I love to create. It’s also why I enjoy cooking so much. In both cases, you start with nothing but an idea and wind up with something you hope is wonderful when it’s all over. And, in both cases, you can bet someone will let you know how wonderful (or, conversely, awful) either way.

Granted, the building blocks you use aren’t completely original to just you. With cooking, the ingredients come from somewhere. Even if they come from your own garden, you must thank God for sending the sun and the rain. And, with writing, the same is true. You’re building off your life experiences and the things that have inspired you. After all, as creators, we’re all actually imitators when it comes right down to it. In fiction, we’re imitating real life. In non-fiction, we’re documenting real life. And, the truth is, we’re all just imitating the original creator anyway.

The process can be a minor taste of hell at times but, in the end, we all hope it’s worth it. And, for me, so far, it always has been.

 

(BACK TO LIFE OF ELSTON)

The Inspiration Behind “The Four Corners” Books

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C.S. Elston

 

For my first entry in this new blog, I thought it would be appropriate to share the inspiration for my first book and its upcoming sequel. So, without further adieux, the inspiration behind “The Four Corners” books…

I was driving down the 101 freeway just North of Los Angeles, California, somewhere between Studio City and Sherman Oaks about twelve or fifteen years ago. I was looking out the side window of my Jeep Wrangler and, as I passed by a sea of houses and apartment complexes, I don’t know why I was thinking about this but, I was thinking about all of the unhappy home environments that exist all around us. I thought about the fact that a lot of people who feel unloved really are in fact loved. They are just in an environment where the people who love them either don’t know how to say it or show it, or they’re too wrapped up in their own problems to recognize the problems they’re causing in the lives of the people they love by simply not expressing the love they really do have deep down. Sometimes, we just overcrowd that love with so much self-created, negative clutter, that no one can see it because it’s like a wonderful gift hidden in the back of the closet where no one can enjoy it.

That got me thinking about how quickly someone’s attitude could change if they were faced with losing the person or people they love. Somehow, that translated into this fantasy world called Kadosh, which is a Hebrew word that means “set apart for a Holy purpose.” In the books, people are being yanked out of the real world and separated onto islands, presumably, for eternity. So, while God intends for these people to love one another, the fact that they are not doing that in the real world gives the demon ruler of this fantasy world the ability to pull them into his realm where he can keep them apart from one another.

Absence truly does make the heart grow fonder. And, in an extreme situation like that the aforementioned gift is going to find itself through the clutter in a hurry. Then what do you do? When love and regret overwhelm you like that, you can’t keep it inside. You must let the people you have those feelings for know about it. In the case of the Snyder family in “The Four Corners,” that means an incredible journey lies ahead. Ultimately, the risk is worth the potential reward.

The sequel, “The Four Corners of Darkness” is inspired, at least in part, by a one-act play I acted in while attending college at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon. I think it was called “Doors” but I can’t remember for sure and I have no idea who wrote it. But, the play was about a bunch of people trapped in a house and they couldn’t get out. The doors were locked and couldn’t be opened, the windows had bars on them… It was an allegory about sin and salvation. Ultimately, someone from the outside had to come in and show them the way out.  In the same way, while the Snyders and a bunch of others find their way back home at the end of the first book, the youngest child, Kinsey recognizes the responsibility that comes with that accomplishment. He knows they must go back and show those who didn’t take the journey with them the first time that there is, indeed, a way to get back home. And, that’s the book I’m working on right now…