The story of the crow started as a writing challenge in August of 2003. After partaking in a writers’ group, the manager encouraged me to elevate my skills. So, I drafted Apocalyptic Verve, a type of new writing form called a Lucidian, which was something between a poem and a very short story. In February of 2005 this short segment, just an idea really, eventually turned into a novel of the same title, initially. However, after writing about nine chapters, I changed the title to Wounded Crows don’t Fly in August of 2005. This novel was a historical fiction piece that proved to be one of the more enduring works and probably one of the better received books in the market. The book published in 2006 under the new publishing company Wounded Crow Publishing, thus the beginning of the Crow as a publisher.
Wounded Crows don’t Fly
Wounded Crows don’t Fly is a story of two brothers who were very close, but so very different. They had each been wounded in different ways and struggled to regain what was lost. It was a good reflection of my own relationship with my brother. In April of the year 2008, my research and development job was downsized. My brother’s melanoma cancer had returned in June of 2008. After which, my sister who had long suffered with Multiple Sclerosis, took a turn for the worse.
My brother had been studying to be a movie director before his cancer. While staying in the hospital with my brother during his chemo treatments, we discussed turning the novel into a movie. We started writing the script. However, by September my sister passed away from complications due to the MS. Then, just two months later, my brother followed her home. Left wounded on the battlefield, the script was left unfinished. I didn’t create, I didn’t write or compose music in nearly three years. Some wounds take your heart’s breath away.
Eventually, I started to write again. I penned a novel about my brother’s story titled Gubber’s Gate. I published it in 2013 under Wounded Crow Publishing. It was one of the hardest stories I have ever written. I have yet to read it.
In September of 2013, I started a novel titled Oak Creek Lane. However by December of 2013, I quickly put it aside as Divine inspiration led me to a different kind of story. Penury City always had the same title and developed rather quickly compared to the other books I had written. In two years, I completed the first volume. It published in 2016 after a series of edits and small changes.
Wounded crows can still fly
The rest of the volumes came afterwards as well as a new set of covers for all the books. With a fresh new look and a companion book to go with them (The Peshar), the Penury City Trilogy released in June 2021. And so, the story of the Crow has taken on a whole new adventure in bringing the message of the Divine. In Genesis, Noah sent out a raven to test the waters. I suppose one might say that my black bird, though wounded, will also test the waters with the desire to bring hope to God’s people in the ark.
You filled in a lot of blank spaces of yours and your brother’s relationship. It relates your probable increase in your faith.