Mark Julian And The Golden Thread

When one writes a series it helps, at least for me, to have a concept that underlies all the others that appear in the various books. An idea that ties them all together and which, I call a “Golden Thread”. For me it’s simply this: love. Everyone and every event is motivated by it in each book.

That is the hidden arc in my books. The characters act they way they do because they love. Events in the books unfold in the ways they do because they were set in motion by love. Now this “love” can take many forms. For some in the world of Mark Julian it’s the love the feel towards another character. For others it’s a love of power that guides their interactions or plotting. In the books, look at things with that key understanding.  If you do, you will soon realize that, while the numerous inhabitants act in a variety of ways, the single principle guiding them is a concept of love.

I will end by revealing one last secret to my Mark Julian books. Someone once said an author leaves a bit of themselves in the books they write. This is true in my case too. A rather insightful friend once told me my books reveal a hidden love affair that I have with New York City.

Guilty as charged. I adore my city. It is a tumultuous relationship. At times the city does exasperate me. But, I will never stray. When I’m writing the scenes for my books I try to bring to the reader a view of each of New York City’s unique areas. So, in the final analysis, though the numerous concepts of love are the thread holding together the events and inhabitants of this created world, it is my love for my city that is the pulsating secret heart of that Golden Thread.