Q & A with author Mark P.J. Nadon
Q: “What inspired you to write ‘The Collective’?’
A: The idea for The Collective started with a podcast I was listening to about children being abducted overseas and an agency that was trying to help. As always, a question sparked a book idea. What would the parents do if they lived in a world where there was no help because the world had deteriorated and there were no agencies in place? Even if you could find your child, what if there was almost no hope to et them free?
At the same time, I wanted to explore dissociative disorder with a magical twist. What would happen if that child shared the same body with another personality with a unique magical gift? What if one of them was evil?
As the story developed, I wanted to explore family bonds and how the stress of raising a troubled child in a post apocalyptic world might impact a parent’s choices. During the first draft, I came upon a character (Bishop William) who was raised to believe he was building an army of children for God, and I decided to explore what that might look like. How would he get the children to listen? What would the children have to fear to go along with it? What would Bishop William do with those that never listened and those that were eager to join?
Finally, I wanted to explore the damage done to the human spirit when imprisoned and forced to adopt another person’s views on life. I’ve tried my best to do these complex themes justice.
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