Not in Kansas Anymore, Toto! LIGHT HIDDEN BY DARKNESS!

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       One of my most asked questions by the readers of my FIFTH novel Light Hidden by Darkness is “Where did this novel take place?” I have always responded to that question with a question of my own, “Where do you think Light Hidden by Darkness takes place?” Most readers have already decided where they think Light Hidden by Darkness takes place, but they still want to hear the 'supposedly right answer' from the author. Little do they know that this author does not have a 'right answer', he only has his answer.

       When I write a novel, I like to leave a certain amount of latitude in the story so that readers can interpret the story in their own way, 'between the details'. Based on the initial feedback from the readers of Light Hidden by Darkness by John Bradford Branney, I did a pretty good job of leaving several critical questions unanswered.      

Most of us have asked this question
once or twice.  

       Based on my personal beliefs, experience, biases, and psyche I know where I want Light Hidden by Darkness to take place, but that does not mean that readers have to agree with me. They could come up with a completely different answer and I hope they do.

       I would love to hear readers' interpretation of not only the story, but the venue in Light Hidden by Darkness. I believe that authors of fictional novels should install a certain amount of flexibility in their books. This makes the novel fun and entertaining for the reader. No one...or let's say very few readers want to read a novel where the author has painted conclusions in absolutely every corner of the book. This not only becomes monotonous, but it also strips away the potential imagination of readers, and after all, reading is all about using your imagination.

       How about you? Do you enjoy a five course novel all cooked by the author or do you prefer a five course novel with you, the reader, preparing two of the courses? 

       Following is an example of open interpretation of venue from Light Hidden by Darkness. In this scene, our protagonist called Mr. Bud is attempting to escape this odd city where he happened to find himself. Since his arrival in the city, he has met some pretty weird inhabitants and he is just about ready to meet another one. Here is how that first meeting went between Mr. Bud and this new stranger.       

Mr. Bud was by himself on a street as empty as a politician’s promise. There were no other people or




vehicles. No one was out walking and even though there were narrow paved streets, no one was driving. Mr. Bud stopped just to see if he could hear the usual sounds of a metropolitan area, but the city was as quiet as a closed coffin. Where are the people? He picked up his pace and walked even faster, more determined than ever to get out of this spooky city. He could not wait to return to a place where people walked up and down the street, cats and dogs played and prowled, and where cars were routinely stuck in traffic jams. After walking further, Mr. Bud was worried that he was lost. He was alone on the street and the city’s emptiness frightened him. He was contemplating turning around and heading back to his building when he saw a lone man standing on the sidewalk in front of him. As Mr. Bud cautiously approached the stranger, he studied the man’s mocha-colored face. The stranger smiled and Mr. Bud stopped just a few feet away from him.

“Hello, friend,” the stranger greeted Mr. Bud. “Are you taking a little stroll?”

Do YOU know the answer to this question? 

“Yes, I am,” Mr. Bud replied, “but, I might be lost.”

“Aren’t we all, sir?”

“Pardon?”

“Perhaps, I can help you, sir,” the stranger offered.

“Perhaps,” Mr. Bud replied. “I am not sure where I am heading.”

“That is not unusual,” the stranger declared. “Many of us are not sure where we are heading.”

“Are you lost as well?”

“No, but I have been lost many times,” the stranger recalled, “I somehow always find the right path.”

Mr. Bud looked at the tall stranger. If Mr. Bud was any closer, he would have had to crane his neck backwards just to look the stranger in the eyes. The stranger appeared as thin as wallpaper, but it was hard to tell because of the raincoat the stranger wore. He also had a funny little hat on his head. Mr. Bud had seen this style of hat somewhere before, but he could not remember where. The hat was brown-colored wool with small yellow squares in the fabric, giving it a tweed look. It had a yellow hatband for accent and the stranger wore the hat with the brim turned down over his ears.

The stranger noticed Mr. Bud staring at his hat and asked, “It is a nice one, isn’t it?”

“Pardon me?” Mr. Bud replied.

“My hat,” the stranger said, “I saw you admiring it.”

       Based on the above passage, do you understand what is going on? Who the stranger is? If this was a chance encounter or premeditated? Obviously, as the  book progresses, the gaps of understanding are filled, but hopefully not every gap. I have left much to the reader to fill in themselves. That is the only way to write a novel, in my opinion.

       Please enjoy Light Hidden by Darkness and please let me know what you think.  

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Light Hidden by Darkness - The Doorman Cometh




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Imagine waking up from a deep sleep and not remembering who you are. Then imagine you look around the apartment where you somehow landed and nothing in the apartment triggers any recognition from your memory. Are you just having a bad dream? Then, pinch yourself and wake up! That does not work? Well, I do not know what to tell you, except from here on out, things are about to get a lot more stranger. If you expected to remain in control, forgettaboutit! Next stop? You start meeting strangers who appear to know more about you than you know about yourself. And these strangers? Well, these strangers are truly bizarre!  

In my recently released novel called Light Hidden by Darkness that is exactly what happens to an old man I am calling Mr. Bud. This old man named Mr. Bud woke up alone and confused. He became even more disoriented after meeting some of the kooky souls who inhabit this strange new world.

In the brief passage below, taken from the novel Light Hidden by Darkness, cantankerous old Mr. Bud opens up the front door of his unfamiliar apartment and lo and behold, another odd neighbor is standing there. This neighbor just happens to be the doorman for the building. Here is how this initial contact between Mr. Bud and Joey the doorman goes. Knock! Knock!    

“Who is it?” Mr. Bud roared through the closed door.

“Joey, sir,” a voice replied.

“Joey?” Mr. Bud queried. “I don’t know any Joeys!”

“No, sir, we have never met,” Joey answered, loud enough for Mr. Bud to hear him clearly through the closed door. “I am the doorman for this building.”

“Oh great, another member of the welcoming committee,” Mr. Bud mumbled, peeking through the peephole.

“Joey, move away from the front door and I will open it,” Mr. Bud shouted through the closed door. When Mr. Bud was sure that Joey had backed away from the front door, he opened it.

“Good day, sir!” Joey bellowed at Mr. Bud.

“Yeah, what’s so good about it?” Mr. Bud challenged.

“Well,” Joey mumbled, not expecting the question.

Mr. Bud gave Joey the twice over with his eyes, the same thing he had done to Gloria. Joey was wearing a maroon polyester and wool overcoat. Mr. Bud noticed that the doorman had his overcoat buttoned to the very top button.

“Is it cold outside?” Mr. Bud asked.

“Uh…no, sir,” Joey responded.

“Then, are you cold?”

“No-no, sir.”

“Then, why the hell is your coat buttoned all the way to the top?”

“I do-don’t know sir,” Joey sputtered. “It is always that way.”

Pershing Cap

Mr. Bud went back to inspecting Joey. Like a sagging balloon, Joey’s bulging triple chin rested on the upper collar of his threadbare overcoat. Too many dry cleanings had left the colors of the overcoat faded and discolored. Although Joey was taller than Mr. Bud, no one would ever consider Joey tall. However, what Joey lacked in height, he made up in girth. His ample weight strained every button and seam on the worn-out overcoat. Mr. Bud’s eyes wandered higher, past Joey’s out-of-date black horn-rimmed glasses, to the top of Joey’s head. Teetering on top of Joey’s gigantic noggin, just like a doorman’s crown, was a black Pershing hat at least two sizes too small. Disgusted, Mr. Bud concluded his inspection. He had seen all he needed to see.

“Yes?” Mr. Bud demanded. “What do you want?”

“We-well, sir,” Joey mumbled. “Mi-Mi-Miss Gloria told me that we…the building had a new arrival and I wanted to per-per-personally we-welcome you to the building.”

“Good, now that you have per-per-personally welcomed me to the building, good day,” Mr. Bud replied while patting down his pants pockets in search of money for a tip. He found his pants pockets empty, not even a piece of lint.

“I will have to catch you next time,” Mr. Bud said, referring to the tip. “By the way, Jimmy, you said I just arrived?”

“Joey.”

“What?”

“My-My name is Joey.”

So much for first impressions…I am not sure if either of them – Mr. Bud or Joey – got an A for effort on this first meeting. However, I can assure you that the ongoing relationship between Mr. Bud and Joey will have readers talk about it.

                        Read Light Hidden by Darkness and see if Mr. Bud and Joey become BFF.      

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