Welcome to my first Q&A Thursday post! I found it fitting that the first question I received was about my debut novel, as Red Hawk Ridge was birthed from my self-publishing adventure.
Today’s question is:
What sparked the idea for Blood for Honor?
Well, the answer is actually kind of long, so strap in.
I started writing what would eventually become Blood for Honor sometime in early 2012 while attending my local community college for General Business. I couldn’t find anything to read in my spare time. Nothing held my interest, so I started writing my own story.
My love for dystopian literature came from The Hunger Games and the Divergent Trilogy (cliche, I know, but I was an OG fan who actually had to wait for later books to be released), and I had grown tired of the vampire fiction that captivated me in my adolescence. You can blame the Twilight craze. Although I enjoyed the books, the mass obsession with the story and subpar movie adaptation turned me off. That and I like fangs on my vamps; just saying. Sparkly, fangless dudes who can’t nibble without turning you still aren’t in my catalog of sexy vampires. We likes the nibbles around here, but I digress.
Anyway, with vampires behind me, I started writing what I imagined life could be like if civilization ceased to exist as I knew it. I was very much getting into Alex Jones and conspiracy theories at this time. That led me to government experiments on the mind, which I am still obsessed with learning about. My husband thinks I’m crazy, and I would have to be a little nuts to sit down and write a fictional story over such a thing, but here we are. I am not an avid AJ supporter now, but ask me about Mk Ultra, Project Paperclip, or any other projects associated with the topic, and I’ve got something to say. And if you wanna watch a fantastic (in my opinion) fictional movie based on the topic, go watch American Ultra. I actually enjoyed Kristen Stewart’s performance in that movie, despite my dislike of her portrayal of Bella Swan.
What sparked the idea for Blood for Honor wasn’t one thing in particular. It was a myriad of things because, like I said, this story morphed from one thing to something else. As I matured and learned about the world, I came to notice the darker side. I grew up very sheltered, but I am personally aware of what trauma can do to a person. Most of the time, people aren’t bad just because they want to be bad. Most of the time, they do bad things because of trauma and manipulation from others, but they aren’t actually evil at heart.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve started rewatching some of my favorite movies and shows from my childhood, and although this may not seem like it should be part of the answer, stick with me. I assure you it does.
My first love was Tommy, the Green Ranger. Yes, green, not white. I believe that was where my love for redemption arcs began. Then I saw Meg from Disney’s Hercules. The next redemption arc seed was planted. She wasn’t a crush–I’m not afraid to say I’m totally straight in this day and age–but I wanted to be “her” because a part of me understood her even when I didn’t realize the depth of her character as a child. I think my kid self was relating to things I may experience later in life, but that’s another story. Even though I never sold my soul to the devil, per se, I now understand her conflict in my older age.
Then my second love, once I got a little older, was Ares from Xena: Warrior Princess (which is one of my all-time favorite shows, FYI.) One of the greatest compliments I’ve ever received came from a woman from New Zealand, who called me her Xena, Warrior Princess, but that’s a different story. And yet I believe it all ties together if you actually know me personally. From Ares and beyond, I’m sure you can guess which characters are my favorite and why my focus would be on the conflict of someone considered bad or who makes poor choices. I haven’t seen Marvel’s Loki (which I’m sure I would love if I were a legit Marvel fan), but Kylo Ren of Star Wars, despite everyone’s complaints, is probably number 3 on my “Bad Dudes That Just Need a Hug” list. And I didn’t find him or Star Wars until I was 3/4 of the way done writing Blood for Honor after The Last Jedi came out on Netflix. (Late to the party, I know.)
I say all of this to try and fully answer this question that I know more than a few people have. What sparked the idea for Blood for Honor?
No matter how far you fall, where there is life, there is hope. And you have to die to something to find the redemption you crave.
If you want to find out how all of this culminated into an actual book, check out Blood for Honor on Amazon to read for free on Kindle Unlimited (until September 20, 2023), get the ebook, or buy a paperback copy. You can find the paperback on most major bookstore websites, but Amazon pays me more. *hint hint*
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Many blessings,
Emma Lee Joy
Red Hawk Ridge 
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