Today's Chat with Sarah features Brady Moore author of The Fifth Strain.
Official Review
Purchase on B&N
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1. Who influenced you most as an author?
I’ve been told that my novels have a cinematic feel to them. That’s not a coincidence. I’ve always been a film buff and spent over a decade working in movie theaters, so there are certainly some filmmaker influences from guys like Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorcese, and Ryan Coogler. I usually like to think of each sequence in my novels as “scenes” that the reader should be able to visualize, because that’s always how I approach reading. As a creative, I certainly have to give a lot of credit to my older brother. He created his own comic storyline when we were kids and it fostered my desire to make up stories of my own. I also owe my reinvigoration for novels to James Dashner. His Maze Runner books were the first series I read post-college that I absolutely couldn’t put down and really got me excited about turning my ideas into books.
2. What was the best piece of writing advice you've received?
When I first got started writing, my mother was really excited for me. She was the first to hammer home the notion of following a passion regardless of how much money it made. That was really important to me because it allowed me to put my heart and soul into my projects without the pressure of needing to live off of the finished product. Some of my best writing advice also came from my literary agency, Metamorphosis. When they first picked up The Clairvoyants series, it was a really raw first draft. They gave me incredible constructive feedback that allowed me to tweak characters and understand how to make my story more concise. Concept creation has always been my forte, but using descriptive wordplay and ending chapters on the perfect cliffhanger are elements that I owe to Stephanie Hansen and her team at Metamorphosis.
3. Let's discuss your book The Fifth Strain. Can you give us a short synopsis?
Kinetics. Readers. Prophets. Aurals. There were only supposed to be four strains of Clairvoyants who escaped from a lab with no memories of how they came to be. But that was before they discovered 17-year-old Rion Grean. From the moment he realized he could move objects with his mind, Rion never imagined a normal life. He had no idea how much everything would change the day his mother's secrets came to light and she had to say goodbye.
That was the day he learned that he was not the only one with gifts. The day he learned about PSYRIIN, the militaristic force bent on the eradication of his kind. With a new face preparing his enemies for an even greater assault, Rion will once again be faced with difficult choices. Will he search for his mother or join the Clairvoyants to unite the long-lost few in the war for their survival? As secrets unravel and he discovers a mysterious connection to a new strain, Rion will soon learn what it truly means to fight for family.
This is Book 2 in the Clairvoyants trilogy and picks up six months after The Fourth Kinetic. It’s definitely best to read the first book before you dive into this one, but I’ve been told by most readers that newcomers won’t feel out of the loop if they start with The Fifth Strain.
4. The reviewer discusses the team spirit among the clairvoyants until a betrayal. Was the betrayal hard to write given all the characters were so close?
There are two major moments of betrayal that happen at the end of the novel, and I’ve yet to hear from anyone who was able to see them coming. The hardest part in writing these moments was keeping the reader from figuring them out beforehand. As a writer, you have to keep things from being obvious, while also placing enough subtle hints throughout the story that keep the twist from seeming like it came out of nowhere. I had to make sure that Rion’s experiences drew enough attention that no one would be asking too many questions. Betrayal is one of the most prominent themes in The Fifth Strain. When Rion meets some of the Clairvoyants in The Fourth Kinetic, they’re this fractured family that was once twelve but has now split apart into different factions. This book goes deeper into the moments that sent them on their separate ways. Learning to navigate through moments where you feel betrayed by family is one of the driving forces for the story.
5. Many of the characters in the book have magical powers or superpowers. How are these similar or dissimilar to other superpowers?
Without a doubt, the most fun part of creating this series was coming up with the powers of the five strains of Clairvoyant. Telekinesis, mind reading, seeing the future… these are all elements that have been used before in science fiction, but I tried to approach them more tangibly. I wanted the reader to feel like they could believe these powers could be real. I spent months creating the rules, restrictions and weaknesses of each strain. A Kinetic being able to fly meant moving the air around them, not just their bodies. Lifting heavier objects required intense practice that caused mental strain on the characters. Reading someone's mind encompasses going into a realm where you can see memories, ideas and dreams as colored bubbles that a telepath can siphon through. The Prophets can see the future, but can only manipulate the outcome if it involves themselves. Their visions are also involuntary, which makes them both powerful and helpless throughout the series. Having multiple characters use the same powers in different ways was also a way to exemplify how the same gift can be both dangerous and harmless depending on who was using them.
6. The reviewer mentions that the book is good for fans of romance. Can you tell us anything about Rion's love interest?
The foundation for Rion’s love life was laid out in The Fourth Kinetic but wasn’t really touched on much. With the war going on between the Clairvoyants and Psryiiin, Rion didn’t really have time to focus on crushes beyond initial attraction, but it’s explored more in the sequels. On one hand, he has this complicated situation with his best friend Dee that’s kind of this forbidden romance because she isn’t a Clairvoyant and a relationship with her would put her in danger. There’s also this budding connection with the Aural Ara that evolves the more they spend time together. It isn’t a major aspect of the novel, but it plays a pivotal role in some of the decisions Rion makes and creates this love triangle that ripples throughout the rest of the series. There are also some other love connections between supporting characters that were fun to introduce.
7. In the first interview, we discussed the theme of finding your identity. Does that theme continue? Are there any new themes?
The theme of discovering your purpose definitely continues, but with Rion now ingrained in the Clairvoyants there were new themes that came about. The theme of family is easily the most prominent in The Fifth Strain. Not only does Rion have to grapple with the feeling of abandonment from his mother and the consequences of the secrets she kept from him, but he also has a front-row seat to the drama that wrecked the original twelve Clairvoyants. Learning to forgive and love the ones close to you despite their mistakes is the foundation for this story.
8. Can you give us a sneak peek at the next installment?
Without giving away any spoilers to The Fifth Strain, I can tell you that the book ends on a major cliffhanger that sets up the third and final installment. Book 3, titled The Sixth Serum, will answer all the questions that have been built up ever since The Fourth Kinetic. Readers will finally get to know all there is about Rion and his mother’s past. There are definitely some surprises in store. But get your tissues ready, because there will be some emotional goodbyes.
A few more fun questions.
9. You mentioned you were a Batman fan. Which Batman movie is your favorite?
Everyone loves The Dark Knight, and while that is an incredible movie with a transcendent performance from the late Heath Ledger, my all-time favorite is still Batman Begins. To me, that movie was a perfect introduction to the character and explored the nuances that led to him taking up the mantle of Batman.
10. Would you rather have to go barefoot all the time or never be able to take off your shoes?
I’d rather go barefoot so I can at least take showers and wash my feet lol I’d just avoid any painful rough terrain whenever I could. Wearing sneakers all the time would get annoying quickly.
11. What one person, living or deceased, would you like to share a meal with?
My grandmother, Ruby Howard, passed from cancer in 2011. She was one of the sweetest spirits ever and I’d love to sit with her and hear her infectious laugh again. She never got a chance to read Clairvoyants or meet my son, so it would be wonderful to see her reaction to how much my life has changed.
12. What three things would you take with you to a deserted island?
I’d bring a pencil and a notebook with lots of paper to document everything I experienced. I’m sure one hell of a novel would sprout from such a scenario. I’d also bring a knife to help me survive a little longer until I’m hopefully rescued.
