Voices for Voices®

Silver Threads in Darkness | Episode 241

• Founder of Voices for Voices®, Justin Alan Hayes • Season 4 • Episode 241

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Silver Threads in Darkness | Episode 241

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What happens when a Christian author tackles subjects that faith-based fiction traditionally avoids? Donatello RS is charting new territory in dark fantasy with a refreshing perspective on vampires, werewolves, and the supernatural realm.

Stepping away from both the romanticized, non-threatening vampires of mainstream fiction and the purely demonic interpretations common in Christian circles, Donatello reimagines these creatures as "magistrates ruling in the king of demons' stead" – officials governing territories on behalf of their dark master. This innovative approach forms the foundation of his novella "Silver Lining," which follows a knight in silver armor questing to slay a vampire dwelling in a mountain castle.

The conversation takes us deep into Donatello's creative process, which begins with prayer and scripture before writing. "God's the master author and overall creator," he explains, describing how divine inspiration guides his storytelling. This spiritual foundation helps him avoid comparing his work to fantasy giants like Tolkien or C.S. Lewis, focusing instead on the unique vision God has given him.

We also get a glimpse into his upcoming novel "The Legends of Celestial," about an author who completes his fantasy novel only to be sucked into its pages – a concept that flips the premise of "Inkheart" and shows remarkable commercial potential. Throughout the discussion, Donatello emphasizes the importance of obedience to divine guidance in creative work, sharing how his faith shapes every aspect of his storytelling.

#silverThreads #mysticalArt #etherealVibes #shadowAndLight #silentBeauty #poeticNature #artInspiration #creativeCaption #visualStory #VoicesforVoices #VoicesforVoicesPodcast #JustinAlanHayes #JustinHayes #help3billion

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Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes:

Hi everyone. Thanks again for joining us on another episode of the Voices for Voices TV show and podcast. I am your host, founder and director. Founder and executive director of Voices for Voices, justin Allen Hayes. Thank you for joining us, whether this is your first episode or you've been with us for the over 240 episodes in our catalog, whether you're here in the United States or among one of the 50-plus countries, 600-plus cities across the world, we couldn't do this without you, so thank you for tuning in. If you can do us a big favor and like subscribe, give us a big thumbs up we'd really appreciate that.

Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes:

This episode today is going to be very, very interesting, because I do like to learn and learning. An individual's journey of doing something different than I do is really something that interests me, and so an author, somebody who spends their time writing, creating, is interesting, and we obviously support all the professions that are out there. And being an author and spending that time like how you know, how does how does somebody get started, what do they do, what's the process, what got them interested, and so that's really what the show is going to be today, and I think you're going to find it very beneficial. I learned, learned some things and, just again, just to hear another person's story and potentially inspire you to go on to maybe be an author or creator yourself.

Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes:

So today we are joined by guests. Obviously, we're here on the remote episode outside the studio, but we get the same distribution, so that is the good part in all this. So our main guest here with us today is Donatello RS. Thank you for joining us, donatello. And we also have David Solomon. He's here to ask a question or two, and we're just here to have a creator-author conversation. So thank you both for joining us.

Speaker 2:

It's great to be here on Voices for Voices. It is super awesome.

Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes:

Thank you, natal. Maybe we can just get started on when, when you kind of realize that you know creating, being an author, that that was something that might be of interest to you, that might be helpful to start there believe back in 2015 and I just had this awesome idea I believe god gave me for a novel which is still in the works I will be honest, even up to this day.

Speaker 2:

I am getting back to work on it. It will be honest here and and since then, as I was writing a rendition after rendition, more story ideas came up and so I've been working to come up with a story, but I still had high school back then and college to deal with, but other than that, being an author and creator of just new stories and everything is pretty good. Yeah stories and everything is pretty good.

Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes:

Yeah, is there a specialty or a genre that you tend to gravitate towards, or it doesn't really matter?

Speaker 2:

Well, I'm a fantasy fanatic, as they say. You know knights, elves, dwarves, dragons, castles and whatnot. But I do have some sci-fi stories and a steampunk in the mix, which they're on the back burner, since I've been mainly focused on my fantasy stories.

Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes:

Yeah, how do you power through the stress that comes with just everyday things that we have to do to get to what we like to do, what we're passionate about? How do you handle that? You handle that. Do you have like a uh, is it just the goal, like, okay, once I complete these things, I'm gonna be able to get to what I want to want to do, and and so that helps me in and of itself, or is there a another way that helps you?

Speaker 2:

well, actually, you hit the nail right on the head for me because normally because including the puppies, of course I have to it we have puppies, just so you're aware and in and I have to get chores and take care of the dogs and help around the house and everything. But in the end, this, this is on me. I've been, I've been lazy, like I just don't know all this. I don't want to do anything else, but when I do and push myself to like get back to work and get back to working on my stories, that's when I'm there and God actually gave me a method as to my writing, like before.

Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes:

I write. Yeah, can you go?

Speaker 2:

into that if you don't mind. Okay, well, what I do is is that I get my stuff around, get my computer booted up and the story I'm working on. Then, before I do that, I read god's word for a little while and pray and welcome him into this, because he's the master author and overall creator and he's more creative than any of us. So if you're writing a story and you welcome god into it, he may give you an idea or two that might make your story better than anyone else. Not better than like hey, I'm better than you, and so like that More like better in the story sense or unique in comparison to others.

Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes:

Yeah, I really like that idea and how that really helps you. Do you compare yourself, your story set to others and go, oh, mine's not as good or mine's better? I'm just wondering, like that mindset, that as you're going through that, that process, if you know at the end of the day, once things are finished, you look at that and say, oh my, my story is not that good, or you know maybe.

Speaker 2:

Well, actually, well, actually, I don't have that mindset. I just focus on, like, my work, my stuff that god's given me, and although obviously it's nice to think about the amazing stories that came before us and everything, it's just your story, it's just the individual's story that they write. Some people can't compare like hey, I can't compare to to tolkien or cs lewis, but it but it's something to strive to. But in the end it is just you and that's what God wants.

Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes:

He just wants he wants us to be creative and and have our individuality within it. Yeah, I think that's a good way to look at it. So if there's any competition which there's, there's not, but if someone were to think that way, it's just within ourselves of here, like I'm doing the, the, you're doing the best you can, and the best you can is the best you can, and regardless of, like I said, stories that have come before, that, uh, when uh, we, we look and that's hard to do with uh to get into that mindset of like being in competition, like, okay, yeah, I, I put uh as much energy and time and uh into this and and to be at the end of the day, be okay with that and not beat ourselves up about it. Like, oh it there, you know why did I do this? Or or why did I go this route?

Speaker 2:

The way you have it laid out in your process, that doesn't even come up putting God first before you begin, because I will tell you that sometimes when I'm deep in the writing, I go into a zone and, as they say, and I basically just write and it just comes to me. I'm believing that is from the Lord, because he can give you ideas that you wouldn't even think about and show you the whole scene that's going on like almost a movie in your mind and show as best you can, as you're writing, it for words rather than pictures and everything.

Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes:

Yeah, talking about that, do you have an interest on the road and writing for film, or is your wheelhouse where are you at, what you're doing or anything else?

Speaker 2:

Well, first off, I will be honest, I'm technically published. Well, first off, I will be honest, I'm technically published. I have four short stories, two in two different anthologies two for fantasy and two for sci-fi and they're out there right now, which is great, and, if you want, I can show you the link on Amazon so you can, and everybody else can, see those stories. But as for right now, I am still working on a novel and a courtesy of our good friend here, david solomon, he actually is helping me edit my, my completed novella. This will be my first published book, a novella, not a novel, a novella and I'm hoping to get it published out there soon. It just needs editing and my fiance to finish the illustrations for it, and she does a great job, and the illustrations alone would have you captivated in the world as well as the words.

Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes:

Oh good, that's, that's great. Did you have a question?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, yeah, because I am editing that. I've seen a lot of work in the writing world and I haven't seen work like yours in a very long time, being a judge in the contest coming up uh, kingdoms got talent uh, which will be, uh right here on voices for voices. Um, it's very unique for us to to see that, that, um, that type of genre that you hit, because it's unheard of and it's really cool to see someone try to pull this off. What inspired this idea, um, and bringing this type of mythology and just overall this type of uh story to life in your way? What inspired that?

Speaker 2:

well, to answer your question, david, god gave me a new, a new um perspective on vampires. I mean, let me ask you both this and obviously, the writing world where what do you see vampires as like, in a whole, a whole, like each different piece movies?

Speaker 3:

yeah, good, good question. So I worked a little bit on vampire diaries and, uh, a lot of us were christians on there, believe it or not, um, and so a lot of us left. We did legacies later on and there is some Christian mythology, but then a lot of us left. Vampires in general have been made as demonized and seen as demonic, and actually it's really interesting. In 2011, god gave me a story called AX, and it was to retell the story of Saul, who became Paul, only in a vampire setting, and that's when it really opened my eyes that vampires are not what we think. And then the series I'm doing.

Speaker 3:

Now I am doing a vampire series, and so when I saw yours, I went, huh, this is an interesting take on the genre that has been beaten to death, but Christians don't touch on it. We see the Amish Vampires in Space, and I read that. A good friend of mine, sarah, she did a book about vampires becoming Christian right before they die, and then they become a vampire. What does that look like? And so that was really interesting to see your perspective, and so I'm curious what leaned you?

Speaker 2:

into choosing that. Well, the idea just came to me and to answer your question, like you gave a great answer. I'll be honest yes, we do see vampires as demonic and creatures of darkness, but in like other writing senses, many of them are like attractive, non-threatening teen vampires. Right, yeah, like that and twilight and such. But god showed me what they are their magistrates, a ruling in the king of demons, stead, in the physical world, so like picture, like an empire, like the roman empire, they have like it. They have like a magistrates ruling over each region in the kingdom stead and everything. So in this realm, in my novella which you're editing, vampires are ruling these areas for the king of demons in his place okay, okay and so like.

Speaker 3:

That alone was a really cool plot. Um, I've never seen that done so like as a judge, not not in this contest, but if I was looking for something creative that hasn't been done in the genre, that would earn you that, because nobody targets vampires and no one targets werewolves in the Christian fiction genre.

Speaker 2:

Basically what this novella is, and I found a YouTube video explaining, like the sub genres of fantasy, absolutely what Go ahead. Yeah, this is this novella of mine classifies as a dark fantasy, so obviously with vampires, werewolves, ghosts and such like that in a fantasy world-like setting. So I'm actually I give credit to God because I couldn't have created something like this. Oh, and for those out there that do not know, the title of my novella is called Silver Lining.

Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes:

Is finding a title hard, easy, and I guess, how do you go about that? What do you want to strike in the reader, to spark their interest in wanting to read the description and going forward like that?

Speaker 2:

Well, to be honest, at first it was just a name that came to my mind. You see, um, I watched the new wonka movie with timothy as the main actor of willie wonka and his candy he made was called silver lining to help, you like, see the faint ray of hope beyond a shadow of despair and everything. And the name just okay, yeah, and that name, just it just clicked in my mind, considering that my main protagonist is a knight garbed in pure silver armor and, as many know, silver is one of the substances that can kill or hurt a vampire.

Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes:

Yeah, that's incredible.

Speaker 3:

I noticed that right from the get-go and it was very curious. So what made you interested in the Christian fiction movement? I know we were on Realm and we got connected, but what made you find Christian fiction and fantasy?

Speaker 2:

Well, one story in particular. It comes down to another Christian author. I know I'll have to remember and look up his name name again, but he made a trilogy that I fell in love with called the azula trilogy oh, yeah, okay, very good yeah, and this trilogy.

Speaker 2:

It was basically the blueprint as to how I wanted to write, like I've been looking for something like this for a while, like god is in this world, but there's magic, there's sorcery, there's elves, dwarves and a whole mess of different creatures that would make you flee in terror, or yeah, so like that, and that that's.

Speaker 3:

That's what I was wondering. Um, I always ask that because it's always interesting to see who inspires us as Christian authors, because they always leave an impact on our writing. You can always tell that. Oh, that touched me and you know I want to do something like that, and so.

Speaker 2:

It touched me to the, to the end of the third book, and I wanted more, and he did tell me that he's planning on making more to add to the series and everything, but it's been. It was years ago when he told me, and so it's. He's probably been busy, obviously.

Speaker 3:

No. I don't know His series is just struck me like yeah, like finally, this is what I've been trying to write for for a long while wow, I'll tell you, um, you know, uh, christian fantasy it's a hard market, but it's getting better and better and it's getting more open and open, and you know there's quite a demand going on now for it, and so I applaud you for doing something that's never been done. You know that speaks volume. What is your vision going forward?

Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes:

There we go.

Speaker 3:

What is your vision going forward for your series? Where do you want your story to be Like? Do you see it on bookshelves? Do you see it as a comic book? You mentioned the art. I happen to know your fiancee really well. She's a great artist in the industry. A lot of authors go to her for book covers Amazing. Shout out to Eve Bloor. Guys, if you ever need some art, look her up. She's awesome. She's been on the show, Really great artist. If you need book covers, go get her.

Speaker 2:

To answer your question, I do want this book on shelves one day. Okay, well, soon, hopefully, because I've been trying to get this story published for a long while. But God did tell me to finish my novel that I've been working on for years, so I'm making sure to get that done now, absolutely.

Speaker 3:

So like would you? Would you see it as an anime? What, what genre?

Speaker 2:

would you want this to go from book to screen, like, well, I kind of want it to be like the Hobbit movies, okay yeah, like with partly CGI but obviously with the actors and such like that, but basically just bringing the story. That is just a dream come true, like the idea of bringing it to the screen. I mean I can see it one day and actually I can see my novel. I need to finish becoming a film one day, but at the moment I'm just starting small, like baby steps. Get the idea out, share the story and and then you, eventually, maybe God, will land me this idea.

Speaker 3:

I applaud that. I applaud that. So, going forward, what is your main goal? Like? What's a goal to finish the story? Like, how long do we have to wait till we see it?

Speaker 2:

You mean the novel, or silver lining. Silver lining, well, to be honest, it technically is done and like I like when we talked, you know you're editing it, which is great, so that's another. And then when my fiance finishes the, the other illustrations but she's been very busy so you obviously can, you can tell that I can understand that one. Yeah, so eventually, when it's all finished, I'm going to try and find a publisher that's looking for something new in dark fantasy or just fantasy in general, like hey, this is something that's never been done.

Speaker 3:

This knight is questing to slay a vampire that dwells in a dark castle atop a mountain now, if you were like this contest, if you, if you did that, what would you say makes you stand out from all other Christian fantasy authors?

Speaker 2:

I welcome God into my work.

Speaker 3:

That's a good answer. That's a good answer. What else? I'll challenge you this what else makes you stand out your story? What are you doing that no other Christian fantasy author does?

Speaker 2:

I think what I'm doing is tackling a certain genre. That well, I unintentionally tackled a certain genre that most Christians tend to either avoid or just ignore. I mean, heck, I never pictured myself writing a vampire story before.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, that's a good answer, that's a good answer.

Speaker 3:

That's a good answer. That's a good answer. So you know I mentioned this. I wrote you a pitch last night. Um, because you're targeting a genre that's not really been hit. You know you, you have potential to go really far. So I want the audience to know that listens.

Speaker 3:

You know, it is true, this is just a novella, but that is how masterpieces are made. Sometimes it's not about the quantity but the quality, and so if someone makes a short story, I'll give you a very good example Netflix's First Kill. Yes, it is a lesbian vampire series, but there's a point. It was a story in an anthology. The anthology published about 60 short stories and Netflix picked that one because everybody was talking about it, not because it was lesbian, but because of the way they did it. And so First Kill went on to be the number one successor on Netflix and vampire shows and it surpassed the Vampire Diaries. So I see a similar thing going on here. You have a short series like First Kill, with a concept that's never been done, and with the right dynamics and the right people, you can really hone in and bring your vision to life. So you have a powerful story, but it's limited right now because it's a short story, and that's fine. The shorts are sometimes the best.

Speaker 2:

It's a short, one-time story. That was my original goal, right, and that's what First Kill story.

Speaker 3:

That was my original goal, Right, and that's what First Kill was. So a lot of similarities. But you know, my point is you are gifted, there is potential and you know I would say you're looking at one of the next Christian fantasy authors, whether in a contest or whether I see you on a bookshelf in Barnes Noble. I do imagine I'm going to see your book that I'm editing right now. Yeah, I see the novella in Barnes Noble, because you're targeting a genre that has never been targeted.

Speaker 2:

So, Justin, any other questions that you want to ask me? I'm glad we're tackling my novella, obviously, but we obviously need to tackle some other questions.

Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes:

Yeah, how about inspiration to other authors, other individuals that find creating interesting, don't know where to start, think that, oh, I have this short story just talked about, or I see myself being an author, but I'm going through my education and I've got a C or a D on the paper and it just, you know, tears me down from. You know where you're at and where you're going. You know if you could talk to somebody that is you, you know 10, 15, 20 years younger or I'm not sure your age, so I don't want to. But you know somebody that's in those formative years that is like, yeah, I enjoy this, I want to do this, I think this is interesting, but how do I start?

Speaker 2:

Well, I will say this from my experience give it to God first, Like before he even writes, just spend like a couple minutes in his word and welcome him into your project through prayer, and then, of course, get to writing. And, who knows, God may actually guide you in the right direction as to where your story should go, because his ways are better than us.

Speaker 3:

I can on that, because I actually do the same thing. Before I sit down, I will write, but I will pray before I write and I'll say God, guide me on what to write, on what to do with the story. To be honest, there are entire stories that I've turned down because God said you know what I don't want you to do, that I've turned down $100,000 contracts because God said, nope, not today. And then he blessed me the next day with a $200,000 contract.

Speaker 2:

That actually is a huge blessing. That goes to show that obedience is what God wants.

Speaker 3:

Yeah. So if you obey God, god will bless you, and if you don't, man Don't regret it. You know, yeah, yeah, amen. You mentioned that you're writing a novel and I I barely know a lot about it. Can you share with us a little bit about that journey of your novel?

Speaker 2:

of course, um I. It's called the legends of celestial. That's its name first off, and ironically, the main character is named Donatello, and I love that name so much. That's how I got my pen name and everything.

Speaker 3:

I got you.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so the story is literally about a young author who had just completed his very first fantasy novel and he was super excited to show his writing tribe, everything that he has put into this, and it's taken him years to finish. But if what happened next completely stunned him, the book opened by itself as he was leaving his study and he was sucked into its pages. And as the book closed, revealing its title the legends of celestial, he's now sucked into the world of his own story and he goes on this fantastic adventure.

Speaker 3:

Oh, I take it back. Silver lining is great. That is even more my point. So you have an entire novel there that sounds like it could be even more potential than the other two.

Speaker 2:

I'm referring to yes it. That's why god is telling me to finish it.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, dude absolutely that's never been done either. I could see that going uh the way of uh jumanji a little bit sort Sort of.

Speaker 2:

But it's more like the. Well, you may have heard of this movie, or it's also a book too. You may have heard of this. It's more like the reversal of Inkheart. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I've seen that movie and the guy reads characters and stuff out of the books and everything.

Speaker 2:

That actually is super cool yeah, it would be, uh, it would be like well, so the, uh, the, the new jumanji, the producer of that, did that, and so it had a lot of those uh, same ideas in it, and so I I could see that absolutely I, yeah, I mean like they literally got sucked into the world of jumanji and in the new movies and that I can see, and now we finally understand what alan parish literally experienced in there. I mean they even showed he, they even showed a base that he actually built where the one player was trapped in there for years.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, so, like again, you're touching genres, two genres now that have never been touched and that's going to go far in the Christian fiction market and the genre as a whole.

Speaker 2:

Well, with God's help it.

Speaker 3:

Hopefully will, I'm sure it will. I tell authors this all the time If God gives you a story, it's not there to sit dusted on a shelf, and so a lot of authors get just depressed or like, oh, the market's not there. Oh, it's there.

Speaker 2:

Or they get, in my case, a little lazy and barely work on it at all.

Speaker 3:

Well, and procrastination plays a big role. Well, and procrastination plays a big role, and you just have to. One thing I learned is pray about that and say god, give me the strength to do this. You know, I need your strength today to finish this. Help me to finish this according to your will. And it goes a long way listening to him and leaning on his understanding and not ours, and that's really guided me into where I'm at. And you know, I see a lot of the same in your story.

Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes:

Reading Silver Lining alone, we're getting close to uh the end. I want to give donato uh the opportunity to cover anything we haven't covered, uh, how people can learn more about you and, as as your projects progress, how they can, you know, be be involved in purchasing those.

Speaker 2:

Eventually the purchase thing will come around, but as of now I have nothing but just my Instagram account and just my thoughts and my stuff I've already done so far.

Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes:

What's your Instagram handle for those that are interested?

Speaker 2:

it. My handle is blizzard stormer okay and you'll see, and you'll literally see like an ice knight holding a book in one hand and a sword in the other. It should be easy to find. But I will be honest, I do have a thing where I'm screening the people that watch me because, well, heck, I don't know them. I think I just been obviously careful just to pair one.

Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes:

Yeah, and I yeah, and I think that's important with anything, especially creators, that the work was meant for certain audience, certain demographics.

Speaker 2:

They want to basically be the author's new BFF and everything like that. Correct, yeah. Well, Donatello Also also another thing, yeah, yeah, looking for new creatures or creatures that haven't even been done in the story. You can use this that's right.

Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes:

I'm glad you brought that back that out.

Speaker 2:

The encyclopedia of magical creatures yes yeah, it showed many creatures that I never even seen in the fantasy story at all, and one, a few of them I actually used. I still obviously have my own like make, make made up creatures, of course, but it's still. There are just some that are pretty interesting.

Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes:

Cool. Well, Donatello, we'll finish up here. Thank you so much for joining us on the show and look forward to learning more and following your path.

Speaker 2:

Thanks, All.

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