{Feature} Author Steve Stred on writing his brilliant Father Of Lies Trilogy

Writing the Father of Lies Trilogy

Steve Stred

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October 1, 2019

May 6, 2020

June 1, 2021

Three dates that signify the three points of the triangle, the three release days for each of the books in the Father of Lies Trilogy.

Ritual, COMMUNION, Sacrament.

How did we get here?

Recently, Gavin asked me if I’d offer up a written account of how these books came to be. There’s been some interest from those who’ve read the books about the events that inspired this series.

To be upfront – this will be more of a teaser. In the afterword of Sacrament, there is a deeper dive, so I want to keep some of that for the release. As well – there will be an Omnibus of the series which will include some bonus stuff, as well as a longer dive into writing this series.

But as for what I can give you, how about we go back to the start?

Back in 2018, I was working on a short story. A detective story that I was hoping to sub to Unnerving. At the same time, I started looking into a specific cult and some of their beliefs that revolved around Cosmic Chaos theory. From that initial research, I wrote a cult story that I wanted to submit to an open call, which I believe was for Flametree Press.

Well, Unnerving passed and Flametree passed and I was left with these two stories.

All the while, I’d been a member of an online chat group – on the Dark Web, that was a group of individuals regarding specific beliefs towards immortality and following the Cosmic Chaos Theory.

More of that can be found in the Sacrament afterword. But to sum it up – I joined a cult online and used it to harvest ideas.

When Ritual launched, it was easily the most brutal and repulsive thing I’d ever written. It was the joining of those two stories that were rejected, rewritten and directly inspired by actual shared/described/shown events within the cult. And for some reason, it connected with a wider audience. People who were shocked and repulsed but intrigued and engaged.

At first, I thought Ritual was going to be a one and done. Totally brutal, totally finished.

But at the same time I was still visiting the online group, and moving deeper and deeper into their worlds, people began to ask for more. ‘What next?’

Specifically, Sonora and Diamond – two of my best Twitter pals – kept saying more needed to come, more in this world.

And wouldn’t you know? At the same time, I was visiting this group, watching them continue to follow the leadership of three crazed individuals and seeing events and actions occur.

A few sparks started to fly, and I’ve kept this close to my chest, but the one that ignited was during one eventful evening when one of the cult’s recruits had committed a heinous crime. He was frantically messaging that he’d completed the task as Father Sheol had asked (you’ll learn about the group leadership in the afterword of Sacrament) but it was caught on a security camera and now a detective was after him.

It was Father Sheol’s reply that not only catapulted COMMUNION, the follow-up, into my mind but also Sacrament.

He told the recruit ‘not to worry. We can use this detective’s innocence of what’s actually happening, to keep you safe and to make sure you arrive in the shadow of the Black Dragon.’

This group believed they’d ascend to live with mother, the Black Dragon, in the heart of the cosmos for eternity. And with that, the next two books spilled into my brain. Now, for those wondering – yes, I absolutely kept visiting the chat room. This was people watching to the extreme. As for the recruit, Father Sheol relayed that they’d not been arrested, but had instead taken their own life, not wanting to be restrained behind the bars of a jail cell. If you think that’s extreme, that would be on the minor end of things.

So, that is a brief look at how this trilogy came into existence. I’ve seen some insane things in my life, but what happened on that site was just a completely different level.

Have I visited since wrapping up Sacrament?

I have and things are just as extreme as ever.

I hope this teaser got you amped for Sacrament, out June 1st. Ritual is always available as a 99 cent ebook and don’t forget Father Of Lies Book 2: COMMUNION if you’ve not dived in yet – but a warning – this trilogy is brutal, extreme and depraved. But it’s all based on my experience when I joined a cult online. And it was all completely worth it.

Sacrament

EXTREME CONTENT WARNING!

This book contains scenes of extreme violence and sexual content. Do not purchase this book if you are easily offended or require trigger warnings!

Following the events of COMMUNION, Professor Bianchi knows that Father is getting closer to finally completing the steps to ultimately open the doorway and ascend to the Black Heavens.

Father is bound and determined to take his place alongside the cosmic chaos Gods.

With this in mind, Bianchi must seek out the man himself and try and find a way to put a stop to Father’s madness, even as Father himself begins to transform.

The stunning conclusion to the Father of Lies Trilogy will leave you filthy and finally discovering the true nature of the Black Heavens.

You can buy Sacrament from Amazon UK & Amazon US