Fall From Grace by Matthew Munson - Chapter Excerpt

Fall From Grace ... Chapter One
The Celestial Observatory



He stood at one of the large, arched windows, his shoulders tense with frustration. His eyes were staring blankly out over the star-flecked darkness of the cosmos and his mind, usually absorbed by the awe-inspiring sight of entire galactic discs, was elsewhere; he was distracted by the almighty row he had just had with his Father.



The ever-changing view of the galaxies swirling slowly past usually helped calm him after one of their arguments - but it failed today. This row had been more intense, and the bubbling, underlying resentment between them had seemed far closer to the surface. The stars weren’t doing anything to disperse the bubbling anger he felt inside. His ire was too great; the argument with his Father was still fresh in his mind, scattering any other thoughts.



“Brother?”



He looked round and saw Gabriel walking towards him, a look of concern on his youthful features.



“Gabriel,” he said softly – more softly than he had spoken with his Father. After all, it wasn’t Gabriel’s fault that his older brother and Father couldn’t last more than five minutes without arguing. “You shouldn’t be here. Return to the Chamber. They’ll think you’re allying yourself with me.”



He couldn’t keep the cynicism out of his voice, and immediately regretted not trying harder. He’d always suspected that their parents preferred Gabriel over him; he had learnt to accept it a long time ago, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t occasionally find it irritating.



Gabriel had always been the peacemaker between his older brother and their Father, trying to stop their arguments before they started – or at least soften the edges when they did, inevitably, erupt. It didn’t usually work, but to his credit, he always tried anyway.



“I don’t care if they think that,” Gabriel retorted. “You’re my brother. Why should I not stand with you? I agree with everything you said.”



His elder brother blinked in surprise at the passion in Gabriel’s voice – a passion that he didn’t often hear coming from his mild-mannered sibling. Gabriel usually kept his own counsel, because the last thing his family needed was someone else shouting in the Ruling Chamber. He knew, however, that Gabriel was old enough to make his own choices now.



Wasn’t that what my Father and I were just arguing about? he thought. Choice?



“Just ... be careful,” he cautioned. “I’m the thorn in our Father’s side; there’s no reason for you to be tarred with the same brush. You know what Father and I are like. We argue. It will pass, as it always does.”



Gabriel nodded. “I won’t disagree with you on the first point,” he conceded, and gave a wan smile. “Your arguments seem to be getting more frequent, though. They’re always about the same thing, that tiny planet. Is there anything you two can find common ground over?”



His brother hesitated. It was true, there had always been a lot of heat between him and his Father, and their arguments had been increasing. He knew why, as well; he was no longer afraid to stand up to his Father, as he once had been. In his darker moments, he wondered if this was always a good thing, or whether he was picking a fight simply because he could.



He also wondered if he cared about the answer; he knew he liked to argue just for the sake of it. Shaking his head, he smiled back at Gabriel.



“Not much.” He sighed. “I ... I dislike Father being so obsessive.”



Gabriel interrupted with a nod of his head, and neither needed to say any more on the subject – they understood each other. He nodded back, and sighed again. He’d had the argument; he didn’t want to go over it again with his brother. Gabriel was purely here as peacemaker - as he always was.



“I wish there was something I could do,” Gabriel said. “Metatron is fuming, as you can imagine. Michael is taking the brunt of it so you don’t have to, I suspect.”



His brother laughed. “Metatron is always fuming. I think the heavens would fold in on themselves if she ever found peace. As for Michael ...” He hesitated. “I admire how he stands up to her. I think he’s the only one that ever does. I can see why my Father made him commander of his armies; if he’s not afraid of Metatron, there’s not much he can be afraid of.” He raised an eyebrow. “I wonder how much trouble she’d give me if it wasn’t for Michael”



Gabriel laughed in agreement. He and his older brother fell into companionable silence, staring out of the window and watching the heavens float by.



“I need to fly,” he said after a while. “I ... I need to centre myself, and I can’t do it here.”



Gabriel nodded, and watched his older brother go. Just as he was about to leave, a thought occurred to him and he called out his brother’s name.



“Lucifer!”



His brother turned.



“You’re my brother, and I love you,” Gabriel said. “But sometimes I wonder if you argue with Father because you enjoy it or because you’re convinced you’re right.”



Lucifer stared at Gabriel for a moment, then turned and silently left the Observatory. He didn’t reply because he wasn’t sure which statement he agreed with more.

The San Pinto Times Author Interview With Matthew Munson

Author Matthew Munson stops by The San Pinto Times for an author interview.

Author Name: Matthew Munson
Book Title(s): Fall From Grace
Book Category/Genre: Contemporary Fantasy
Link to book(s): www.facebook.com/MyDebutNovel
Any other links you would like to share: www.matthewmunson.co.uk (my personal website) and http://vikingbay.blogspot.com/ (my personal blog)

Tell us what the book is about:
Fall From Grace is a fantasy novel about the tribulations of a group of angels 2,000 years ago, led by Lucifer, and how their destinies are interlinked with a group of humans in the present.

Lucifer, his brother Gabriel and his friends Satan and Beelzebub fight the Almighty, who wishes to see Heaven united with Earth under his leadership. At the same time, Metatron – the Almighty’s second-in-time - is clearly increasing her influence in heaven.

Peter is an ex-priest with little direction in his life; he and his friend Lauren have begun experiencing visions of an angelic life. Joseph, Peter’s best friend, tries to look for a more rational explanation – and that brings the three of them into direct conflict.

What would you say the theme of the book is?
It's about three ordinary humans who come into contact with extraordinary situations; Paul, Lauren and Joseph are people that I think we could all identify with in one way or another, and it's their journey into the fantastical.

Do you have a favorite character from your novel(s)?
I love all of them, of course! However, if I had to pick one I identify with most of all, it's Joseph, one of the main characters; our belief systems are very similar and I suspect I would react in many of the same ways as him if I were in the same situation.

What motivates you to write?
Do you write everyday? Oh yes, I have to write everyday - I couldn't imagine not. My ambition motivates me to write - I want to be able to connect with people though my writing and perhaps even make them think - and laugh from time to time.

Who would be most interested in this novel?
Hmm, good question. Any fantasy fans, obviously (I hope!) and anyone who likes to be challenged by a book and its concepts - and to read something fresh and new.

What prompted you to write the book?
The beginnings of the story have been swirling round my head for years, ever since I went to a Catholic secondary school (I'm British, so the education system is different over here if you're reading this "abroad!"). I never had the confidence to ever put it down on paper, because I wanted to get it right - and eventually I was confident enought to write it, having written first drafts of two other books first and various short stories!

Who are your favorite authors?
Well, where do I start ... Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, China Mieville, Joe Abercrombie. Utter legends. Stephen King - naturally. James Herbert is very cool - I loved Portents. They're all phenomenal authors, truely inspirational.

Would one of your books be a good movie?
It would be great, wouldn't it! What author DOESN'T think about that at some point? Fall From Grace would undoubtedly be an epic film!

What is your dream job?
Well, I've always wanted to be an author ... :-) I don't write full-time right at the moment (I can't afford to), but I do enjoy my other job as well. I'm 30 years old right now - who knows where I'll be in ten years time!

What projects do you have planned for the future?
I've started planning for a sequel to Fall From Grace; I blog regularly, which is starting to build, and I'm not sure how much else I've got time for these days!!