Into the Fire

Very successful and bestselling British author Mark J. Dawson has inadvertently become one of my favorite authors even though I have disagreed with certain characterizations and inferences in a couple of his John Milton Series stories. Regardless of that, he's given me hours of fun reading, intense scenes, a truly remarkable and unique in many ways character in John Milton but also in his other creations of Beatrix Rose and her daughter Isabella and his latest protagonist: private investigator Atticus Priest who is perhaps the most unique character of them all. 

Every author has a style, a voice, and a few characteristics in his or her writing. Since I deal with fiction primarily, I look for both the similarities and differences between authors. Personally speaking, I like a fair amount of description in characters, locations, actions, and most everything. However, I acknowledge description can be overdone to the point where it becomes tedious to read. Mark is specifically descriptive of locations which only occasionally can border near tedium. He also gives his characters the practiced, professional eyes of quickly assessing people, places, and things so we're presented with a different way of receiving descriptive information. His action sequences are intense with pain-inducing cringes in some cases which speaks highly of his ability to recreate them for the reader. 

I believe in order to make a great story and build on it for a series, you've got to have that dynamic hero/heroine to carry it, stuff it with meaningful peripheral characters trying to avoid clichés in the antagonists – which, let's face it, in this day and age is incredibly hard to do – and round it out with scenes that touch, exhilarate, stun, provide options even if all bad, and include good or great writing in the process. That's no small list of requirements. Not all authors can successfully do this – because any writer/author will tell you it isn't easy. 

Some stories require a lot of research especially if the story or series takes a person all over the world as the John Milton novels do. I'm amazed at the authenticity transmitted in Mark's stories down to the street names in out of the way places. Has he been there himself? I have no idea but it sure seems so. That's authenticity. Yes, authors can take liberties with locations. I know I do, but I tend to venture to places I've actually been so I can create a reasonable picture that might resonate with someone who's been in the vicinity of where I've placed the story. From Marrakech to Sienna it has felt like Mark and hence his characters were intimately familiar with the areas. 

Of all the reasons to like an author's writing and appreciate an author's stories, Mark Dawson accomplishes and fulfills the list. He's a fabulous writer and well worth the time I've spent reading his work. 

Father, please continue to provide the inspiration and incentives for Mark's abilities. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.