Meet Sean C. Sousa, Author of The Forever Saga: Flash
Sean C. Sousa first envisioned The Forever Saga as a video game design concept, then a screenplay, and finally a written work of fiction. His debut novel, Flash, marks the end of an eight-year writing journey, and the start of another: to bring his relatable, poignant stories to a worldwide audience.
His dream is to use fiction to inspire positive social change in the world, calling attention to issues of social justice and mobilizing his readership to meet the needs of those afflicted.
Mr. Sousa resides in Southern California with his wife, Shelley. When he is not writing, he is up to socially-acceptable mischief with his friends and family. (Amazon)
BBB: What inspired you to become an author?
SCS: It was a matter of acting on a God-given talent. I knew my writing had impacted others positively from a young age, but I never imagined having the discipline to write a full-length novel.
Thankfully, I've always been inspired by stories of all kinds - be they books, movies, TV shows, video games, comics, news stories, etc. Once enough of those influences blended together in my brain, I came up with a story that outgrew an initial video game concept, or a screenplay...and that story became The Forever Saga: Flash, the first in a new Science Fiction Adventure series.
His dream is to use fiction to inspire positive social change in the world, calling attention to issues of social justice and mobilizing his readership to meet the needs of those afflicted.
Mr. Sousa resides in Southern California with his wife, Shelley. When he is not writing, he is up to socially-acceptable mischief with his friends and family. (Amazon)
BBB: What inspired you to become an author?
SCS: It was a matter of acting on a God-given talent. I knew my writing had impacted others positively from a young age, but I never imagined having the discipline to write a full-length novel.
Thankfully, I've always been inspired by stories of all kinds - be they books, movies, TV shows, video games, comics, news stories, etc. Once enough of those influences blended together in my brain, I came up with a story that outgrew an initial video game concept, or a screenplay...and that story became The Forever Saga: Flash, the first in a new Science Fiction Adventure series.
BBB: How did you come with the idea for The Forever Saga: Flash?
SCS: As mentioned before, Flash began as the backstory to a video game. I thought of an old war veteran, too old to fight but still a tactical genius, paired with a powerful robot warrior. They would be a formidable fighting unit: using the veteran's brains and the robot's brawn, they'd be an unlikely pair that would quickly become inseparable.
Then the questions came. What draws man and robot together? What are they fighting for, and against? What pulls the old man back into war? As the answers formed, the scope of the story wouldn't fit in a video game. Initial attempts to write a screenplay failed as well, and it became clear that The Forever Saga would best exist as a novel. The film and video game adaptations can come later!
BBB: Tell us about your main character.
SCS: Flash actually has two protagonists: the old veteran, Brian Renney, and his adult son, Jason. A revered Army captain in Vietnam, Brian - nicknamed "Flash" by his soldiers - ended the war with horrid wounds and memories. He's spent the years since growing bitter and distant from his wife and two sons, believing his best days are behind him.
Jason, a college senior, struggles to respect his father's demands to put his hockey career ahead of everything else - even Alessa, the girl he loves. As a star athlete, Jason's actually a better leader than his father, but hasn't become his own man yet.
Both of them discover that Brian made powerful enemies in his war days - villains who possess vast wisdom and technology. They want to remove Brian as a threat, and send a combat prototype - a robot warrior - to destroy the Renneys. With their family, and the world, in danger, Brian and Jason seek to mend their family and grow beyond their fears.
SCS: As mentioned before, Flash began as the backstory to a video game. I thought of an old war veteran, too old to fight but still a tactical genius, paired with a powerful robot warrior. They would be a formidable fighting unit: using the veteran's brains and the robot's brawn, they'd be an unlikely pair that would quickly become inseparable.
Then the questions came. What draws man and robot together? What are they fighting for, and against? What pulls the old man back into war? As the answers formed, the scope of the story wouldn't fit in a video game. Initial attempts to write a screenplay failed as well, and it became clear that The Forever Saga would best exist as a novel. The film and video game adaptations can come later!
BBB: Tell us about your main character.
SCS: Flash actually has two protagonists: the old veteran, Brian Renney, and his adult son, Jason. A revered Army captain in Vietnam, Brian - nicknamed "Flash" by his soldiers - ended the war with horrid wounds and memories. He's spent the years since growing bitter and distant from his wife and two sons, believing his best days are behind him.
Jason, a college senior, struggles to respect his father's demands to put his hockey career ahead of everything else - even Alessa, the girl he loves. As a star athlete, Jason's actually a better leader than his father, but hasn't become his own man yet.
Both of them discover that Brian made powerful enemies in his war days - villains who possess vast wisdom and technology. They want to remove Brian as a threat, and send a combat prototype - a robot warrior - to destroy the Renneys. With their family, and the world, in danger, Brian and Jason seek to mend their family and grow beyond their fears.
BBB: Do you ever get writer's block?
SCS: Not in the typical sense, but I do hit obstacles. To me, writing is a huge jigsaw puzzle with dozens of moving pieces; much of the fun comes from solving sections of it and pulling it all together. Sometimes, I struggle with laziness or discouragement or busyness, but part of the fun is overcoming those challenges and telling a story that you love and believe in.
BBB: What are you currently working on?
SCS: Beyond the second novel of The Forever Saga, I am developing a YA fantasy trilogy series, and a nonfiction inspirational title. Those ideas are very appealing to me, but my fans would riot if I didn't work on the follow-up to Flash (that's what they tell me, anyways)!
BBB: How can readers discover more about you and your work?
SCS: They can find The Forever Saga: Flash on Amazon.com in print and e-book, and the audiobook is available on Audible.com - the narrator, Chris A. Ciulla, did a phenomenal job on it. The e-book is also available on all the other major online book retailers as well. Lastly, readers can subscribe to my monthly newsletter, and visit www.theforeversaga.com to find the news, my blog, videos, and other features concerning Flash and my own writing journey.
SCS: Not in the typical sense, but I do hit obstacles. To me, writing is a huge jigsaw puzzle with dozens of moving pieces; much of the fun comes from solving sections of it and pulling it all together. Sometimes, I struggle with laziness or discouragement or busyness, but part of the fun is overcoming those challenges and telling a story that you love and believe in.
BBB: What are you currently working on?
SCS: Beyond the second novel of The Forever Saga, I am developing a YA fantasy trilogy series, and a nonfiction inspirational title. Those ideas are very appealing to me, but my fans would riot if I didn't work on the follow-up to Flash (that's what they tell me, anyways)!
BBB: How can readers discover more about you and your work?
SCS: They can find The Forever Saga: Flash on Amazon.com in print and e-book, and the audiobook is available on Audible.com - the narrator, Chris A. Ciulla, did a phenomenal job on it. The e-book is also available on all the other major online book retailers as well. Lastly, readers can subscribe to my monthly newsletter, and visit www.theforeversaga.com to find the news, my blog, videos, and other features concerning Flash and my own writing journey.
