The Book of Souls by Kevin Moore, based on true events (Spotlight + Author Interview)
True events inspired this compelling paranormal thriller that uses afterlife communication to bridge life and death
Los Angeles, CA – Step into this spellbinding paranormal thriller as 40-something Jack Kelly travels into his 13-year-old self with the sudden ability to interact with the dead and fight demons. The first half of a duology, The Book of Souls (March 8, 2022, Books Fluent) is based on true events in Kevin Moore’s life and his ability to use lucid dreaming to speak with his passed loved ones. American Online Radio describes The Book of Souls as “a Spiritual roller coaster ride! Harry Potter meets the Exorcist!”
Jack Kelly remembers everything about his wife and children; the wonderful smell of his wife’s hair, the way she whispers to him at night, his three children running through the house, the sound of their laughter.
But that was his life before the accident. His near-death experience left him in the in-between space, somewhere between this world and whatever comes next.
When he awakens, he finds that he’s his thirteen-year-old self replacing his brother’s life-altering incident with his own and also with the ability to read people’s minds, recall their pasts, smell their feelings and fears, and see and hear dead people, demons, ghosts, and shadowy creatures. Thus begins Jack’s journey to help one soul cross over and, in result, resolves to find his way back to his true existence; with his family. The Book of Demons concludes the story and will be published on October 11, 2022.
Kevin Moore is the author of Christmas Stories: 7 Original Short Stories. He also had his first Children’s picture book released in May 2021. His play “Conversations From The Sports Arena” was performed at the HBO Theater in Hollywood.
The Book of Souls is his first novel. Based on a true event, Moore considers this a “self help” book, which just happens to be a paranormal thriller. The sequel, The Book of Demons, will be released October 11, 2022.
Moore practices Lucid Dreaming and Bardo Dreaming which has helped him with his writing. He is a Yogi and an Advanced Reiki Practitioner — most importantly, he is Matthew and Madison's father. Find out more about Kevin at his website: https://kevinmoorepublishing.com
Interview with Kevin Moore
Your book can fit into a few different genres (horror, paranormal, fantasy), but it also can fit into a spirituality genre. How do you feel this book is spiritual?
Well, first for me it is, and should be in the spiritual genre–that is how I wrote it. I believe that we are all spiritual beings at our core.
One of - if not the most important relationship is with God, a higher power, the Universe, our higher self, nature – however you define it. Even in science – there is the thought that we are all stardust. Jack’s relationship to his family, himself – the world around him is spiritual.
It takes on supernatural elements – near death experience, ghost, demons, but they all represent something – something in him. Central to Jack is his love – his love of God and not necessarily the way he has been taught – that is religion to me – not spirituality. Jack faces his fears and allows the best part of himself – the light if you will – to help his friends, but also to try and free the indomitable ghost in apartment 3C at his own peril.
Have you ever had a supernatural experience? Do you believe in ghosts?
Yes and yes, I believe in God and have since I was a child and if I believe in God that in itself is supernatural. Don’t you think?
The shadows in the story came to me in several dreams years ago – in the dream they kept trying to take my son. I felt it was a notice from the Holy Spirit or my deeper self that wanted to prepare me for something that was coming – something I needed to be fully present for, fully ready to fight or give to my son that would take all my energy and faith.
A few weeks later my son got very sick and ended up in the ICU. He was in the hospital for 3 weeks and almost died. I stayed with him every night; my wife was with him every day. I had a nurse like the one in the book tell me the room we were in had a ghost in it! And not a friendly one!
However, for me I felt the room had very good energy and it was the best sleep my son and I had the entire time we were in the hospital. I use all that in the book.
I have had many unique experiences – including one with a tea pot after my sister died. As far as ghosts are concerned I see them more as the dust from a person’s energy that lingers longer than the body.
While Jack Kelly is the main character, Kasper Greenstreet is also an important character in the book. What inspired you to write Kasper?
Yes, I love Kasper! He really took on a life of his own. He was not supposed to be as large a character as he became.
I wanted his back story as an artist to include his insecurity about his work and abilities, which is why he felt the need to use his blood to create magic. Any one who has ever started something creative, painting, music or written a word probably has those emotions; I’m having one with these two books!
Also, as important or more important, he grew up in a time when being gay was considered a mental illness by the American Psychiatric Association and his mother hated him for it, so he is carrying quite a heavy load. Not to mention that he was abused as a child by the very people who are supposed to protect him. Kasper uses all of that to create this amazing, mystical art. I also love that Kasper and Jack for different reasons are outcasts at times for who they are.
What was the “true event” that inspired this novel?
The Shadows coming to me in a dream and my son ending up in ICU was just like Jack’s son, Stevie, in the book. Only you have to read the second book The Book Of Demons to see if Stevie and Jack’s family are like the doctors say–a dream, a false memory caused by his fall, or if they are home.
Aside from helping inspire this novel, how has lucid dreaming helped you?
There are many scenes, characters, and words in the book that came from lucid dreams and conversations in those dreams I had with people who are on the other side.
One of Jack’s spiritual guides in the book uses words that came from a classmate from Epiphany School whom I had not seen in 40 years. He passed away several years ago, but he came to me in a dream several times – totally unexpected.
One of the dreams he came to me in was at my high school reunion. I said to him “you are at the wrong school reunion – this is my high school reunion.” He said, “I know” and we had a deep conversation about the living and the dead and some of the nun’s guidance came from what he told me in the dreams. It also helps me in my life.
I’ve also had lucid dreams where a deceased relative had a message for another family member, or a friend. But those are very delicate and I am very careful about passing on messages. There was a time when I got a message from the Holy Spirit “to be still” and I wasn’t sure exactly what that meant. I also had a lucid dream where I was the student and the teacher and was given a complete dream on how to do that and what that meant for me in my daily life.
There is a lot of play with dualities throughout the novel. Why was it important for you to discuss dualities not only within the characters, but also with Kasper’s artwork?
Yes, the artwork was so much fun – doing research on the art and then just letting the imagination run wild! I wanted the art to represent the complexities of life, opposing forces, love vs hate, up and down, spirituality, good vs evil.
The only way to truly know ourselves is to put a light on our shadows. Kasper does that in his art.
The way Kasper viewed the people he painted as two lights; one portrait is a reflection of how they present themselves to the world, the second was their shadow that Kasper could see. I think all of the characters have their own duality–especially spiritual duality.
I wanted Jack and Kasper’s journey to tap into our own feelings on all that—on death, God, dreams, and love.
I also think Jack and Kasper share a certain symmetry–he is alienated due to his sexuality, Jack is alienated due to his ability to see the dead. They are both either scorned or feared and sometimes both.
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