Evil in the Beginning (The God Tools: Book 2) by Gary Williams & Vicky Knerly

By Laurence O’Bryan

Meet Vicky & Gary, authors of EVIL IN THE BEGINNING (The God Tools: Book 2).

Originally from Syracuse, New York, Vicky Knerly now resides on St. Simons Island, Georgia. She has a bachelor’s degree in English and two masters’ degrees, and she has won awards for her research-based writing. She currently works for a private university based in Melbourne, Florida.

Gary Williams lives with his wife in St. Augustine, Florida. He has a bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing from University of North Florida. Once a corporate manager, he now writes full time.

Here’s a taste of EVIL IN THE BEGINNING.

Dr. Curt Lohan and Scott Marks return in the sequel to DEATH IN THE BEGINNING when they discover a hidden cave near the St. Johns River. The cave contains remnants of an ancient cross-oceanic expedition by one of the most enigmatic civilizations that ever inhabited the Earth. As sinister characters emerge in the small town and people begin to disappear, the terrifying truth becomes evident: the magnificent archaeological site holds a dark secret that has been unleashed on the world.

I had a chance to chat with Vicky and Gary about the book.

What can we expect from the second novel in The God Tools series?

Gary: In the first book, DEATH IN THE BEGINNING, we introduced a Biblical “tool” linked to Noah’s Ark found by Dr. Curt Lohan and his friend, Scott Marks. The relic is discovered in St. Augustine, Florida, in the southeastern United States. (Yeah, we know it’s an odd place for the discovery of a Biblical relic.) Yet, it’s what this relic can do, and the people after it, that was the real story.

Vicky: Now flash forward nearly a year later for EVIL IN THE BEGINNING. When Dr. Lohan’s ex-wife goes missing, he and Scott discover a cave which holds the remnants of an ancient cross-oceanic expedition by one of the greatest civilizations that ever existed. About the same time, people in the small town in which the novel is set begin to disappear. That’s when Curt and Scott realize the magnificent archaeological site holds a dark secret that has been unleashed on the world. As the story unfolds, we learn of a plot involving the God Tools, which could destroy humanity.

You set the novel in Green Cove Springs, Florida.  What do you find intriguing about the area?

Gary: I have family in the Green Cove Springs area, so I’m familiar with the small riverside town and its surrounding history. For example, few people probably know the town is where the U.S. Navy originally mothballed their Atlantic fleet in 1945 at the conclusion of World War II.

Vicky: Also relevant to the story is an unusual geological aberration on the riverbank not far from Green Cove Springs. Plus, the city’s geographic proximity to St. Augustine, Florida—the setting for the first novel in the trilogy—was key.

How will you make the new novel fresh and interesting for readers?

Vicky:  For one thing, we incorporate actual history. In DEATH IN THE BEGINNING, we used the 300-year history of the Spanish settlement in St. Augustine and the coquina fort, which still stands today and is a major tourist attraction. In EVIL IN THE BEGINNING, we tie in a far older civilization. Also, we have pitted Curt and Scott against another formidable “creature” with Biblical ties. The difference in this second novel in the series is that a more nefarious plan begins to crystallize with greater implications, which will lead into the third, and final, novel in the series. Also, not all the protagonists will survive the ordeal in EVIL IN THE BEGINNING.

Will there be any major new characters in this book?

Gary:  New characters to the God Tools Trilogy? Yes, but they won’t be new characters to our readers. One of the fun things authors get to do is blend their fictional worlds. In our case, we took a reporter from our novel THREE KEYS TO MURDER and a CIA operative from INDISPUTABLE PROOF and brought them into this second book in the trilogy. Curt Lohan and Scott Marks will be forced into alliances that may or may not be beneficial as these heroes and heroines of other novels come aboard.

Vicky:  We also introduce new antagonists: nasty people whose role in all this will slowly unfold.

You have a wonderful emerging evil theme. What makes you want to write about this subject?

Gary:  Really, the “evil” is the situation into which two average men are drawn. The “evil” comes about because of the misuse, or misunderstanding, of what they’re dealing with and the timing of the God Tools emerging in this day and age. It’s hard to say more than that without giving the storyline away.

Was it easier to write this book than your previous one?

Vicky:  This is our sixth book. It’s never truly easy to write a book. If someone tells you it is, they’ve probably never written a novel before. Seriously, every book has its challenges. In some ways, this was our most challenging, because we did integrate two lead characters from our other novels. Not only do you have to jump around in the story between the various characters, but you have to write it so that the characters have a legitimate reason for becoming involved in the story. Also, you have to write these characters into the plot with the knowledge that some readers will be familiar with them, while those readers who have not read our other novels will be meeting them for the first time.

Gary:  I think the other difficult thing about this book is that it’s the second novel in a trilogy. We had significant discussions on how to end it, keeping in mind that there is a broader story in the works that wouldn’t be resolved until the third book. At the same time, we had to tidy up some things in this story. All in all, we’re very happy with where we landed at the conclusion of EVIL IN THE BEGINNING, while giving readers insight into what will come in the final book.

Has your own life journey given you an insight into the impact of evil and have you brought some of that to your new novel?

Gary:  Interesting question. Evil, like fear, has an inherent, personal definition for each of us. I view something as “evil” if it harms those I hold dear in my life. In the novel, the “evil” isn’t quite as it first appears, although you wouldn’t know that from the havoc it wreaks.  Confused yet?

Can you give us any clues as to what this evil is that emerges in your book?

Vicky:  Let’s just say you’ll recognize it from the Bible.

Where will your writing journey be taking you next?

Gary:  Naturally, we’ll conclude the trilogy.  END IN THE BEGINNING (THE GOD TOOLS:  BOOK 3) will be out later this year, probably in late fall.

Vicky:  From there, we’ve already been working on another idea: a thriller, minus the supernatural elements. As always, the story will occur in the current day, and we will base it on actual history, this time focusing on a well-known U.S. oil magnate from the 1800s. That’s all we can say at this time.

Thanks Gary & Vicky! EVIL IN THE BEGINNING (The God Tools: Book 2) book looks very interesting. I admire your persistence and the way you work so well together. I know that it takes a lot of guts to write and wait for the public to tell us what they think.

I wish you well with the book. It certainly caught my imagination and put its hooks into me.

*****

Originally from Syracuse, New York, Vicky Knerly now resides on St. Simons Island, Georgia. She has a bachelor’s degree in English and two masters’ degrees, and she has won awards for her research-based writing. She currently works for a private university based in Melbourne, Florida.

Gary Williams lives with his wife in St. Augustine, Florida. He has a bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing from University of North Florida. Once a corporate manager, he now writes full time. Their fifth e-novel, Evil in the Beginning (The God Tools: Book 2), will be released on January 28, 2014.

To learn more about Gary and Vicky, please visit their website.