books – Nothing to Doubt Blog

“We are but dream characters in the mind of God, striving for Self-realization, though only a select few may consciously remember this. Most identify entirely with their egos, and this generates great inner conflict.”

– Leon, from The Monarchs

Awards and recognitions keep rolling in for my debut novel, The Monarchs, for which I am very honored and grateful.

Following a rave review in which they called the book “a mesmerizing tale set in a chaotic yet magical and spiritual futuristic dystopia” (I love this line), Literary Titan bestowed The Monarchs a gold medal in their monthly book awards program.

According to their website, the Literary Titan Gold “honors books that exhibit exceptional storytelling and creativity. This award celebrates novelists who craft compelling narratives, create memorable characters, and weave stories that captivate readers. The recipients are writers who excel in their ability to blend imagination with literary skill, creating worlds that enchant and narratives that linger long after the final page is turned.” All books that receive five-star ratings are automatically entered into the Gold Award category and are then further reviewed by a panel of judges.

This is the third award that The Monarchs has won since its release in June. Last month, the book was announced as a winner in American Book Fest’s 2024 American Fiction Awards in the category of New Age Fiction and Finalist in two other categories. Subsequently, the book won a Firebird Book Award in the categories of Science Fiction and Dystopian. I recently spoke with Pat Rullo, who organizes the charitable Firebird Awards, on her radio show to discuss the novel and its inspiration. We had an amazing conversation that you can listen to at this link. (For those who are interested in reading more about the deeper topics and themes behind The Monarchs, please also check out the print interview I did with Literary Titan, which I will post at the end of this article.)

I can’t deny the satisfaction that comes from winning a book award as an author. There is a sense of recognition for all of the time and loving energy that we spent crafting our stories; our books become our babies that we thrust out into the world, and it brings us joy to see them doing well for themselves! Plus, as my wife reminded me, I can now call myself an “award-winning author.” But does this mean that I’ve finally “made it?” Is this what it means to be truly happy?

While winning a book award (or attaining any other accolade) certainly yields temporary gratification, one may soon realize that not long after the initial high, it does not bring true, lasting happiness. The universe inevitably confronts us with unforeseen challenges, and one might even think that life has suddenly gone terribly wrong. This world of form with all of its pleasures is but a transient dream, and those things we were once attached to (be it money, status, physical appearance, worldly recognitions or material treasures) eventually fade away.

The key, according to Buddhist philosophy, is non-attachment—not only to material things but also to our egoic identity, which ultimately is also a temporary dream. And yet the ego craves external validation. It seeks to separate from others by whatever means it has at its disposal, whether by a superiority complex or a victim mentality. When things go right, it clings to its accomplishments, taking them on as part of its identity. And when things go wrong, it points fingers at others, blaming the world for how terrible life has become because in the ego’s eyes, it can do no wrong.

After several years of writing, editing, and diving headfirst into the world of publishing, my debut novel, The Monarchs, is set to be released on June 25th of this year, currently available for preorder from major retailers (links on homepage). Published by Koehler Books, a small Virginia-based publisher which has a close-knit team I’ve much enjoyed working with, this novel is a culmination of a ten year journey ever since I received the original idea for it back in 2014, and is truly a reflection of my own spiritual awakening.

The Monarchs tells the story of seventeen-year-old Samuel Helen, one of the first in a wave of “new youth” children born into a war-ravaged world with abnormally large eyes and breathtaking psychic abilities. When the book begins, Samuel has already spent ten years at General George Mabus’s military facility, where they perform cruel testing on him and the others, although Samuel cannot control his telekinetic abilities as easily as his comrades. He finds solace in his sessions with his wise tutor, Walter, who introduces him to music records from the “old world” and teaches him philosophy. Metaphysical questions such as the existence of God, the nature of consciousness, free will versus predestination and the soul’s true purpose are addressed here and expounded on throughout the novel.

Music is also a central theme—as is the idea that we are living in a musical universe, or in Samuel’s words, the view that “all things could be expressed through vibration, sound and geometry.” From the beginning, music was a big influence on this novel, and music fans (who isn’t?) will find an added dimension in the many songs referenced throughout the manuscript, by artists ranging from The Beatles to Fleetwood Mac to Jimi Hendrix to The Flaming Lips. Although some song lyrics are overtly quoted, others are hidden in the manuscript, and when interpreted they may contain messages pertaining to the story. (Obtaining print license permissions to use these song lyrics has been a journey in itself, and is one reason the novel’s release has been delayed several months!)

Samuel’s other solace is his weekly visits with an “ordinary” orphan girl, Evelyn, who lives in the neighboring village, and whom Samuel falls in love with. Evelyn wishes to escape with him, but Samuel is hesitant, having heard tales of the “hazardous radiation” affecting most of the planet, of which many think the arrival of the new youth was a consequence. Of course, circumstances change, and Samuel and Evelyn are soon thrust out on an adventure where they meet a strange new friend; thus commencing an action-packed journey that is also filled with romance, humor, as well as uplifting spiritual wisdom.

This book is infused with symbolism and synchronicity, and the entire novel can be interpreted as an allegory for spiritual awakening, Samuel gradually becoming aware of his own essential oneness with God (or, using an analogy of a book, oneness with the author) manifesting as increased compassion for others, self-responsibility, and mastery over his extraordinary abilities.

Music was a huge influence on this novel, including this M83 music video

Writing a book is a spiritual process in itself, and as previously mentioned, the original idea for The Monarchs came in 2014 during a beach trip on my college spring break. Where exactly it came from I cannot say, but I experienced it almost as if a file was downloaded into me, and it would take another decade to unpack the entirety of its contents. This was an interesting point in my life where I was graduating from college and was about to enter the corporate world, the next stage of the assembly line that was expected of any successful graduate, but this expectation merely left me depressed. Is this all there is to life? Awakening spiritually enacted a counterprogram to the materialistic incentive to rise through the corporate ladder and make lots of money. But when I received the idea for this book, I felt an inner excitement that I had never before experienced. I recall crying in my dorm room as if I were remembering a higher purpose for my life: a calling from my soul yearning to express itself.