Kevin’s Comments (group member since Aug 22, 2014)

Kevin’s comments from the Ask Kevin L. Brooks group.

Hi Ya'll:
I'm back to address the other questions.
let's pick up where we last left off with Question number #4.

4. You have layered the book with rich details of ancient Jewish culture, I imagine you have studied the culture and history extensively. What part of the Jewish culture did you most draw from and enjoy in creating this story?

Wow! I can't even pin that down. I love it all. In fact the history from the Holy Lands is the richest in human history. In fact the Jewish culture is more entrenched and influential in our modern civilization than most people even have a clue. A wonderful book describing that very topic was "The Gifts of the Jews" by Thomas Cahill. Pick it up. You won't be disappointed.

As I mentioned earlier, one reason my book took so long to complete was the research. When an author writes a historical novel, the responsibility to correctly describe everything, the time, the culture, the people, and the surroundings falls on the authors shoulders. In fact I always joke that a science fiction writer can write anything he wants to, but a historic writer must be correct. I made it my goal to describe these things as accurately possible. My research was excruciatingly tedious. I read as many sources as possible in order to correctly provide these details. One of my favorites is "The Biblical Archeological Review", a publication of the Biblical Archeological Society."

Throughout my story, I wanted to invite the reader into the world of the ancient Jews, The world in which Jesus grew up in, ancient Palestine and the Roman Empire. During my research I found more historical evidence and facts than I thought were possible. We have a rich and abundant amount of historical evidence describing these ancient lands and people. And we discover more every single day. Just look at the writings of Titus Flavius Josephus. Fascinating! I learned so many new and wonderful things, things that they didn't teach us in Sunday School or College. These I wanted to share throughout the book as I weaved my story.

I just loved these fascinating little details. But sometimes I'll admit I got a little carried away. Here is one example, when Barabbas goes to the Temple for the very first time. I tried to describe the incredible sense of Awe that an ancient Jew would feel as he entered Jerusalem and experienced the most Holy Place on Earth, no actually the most Holy Place in the Universe. I described in detail the magnificent Temple of God as he took in all of the rich details. Unfortunately it bogged the story down somewhat. Several beta readers and my editor all suggested that we remove a large part of this. Therefore, it was greatly shortened which added to the story and improved the flow. I'll admit it made the story better but left out some really cool stuff.
As I mentioned earlier, it is my hope that the reader will also take these little pieces of history, find them as fascinating as I do, and keep digging.


5. Hunting is a strong element in The Lost Gospel of Barabbas. Could you share a bit about why this element is so important to this story?

Yep, hunting is a strong element to my character. The times and experiences he spent outside with Samuel are critical to the man he will become. Here he learns invaluable skills that will serve him throughout his life. The skills of a hunter, the skills of a warrior, the skills of survival, the ways of nature, and here he encounters God in a way found no where else on Earth. I don't want to sound all preacher on you, but in nature he discovers that God is not found in the confines of the Temple or in the walls of a cathedral. Here he discovers that God is in the trees, in the rocks, and in the wind. He discovers that God is...

Also as a hunter he learns patience and to appreciate nature and the wildlife. He learns to love the animals. He also learns that death is a part of nature, part of the circle of life. He is taught that man is a part of that circle. He learns to both mourn and celebrate his kills. And unlike the modern politically correct crowd that is offended by hunting, Barabbas realizes that it is a pure and positive influence in his life.

As I mentioned, in nature he hones and sharpens his skills as a hunter, skills that will serve him throughout his life. Here is a spoiler alert, but not a bad one.... in Book II, Barabbas will become an assassin. He will literally become a hunter of men.

That's it for now. I'll pick up here on our next session.

Hi Ya'll:

First, I want to thank you for taking the time to visit my Goodreads author page. It thrills me that people are interested in my story.
And honestly, it's humbling.

Let me try to answers these first questions...

1. What or who inspired you to write The Lost Gospel of Barabbas?

Man, that is a great question.
This novel represents twelve years' worth of my writings. I know that sounds like an incredibly long time needed to write one book. I agree. Writing did not really come easy to me and many times I had to struggle to find the words. I was also faced with thousands of distractions that kept me from completing my project.

I began writing this story a short time after September 11th, 2001. I honestly do not know exactly why I was inspired to tell the story. It's funny, I remember the very day that the idea struck me. One day while I was out on our farm checking on the cows, I was listening to one of my favorite bands, Creed, when the idea hit me. An idea of putting a little twist on history. I just thought to myself, "Wouldn't it be cool to tell a story about this true historic man, Barabbas, who so little is known about." Honestly, just think about it. Most everyone you know, knows who Barabbas is. But do we really know who Barabbas is? No one does. The little information that we have comes from the Gospels. There is no other outside historical record of the famous insurrectionist.

I decided that I would dig a little deeper through what history had left us. Honestly it has left us with very little. Only 2000 years of conjecture and myths. My wish is that I inspire others to dig deeper also.


2. Since it is said authors must write about what they know in order to tell a story, which character do you identify with most in your book and why?

Barabbas... Of course most people, especially men, probably identify with Barabbas. We all want to be the hero. We want to face the challenges and slay the dragons. We want to win the heart of the lady. We want to avenge the wronged and defend the helpless. That is part of a man's character, part of his very soul. That is why we explore the unknown, that is why we climb mountains and seek adventure. Unfortunately in todays society many have lost that.

You also mentioned that authors must write about what they know in order to tell a story. I agree. I have always been fascinated with history and archeology. I love the archeological discoveries and evidence that is uncovered in the Holy Lands every day. The cradle of civilization sparks my imagination. I thought it would be interesting to introduce the story by combining the two.

I decided to tell the story from a first person point of view. Basically as an autobiography. Literally from the lips of Barabbas himself. The story starts with a discovery of an ancient scroll. Just imagine if a discovery like this were truly made. It would change the face of history as we know it forever.


3. The person of Barabbas is depicted very one dimensional in the Sunday school tales that most people grew up with and I love how you've given Barabbas permission to be multi-dimensional and human in your book. You have mentioned very little is known about the insurrectionist. Could you describe what you drew on or discovered in order to flesh out the character of Barabbas in your story?

What a great question. As I began telling my tale, I researched the historic Barabbas diligently. I read as many books as I could find and of course the internet is an invaluable tool. The more I dug, the more I discovered that we know absolutely nothing about the infamous insurrectionist. I did discover that after 2000 years, there were some absolutely ridiculous claims about Barabbas. Some even claimed that Barabbas and Jesus were one in the same. These absurd claims have absolutely no historic backing and are the ideas of misinformed fools.

One reason the book took so long to complete was the research. When a person writes a historical novel, the burden to correctly describe the time, the people, and the surroundings falls on the authors shoulders. I made it my goal to as accurately describe these things as possible. My research was extensive. I read as many sources as possible in order to correctly provide these details. Throughout my story, I wanted to invite the reader into the world of ancient Palestine and the Roman Empire. During my research I continued to explore deeper and deeper. I learned so many new and wonderful things, like tiny little treasures, that I wanted to share throughout the book. It is my hope that the reader will also take these little pieces of history, find them as fascinating as I do, and keep digging.

After I had been working on my project for some time, one day I turned on the Television. You can imagine the horror I felt as I watched a movie called "Barabbas."
I had been so proud of my "original" and "unique" idea for this story. However, after a sick sinking feeling formed in my gut and a few choice words, I realized that my idea of writing a story about this mysterious character Barabbas, was not original at all. Apparently someone else had thought of it before me. The film "Barabbas" starring Anthony Quinn was made in 1961 and based on the 1950 novel written by the Nobel Prize winner Par Lagerkvist. Prior to that, I discovered another book entitled Barabbas, written in 1946 by Emery Bekessy. And before that one, in 1893, British novelist Marie Corelli wrote "Barabbas: A Dream of the World's Tragedy."

Not to be disheartened, I continued to press onward. Honestly, I have not fully read any of the above mentioned books. But I am absolutely positive that my story is still "unique" and "original." Throughout my story I have introduced a supernatural element that is not found in any of these other books. Also, my story seems to lean a little toward a darker side. In fact, I have tried to tone down a few scenes that I felt became a little too heavy. It is not my intention to shock the readers. There is the spiritual conflict present that Barabbas continuously must face, as demonic forces try to intimidate and harass him. These dark forces must be aware of his future role that he will play out in history. Again, It is not my intention to shock the readers, only to entertain.

My intentions in writing this novel are simple. I wanted to tell a story. I wanted to tell of an adventure, a thriller, a supernatural ghost story, and a history lesson all rolled into one. I hope you enjoy it!

That's it for now. I will take up the remaining questions with my next session.