Date Published: December 15, 2020
Publisher: FyreSyde Publishing
In the ten years since John Malley lost his wife and daughter, he has slowly faded into obscurity in a rural Pennsylvania town. He spends his days at the local bar and tries to numb the pain of his loss. That is, until Ted’s Dead Rose Tavern becomes the home of the biggest mass killing in the history of the town. John, the lone survivor of the killing-spree, is forced on the run. He heads north where he hopes to hide out at his brother’s house.
Meanwhile, in New York City, young Melanie Parker investigates a disturbing new trend she discovered online. From what she has learned, metallic black bands worn along the forearm are responsible for some form of mind control. Skeptical of this theory, Melanie embarks on a night time excursion that places her in the middle of a riot in the middle of the city. Melanie fights for her life as chaos spreads throughout the city.
As John witnesses the events in New York, he is compelled to take action. But once in the city, John is forced to confront his past.
Interview with Joshua Magnotta
For those interested in exploring the subject or theme of your book, where should they start?
I started by reading Nicholas Carr’s works, The Glass Cage and The Shallows. I would suggest both of those books as well as the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma.
How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?
I was listening to an Art of Manliness podcast where Nicholas Carr was a guest and I was fascinated by his research. So, I bought a couple of his books and was blown away by the material. That’s when I started writing A Sweet, Soft Glow.
What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
A Sweet, Soft Glow originally started as a short story then sort of grew from there. At the time I hadn’t written in a work of fiction in a couple years, so I was pretty rusty. But after I finished the short story I started to think there might be a little bit more to this, I might have something I could make into an actual novel.
Anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?
Just thank you and I hope you enjoy A Sweet, Soft Glow. This has been a couple years in the making and I am just really excited to share this story with everyone.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
The thing I enjoyed most about writing this book was the fact that I really didn’t plot the story before I started writing it. I think in some ways it made for some frustrating writing days, but overall it gave me freedom to follow the story where it needed to go. There were times where I was surprised by what was happening to the characters and because I didn’t have the story plotted out I was able to experience a lot of the action the way a reader might upon their first read. Overall it was a really rewarding experience.
Can you tell us a little bit about your next books or what you have planned for the future?
I am working on a story that dives into the world of conspiracy theories. I’m having fun doing research and developing the story right now. It’s still early but I am playing with a couple ideas that I think readers will really enjoy.
How long have you been writing?
I have always enjoyed writing. I started writing some short stories in high school, they were just kind of silly stories meant to make people laugh. But throughout high school and college, writing was a creative outlet for me. As an adult I drifted away from writing for a couple years, life got busy. But A Sweet, Soft Glow got me back into writing and I am excited to create more stories.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in A Sweet, Soft Glow?
There are a number of characters in A Sweet, Soft Glow. The main protagonist and antagonist are John Malley and Harry Davis. Years ago, they created the armbands that play a prominent role throughout the book. Unfortunately, their partnership fell apart after disagreements with the distribution of the armbands. Both of their lives spiral out of control and it is only the events of this story that bring them face to face once again.
Melanie Parker is a fourteen-year old girl living New York City. She becomes interested in the armbands after scrolling through the internet and happening upon conspiracy theories that point to the armbands as a form of mind control.
Maggie Wu is one of Harry Davis’s closest followers, but not by choice. Like many she is controlled by the armband which causes her to do terrible things.
If you could spend the day with one of the characters from A Sweet, Soft Glow who would it be? Please tell us why you chose this particular character, where you would go and what you would do.
That’s tough, I think I would probably go with John Malley though. He is a working-class man who lives a simple life in rural Pennsylvania. I could see myself having a drink with him watching a football game at Ted’s Tavern.
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