Guest Post: Randall Lowe + Immaculate Resurrections

Okay. I know some of you are going to take one look at the title of this book and the cover and think you've landed on the wrong blog. I see that giant cross up there and think the same thing. When Randall first contacted me, I'll be honest and say I was a bit hesitant to have him on as I typically don't like to read or review books where religion plays a major role since it's something very personal to each individual and I don't like to discuss it in any fashion on the blog. He very kindly explained to me that the cover and title of his book are a bit misleading, so I asked if he would like to address this issue and let readers know how his book isn't what it initially seems. Welcome to Supernatural Snark Randall!

IMMACULATE RESURRECTIONS: IT'S NOT WHAT YOU'RE THINKING!

So lately I’ve been asking myself if I made a huge mistake with the title and cover of my series Immaculate Resurrections. Everyone knows how important the cover and title are. Despite the old adage, many people buy books based just on the cover. It’s simply a fact. So with full knowledge of consumer purchasing habits I went ahead and decided on Immaculate Resurrections as the title and designed a cover which prominently features a teetering and weathered cross suspended by chains. The reaction has been interesting.

One segment of the population seems convinced that I’m either making light of their personal beliefs or advocating devil worship. Another segment seems to think that my books fall into the category of “religious fiction.” Both groups couldn’t be more wrong. So what’s it all about?

It’s an adventure story set on a college campus. It’s about Felix, a college freshman, who is made to believe that he’s the Second Coming and the only person capable of preventing the rise of the Antichrist and the Apocalypse. Felix cheats on his SAT to get into Portland College so he’s convinced that he’s the dumbest kid on campus. He’s also had some bad luck and is tormented by his past. But with the help of Lucas, his reality star roommate, and Allison, his friend from high school, his outlook on life starts to improve. Even with the city of Portland on edge as the mutilated remains of several hikers are discovered in the woods, Felix begins to feel comfortable with the routines of college life. He meets a girl, plays on the football team, parties with his friends, and just as he starts to feel like he belongs on campus, the school’s groundskeeper approaches him and says, “Welcome to college, Felix. By the way, you’re the Second Coming. And the Antichrist, well, he lives on the other side of town.”

So then why would I potentially confuse prospective book buyers with what seems to be a deliberately misleading title and cover? One of the most frequent comments about the cover that I get from readers after they finish the books is, “That totally makes sense. Now I get it.” So there you have it—it actually makes perfect sense, you just have to read the books to understand how it all works.

I didn’t write these books or select the title because I thought it would appeal to people. I wrote what I wanted to write. The story was in my head and I needed to get it on paper. I think too many publishers, agents and writers are trying to produce the next incarnation of yesterday’s best sellers. The end result is a market that’s flooded with indistinguishable titles. The profit motive is obviously part of the publishing industry, but writing a book shouldn’t be like manufacturing a better tasting toothpaste. Immaculate Resurrections has generated some intense reactions, but I would rather rile the sensibilities of people, who in most cases haven’t even read the books, than write some embarrassingly derivative story just because it’s popular at the moment.

Thanks for stopping by Randall! More information on Randall and his books can be found here:

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