About the Book
Laurence P. Cromwell was once like many of us, navigating through life without direction or purpose, eager to uncover some deeper meaning to it all. Out of sheer desperation, and through the influence of a series of strange childhood occurrences, he became obsessed with the notion of true Magic, the ability to manipulate the world around him in ways often assumed impossible by others. Scouring countless shelves, he searched for that one old tome or relic which might reveal itself to be something more – something Magical. He knew in his heart he was destined for great things, if only he could make that first, crucial discovery. But as Laurence – along with an unlikely pair destined for a similar fate – would soon find out, not all Magical Objects exist to be used, to be possessed. And some are better off left where they were buried long, long ago…
Beginning on our planet, in the prosaic time period known as present day, the Journey Eternal series methodically recounts the story of a group of unsuspecting heroes as they gain the courage and experience necessary to traverse billions of years, multiple worlds, and countless twisting timelines to discover the truth of humanity’s Magical past, as well as the monstrous future awaiting not only our race, but our entire universe. Will they succeed in restoring Magic to its prior state before time runs out, or will the forces of darkness prove too powerful, too tempting, even for them?
Prepare to pull back the veil, revealing a world of Dark Magic and demons, of a battle that goes beyond good and evil, where heroes and villains clash not only with each other, but their own inner turmoil and precarious destinies. But beware, dear reader. As you take these first steps of your own journey, remember this:
Not all fantasy is fiction, and nothing is ever quite as it seems…
About the Author
Viktor is an isolated, strange man with a mind set adrift within another world. He spends most of his
days outside this reality, residing within a forgotten domain suspended between realms. Dedicated to
scouring all possible avenues left to him, he has begun the painstaking process of working through an
otherworldly library, translating every tome and manuscript at his disposal so that we, too, may learn
their many truths. Often risking bodily or psychological harm, even the most dangerous grimoire is never left unopened for long.
If you would like to read his true story on how he became an author and Chronicler of Time, you can find it here: https://vaalbarahistoricalsociety.org/our-true-story/
Qn 1: Can you tell us more about your book What is it about?
How to Forget to Remember to Forget Magic revolves around the story that humanity is long descended from a race called the Xahl’thari, who used Magic quite effectively to retaliate against a horrific evil, but have since forgotten who they are and where they have come from. Our enemies, however, have not forgotten. The main protagonists delve extensively into time travel, heading backward in time countless years, in an effort to not only stop terrible events from spiraling out of control in the future, but also attempt to correct a corruption that’s begun to grow within them. This book is filled with powerful Magic, hard choices, emotional struggles, dark imagery, inner monologue, peculiar characters, complex villains, and incredible locations – all of which are real, of course. If you have enough faith.
Qn 2: Who do you think would be interested in this book, is it directed at any particular market?
This book resonates with anyone from young adult to those of us who have traveled the world for a
time, so to speak. It will appeal to people who fancy themselves a bit of a misfit, have a true
imagination, an open mind, a desire to believe in Magic, and a turn toward darkness, whether they act
upon it or not.
Qn 3: Out of all the books in the world, and all the authors, which are your favourite and why?
Anne McCaffery comes to mind for world building and attention to detail. L.A. Meyer for casual ease of
reading, word slinging, and keeping the reader on their toes. Stephen King is prominent on my shelves
for his dark imagery. James S. A. Corey for grit and realism with an eye toward the future.
Qn 4: What guidance would you offer to someone new, or trying to enhance their writing?
Write something and then read several books – authors you haven’t given a shot yet. Learn as much as
you can from your peers. Then, start back at the beginning of your story and review your writing again.
Keep working through it over and over in that fashion. Above all, do not write to be famous or to secure
an income; write because you love to write. If you’re passionate enough, and you pour enough into your
work, you just may find you’ve earned the following you desire.
Qn 5: Where can our readers find out more about you, do you have a website, or a way to be contacted?
You can find out more about us at https://vaalbarahistoricalsociety.org/ or www.ForgetMagic.com –
they both go to the same place, but the latter address is certainly easier to remember despite the
suggestion. There you can download our books for free, contact us, interact with a map depicting our
heroes’ journey, and learn a few more details about everyone involved.
Qn 6: What was the inspiration for your book?
To be truthful, I was never interested in being an author. However, after suffering a seizure and head
trauma, I began to experience a reoccurring dream which seemed benign enough at first but turned into
so much more. Since then, recounting this journey has become my obsession, and I find myself incapable of surviving without it.
Qn 7: There are a lot of concepts within your books from magic, corruption, time travel and people who have forgotten who they were. How did you leverage them all to create an engaging story?
I never found myself in a position where I felt I had to leverage anything within this book. I was placed in
a position where I followed alongside the characters, and watched as their intent to uncover aspects of
the truth led to discoveries within themselves and our ancient past. I accepted what I wrote as truth,
and did my absolute best to document, in as much detail as I could, exactly what took place, whether it
was tragedy or triumph. It is simply my wish to share that journey with those willing to believe it as well.
Qn 8: What has been the biggest challenge when writing the first book and your most cherished
moment?
This is an unapologetically long story. Volume One is of approximate length to the first four Harry Potter
novels, and it only contains parts 1-3 of 9. Publishing a book that long is nearly impossible. Publishers
wouldn’t even look at it, and I received responses of “cut it down by ¾.” If they only knew, I couldn’t
delete even a single word; Laurence’s Magic wouldn’t let me. Worse, most self-publishers can’t even
handle the printing of it, save for one. This series pushes the limits of what is possible right now, and
unfortunately, that is a daunting and expensive venture to pursue.
Furthermore, no one has heard of the Society. It has proven to be an immense hurdle to expose the
story for the value it contains, even when attempting to pass it out for free, due to the volume of free
stories being produced on the market every single day. That being said, my happiest moments come
from when people begin to read it and they see why they were destined to take the journey with me.
When I receive a letter telling me how much it has changed them, it makes me smile because I know I’ve
done something that has enhanced not only another person’s life but the future of humanity itself.
Qn 9: What is your favourite moment within the book?
For me, that is a terrible question. I have several favorite moments in the book, but I can’t truthfully
divulge any of them without sharing powerful details that a reader must discover for themselves before
truly appreciating their significance. I will say, I find myself smiling most when the main protagonists run
into a number of peculiar characters that exist not only in the shadows of our current society but also far
in the past and, possibly, out of time altogether. Doug Bug, Ekklan Ekklan, Melvin, and many others have
no modern-world equivalents. I feel readers will find their lives enhanced by having met them.
Qn 10: You have two more books in the series in the works. Can you tell us more about them?
Volume One through Three should be viewed as one complete journey from start to finish. If you think
you’ll read Part One of Volume One and reach a satisfying ending, you will find yourself sorely mistaken.
Nor, for that matter, do I suspect you will find yourself capable of pausing at that point. Volume Two will
pick up precisely where Volume one left off, as will the Third. That being said, I can tell you that Volume
One largely deals with the present, going back to the past. Volume Two deals largely with the past,
moving back into the present, and Volume Three deals with the present, moving out into the future, and
then beyond. This entire journey starts very small, with a child and an airplane. When you reach its
conclusion, you will have expanded your knowledge beyond our universe.
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