My wife, Kay, dared me to make up a story out of whole cloth. Just sit down and start writing and see what happens, she said. With my historical fiction books, I have at least had a loose outline to follow, a commitment to be true to the known facts while telling a good story. But not with The Mercy Seat. It was scary at first. I had nothing to go on. I just knew I wanted this novel to be set in the present time, in a large city, and that my characters would be relatable.
For the reader to identify with the protagonist, the character must face all sorts of difficulties. Since the protagonist is a mere mortal, not a comic book character or even a mythological hero or heroine, they will typically not react quickly or forcefully to conflict or trouble. This character would avoid dire circumstances until all choices to keep from engaging in conflict are exhausted.
And so I created the character of Maxwell Crane, an ex-Marine chaplain and pastor of The Mercy Seat church. He and his wife, Kenda, have three teenage children, and together, they live in an underserved community in a large city. Once I dreamed up the Crane family, I had to give each of them something that would test their characters and show their complexity.
With the main characters in place, I still didn’t have what I call a jumping off point for my story. Then I came across a newspaper article that told of a local pastor who held a memorial service in a city park for those in the homeless community who had died during a calendar year. The park and the library across the street were gathering places for those citizens who used these public places as rest stops on their nomadic journeys roaming the city streets.
That article proved an inspiration. My imagination had free rein, and the story began to write itself. Some days it was hard to keep up. Characters I didn’t expect kept appearing, requesting a role in the story. I always enjoy the writing process, but this one had a special pleasure because every character came with specific motivations and desires that made them believable humans. I tried to keep out of their way and let the story unfold as they wished for it to be told.
I also wanted to include an up-close and personal look at the social, economic, and spiritual dilemmas facing the urban population of a large metropolitan city. By dropping the Crane family into a challenging and dangerous community, I could then observe how they chose to live and serve these citizens whose lives are a daily battle.
The Mercy Seat is a tale of godly people trying to bring comfort to the persecuted and afflicted, protect the innocent, and stand against the oppressor. But what happens when Pastor Maxwell Crane crosses a line, taking justice into his own hands? Will his family, his community, and his God ever forgive him?
In The Mercy Seat a hero might do something villainous or a villain might do something heroic. I never really knew what my characters might do until they appeared in my imagination. I kept imagining and typing and eventually, I completed a novel filled with twists, turns, and surprises. I hope readers will take pleasure in this story because it was certainly a pleasure for me to write.
Mr. Arnold received his B.A. from Pepperdine University and his Master of Fine Arts degree at U.N.C. Chapel Hill. His career as an actor/author spans over five decades with multiple stage and film credits. His most recent film is The Hiding Place. He has recorded over one hundred audiobooks and is the author of the multi-volume biblical/historical fiction series entitled The Song of Prophets and Kings (available in all formats wherever books are sold).
The Mercy Seat, the first book in his Urban Chronicles suspense series, pits an urban pastor against the forces of crime, poverty, and power elites. It releases in March 2024 with Mountain Brook Ink.
When not writing, he can be found hiking on a trail somewhere in the world.
He and his lovely wife Kay have two beautiful daughters, married to two handsome men, with three above-average grandchildren.
Get a more detailed look at his creative life by visiting www.henryoarnold.com
