So, it’s finally done. I began writing Dragons and Boxers around February of 2017, and now, just about three years later, it’s going to be published by Earnshaw Books! The story is an historical fiction/martial arts adventure set in China in 1900, concurrent with the events of the Boxer Rebellion. It tells the tale of an American missionary family who have left their home in the US to spread the gospel in China, and they find themselves caught up in the storm of history and events beyond their control. After a vicious attack, their 19 year-old son Wayland is left clinging to life, and he’s taken in by a kindly Chinese family. He soon finds himself in the middle of a deadly, decades-old family dispute between two martial arts masters, and his own training in the arts may hold the key to all of their fates.
While I wanted to write an exciting, entertaining story, I also tried to keep every aspect of the story grounded in reality; I researched the daily lives of the Western missionaries in China at this time, I delved into the historical details of the Boxer Rebellion, I drew on my own understanding of Christian apologetics and Chinese religions, and I used my own study and training in Chinese martial arts as a template for the characters’ training and fight scenes. There are a number of big themes in the story, of East meeting West, of modernity meeting antiquity, and of the clash of religions–but I also included action tropes that will be familiar to any fan of kung fu movies!
I always saw Chinese kung fu movies as analogous to American westerns: yes, they could be formulaic and low-brow, but at their best they could also be great art that exemplified and expressed profound, important aspects of their respective cultures. I really tried to have my novel follow that path; if you just want to read a good, historical adventure story, it’s there, but if you’re looking for something a bit deeper, you may be pleasantly surprised.
.The release date is February 1st, 2020, and it’s up for pre-order now at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other major retailers. Thanks for your interest!