Redemption: atonement for guilt, deliverance, salvation

J.R. Turner, author of  Redemption, due out this month, and many other novels, is my guest. I'm looking forward to her new release.

When I began writing my first urban fantasy novel, the title was a no-brainer. Redemption is such a powerful driving force in the human experience. From the need to prove we have what it takes to ourselves or others, to seeking out a way to atone for a perceived or actual sin, there are few motivators stronger than our darkest secrets.

I could think of no better way to explore the human struggle between dark and light, wrong and right than through the contrast of angel and demon. We each have aspects of both in our human make-up. There is an old Native American tale about this:

The grandfather said, "There are two wolves fighting in my heart. One wolf is angry, vengeful, and hateful. The other wolf is understanding, compassionate, and loving."

The grandson asked him, "Which wolf will win?"

The grandfather replied, "The one I feed."

Throughout Redemption I return again and again to the idea of how good intentions often lead us to feed our darker selves, despite our vigilance . Savannah, a half-angel, is focused on killing sinners to earn her redemption, but when she falls in love with a half-demon, Nico, her focus turns to finding his redemption. In giving up her need to see heaven to save someone she loves, she ultimately makes a heart-wrenching sacrifice. Sometimes our conscience demands a painful course of action.

Love, hate, life, and death–these are the human experiences we seek to understand the most and in writing Redemption I came to understand my own beliefs far better and I hope when reading about these universal struggles, they leave the reader with some meaty food for thought.

Note from Ellis. This review of Redemption from Nancy Holzner is too good to leave out:

"In a bleak, post-apocalyptic world, what happens when a half-angel searching for her redemption meets a half-demon hellbent on revenge? If it's J.R. Turner's world, major sparks fly. Redemption is a heady mix of action, thrills, and sizzling romance. Half-angel Savannah Mantas is both a kick-ass heroine and a complex character. Immortal yet deeply wounded, she searches for the redemption that will allow her to ascend and leave behind the blasted, dying Earth. But she never expects to find that redemption in the arms of half-demon Nico Montenegro, a man who should be her mortal enemy. Turner's urban fantasy is a fast-paced thrill ride that wrestles seriously with questions of good and evil, guilt and innocence, to deliver a satisfying, multilayered read."

J.R. Turner is an award-winning author and editor for Quake, the young adult imprint of Echelon Press. She edits the Wisconsin Regional Writers' Association newsletter and will soon become their Executive Director. First contracted in book-length fiction in 2005, she has gone on to have eight more novels released, four e-book shorts, and a host of flash fiction, poetry, and articles published. She owns the Roto-Writer Critique Service and has enjoyed watching many of her clients win awards and find success. She lives in central Wisconsin with her husband, three children, and a healthy assortment of chocolate. To find out more, visit: jennifer-turner.com