The Soul Collector (review and interview)

I just finished The Soul Collectors by Charles Quince.
In a college town there is a couple who offers the answers to any problem you may have.
Hope has been working all her life to get what she wants. Now that she is about to graduate from college, will she get the job she has been striving for? Hope is afraid that all she has done might not be enough, when Kim tells her about the local couple that can look into the future. Hope makes an appointment with the couple, Winston and Mildred, and they offer her a book and stylus that she can use to rewrite the future.
Peter is a single father who has earned a scholarship to a great college and he is trying to better himself so he can provide for his son. He works all the time and between school and his job, he is exhausted. Kim tells him about the couple and how they may be able to help. Peter is offered a wallet that will provide what he needs.
Winston and Mildred offer items to help the people in this town, but there are consequences to choices that are made. Can each one live with those consequences?

I loved the concept of this book. We all wish life could be easier and that we could just have some answers once in a while. We have free-will but would seeing the future influence that? When do our choices and desires affect the lives of others? This book gives us a peek into what might happen if we were given advantages over others. It is a short read, only 78 pages, but its a good one. The book does jump from one character to another with out any indication that it did so, but when you realize that, it is easy enough to follow.

I give it a 4 out of 5


Charles Quince graciously agreed to an interview So here are the questions I had and his answers:

I thought this was a great concept and really enjoyed the book. Is this your first book?

Yes, this is my first novel.

Is there a story behind the concept of this book?

The genesis for this book came from my childhood. When I was a kid my grandfather used to tell these urban legends, which to me were more real than legend. Anyway, at the end of one of his “stories” he told me “remember, whatever you wish for you have to be prepared for the consequences”. For some reason that one statement stood out in my mind for years and came front and center when I decided to write my first novel.

There seem to be an underlying current of part mythology and part religion. Is this intentional?

The theme regarding mythology and religion is intentional. What you have to understand is that mythology figure prominently in most religions, and most mythology is tied to at least one religion. The reason that I selected this theme is the fact that both mythology and religion reveal fundamental truths and insights about human nature often through the use of archetypes.

Each person that went to the reading and received a “gift” to shape their own destiny. What gift would tempt you?

I would likely have been enticed by the “Book of Power”. With this tool, the possibilities are endless.

Are you influenced by any other authors or do you march to the beat of your own drum?

Without a doubt, Stephen King and Poe are the two main authors that have influenced me the most.

What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?

Publishing my novel and receiving my law degree.

If there is one thing you want your readers to come away with, what would it be?

The one thing that my novel really focuses on is desire and consequences. We, as mortal being, have hopes, dreams, and desires. However, when these elements collide with reality the results can be devastating. We all make choices about our lives, the thing is can we live with the consequences that comes with our choices? So, the one thing that my readers should be aware of is be careful what you wish for. Sometimes the price is very high to see your dreams come true.

Are you working on anything now?

At the present moment I am finishing up the course work for my MLS and whenever time permits doing research for my next novel.

Will we see these characters again?

Absolutely, there’s a lot of unfinished business that needs to be taken care of and David is not the sort of person to sit back and allow bad things to happen. It’s not in his emotional make-up.

Anything else you would like to share with the readers (of the blog)?

I would like the readers to know that I enjoyed writing this novel, and I will be entertaining them with another one in the near future