I asked Mr. Montgomery, who is pastor of Resurrection Presbyterian Church (OPC) in State College, Pennsylvania, a few questions about his series and himself.
1. Tell us about your Dark Harvest trilogy. Would you give something of your main character’s story arc?
The Dark Harvest trilogy follows several young men – and one young lady – through the currents of interlocking conspiracies in a world much like early medieval Europe. There is no single main character, but the first volume focuses on a monk with a talent for languages. Placed on academic assignment in a foreign monastery, he soon finds himself inextricably tangled in a web of ecclesiastical and political intrigue – a web walked by dark spiders from his past.
2. You have published two of three books so far, right? Is the third book on track to being published?
The Dark Faith
3. How have these books been received? Are you pleased with how you’ve been able to get the word out and find readers?
There is a grittiness to the stories that has attracted some criticism. Nevertheless, I have been pleased with the books’ overall reception. I cannot say how widely they are read, but from what I’ve seen most readers seem to enjoy them.
4. These are epic fantasy, right? Or are they historic fantasy?
In the case of The Dark Harvest, this may be a distinction without difference. There are epic elements interleaved in the pages of all three volumes – enemies with arcane abilities, a book of ancient secrets, a bottomless pit, even legendary weapons. Yet the story is set in a world with numerous similarities to our own cultural, ecclesiastical, and geographic history. The incorporation of both epic and historical parallels is intentional.
5. Why did you tell this story? Did you find them inscribed on brass plates in New York?
No brass plates. But every good story is trying to say something. Mine attempts to explore the difference between counterfeit supernaturalism and genuine spirituality.
6. Would you say that you write stories to explain what you know or that you ask questions in pursuit of a story idea? Another way to ask this: do stories serve only to illustrate our beliefs?
As I’ve said, every good story is trying to say something. Sometimes that something may be a pure statement: here is an illustration of what people should believe. Other times, perhaps, the ‘something’ being said is not so much a statement being explained, but rather a question being raised: here is a real problem – how should people respond?
My books do both. I present a definite overall view on the question I’m exploring. Yet through my characters, I try to explore how real people struggle with the question.
7. Do you tell stories from the pulpit?
I frequently ask my congregation to try to imagine what it would be like to “be there” in the biblical text. And I occasionally make judicious use of an illustration. But tell stories from the pulpit? No. Preaching is to be an explanation and application of the Word of God. It is not a place for fiction, but a forum for proclamation.
8. How do you make time to write? What are some of your writing habits?
I wrote The Dark Faith in my spare hours (precious few and hard to find!) during seminary. Both The Scarlet Bishop and The Threefold Cord were written after I entered pastoral ministry. For each of them, I used several weeks of vacation to write.
As far as writing habits go, I employ outlines. For each novel, I had a detailed outline that explained the who/what/why of each chapter. Once I had worked through each book as a whole in this manner, then I was ready to go back and write the actual chapters.
9. Would you like to recommend anything you’ve read, heard, or seen recently?
I am currently reading the 100 Cupboards trilogy