In 2006, the seed of Namtar: The Night Plague was planted not in a quiet study, but in a noisy Applebee's booth. My youngest son, then seventeen, needed a powerful monologue for a theatre audition. As we brainstormed over dinner, I spontaneously offered to write him an original, emotionally charged scene.

My brain immediately went to a high-stakes moment: a son at his mother’s grave. But the grief needed a cause that was dramatic and visceral. The thought quickly escalated—she wasn't just killed; she was slain by something that shouldn't exist. My lifelong love of vampires provided the answer, but the threat demanded deeper roots.

From Folklore to Atlantis

What if these creatures weren't merely folklore? What if the vampires of my story originated in Atlantis, surviving a forgotten cataclysm to return to our modern world? That initial burst of brainstorming with my son, though he eventually pursued his own path, took permanent hold of my imagination.

For years, I chipped away at the world-building, first attempting to capture the story as a script. However, the sheer depth of the characters and the sweeping ancient history demanded room to breathe. I soon realized the story needed to be a novel.

The Turning Point

About five years ago, I committed fully. I reached approximately 40,000 words, but a developmental editor informed me that what I had was essentially a very detailed synopsis—not a true novel. That feedback was the crucial turning point.

Once I wrapped my head around the structure and scope required to turn that information into a living, breathing book, I was unstoppable. Years followed of intense writing, repeated rewrites, absorbing invaluable feedback from beta readers, and finally, a line editor tightening the prose into the best reading experience possible.

Now, after nearly two decades, the full story born in that simple booth—a tale of family, power, and ancient Atlantean vampires—is ready for the world. I hope you enjoy Namtar - The Night Plague as much as I’ve enjoyed it living every day in my head.

—C.D. Jones