We are delighted to welcome back author Aaron Ryan for another interview, this time to discuss the release of his third book in the “Dissonance” series. With his unique storytelling style and ability to immerse readers in vivid worlds, Ryan has built a dedicated following. In this upcoming interview, we have the opportunity to gain insights into his creative process, character development, and the journey of bringing the epic trilogy to its conclusion. Join us as we delve into the world of Aaron Ryan and his latest literary creation.
But First, Who is Aaron Ryan?
Aaron Ryan lives in Washington with his wife and two sons, along with Macy the dog, Winston the cat, and Merry & Pippin, the finches.
He is the author of the “Dissonance” series, several business books on multimedia production penned under a pseudonym, as well as a previous fictional novel, “The Omega Room.”
When he was in second grade, he was tasked with writing a creative assignment: a fictional book. And thus, “The Electric Boy” was born: a simple novella full of intrigue, fantasy, and 7-year-old wits that electrified Aaron’s desire to write. From that point forward, Aaron evolved into a creative soul that desired to create.
He enjoys the arts, media, music, performing, poetry, and being a daddy. In his lifetime he has been an author, voiceover artist, wedding videographer, stage performer, musician, producer, rock/pop artist, executive assistant, service manager, paperboy, CSR, poet, tech support, worship leader, and more. The diversity of his life experiences gives him a unique approach to business, life, ministry, faith, and entertainment.
Aaron’s favorite author by far is J.R.R. Tolkien, but he also enjoys Suzanne Collins, James S.A. Corey, Marie Lu, Madeleine L’Engle, C.S. Lewis, and Stephen King.
Aaron has always had a passion for storytelling.
Aaron Ryan’s Books:
- “Dissonance Volume III: Renegade” is the final installment of your series. How did you approach concluding such an epic journey?
I took my time with it. Granted, these stories burst out of me beginning in November of last year, but Volume III is a behemoth, and I wanted to treat it epically. It required a LOT of investigation and military research. I spoke with a retired 35-year captain of an aircraft carrier, a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force, two senior airmen in the Air Force, as well as a retired Army chopper pilot, and they all yielded invaluable feedback to achieve verisimilitude in this book so that it could be a powerhouse. I’m SO very proud of it!
- How Sergeant Cameron “Jet” Shipley, has he evolved throughout the series?
He’s gone from cynicism to trust. Snarkiness to maturity. Revenge-seeking to justice-seeking. And he’s been born again. He’s really gone on a soul-seeking journey and had to settle a lot of issues within himself, issues with distrust of Command notwithstanding. He’s lost everything and everyone. Purging away the dross (no offense intended to beloved characters), he’s left with nothing and subsequently has had to conduct some hearty introspection. That has forced him into a position of vulnerability and openness to change.
- Can you share any particular challenges you faced while writing the climax of this trilogy?
In regard to the military details–and there were many–I greatly desired to write something that would appeal to the everyday reader and the military-familiar. There are so many details when involving military jargon, equipment, locations, tactics, strategies, etc., that I really needed to get right, and that was singly the most difficult topic. Thank God for all of my research partners I mentioned earlier, as well as, of course, Google.
- What message do you hope readers take away from the conclusion of the Dissonance series?
That justice usually happens on its own timetable, and you don’t need to force it, nor move the hands of time. The wheels of justice have always turned slowly, and because of that, we lose patience and hope. We’ve all been offended against in some way or another, and we’ve all had to choose to forgive and to allow justice to run its course. In denying justice its passage or forcing its hand, we let that offense live rent-free in our heads and let it deplete our patience. They call patience a virtue for a reason.
- “Renegade” addresses deep philosophical questions. How do you integrate these themes without overwhelming the narrative?
By putting a face on them. Pastor Rosie has become such a beloved character. Not just to Jet, but to me as well. I never knew the role she would grow into, but everywhere she steps, she leaves a memorable footprint. No one who interacts with her leaves unchanged. She imparts that wisdom and she is the voice of those deep philosophical questions that we MUST ask ourselves. She’s the counselor, and the guiding light, that Jet has needed on his journey from revenge to justice, and cynicism to trust.
- Your depiction of alien invaders, the gorgons, is both terrifying and nuanced. What inspired their creation and development throughout the series?
I wanted something that terrified me. I love aliens. I don’t necessarily believe that they exist, but if they do, I’m sure they’d be nefarious and diabolical. Call it an ingrained view from all of the movies I’ve watched and books I’ve read from my youth. They’re horrifyingly powerful and the odds are truly stacked against us as we face off with them. I drew inspiration mainly from the Claymation Medusa from 1981’s Clash of the Titans. As a child, she terrified me. I wanted a villain that had such power. However, I also knew they needed to grow and evolve throughout the series, thus you have different iterations of them at varying points, and their intelligence quotient needs to rise as well, to meet the threat of the human counterstrike rising against them. It became a tit-for-tat affair, and one that makes these later evolutions of the gorgons more terrifying than the first.
- “Renegade” features a lot of strategic and combat details. What kind of research went into creating these elements?
As mentioned earlier, I had invaluable feedback from some close friends and vetted referrals who were SO helpful in attaining and incorporating details that would be true to life. I would be remiss if someone with a military background picked up my book and shouted out, “WHAT?!? That’s not even how that works!” Or some variation of that. I wanted to appeal to the informed and the uninformed. Google has a plethora of resources available in terms of links, videos, forums, etc. Military bases provided enough details, i.e., Wright-Patterson in Dayton, Ohio, and Norfolk in Virginia. But life on an aircraft carrier, piloting and operating the weaponry aboard an F-15 or other jets: that came from so many sources and I had to run the finals past seasoned military servicemen who could vet their authenticity. Again, they were invaluable!
- Did you find it necessary to revisit the first two books in the series to ensure all plot threads and potential plot holes were addressed?
Here and there, yes. Mostly, I retained everything in my head, and I was in the middle of recording the audiobook for Volume I when I was writing Volume II; in the middle of recording the audiobook for Volume II when I was writing Volume III. Ergo, a lot of those details were still fresh in my head.
- What has been the most rewarding feedback you’ve received from readers about the Dissonance series?
Verisimilitude. Complexity of characters. Powerful world-building. And perhaps the best review of all said that they forgot who wrote it. This came from a personal friend of mine from church. They became so lost in the story that they forgot who the author was. That is a powerful testimonial and one that I’m very grateful for.
- As an author, how do you feel seeing the full vision of your trilogy come to life and reaching its conclusion?
I am at peace. I truly am. However, I thought I had reached a conclusion, as you say, with Volume III. But I realized, perhaps inevitably, that there was so much story to be told, and that’s when I went back and wrote the prequel, Dissonance Volume Zero: Revelation. I LOVED writing that story, more than any of the others, including Renegade. It has SO much heart in it, and provides the leadup and backstory to so many of the things that were mentioned historically in Volumes I, II and III. It was like the story had already written itself given that I had such powerful sections of backstory provided in I, II and III already: I was just working off of a bullet list and had to flesh out the narratives of the characters around that. It became an opus to parenting through trauma, and seeing how much of Andrew Shipley went into forming Cameron Shipley, his son. But as for Dissonance Volume III: Renegade, I’m SO proud of how this one turned out. It’s epic. It’s a THICK book when you hold it! But there are so many loose ends that need to be wrapped up, this particular novel, the finale, had to just let itself be told without the confines of a predetermined page count. I love and appreciate that it’s a longer read and has so much complexity in it. Installments of a series should naturally build on each other, and this one does that to a nicety.
Thank you Aaron for the captivating interview! Your insights into your creative process and the journey behind your work were truly enlightening. Your passion for storytelling shines through, and it’s been an absolute pleasure to gain a deeper understanding of your literary world.
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