Franklin Neal - Telling Emotional and Powerful Stories

Franklin Neal was born in Liberia and moved to the states at a young age. Though it was a short time in Liberia, he has grasped the concept of hard work and dedication is crucial. Neal knows and experienced the meaning of adversity and always wanted to tell emotional and powerful stories. Rooks of the Raven is his debut novel and he hopes to write many original stories. As our Author of the Day, he tells us all about it.

Please give us a short introduction to what Rooks of the Raven is about.

Rooks of the Raven is a slavery novel with historical accuracy. The story follows a young girl that begins to question what her life is when she is sold into slavery in the most traumatic way possible. 

What inspired you to write a book about slavery?

12 Years a Slave had an impact on my storytelling. Another small part is learning who William Lynch was and executing his ideas to the point of driving out raw emotions from my readers.

Readers say this was a very emotional read. Was this intentional?

Every bit was intentional. I knew the story would not be a happy ending due to the subject at hand and other factors. However, I did strive for a peaceful ending, one that leaves you with a sense of awe.

Your book explores some heavy themes such as human suffering, sacrifice, unconditional love and more. Why did you find these important to explore?

We have to realize that life is short. The story focused on closure at one point and I believe that is an important aspect of life.

How much research did this book require from you? What was the most interesting aspect of your research?

Rooks of the Raven required a handful amount of research. One of my favorite parts while researching, was, watching slavery movies to develop greater details.

Give us three "Good to Know" facts about you

I love watching anything fantasy.related. My favorite food is Chinese. I hope to become a musician or make my own books as great films.

When did you decide to become a writer?

I discovered I wanted to write during college years, which is almost three years ago.

Do any of your characters take off on their own tangent and refuse to do what you had planned for them?

What most fans won't know is, Corjo was supposed to be the main character of the story. 

What are you working on right now?

A Short story that is coming out soon, Six Years Black, is about a blind girl that gets kidnapped. Also, Eden's Origin a fantasy novel.

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

I have a website. I'm on social media's such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook