Dear Reader…

There are so many aspects about Serpent Rising that I want to share with you. I write primarily because I want to share something; using story to convey a message is one way for me to do so. My intentions in writing are to entertain, to educate, and to address social themes. I try to do this by developing compelling characters, plots, and sub-plots that will engage you as a reader in thought-provoking ways.

The protagonist in this novel, Serena Mendez, is a young woman who has struggled as a result of trauma she experienced as a young child. When you first meet her, you realize how dysfunctional she is. Serena has yet to discover the root cause of her troubles as living out of sync with her true destiny as a champion for truth, a Lightbringer. I invite you to travel with Serena on a heroine’s journey of self-discovery and transformation to learn about and to embrace her true destiny.

The background or overarching plot is put in the context of the War of the Two Serpents, a struggle between two opposing ideologies. One faction believes knowledge and truth should be held by a select few and used to control the masses of humanity. The other faction wants knowledge to be made freely available to all. Although fictionalized, this war has been ongoing throughout human history. It is still playing out today as evidenced by fake news, propaganda, and mind-control techniques used to manipulate people. You can think of this in terms of an overarching conspiracy and that makes for exciting reading, but it calls attention to a fundamental problem: humanity is unable to easily distinguish truth from falsehood. This makes us all vulnerable to manipulation by powerful influencers that have an agenda aligned with benefitting themselves.

As you read Serpent Rising, I certainly hope that you will be routing for Serena as she tries to piece together the clues to explain her role in the great War of the Two Serpents. As she undergoes a succession of mystical chakra openings that each bring her closer to realizing her full potential as a Candelaria, a warrior for truth, she must also evade capture by the ruthless secret Brotherhood that opposes all Luminarians. They know the power latent in her blood, even though Serena has yet to discover this.

The struggles Serena contends with are familiar to all of us, myself included. We all want to realize our full potential and to shine our light in the darkness. How can you be a Lightbringer and Luminarian in your own unique way? For myself, I answered this question in the opening paragraph–I share myself by writing. I am grateful to you, dear reader, for giving me the opportunity to share myself with you.

Be a warrior…

Love and light,

Victor Acquista