Author’s Note: Trigger warning
It has become clear that many people are being seriously triggered or put off by the level of violence in the Journal of a Deadman: Lust. Therefore, I’ve decided to give a minor spoiler. The remaining books in the Journal of a Deadman are not as harsh.
I felt it was essential to add an Author’s note to the front of Journal of a Deadman: Lust and the description of the book for those who might not feel comfortable reading book 2. You can skip it. Yes, you would miss part of the story but not enough that it would destroy your experience.
There is a specific purpose for Journal 2. It begins Keith’s true journey through Hell, but most importantly, it is the reader’s first look at the Infernal Planes. I needed to get across early the severity of the punishments in Hell. I want you to see that this is a place of pain, torture, and despair. A place where the rulers and residents of both The Host and Hell see those condemned to an eternity of suffering as little more than an overabundant resource. I wanted this book to be upsetting, hard to read, and at times unbearable because I wanted to move past what happens in Hell to begin Keith’s journey. I trust my readers to get the point and to carry the feeling created on the Plane of Lust with them for the rest of the series.
Now I know some of you will read Journal 2 and say, “I don’t know what all the fuss is about; it’s not that bad.” Whichever side you fall on, know that I, as the writer, felt it was just enough.
Hell is about punishment, but this series is about several souls’ journeys through those Planes and the stories its residents can tell. Book 2 is intense for a reason. So again, use book two as a learning tool and then settle back as Keith travels the Planes of Hell.