About:

My (pen) name is Julius Athens, writer and creator of speculative fiction literature. Welcome to my site! This is the page where I would love to tell you (i.e., brag) about all my illustrious accomplishments as a profoundly successful writer, such as:

My seven-figure deal with some streaming service,
How many times I’ve hit the bestseller lists and which ones,
How many books I’ve sold,
All the praise I’ve received from fans to A-list celebrities,
My tricked-out Lambo with a neon aquarium in the backseat–cuz damn I’m rich!

So . . . no surprise, I don’t have any of that. But I’m not complaining.

No, I’m a writer for one reason–it’s the only thing I’m good at. Moreover, I love to create and to storytell: to give substance to the feelings and ideas in my head so that I might give back to humankind in some way. I’ve had a fetish (if you will) for creating things ever since I got my first LEGOs as a wee child. And my desire for storytelling is practically a universally beloved thing–who doesn’t love a good story? It’s part and parcel of the human experience.

I’m often thinking of something fantastical (or really stupid) to escape from this world. When I let my mind wander, sometimes that leads me down a path that’s worth exploring in greater depth. That’s what led me to the art of writing to begin with. Because after being bombarded by many vague, restless ideas, one just stuck in my imagination and wouldn’t die out with the others. It was a stubborn mule.

That idea eventually became my debut novel, Fall of Sin, which is the series opener in the God’s Crusade Timeline. Learn more about it here.

This website will be my online warehouse for every product, be that books or some other quality item. Maybe a specialty kit of pork tacos . . . maybe? If not, know that this unassuming little site on the Webz wasn’t built solely for me, but for you as well. So at any point you need to contact me, get in touch.

Ultimately, I hope you’re at my side every step of the way. Because no author can go it alone.

As an aside: If you’re at all curious as to how I came about my pen name, it has to do with my love for Antiquity, which shows through in my writing. One of my favorite historical figures is Julius Caesar, and one of the great cities on this earth that I love to learn about is, you guessed it, Athens. Hence, Julius Athens.

WHAT I WRITE

I love speculative fiction. I love the wonder and the endless possibilities of it. What would our world be without the likes of Star Wars and The Elder Scrolls; Marvel and DC?

The world would be less rich methinks. Within that expansive category of speculative fiction, I write in two equally broad genres: Fantasy and Science Fiction, particularly post-apocalyptic sci-fi and epic fantasy. I combine the world-building depth of an epic fantasy novel with the dark mystery and adult grit of a post-apocalypse.

Great speculative fiction allows escape from the chores of our lives to explore another world and its wonders. Worlds are stories in themselves, and with each world I create, I set a goal to bring out their full potential through their history and the history of their inhabitants. This occurs over the course of a series where the more you read, the more you learn. Just like the characters.

My plots are simple. That is intentional. My characters are complex. That too is intentional. After all, we ultimately read fiction to connect with people we might relate to; people like us. But I explore the idea of what will become of these characters when they’re dealt with adverse circumstances. I dig in to the depths of their subconscious minds.

I think every human being is defined by the circumstances which surround them. They reveal just what quality of person they are: the actions they would commit, the thoughts they would think, and the emotions they would feel.

Thus, that is what my fiction narrows in on. That is what I write.

CONNECT WITH ME

I’m on Facebook–yes, like every other human being and their dog. I’ve got a shiny author page set up. If you care to check it out, click through to here. Give it a like!

I’ve also got a Goodreads profile. That’s right here if you want to come on over and say “how do ya do.” And of course, I wouldn’t be a serious author without a Bookbub profile.

And that’s it! The “holy trinity.” And although these three channels are fine avenues of connecting with me, the best way is by joining my newsletter The Battalion. But in order to join that exclusive club you must first purchase one of my books. That way I know you’re serious about wanting to keep up-to-date with everything I’m working on.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: STORYLINE

I graduate high school in May, begin college in August. Surreal times.

The idea for Fall of Sin (then The Revolution. I know, horrible title) finds its way into my head. Begin writing it on a flight to Paris.

I drop out of college. Couldn’t find one degree worth pursuing to the end. Never expected to be a drop-out.

Laziest, most unproductive year of my life. I didn’t work for money and slept into the evening. Wasn’t fully committed to writing either. I doubted myself.

I return to college. Acquire an Associate’s Degree in Art (utterly useless degree btw). Continue to write but am still not wholly invested in it.

I quit writing. Intended to return to college (again) to pursue a culinary degree. Abandoned that idea and picked writing back up. I take my craft seriously for the first time. This is the year that Fall of Sin finally takes shape: becomes the story as it exists today.

I continue to refine Fall of Sin, chiseling it into a congruent, competent and engaging Science Fiction story. During this span I decide to expand Fall of Sin into a series, a la the God’s Crusade Timeline. Was a standalone at one time.

At last, Fall of Sin is published. Ten years after its crude, confusing and conceptually slimy inception. Persistence, friends. It has its benefits.