Local author Jeremy Williams new book is a story of good vs good

In life, the line between good and evil can sometimes be hard to spot. We do have real life monsters – drug cartels, ISIS, and human traffickers – but evil sometimes comes from the unlikeliest of sources – good people.

In setting out to write The Price of Survival author Jeremy David Williams wanted to create a tale that was rooted in an imaginary world that contained an element of realism to it.

“I wanted a story about good vs good,” Williams said. “Good vs. evil has been done to death. I wanted to see what happens when good people are pushed to the limit – mentally, physically spiritually. In a way, this story is a much grander scale of the kind of decisions we as individuals make on a daily basis.”

Williams said he is tired of the Hollywood endings where everything works out for the protagonist in the end. Life is not an episode of the A-Team when hundreds of shots are fired but no one dies. Those bullets do hit their targets and there are consequences for actions taken in real life.

“In real life, actions have consequences,” Williams said. “I remember watching the TV Show Babylon 5 and being blown away when John Sheridan dies. I didn’t think they would do it, but they did. During the show he was given an additional 20 years of life. He made a choice and after 20 years he paid the price for that choice. There was not a miracle, last minute work around to keep him alive longer. He was told he would die in 20 years and when his time was up, he died. I remember thinking that is not the typical Hollywood ending, and that always stood out to me.”

The story of the Price of Survival is about two civilizations facing extinction level events that could wipe out the lives of billions of people in an instant. They discover independently of one another the solution (the only solution) to avoid certain disaster and it is a race to see which civilization gets the ancient sources of power that can save them first.

“The Braline and the Rongi are both honorable people and the individuals chosen to embark on the mission to save their civilizations are the best of the best,” Williams said. “But little by little they changed. They did what their people needed, but they are imperfect. The urgency of their situations forces them to make choices they really do not want to make. Their missions change them and not in a good way.”

Williams said he hopes people read the book and understand that everything they do and every choice they make matters.

“I do want people to understand the fact that what decision you make today could have a tremendous impact on your tomorrow,” Williams said. “We all need to step back and think about what kind of road we are going down. We all have to live with the consequences of our choices. Sometimes there is not a good option.”

The Price of Survival was many years in the making. Williams wrote the book in high school, edited in college, and then picked back up and took the project in earnest just a couple of years ago.

“I wrote this book to entertain people who like good stories,” Williams said. “But I also hope I have built in enough background and history that people will want to come back for more.”

About the Author:

Jeremy lives in rural Shelby County with his dog Surrell. He is a jack of all trades and master of none. When he isn’t working or writing, he is walking his dog and enjoying the outdoors.