Interview with Donell Jackson, Author of Hope and the Guardians: True Darkness Unfolds

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write this book?

The story behind Hope and the Guardians: True Darkness Unfolds really came from wanting to take everything I had built in the first two books and push it to another level.

By the third book, Hope’s journey isn’t just about discovering that he has Guardians or understanding the powers connected to him anymore. Now he has to live with the consequences of being chosen. He’s growing stronger, but the threats around him are growing stronger too. Seeroni is evolving, Victor is becoming more consumed by his obsession, and Hope is beginning to understand that the Guardians, the Keys, and his own destiny are connected to something much bigger than he ever imagined.

What inspired me most was the idea that growing stronger doesn’t necessarily make life easier—it can make the responsibility heavier.

I also wanted True Darkness Unfolds to explore the different ways people respond to pain. Hope is learning to carry his pain without allowing it to define him. Victor is allowing grief and obsession to consume him. Seeroni represents something even darker—an evil that doesn’t remain the same but continues to adapt and evolve.

At its heart, this book is about choice, sacrifice, growth, and what happens when someone is forced to become stronger before they feel ready.

I wanted readers to finish this book feeling like the world of Hope and the Guardians had suddenly become much larger—and realizing that everything Hope has experienced so far may have only been preparing him for what’s still to come.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be?

For Hope, I’d choose “Believer” by Imagine Dragons. Hope is being shaped by everything he’s going through—the losses, the pressure, the Guardians, and the responsibility placed on him. He’s learning that pain can either break you or become part of what makes you stronger.

For Victor, I’d choose “In the End” by Linkin Park. Victor’s story is rooted in grief and obsession. He keeps pushing further because he believes there has to be a way to undo what he lost, but every step takes him farther away from the man he once was.

For Seeroni, I’d go darker with “Paint It, Black” by The Rolling Stones. Seeroni is evolving throughout True Darkness Unfolds, becoming more dangerous and consuming everything around him. There’s something relentless about him, and that song captures the darkness he brings into Hope’s world.

For Kredarin, I’d choose “Time” by Hans Zimmer. Kredarin carries the weight of an ancient history that Hope is only beginning to understand. He knows how large this war really is, and there’s always the feeling that he’s preparing Hope for something much greater.

And if I had to choose one song for True Darkness Unfolds itself, it would probably be “Warriors” by Imagine Dragons.

This book feels like the point where preparation starts becoming war. Hope isn’t simply the kid the Guardians are protecting anymore.

He’s becoming someone who may eventually have to stand beside them and fight.

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

Yes, fantasy is definitely my favorite genre to read, and it’s also my favorite genre to write. What I love most about fantasy is that there really are no limits to where your imagination can take you. You can create Guardians with incredible abilities, ancient enemies like Seeroni, mysterious keys, prophecies, and battles that stretch beyond anything possible in the real world. But underneath all of that, you can still tell a very human story. That’s something I’ve tried to do throughout the Hope and the Guardians series, especially with True Darkness Unfolds. The powers and battles make the story exciting, but Hope is still dealing with things readers can relate to—fear, loss, family, responsibility, and figuring out who he wants to become. That’s why fantasy appeals to me both as a reader and a writer. It gives me the freedom to create the impossible while still telling a story about emotions and struggles that are very real.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

My TBR pile is always growing, especially when it comes to fantasy and stories with strong world-building. Right now, I’m interested in reading more epic and dark fantasy—books that aren’t afraid to build complicated worlds, create memorable villains, and put their characters through situations that really test who they are. I’m also drawn to stories with supernatural elements, mythology, and characters who discover that the world they thought they understood is much bigger than they imagined. Those are the kinds of stories that inspire me creatively because they remind me how far you can push an idea while still keeping the characters and their emotions at the center. So my TBR pile is less about chasing one particular type of story and more about finding books that make me think, “I didn’t see that coming.” That’s the feeling I love as a reader—and the same feeling I want to give readers of Hope and the Guardians.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

My favorite scene to write in Hope and the Guardians: True Darkness Unfolds was the parking garage confrontation. I enjoyed it because it gave me a chance to take an ordinary place and completely transform it. A parking garage is somewhere most people wouldn’t think twice about, but once you add darkness, echoing footsteps, flickering lights, supernatural abilities, and the feeling that something could be waiting around every corner, it becomes something entirely different. That scene also allowed me to show how much Hope has changed since the beginning of the series. He’s still young and still learning, but he’s no longer simply watching these supernatural events happen around him. He’s beginning to understand that there are moments when he has to make decisions for himself. I could really visualize that entire sequence like a movie while I was writing it—the shadows, the sounds, the tension, and the Guardians. Those are my favorite scenes to write: the ones where I can see everything happening in my head and hopefully make the reader feel like they’re standing right there beside the characters.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I just love listening to some jazz or r&b.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

One philosophy I try to live by is: “Your past may explain who you are, but it doesn’t have to decide who you become.” I believe life is going to challenge you. You’re going to experience setbacks, losses, disappointments, and moments when things don’t go according to plan. But what matters most is what you choose to do afterward. That philosophy actually connects with Hope and the Guardians: True Darkness Unfolds. Hope can’t control everything happening around him, and he certainly didn’t choose the responsibility placed on him. What he can control is how he responds to it. That’s something I believe outside of writing, too. You keep moving forward, keep learning, and keep becoming a better version of yourself. Sometimes the hardest chapters of your life are the ones that prepare you for the person you’re meant to become.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

If I could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading Hope and the Guardians: True Darkness Unfolds, it would be that you don’t have to feel ready to face what’s in front of you—you just have to find the courage to keep moving forward. Hope is still growing and learning. He doesn’t have all the answers, and the challenges around him are becoming bigger and more dangerous. But that’s what makes his journey meaningful. Courage isn’t about having everything figured out or never being afraid. Sometimes courage is simply taking the next step when you have every reason to stop. That’s something I want readers to carry beyond the fantasy, the Guardians, and the battles. We may not get to choose every challenge that enters our lives, but we do get to choose how we face it. If readers close True Darkness Unfolds remembering that, then I feel like the story accomplished something bigger than entertainment.