Author Interview: Edward Falkner on Parallel Lives
Meet Edward Falkner
Edward Falkner doesn’t just write stories—he excavates them. Raised in a coastal village where secrets drifted in with the tide, Falkner spent two decades as a conflict journalist before turning to fiction. His debut novel, Parallel Lives, is a sweeping historical thriller that collides privilege with poverty, ambition with vengeance, and legacy with reinvention.
Why does Falkner matter to our readers? Because he writes with the weight of lived experience and the elegance of a master craftsman. His work belongs in our history’s Collection, where emotional resonance meets literary suspense.
Family Sagas with Bite
Parallel Lives is a family drama wrapped in a high-stakes thriller. It’s for readers who crave the epic scope of Ken Follett, the psychological intrigue of Robert Harris, and the emotional depth of Amor Towles. Falkner’s novel pairs perfectly with our “Destiny & Discontent” bundle stories for readers torn between ambition and morality.
THE INTERVIEW
What inspired Parallel Lives? It began with a grave marker. Two names, same birth year, same death year—no relation. I imagined two men born worlds apart, destined to collide. That idea of parallel lines converging haunted me. The novel grew from that tension: fate vs. choice, privilege vs. survival.
You spent years as a conflict journalist. How did that shape your fiction? Journalism taught me to listen—to stories whispered in alleyways, shouted in war rooms. Fiction lets me go deeper. I’m no longer bound by fact, but I’m still chasing truth. The characters in Parallel Lives are haunted by choices, consequences, and the stories they’ve buried.
Your prose is elegant, but the suspense is razor-sharp. How do you balance those elements? I write in layers. First, the emotional truth. Then the historical scaffolding. Then the tension. I want readers to feel the pulse of a thriller—but also the ache of a life unlived. Every scene must serve both the plot and the soul.
The rivalry between the two men is intense. What drives their enmity? Ambition. Or maybe resentment. One man was born with everything, the other with nothing. But they both want the same thing: legacy. The question is—who deserves it more? And what are they willing to sacrifice to claim it?
There’s a strong undercurrent of class and power. Was that intentional? Absolutely. I’ve seen how power operates—quietly, brutally, often invisibly. People fall in love with the idea of power, not realizing it’s a mirror. Parallel Lives is about two men staring into that mirror and seeing very different reflections.
Favorite line from the book? "He wore his privilege like a tailored coat—elegant, inherited, and utterly unaware of the cold outside." That line still makes me pause.
What’s your writing routine like? I write at night, by candlelight, at a rustic desk cluttered with antique maps. There’s usually strong coffee or dark whiskey nearby. I write longhand first—there’s something sacred about ink on paper. It slows me down, makes me listen.
Do you believe in fate—or free will? Both. I think we’re born into stories already in motion. But we get to choose how we respond. That’s where character lives—in the response.
What’s next for you? A novel set in post-war Europe, following a woman who translates intercepted letters. It’s quieter, more intimate—but just as haunted. I want to keep exploring the fault lines between history and humanity.
PULL-QUOTES
Early Reader Praise:
“The spiritual successor to Ken Follett or even Robert Harris.” —Verified Amazon Review
“Haunting, powerful, and elegantly crafted—an instant classic.” —Alpha Reader, Utopia Press ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐