Author, screenwriter and media producer Erik Day is enchanting readers with his latest creative project, an adventure book called Conjure Seven.
This endeavor marks Day’s first-ever published book and seeks to answer the question, what would happen if humans discovered magic was real? Day takes this question on in his writings while addressing both the mystical and scientific implications of real-life sorcery.
The protagonist of the story, Samuel “Rick” Rickard, is an engineer who forms arcane crystals that are powerful sources of magic. The crystals can serve beneficial functions such as supplying clean energy and offering healing properties; however, when placed in the wrong hands, they can also be used for destructive purposes. As a result, Rick constantly finds himself in scenarios where he sees a power struggle unfold as some parties desire the crystals with good intentions, and others seek them out for selfish or negative motivations. When a crystal causes a large accident to take place, Rick is subsequently chased by the FBI and a dangerous wizard while trying to keep his young nephew, Ben, safe.
Day was in his late 20s when author J.K. Rowling began releasing her Harry Potter book franchise, which introduced a new wave of fantasy novels to readers around the globe. While exploring her writings, Day began to ponder how to tell a story of magic in the real world utilizing his personal perspective.
“Rowling had a way of being able to share her story, but by now I was looking at it through very adult eyes, and the wonder was still there. The magic was still there,” Day recalled. “[I thought], … what would happen in real life if [magic] was actually an option, especially knowing all that we know in science and everything else? … that sparked an idea, and then it sort of germinated and grew.”
Unlike other contemporary mystical literature, Day has set out to pen books that see magic through a more pragmatic lens as he approaches the subject with scientific data and practical analysis.
“I think what makes Conjure Seven a little bit different from other … magical realism or contemporary fantasy is that we’re treating magic here as a science, and it opens people’s eyes,” Day said.
Before he would dedicate himself to working on this project, Day spent his career in television following majoring in English with a minor in television production at the University of New Mexico. He first was employed at KOB 4 TV news in Albuquerque, then later ended up in Burbank working in production for programs like NBC 4 Los Angeles, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Access Hollywood.
After a time contributing to the American Red Cross, Day returned to television as a production assistant for a reality TV program. One of his duties here consisted of transporting talent between the San Francisco International Airport and their shooting location, which gave Day time to map out the Conjure Seven plot outline in his mind. He first drafted a screenplay of the story, but later adapted it into a book at the advice of his friend, a producer who previously worked at Disney.
While he reworked the script over the course of six months, Day took elements of traits from people he knows who have worked as scientists, as well as parts of his own personality, to create a well-rounded protagonist in Rick.
“There’s a lot of me in Rick,” Day said. “But Rick’s perspective comes from people that I have met, … I one time knew an engineering guy who could see math, and I wanted to combine some of these characteristics that I’ve seen in some real-life people.”
After moving to Burbank in 1997, Day married his wife in 1999. The two developed an interest in public health and safety stemming from a diving rescue class they took together around this time. Following the September 11 attacks of 2001, the couple decided to volunteer their time to aiding the Burbank Fire Department. They later trained other volunteers as they mastered Disaster Service Worker operations.
“It was an honor to be able to be there,” Day said of contributing to the BFD. “It was amazing to be able to learn, and then to turn around, serve and give back.”
In addition, Day is involved in the community through leading a local writing club, called the Quill & Pint Writers’ Group, which is hosted by the Burbank Public Library. This group of aspiring writers convenes once a month for a writing workshop and the chance to collaborate and brainstorm with like-minded creatives.
Day is currently working on a prequel to Conjure Seven, which he plans to continue crafting before writing a sequel to the book. In the future, he hopes that his work will impact readers the same way other authors of the fantasy genre have made a lasting impression on him.
“The possibility of having people argue their fan theories over something that I’ve written absolutely tickles me, [or] seeing how people would adopt it and adapt it and make it their own,” Day said. “I’ve been to enough conventions of one thing or another where I’ve seen people dress up as characters and the possibility of being able to inspire people like that … It tickles me.”
To learn more about Conjure Seven, view it on Amazon here.
