We’re Still Here — Welcome to the Flarefall Blog
When I first started writing Afterlight: Book One of the Flarefall Series, I knew two things:
It had to feel real.
It had to be about more than survival.
Flarefall began as a question: What if the power never came back on, but justice still had to? That question led me to research solar storms, community resilience, rural infrastructure, and the quiet ways people hold each other together when the world around them falls apart.
The result is a character-driven story set in the fictionalized North Texas town of Graford, in the aftermath of a cascading solar flare event. It’s grounded in real science, told through people you could actually know, and driven by the idea that mercy, discipline, and justice are what truly rebuild a society.
This blog will be the behind-the-scenes space for Flarefall: a place where I’ll share:
Updates on the series’ progress toward publication
Insights into the world, science, and characters
Location spotlights and research notes
A few personal side roads into the classic cars, rural landscapes, and music that influence the series’ tone
If you’re here from the very beginning, welcome. There’s a lot ahead: five main novels, companion stories from around the globe, and the possibility of seeing this world come to life on screen.
For now, I’m looking forward to sharing the journey with you, one post at a time.
Patrick Bernhardt
Author, Afterlight: Book One of the Flarefall Series