According to the author, "The idea for this story came from a clause in the Apostles' Creed, which says that Jesus Christ 'was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into Hell; and the third day He rose again.' One weekend in church, while reciting that centuries-old doctrinal statement, I realized I would love to read a fictional account of the descent. I turned first to major novels about Christ's life, including Lew Wallace's Ben Hur, Sholem Asch's The Nazarene, Taylor Caldwell's I, Judas, and Marjorie Holmes's The Messiah. Each was a compelling story, with its own perspective, but none addressed the descent. It was then I suspected I might have a unique idea for Christian fiction. I conducted considerable historical and theological research, and then wrote the novel I had longed to read."
Impending Darkness, Book I of The Crucifixion Trilogy, begins in Hell a few days before the crucifixion, with Satan eagerly awaiting the arrival of Christ. It then proceeds with events leading up to the crucifixion.
