Author/Novel Spotlight: An Insignt into the Creation of What a Wonderful World by Dennis Bailey.

 Today, I would like to welcome back a previous guest, Dennis Bailey. He requested to return to give an insight into his new novel, What A Wonderful World. Now, I can vouch for Dennis and his novels, they are not just entertaining, but informative, Biblical-based, well-researched and speculative. That is more than enough to keep me reading! I am yet to read this, but it is on a shortlist. 

So without further ado, read on and let your interest be piqued! 

Here is a description of the novel before we start:

What A Wonderful World. 

Brandon Foxworth, an ecology professor at the University of Virginia, and his wife are watching their two children chase lightning bugs in the backyard when suddenly all the lights go out. Three days later, Taylor Grant, a reporter with the Richmond Herald, stumbles coming down the stairs of his front porch and lands on his backside in a flower bed full of dead flowers. Following the subsequent disappearance of nearly every species of bird on earth, the two men realize something extraordinary is taking place and they join forces to find out what it is. Together with Biblical scholar Marcy Cambridge, the three embark on a sometimes perilous journey to discover whether these things have their basis in science or originate from the realm of the supernatural.

An insight into the creation of What a Wonderful World by Dennis Bailey 

Hello, Friends of Perspective by Peter. 

I’m Dennis Bailey, and I’m back for a return engagement on what in my opinion is the best blog site dedicated to the promotion and review of Christian fiction on the internet. Hard to believe it’s been six years, almost to the day, since I first appeared on this site with my debut novel, Army of God, but the calendar doesn’t lie. Once more, however, I’d like to thank Peter for his gracious invitation to showcase my latest story, What a Wonderful World (WAWW). It’s a quasi-apocalyptic tale that focuses on what happens to the world should God choose to close his hand, and the efforts of a small group of people to get to the bottom of it.

This story travelled an unusual road to publication. After Army of God, I had ideas for two stories I desperately wanted to write. This one and a Christmas story about a boy who travels back in time to witness the birth of Christ but upon his return can’t get anyone to believe him. As it turned out, they ended up being competing stories, competing for which one I’d write first. In looking back, I was surprised to find out I’d actually started WAWW back in July of 2016. However, in December of 2018, while working on that story, I was overcome by what I can only describe as a severe case of Christmas fever. Despite knowing better—one of the cardinal rules of writing is to never start a new project before finishing the one you’re working on—it was too late. I’d been bitten by the Christmas writing bug and abandoned my current project to focus all my efforts on the other. 

 Fast forward to 2020. Following the release of The Boy Who Cried Christmas, I immediately returned to the other manuscript, but unlike the process of riding a bike, I found myself unable to simply pick up and start peddling. It would be another three years before What a Wonderful World would be ready for prime time. 

 As for where the idea for the story came from, that remains a mystery, even to me. All I can say is I felt led by the Holy Spirit to want to remind the world of the vast blessings of God, too many of which seem to have been forgotten or are at the very least, taken for granted in today’s modern, humanistic, and technologically-dependent culture. And though told in a dramatic and somewhat apocalyptic style, I made every effort to craft a story that eschewed direct comparisons to previous works based on the popular subject of Eschatology (End Times theology). Rather, I hoped to challenge the reader with a story equally as compelling, but revealed in a completely new and unique way. 

 And in case you were wondering, yes, the novel’s main title was taken from the Louis Armstrong classic song which, uncoincidentally, happens to be my wife’s all-time favorite tune. Hopefully, after reading the story, you’ll understand for yourself why no other title would do. 

 For a more dynamic glimpse of the story, check out the What a Wonderful World video trailer:

  

 If this has piqued your interest in Dennis' novel, check it out here: 

What A Wonderful World

About Dennis: 

Dennis Bailey is a retired police detective who turned in his gun and badge for a monitor and keyboard. He is an ardent student of the Bible who felt the calling of God on his heart to take that learning and use it to further His glory. He writes suspense-filled, action-packed adventures that feature a touch of the divine. Dennis’s first two novels, Army of God and The Boy Who Cried Christmas, were successive Readers’ Favorite Gold and Silver Medal Award winners in 2020 and 2021, respectively. He and his wife, Lee, live in Virginia, where they have a great view of the Blue Ridge Mountains in historic Charlottesville.

A note before you go:

Readers and reviews are an author’s best asset, so I encourage any reader, to consider reading What A Wonderful World and submit a review on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest (or any other social media you subscribe to).

Reviews help promote an author’s novel to potential readers and encourage the author to keep writing. Reviews also help get the author’s message (and God’s message) to the reader, whether Christian or not, who may need encouragement and support in their lives while being entertained by the story.

Please note: As an Amazon Associate, I am required to disclose that book cover images or titles of novels in this post are paid links if they are linked to Amazon and result in a sale.

Author/Novel Spotlight: The Fall of Mystery Babylon: The Khazarian Conspiracy (The Omega Watchers, Book IV) by Jane Woodlee Hedrick.

Just Released: The Fall of Mystery Bablylon: The Khazarian Conspiracy (Book IV of the Omega Watchers series) by Jane Woodlee Hedrick.

This long awaited instalment in the Omega Watcher series is now here! It can be read as part of this series or as a standalone novel.

I have read this novel (and the previous 3 novels in the series). It is well-worth reading in sequence as you get the whole ongoing story and all the other topics of eschatology and apologetics. So what is this new instalment about? Read on:

UFOs, Nephilim, DNA manipulation – all controlled by one entity? The same evil secret society who controls world governments, economies, education, media, entertainment, and pharmaceuticals through the power of sorcery?

The quest to unravel the mysteries of end time prophecies continues. Gabriella has awakened from the supernatural realm of untime where Elijah the Prophet had shown her the end of days and anointed her as a Chosen One.

During her interdimensional travels, the cry of her soul was to return to the man she loved, her dear friends, and to her father...the father she thought had been dead for many years. Her human desire was to live a normal life with the people she loved; however, normal would never again exist for Gabriella. Upon her awakening, she was surrounded by her loved ones, only to find out they were all in danger and under protective police custody.

While in hiding, their research under the lead of Dr. Brotman took an unexpected turn as the identity of Mystery Babylon began to unfold in real time. Detail by detail they discovered the Luciferian deception perpetrated on humanity over millennia, dating back to the Tower of Babel. To their amazement, everything they had previously researched in The Omega Watchers Project fell into place when a major piece of the puzzle was found solving the mystery of Revelation 17 and 18.

The end of days prophetic picture formed as they connected historical facts with current events discovering the entity planning control of all humanity under The New World Order, The Khazarian Cabal – Mystery Babylon.

MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS
OF THE EARTH. (Revelation 17:5)

“...by your sorcery the nations were deceived.” Revelation 18:23

I have been part of the author's street team since Book 3, The Daughter of Zebulon, where myself and a few others would receive chapters as they were written, critique them for flow, plot development, formatting (such as the dream sequences be in italics) etc. It was great to see this novel develop and we were kept on the edge of our seats with each instalment, eager in anticipation as to what was going to happen next.

Jane asked me to write the foreword for both Daughter of Zebulon and this new novel. What I wrote shows the impact on one reader. But I feel it would not be just me who has this perspective. What do I mean? Read my account below:

In my foreword to Daughter of Zebulon, Book 3 of The Omega Watchers, I stated that the future of The Omega Watchers series would be in the form of a series of novellas. This did not eventuate as Jane felt that world events were happening too fast, so the next instalment, the first of the novellas would instead need to be a full-length novel. And so here it is. However, now that Jane has finished this fourth novel, there is still more to reveal, so a fifth novel will be created, the grand finale! And I can say, this is going to be just that! Grand on all levels! We live in a world today of increasing confusion, and deception of the truth. We are being told what is good for us, and what we need to do to ensure our safety while ignoring this at the expense of our freedom.

What is the endgame of all this? Is it just physical slavery and entrapment? Is there a spiritual element to this? More and more people are questioning the reasons for what they are seeing and experiencing in their day-to-day lives and in the Media, and in our educational institutions, how they are to speak and behave, what is permissible and what is not. Destructive ideologies abound, disguised as enlightening humanity. However, if you do not follow the rules of these idealogies, there are penalties and restrictions imposed upon you.

 Where is this leading? Well, it takes people like Jane whom we call Sentries, or Watchmen, as they identify, discern the signs of the times, interpret their meaning and show their Biblical connection. It is here that we get the spiritual background to the nefarious schemes of those manipulating all areas of our lives, bringing its final conclusion as instructed by the events in the Book of Revelation leading up to the final return of Jesus Christ. We are so close to all this happening, that we are seconds away from Midnight, when His Glorious Appearing will occur.

 Who are these people? In this novel, they are called the Cabal, Mystery Babylon. Jane effectively shows the layers of their operations and their plans for humanity. Mystery Babylon has a Biblical explanation and Jane shows how this plays out in the novel. This is one function of those we have called Sentries, or Watchmen; through their discerning and interpreting of world events and their Biblical meaning and correlation, they educate, warn, enlighten and equip us in Eschatology and Apologetics.

 What is the end result? We have a building up of our faith in Jesus Christ, we understand what His Word says to us about all areas of our lives, specifically towards the End of Days before Jesus’ Return. We become prepared for future events and know what we need and must do to not become enslaved and ensnared leading to an eternity in Hell, but to live victorious in Jesus and live with Him for eternity. It is truly a battle for our soul and spirit.  All the novels in the TOW series, are not just a labour of love from Jane’s point of view. She is passionate about her writing, and about being a novelist, but most of all she is following the Lord’s directive and is doing this in all obedience to Him and out of love for Him.

Everything in The Omega Watchers series has been brought before the Lord and submitted to Him. The results are the product of His guidance. These are His novels. 

Why does Jane write edgy, speculative Christian fiction? First of all, she writes under God’s guidance and for His Glory. Secondly, It stems from being a long-time student of Bible studies, especially in the area of Bible prophecy. She has a passion for seeing Christians and those who do not know Him yet to be not just entertained but educated in eschatology, end-times deception, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This platform of fiction reinforces one way we learn about the world. It has been proved that we learn best when we are entertained; when learning is based on fun. It is the power of story. Jesus used parables (another form of storytelling) to educate, edify and entertain his audience. This is what Jane achieves in her writing. The Omega Watchers series is more than just an incredibly entertaining, suspenseful, and compelling read. Your faith and relationship with God will be edified and encouraged. You will be educated in eschatology and how this relates to world events and fits in what Bible prophecy states. You will see the deception of Satan in enslaving humanity unless they come into the saving Grace of God. This will increase your spiritual discernment.

I pray that this new novel will lead Christians to allow God to do all these things as they read. I pray it waters and grows more of the seed of faith that was germinated upon their entry into His Kingdom. I pray for the unbeliever that this novel and indeed this series, will plant a seed of faith in some, water a planted seed in others and reap a harvest from those God has prepared to enter His Kingdom. It is an honor to write about Jane and this series. I have been blessed, encouraged, challenged and more assertive in my faith from reading this series and being involved with her in these endeavours.  Many others have as well.  So, Reader, before you engage in this journey into eschatology and edgy, speculative Christian fiction, pray for God to prepare your heart and mind to receive what God has in store for you through Jane’s writing. She has created this series with you in mind.

 Enjoy and be challenged, what you thought about life is not what it seems!

But maybe we need to see what Jane has to say about this new novel in her own words from the Prologue:

"Revelation 17:5-8: For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Render to her just as she rendered to you and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ Therefore, her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her. "

Revelation Chapters 17 and 18 reveal Mystery Babylon, a satanic entity that has secretly ruled the world for millennia through sorcery and the day of God’s judgment has arrived. Who this entity is has been debated by prophecy scholars since John authored the Book of Revelation. These two chapters are an interlude in John’s prophetic vision which no one can identify precisely where it fits into the prophetic timeline of the end days. This novel seeks to identify who Mystery Babylon, the Mother of Harlots, is combining prophecy, history, and current events. It is by no means a definitive answer but is one to consider with prayerful discernment. As with all novels in The Omega Watchers Series, I challenge my readers to research for yourself. Even though my characters and the story are fiction, the historical information is not. An internet search for each topic introduced will reveal their documented accuracy and give links for further research.

I have endeavored to connect history and current events to reveal the evil that has been perpetrated on our society for centuries, connecting those events with Bible prophecy. Although Bible scholars and students speculate on the meanings of prophetic scriptures, most prophecies cannot be completely understood until we see them come to fruition; and even then, many refuse to see. The greatest example: there are over 300 prophecies of The Messiah in the Old Testament which Jesus fulfilled verbatim, and most Jews still do not believe.

The world we live in today is unraveling the confusion of these ancient writings, foretelling the end of days for those “who have ears to hear.” Satan has tried to keep his deceptions in darkness so we will not know the truth, but God’s Word is shining the light on his lies - for all who will wake up to the world in which we live today. The prayer of my heart continues to be that the truths in The Omega Watchers Series are a wake-up call to Believers and a call to salvation for those who are not. Note to Readers: In this novel I have italicized Gabriella's dreams/visions for discernment of her transitions from reality to the spirit realm. As always, all Bible quotes are italicized.

If you would like to investigate this series further, click on the book covers below:

 A mysterious Dead Sea Scroll revealed prophecies of the return of the fallen angels and the timing of their release from the abyss where they have been imprisoned awaiting their final judgment. But, there is a missing piece to the prophetic puzzle!

Gabriella’s cave exploration leads her team on an ominous journey to discover a lost prophecy from the days of Noah and find her own spiritual truth. In her search she opens her mind to a “Watcher” that captures her with his mystical powers of universal knowledge as they travel between time and untime.

This deceiving spirit proclaims the coming of the Ascended Master who will usher in a new age of peace for all mankind. Gabriella feels totally alone as her friends believe Yahweh as the one true God and they struggle to convince her she is falling deeper and deeper into a pit of destruction and is about to cross the point of no return.

The Omega Watchers was bestowed a Redemptive Fiction Award by Radiqx Press

The Third Strand, sequel to ‘The Omega Watchers’, is a high-suspense Christian novel based on Biblical prophetic events of the end days.

The Psalms 83 war has just occurred and Israel’s stunning victory has triggered the beginning of the end days, ushering in the worst years that will ever be upon the face of the earth.

After days of being in what appeared to be a coma, Gabriella awakens to her new reality: strange surroundings, everyone she loves has vanished, and she is entombed in a hidden bunker with a man she barely knows - Chris, the officer assigned to protect her research team.

Quickly, a spiritual bond forms between Gabriella and Chris. Together they secretly witness the False Prophet’s preparations to introduce the Satanic One World Leader and the demonic plan to initiate the mark of the beast. Gabriella knows she is ‘chosen’ to expose the powers of darkness, but how does she begin?

During the day, Gabriella lives end time prophecies coming to fruition. At night in vivid dreams, she continues to struggle with reality returning to the days before the rapture. Time and untime will continue to haunt her until...  

The Third Strand was bestowed a Spirit-filled Fiction Award by Radiqx Press.

The Omega Watchers series continues with its third installment, by acclaimed author Jane E. Woodlee Hedrick.

Don't miss out on the exciting return of Gabriella in 'The Daughter of Zebulon'!

Rev. 7:4 - Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.

The end of days has begun. Gabriella is sealed and anointed as a Chosen One from the Tribe of Zebulon. She now exists in the supernatural realm no longer bound by the dimensions of time and space.

In the midst of Gabriella’s interdimensional travels, the boundaries of reality are blurred. As she moves between time and untime, she does not know where she will find herself. Her human desire is to awaken before the rapture…to return to the man she loves. Her spiritual desire is to fulfill her chosen mission, wherever that takes her.

When Gabriella moves into the supernatural dimension of untime, the evil Arcturus continues to shadow every step of her mission - his ultimate goal is the destruction of her soul. In the dimension of the natural realm, the satanic cabal has a bounty on her life – she knows too much about the coming New World Order. The battle rages no matter where she is transported.

Through Gabriella’s supernatural travels, The Spirit of God guides her with divine protection performing miracles for a sign to unbelievers. The Chosen One will expose Satan’s great deception bringing salvation to her people Zebulon, a Lost Tribe of Israel.

Daughter of Zebulon was bestowed a Spirit-filled Fiction Award by Radiqx Press.

A note before you go:

Readers and reviews are an author’s best asset, so I encourage any reader, to consider reading The Omega Watchers Series and submit a review on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest (or any other social media you subscribe to).

Reviews help promote an author’s novel to potential readers and encourage the author to keep writing. Reviews also help get the author’s message (and God’s message) to the reader, whether Christian or not, who may need encouragement and support in their lives while being entertained by the story.

Please note: As an Amazon Associate, I am required to disclose that book cover images or titles of novels in this post are paid links if they are linked to Amazon and result in a sale.

Kickstarter Campaign for Haighs Flat by Colin Williams.

 I recently reviewed Haighs Flat by Colin Williams. 

My review can be found here. Colin told me that he needed to promote the novel better than he had since its first printing in July 2022. Like most authors, this can be difficult as funding this is extra to their income and can be in short supply or not at all.

I believe that Haighs Flat needs to be more accessible and promoted as such. Why do I believe this? Because it contains God Honouring content concerning Christian Apologetics and having Salvational and Biblical redemptive themes. All on a foundation of Biblical truth and entertainment. Suspenseful, thrilling, compelling and mysterious.

This novel was awarded the Reality Calling Christian Redemptive Fiction Award for the above mentioned Biblical themes and Apologetics.

I believe this novel will be used by God to witness to those readers who need to hear the Biblical Salvation message and/or have questions concerning evolution versus creationism and specifically could have dinosaurs have lived together with the human race.

So what is Haighs Flat about:

Something is lurking in the Australian bush – something terrifying. From the myths and legends of the indigenous people of Australia, from the stories they told around the fire at night comes a creature so horrifying they called it “Banib”- in our language it means “Devil.”

When Bryan Morgan started investigating his brother’s disappearance little did he know the can of worms he would be opening. Town secrets that date back to the 1800s, still haunt people today.

Sara Whitney has only lived in Haighs Flat for three months having moved there to investigate the disappearance of her uncle. Why is it that no one even remembers her uncle living or working there?

Could these disappearances be connected? Murder, conspiracies, and secrets all are being covered up by the powers-that-wanna-be and those with the power will stop at nothing to keep their secret safe.

As each of the theories gets refuted, could it be that the ramblings of an old farmer be the only ones that make any sense? Could it even be scientifically plausible?

With the evidence given them, will Bryan and Sara run with the truth or run from it?

I suggested to Colin to consider the Kickstarter program to fund the second printing of Haighs Flat and to help get Haighs Flat out there for God to use.

Now let's see what Colin has to say about his novel and this Kickstarter campaign:

Why Haighs Flat? 

The idea of Haighs Flat came to me back in 2018 when I was seriously contemplating writing my first novel. Where did the name Haighs Flat come from? That I cannot answer you, it just came to me as a name for a typical country town, and thankfully there is no town of the same name that I am aware of.

The next thing I had to do was paint a picture of the town in my head. In order to have the story make sense, I had to be aware of directions, travelling and have a general layout in my head something of what the town would look like - and yes, it is loosely based on an existing town in the North-West of New South Wales.

What I wanted for the book was something uniquely Australian. Something that not only Australians will relate to, but something that will attract the attention of international readers as well, hence the culprit in the story is pulled out of an Aboriginal legend that may or may not have had an element of truth about it.  Being a Christian, and a creationist at that, I believe that the earth is much younger than the majority of the world believes. I also believe in the creation account as described in Genesis, thus I believe that dinosaurs existed alongside of people.

In chapter ten of my novel, the question is asked: "We read in the Bible of animals which we can interpret as being dinosaurs, existing alongside of people, but why do we not see this in other texts from the past?”

Hopefully I have answered this question in this book by explaining that there are many evidences of dinosaurs having lived along side of people. While this book is fictional, I have tried to keep things historically accurate - especially where it relates to Biblical issues.

As far as the book goes, chapter ten, which is in a Bible Study setting, would be my favourite chapter. I picked up my pen at around 9 o'clock in the morning and didn't put it down again until the early hours of the next morning, stopping only for meal breaks, and doing a bit of research. The whole chapter just flowed out of my pen and I couldn't stop until it was over.

The budget for this book is quite low as I have already covered a lot of the costs, however, being unemployed, it has hit my back pocket where it hurts and as a result I have been unable to publish this novel and I am eager to get it out into the public. Asking only $1,000, whether you can help me with one dollar or a hundred dollars, you can be assured every cent will be greatly appreciated. 

This book was written from the heart to help people understand who God is and to show that the Bible can be trusted in its entirety. It is not preachy, being a fictional novel, the events, people and even Haighs Flat are all fictional, however, the histoprical side in the book, especially in relation to creation all point out to how the Bible can be trusted in these matters.  

When writing the book I was having a conversation with another person and he asked what it was that I was doing. This brought about him asking questions regarding the Bible and in particular creation and he questioned me about dinosaurs. Having not long beforehand written chapter ten, I suggested he read it and to cut a long story short, it was instrumental in him giving his life over to God. This is why I write and this is why I am eager to get this book published.

About the author: Colin Williams has been a Christian since September 1994. Having been brought up in a Christian environment, he threw it all out of the window when he was fifteen years old and it wasn't until he was nearly thirty that he stopped running from the Lord. The one thing which he is most grateful for is that God has never let him down. He is living proof that God will never leave us nor forsake us and Colin has experienced God's hand upon his life even in life’s darkest moments. Just prior to giving his life to Jesus his first prayer was, "God, if I do this I want You to make Yourself real to me." This prayer God has honoured over and over again.

To find out more and to read reviews of this book please go to my web site here or you can go to the Haighs Flat page on GoodReads.

 I have copied the one other review, apart from mine, below:

The following is a review by bookclubonline.com

"Haighs Flat" by Colin Williams.

4 out of 4 stars

Imagine having a beast-like creature with the similitude of a dinosaur as a pet. Isn't that suicidal, if not genocidal? Lennard Smythe has a beast locked up in one of the chambers of the mine he manages at the Inland Valley. One of his workers mistakenly releases it. Four months later, bushwalkers and sight-seers like Joshua Morgan and Raelene Clarke are nowhere to be found. It turns out that this is the least of the many disappearances recorded in the small suburb of Haighs Flat. The villagers know something but are scared to spew it out. Could it be that Lennard is the right-hand man to some wicked fellow disguised as an investor? Why do they fight tooth and nail to erase traces of anyone knowing their secrets? How true is the rumor of the existence of a bunyip? Colin Williams exposes the corrupt lifestyles of cops while educating his readers on the "prehistoric mythological animal" of Australia in his book, Haighs Flat.

As I read through, my eye opened to the discovery that wherever there's hypocrisy, corruption is surely lurking around the corner. Sergeant Jim Sloane, Sergeant Paul Hodges, and Lennard Smythe are top of the suburb's list of corrupt cops. The author creates an aura of authenticity that allows the reader to relate to the actions of these characters as they carry out the evil desires of some heartless 'influential figures' at the top. I realized that corruption runs from the top tier of government down to the grassroots, as seen in the list of active and passive contributors to the bunyip saga that Sloane discloses. A councilor, a mayor, and even a member of the state parliament, amongst others, had their hands soiled. There's hardly any nation today that doesn't have a tale of corruption. Corruption is like a wildfire that burns its victims without mercy.

I particularly love how the author clarifies the difference between being merely religious and spiritual. He hits the nail on the tangent when he explains some truths about Christianity. It is a religion that is not about putting up pious countenances and carrying out ritual activities; rather, it has a lot to do with having a close walk with God. George is my favorite character. I admire his versatility and learned mind. He is not a "religious nut," as Jack and Sloane opine.

I disliked nothing about the book, but I would have loved to know about the main brains behind the rearing of those monstrous beasts since 1984 and their reasons for such. I also would have loved to know what eventually happened in Sara's relationship with Bryan.

Although there were minimal errors, I couldn't agree more that the book was professionally edited. The book is rich with figurative expressions and superb plot structure. Hence, I'd rate it 4 out of 4 stars. Everyone should read this book, but I'll recommend it to those with a warped idea of who God is. The book would also appeal to those who love crime fiction involving corps.

I pray that this has piqued your interest in this novel and the kickstarter program for it. I encourage you, if you can, to back it. I have backed it at the $25 e-book and printed version tier.

There are 3 tiers:

The Pledge above would suit those who would like to predge without a reward (the novel) but would like to support the campaign.

The Pledge above suits international pledgers as the e-book can be sent internationally.

The last tier is for the paperback version:

 

So, if you would consider backing the campaign to have Haighs Flat republished and better promoted, go to the Campaign page to do so:

Kickstarter Campaign for Haighs Flat by Colin Williams

Novel Review and Christian Redemptive Fiction Award: Haighs Flat by Colin Williams.

Haighs Flat.

Something is lurking in the Australian bush – something terrifying. From the myths and legends of the indigenous people of Australia, from the stories they told around the fire at night comes a creature so horrifying they called it “Banib”- in our language it means “Devil.”

When Bryan Morgan started investigating his brother’s disappearance little did he know the can of worms he would be opening. Town secrets that date back to the 1800s, still haunt people today.

Sara Whitney has only lived in Haighs Flat for three months having moved there to investigate the disappearance of her uncle. Why is it that no one even remembers her uncle living or working there?

Could these disappearances be connected? Murder, conspiracies, and secrets all are being covered up by the powers-that-wanna-be and those with the power will stop at nothing to keep their secret safe.

As each of the theories gets refuted, could it be that the ramblings of an old farmer be the only ones that make any sense? Could it even be scientifically plausible?

With the evidence given them, will Bryan and Sara run with the truth or run from it?

Perspective by Peter:

I really loved this story. It turned out better than any preconceived ideas I had about it. For a debut novelist, Williams has a well-constructed and engaging novel. It has a steady pace, one event builds on the next and all the story arcs are well-placed and further the plot, leading to a very satisfying ending.

There is a lot to like in this novel. A minor story arc of romance between the two main characters, Bryan and Sara. A mysterious ancient creature from Aboriginal lore, the town's secret relating to this creature, missing tourists and town's folk, corrupt police, business, politicians, and local council. How are all these tied together? And where did this creature come from? What is the connection between this creature, dinosaurs, and the Bible?

While reading this novel, I wondered if Williams was going to confirm what I was suspecting, that this creature was the banib (or bunyip in English) of Aboriginal lore that I grew up with in school. Turned out, I was correct. But Williams has tied this in with the Bible and dinosaurs. May not sound feasible or plausible to some, but once you study the Bible and its related topics, it does make sense. Williams does a great job of this as well. He seems to have quite the talent in this regard.

Williams shines in explaining Biblical theology of the story arcs and themes. He has depicted the spiritual aspects of this novel very well and it brings the Bible to life and confirms that it supports science and not what secular society wants to hear, that science disproves the Bible. I applaud him for this. I continue this applause with his presenting the Gospel just as it is in the Bible, with no holes barred and even the inclusion of prayer. Now prayer was not just mentioned as being offered by the Christian characters but said in its entirety. So many times, Christian authors get criticised by Christian readers for including the actual prayer as they find it detracting from the story and pace, but I find this a sad indictment of them as all the author is doing is depicting realistically what the Christian life is. For a Christian fiction story such as this, so it should be. Williams shows how Christianity and a relationship with God should be and can be in the life of the Christian. 

Williams also discusses why some topics are not discussed in Church and how this then leads to confusion, disillusionment, and a stronghold of disbelief in the Christian or the secular person and how they can develop a distorted view of Christianity and the Bible. No wonder there are so many divisions among Believers alike! I remember being cautioned by an elder of the church I was attending if I continued to discuss a topic relating to Genesis 6: 4 concerning the subject of the Nephilim! If it is in the Bible, why cannot it be discussed? Hasn't stopped me though! 

Some of what I have outlined here can be found in Williams' blog on his website. I add it here to support my impressions of the novel: 

The idea of Haighs Flat came to me back in 2018 when I was seriously contemplating writing my first novel. Where did the name Haighs Flat come from? That I cannot answer you, it just came to me as a name for a typical country town, and thankfully there is no town of the same name that I am aware of.

The next thing I had to do was paint a picture of the town in my head. In order to have the story make sense, I had to be aware of directions, travelling and have a general layout in my head something of what the town would look like - and yes, it is loosely based on an existing town in the North-West of New South Wales.

What I wanted for the book was something uniquely Australian. Something that not only Australians will relate to, but something that will attract the attention of international readers as well, hence the culprit in the story is pulled out of an Aboriginal legend that may or may not have had an element of truth about it.

 

Being a Christian, and a creationist at that, I believe that the earth is much younger than the majority of the world believes. I also believe in the creation account as described in Genesis, thus I believe that dinosaurs existed alongside of people.

In chapter ten of my novel, the question is asked: "We read in the Bible of animals which we can interpret as being dinosaurs, existing alongside of people, but why do we not see this in other texts from the past?”

Hopefully I have answered this question in this book by explaining that there are many evidences of dinosaurs having lived along side of people. While this book is fictional, I have tried to keep things historically accurate - especially where it relates to Biblical issues.

As far as the book goes, chapter ten, which is in a Bible Study setting, would be my favourite chapter. I picked up my pen at around 9 o'clock in the morning and didn't put it down again until the early hours of the next morning, stopping only for meal breaks, and doing a bit of research. The whole chapter just flowed out of my pen and I couldn't stop until it was over.

I totally agree with him about Chapter 10. This is where I mentioned that Williams shines in  Biblical theology and that he links it all back to the book of Genesis. The whole basis of Christianity is found in Genesis, which is the foundation of what we believe and why. In doing so, Williams does touch on Apologetics as well. 

This novel would be a great instrument for a reader who is not a Christian but has questions about Christianity and those mentioned in this novel. Williams gives a comprehensive account of the answers to these questions. I did not find it preachy (another criticism of Christian fiction) but very relevant to the entire story arc of the novel. Williams does not water down the Gospel or any other Biblical account relating to the themes in this novel. 

This novel is an example of what Christian fiction should be for the reader and what I state in the Why Christian Fiction tab in this blog: 

• it has entertained me immensely,

• it has encouraged my walk with God,

• it has not deviated from known biblical doctrine, and it will not, I believe, lead a non-believer astray or promote false doctrine,

• it honours God,

• it does not encourage worship of the created (eg angels) instead of the Creator (God).

Williams succeeds well in this novel. I understand that his next novel is a sequel to Haighs Flat in that it deals with the continuation of the relationship between Bryan and Sara. We can expect this in 2024. I look forward to this immensely. Williams has found his niche in life as a Christian novelist and one that I encourage readers to follow and support. 

I highly recommend this novel. 

The three ratings below are based on my discernment:

World Building 5/5

Characters 5/5

Story 5/5

Overall Rating: 5/5

The classification below is based on the booklet, A Spiritual System for Rating Books by David Bergsland:

Spiritual Level 4: Redemptive Fiction

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Spiritually, based on my review and on the following reference booklet, A Spiritual System for Rating Books by David Bergsland,  Haighs Flat contains the criteria of what constitutes Christian Redemptive Fiction outlined in this booklet: 

In the more realistic scenarios, the new believers give their live to serve the Lord. (Romana 12: 1-3). They can offer a realistic look at the daily walk of faith for a new believer. There is a clear Messiah who died for our sins. Through repentance and baptism, a person is forgiven and cleansed, beginning a new life in the Kingdom of God. 

The truly excellent books on this level share these truths easily, without pretension, in common human relationships. They recognise that most people do not carry on conversation by quoting scripture at each other. They cover the arguments pro and con in natural dialog-exchanged in the way we actually talk to one another. 

The leave it to the person to decide about Jesus, recognizing that you cannot talk anyone into salvation. Only the Holy Spirit can do that. The only source of guidance is scripture, with occasional visits from angles and the like. God speaks though the Bible primarily - at this redemptive level. 

Though the presence of the Lord is visible in these books, He may  not be the center of the story. Characters are benefitted and blessed by His presence in their lives. But salvation is the goal and result. Discipleship and spiritual growth are secondary as salvation provides everything needed by the characters. Growth is found in reading the secrdipture and memorizing key verses. 

The better LEVEL FOUR books have mature elders. There may be pastors, evangelists, and so on. these men and women disciple the new believers. 

It is therefore bestowed upon Colin Williams the, 

Reality Calling Christian Redemptive Fiction Award

Congratulations, Colin!

If you would like to investigate this novel further, it can be found on the following platforms for the Ebook format:

Readers and reviews are an author’s best asset, so I encourage any reader, to consider reading Haighs Flat and submit a review on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest (or any other social media you subscribe to).

Reviews help promote an author’s novel to potential readers and encourage the author to keep writing. Reviews also help get the author’s message (and God’s message) to the reader, whether Christian or not, who may need encouragement and support in their lives while being entertained by the story.

Please note: As an Amazon Associate, I am required to disclose that book cover images or titles of novels in this post are paid links if they are linked to Amazon and result in a sale.

Novel Review and Spirit-filled Fiction Award: Daughter of Zebulon by Jane Woodlee Hedrick.

Daughter of Zebulon 

The Omega Watchers series continues with its third installment, by acclaimed author Jane E. Woodlee Hedrick.

Don't miss out on the exciting return of Gabriella in 'The Daughter of Zebulon'!

Rev. 7:4 - Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.

The end of days has begun. Gabriella is sealed and anointed as a Chosen One from the Tribe of Zebulon. She now exists in the supernatural realm no longer bound by the dimensions of time and space.

In the midst of Gabriella’s interdimensional travels, the boundaries of reality are blurred. As she moves between time and untime, she does not know where she will find herself. Her human desire is to awaken before the rapture…to return to the man she loves. Her spiritual desire is to fulfill her chosen mission, wherever that takes her.

When Gabriella moves into the supernatural dimension of untime, the evil Arcturus continues to shadow every step of her mission - his ultimate goal is the destruction of her soul. In the dimension of the natural realm, the satanic cabal has a bounty on her life – she knows too much about the coming New World Order. The battle rages no matter where she is transported.

Through Gabriella’s supernatural travels, The Spirit of God guides her with divine protection performing miracles as a sign to unbelievers. The Chosen One will expose Satan’s great deception bringing salvation to her people Zebulon, a Lost Tribe of Israel.

Perspective by Peter:

This series just gets better and better! I have had a long association with these novels and the author since the publication of the first novel, The Omega Watchers. I approached the author about reviewing this novel in 2014 and I am so glad I did. These novels are Spirit-filled and have been used by God to educate and instruct in Biblical eschatology. 

The novels in this series are:

The Omega Watchers

A mysterious Dead Sea Scroll revealed prophecies of the return of the fallen angels and the timing of their release from the abyss where they have been imprisoned awaiting their final judgment. But, there is a missing piece to the prophetic puzzle!

Gabriella’s cave exploration leads her team on an ominous journey to discover a lost prophecy from the days of Noah and find her own spiritual truth. In her search, she opens her mind to a “Watcher” that captures her with his mystical powers of universal knowledge as they travel between time and untime.

This deceiving spirit proclaims the coming of the Ascended Master who will usher in a new age of peace for all mankind. Gabriella feels totally alone as her friends believe Yahweh as the one true God and they struggle to convince her she is falling deeper and deeper into a pit of destruction and is about to cross the point of no return.

My review can be found here.

The Third Strand

The Third Strand, a sequel to ‘The Omega Watchers’, is a high-suspense Christian novel based on Biblical prophetic events of the end days.

The Psalms 83 war has just occurred and Israel’s stunning victory has triggered the beginning of the end days, ushering in the worst years that will ever be upon the face of the earth.

After days of being in what appeared to be a coma, Gabriella awakens to her new reality: strange surroundings, everyone she loves has vanished, and she is entombed in a hidden bunker with a man she barely knows - Chris, the officer assigned to protect her research team.

Quickly, a spiritual bond forms between Gabriella and Chris. Together they secretly witness the False Prophet’s preparations to introduce the Satanic One World Leader and the demonic plan to initiate the mark of the beast. Gabriella knows she is ‘chosen’ to expose the powers of darkness, but how does she begin?

During the day, Gabriella lives end-time prophecies coming to fruition. At night in vivid dreams, she continues to struggle with reality returning to the days before the rapture. Time and untime will continue to haunt her until...

My review can be found here.

This series is especially relevant and important in today's timeline as the events outlined in these novels show that we are in the End Times before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, His Glorious Appearing. I am in my 60s and I believe I will see His return. As I have said in the previous 2 reviews/posts, it is important that all Christians know about Biblical Eschatology as the events outlined in many books of the Bible, specifically Daniel and Revelation, but in other Biblical and extra-biblical books are happening as we speak or leading up to them. 

So what are the themes in this Eschatological thriller series? Demons, astral travel, angels, spiritual warfare, demonic deception, and end-times deception, One World Government, the Antichrist, One World Religion, population control and manipulation, spiritual enslavement, the Second Coming of Christ. 

Jane is developing the fourth novel in this series and I am on her Beta Reader Team. I have read the first four chapters that she has given the Team and it does progress the storyline, together with yet another plot twist! But readers of this series are used to these plot twists, Jane's trademark! 

This series is a must-read and is a very comprehensive instruction and teaching on Biblical Eschatology. If a Christian or even non-Christian wanted to learn more about this type of eschatology, this series would be an excellent place to start. I have read each book again with the publication of the next novel and I have done this with Daughter of Zebulon. I had to do this to see how this next novel follows from DoZ. And it does very well. I have even thought that Jane should combine Daughter of Zebulon with this next novel, and keep the same title, even if it means it becomes a longish novel! Jane has extensively researched all in and outs of eschatology and even conducts Bible study groups around them. I have no doubt regarding any of her research and what she presents. 

Adults learn best in a fun or entertaining environment and this fiction platform more than adequately provides for this and in understanding the themes of eschatology that Jane passionately presents in this series. 

New readers to this series will benefit from having all 4 novels (or 3 if Jane makes my suggestion a reality!) all together to read one after the other. There is so much to absorb and understand that it would require reading one after the other. I plan to do this once this last offering is published. It will be well worth it!

Now in relation to Daughter of Zebulon, the title is well-explained and forms the basis of the next novel. It is slower-paced compared to the previous two novels but does progress the plot arcs from them into this novel and one can see this coming to a satisfying end in the fourth novel. More demonic/end-times deception develops and the pursuit of Gabriella and Chris increases. Just when you predict where Jane is going with the story arc, there is a plot twist at the end of the novel, that threw me and was totally unexpected. I was momentarily confused but then realised I had to investigate an event in one of the previous novels that relate to this and then it becomes clearer why Jane did this. And in these first 4 chapters of this new developing novel that Jane send me, it becomes even clearer. This plot twist is very clever on Jane's part. She is one master storyteller on one level and an exceptional Bible teacher on another. Or should I say, eschatological teacher? :)

Gabriella's relationship with God is taken to a deeper spiritual level. In the novel's description, this is described well and is what you do see in the novel. It is why this novel is Awarded the Spirit-filled fiction Award by Radiqx Press (see below). Such an encouragement for us to have this type of relationship with God and Jesus. This is not just found in novels like this, it can be our reality if we just become fully surrendered to God and let His Spirit work in our lives. As Gabriella says,

"I will follow the Lamb wherever He leads me!"

I have been quoted by Jane in saying the following in relation to The Omega Watchers and it is still applicable to this series, 

“In Hedrick’s well-crafted novel, both the plot and all the details relating to the Nephilim, alien visitation, end times deception/eschatology are carefully intertwined and form a solid basis for this fast-paced, suspenseful, edgy, speculative based novel. I cannot wait to see what happens next and be further entertained, edified, and educated in eschatology, spiritual warfare, and demonology.”

I encourage any reader with an interest in Eschatology to read this series. You will benefit greatly from Jane's research and application of the same to this thrilling series. 

I have conducted two interviews with Jane. They can be found here:

Jane Woodlee Hedrick, Author of The Omega Watchers, 18/06/15

Jane Woodlee Hedrick, Eschatology and The Third Strand, 18/08/17

Highly Recommended.

The three ratings below are based on my discernment:

World Building 5/5

Characters 5/5

Story 5/5

The two classifications below are based on the booklet, A Spiritual System for Rating Books by David Bergsland:

Spiritual Level 5: Spirit-filled Fiction

Enemy Spiritual Level  4: Demons and Level 5: the battle for the spirit and mind.

Overall Rating: 5/5

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Spiritually, based on my review and on the following reference booklet, A Spiritual System for Rating Books by David Bergsland, and that Daughter of Zebulon contains the main elements of the criteria of what constitutes Christian Spirit-filled Fiction outlined in this booklet, specifically that,

These books share the true power of a spirit-filled life totally given over to Jesus. They show an intimate personal relationship where a character has two way communication with his Lord and Messiah. Such a character not only speaks to God, he or she hears from the Lord on a regular basis—often hourly, normally daily. This reveals the wonder of the transformed child of God as they are trained, discipled, disciplined, and blessed.

I bestow unto Jane E. Woodlee Hedrick, the

Reality Calling Christian Spirit-filled Fiction Award

Congratulations, Jane!

If you would like to investigate this series further, click on the link below:

Readers and reviews are an author’s best asset, so I encourage any reader, to consider reading all three novels in this Omega Watcher series and submit a review on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest (or any other social media you subscribe to).

Reviews help promote an author’s novel to potential readers and encourage the author to keep writing. Reviews also help get the author’s message (and God’s message) to the reader, whether Christian or not, who may need encouragement and support in their lives while being entertained by the story.

Please note: As an Amazon Associate, I am required to disclose that book cover images or titles of novels in this post are paid links if they are linked to Amazon and result in a sale.