Novel Review and Spiriit-filled Fiction Award: Nicholas of Haiti by Joseph Courtemanche.

 I reviewed this novel on 04/02/19 in another blog now defunct. 

Nicholas of Haiti

It was just another business trip until Nick Bacon's plane exploded and he fell from the sky over Utah. Hounded by the press for his sole survivor story, and suspected of planting the bomb by the F.B.I., he flees to Haiti with his boss' mission team to heal his injuries and give the world time to forget him. Haunted by visions of an abused little girl, Nick questions his sanity when he starts seeing demons almost everywhere he goes. He's forced to examine his own soul, and confront the dark forces surrounding him - and endangering the little girl. He winds up in a battle for the freedom of millions with a crew of allies that boggles his mind.

Perspective by Peter:

What a great novel! I thoroughly enjoyed this much more than I thought I would! I am glad I requested to review this for the author. This novel just consolidates that any novel by Courtemanche is worth reading. 

This is a very different novel that his debut novel, Assault on St Agnus. This is not a bad thing. It shows the author's versatility in writing in different genres and styles. I like both.

Courtemanche has crafted a novel that is engaging, a joy to read and one that made me feel very comfortable being in. He has brought to life the lifestyle and culture of Haiti and this is not just due to his research and ability as a wordsmith but also due to being there in his mission work. I felt like I was there. I had a very different impression of what Haiti was like from growing up and from school as a very poor country with a strong demonic influence based on voodoo and other such practices. I did not know there was such a strong Roman Catholic influence and that this was from the French settlers since the 16th century.  

Courtemanche has three main plotlines in this novel. It starts off with the plane that Nick in on being the subject of a terrorist attack, or that is what we are led to believe as it is never proved, but Nick is being framed for this as he is the sole survivor, having fallen 30,000 feet without a parachute and only sustains minor burns to his face and a fractured ankle. Interspersed throughout the novel is the progression of the FBI seeking him out to convict him of this terrorist attack. This plotline also involves Nick's sister, Jean, who is a lawyer and using her professional expertise to outsmart the FBI agents in framing Nick.

Then we have the subplot of the sex trafficking of Haitian children. This introduces Nick to Violene, one of the slaves, through visions of her even before he arrives in Haiti. This is tied in with the supernatural transformation of Nick into a version of St Nicholas of Santa Claus fame. In this novel, he is known as Papa Noel as the Haitians call him. Courtemanche has based the events of Papa Noel from those of the original Nicholas of Myra which is what Santa Claus is based on in this modern era. For those who want to know more, it is the author who is depicted as Nicholas of Haiti on the cover of this novel and who plays Santa Claus as one of his many pursuits in his life.

This plotline forms the basis of the third plotline of this novel and that is of the supernatural. From the explosion on the plane, Nick's miraculous survival and escape from the clutches of the FBI, his visions of Violene, his supernatural confrontation with the demonic strongholds of Haiti, his conversion to Christianity, followed by more supernatural signs and wonders all point to him being appointed by God to break the stronghold of demonic power and rule over Haiti and the eradication of slavery and human trafficking not only in Hait but around the world.

Courtemanche has done a superb job of showing Nick's spiritual and physical transformation into a Spirit-filled warrior and who no longer resembles physically the Nichols Bacon of the pre-terrorist attack. Here the author portrays spiritual warfare Biblically based with all power and authority that the Bible says is given to those who are in right relationship with Him and who use the Biblical principles outlined therein. And he has also depicted the demons as being subservient to this power and by the use of Jesus' name just as the Bible states. But one spiritual principle that Courtemanche has shown well is how Nicholas acted not in his own strength or power in his confrontation with the demonic strongholds but only by the Spirit working through him in total submission to the Spirit. He has Nicholas stating and acting as a servant of God and not anything being about him or for his vainglory.

I found it a breath of fresh air to have some biblical explanation into salvation and other issues explain as they are in helping Nick learn about God and stimulate his need for the Saviour. This is depicted well by Courtemanche has depicted including how he opened himself to the Spirit of God when he realised that God had pre-ordained him to take on the demonic strongholds of Haiti and God was performing many signs and wonders through Him. The contents of this paragraph and the previous one remind me of the verse from Zechariah 4:6 that says,

So he answered me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by strength or by might, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of Hosts.

I am not sure if this "principle" is intentional on the Author's part but in depicting it as he has, it definitely comes across as an important message to the Christian as a faith principle and way of life and in this novel, it is a witness to the unbeliever. In this depiction, it can be said that an unbeliever will see the working of God and not of the person who exhibits these signs and wonders. 

Courtemanche has depicted the characters to be ones who are very relational. I have a soft spot for Larry. I wonder if that is because he had modelled Larry on a namesake in the author's life. And I wonder how much of Larry's shepherd and missionary heart is based on the author's same and his experience in the mission field?

This is not to say that the rest of the characters are not as well developed. I had an inkling that Andre was not who he appeared to be after a certain incident when he was protecting Nick confirmed this for me. Not only did this suspicion of who Andre really is add more suspense to the plot but it also adds credence to Hebrews 13:2 that instructs, 

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained _________ unawares.

Now I have deleted the word here as those who do not know what this verse is, means I have not given away any spoilers! However, I cannot stop anyone from guessing or looking this up for yourselves!!

And what does this well development of characters do for the reader? It makes the latter relate to and identify with their struggles, victories, challenges, and even appreciate some of their personality traits or they might see some of themselves in these characters. And just as importantly, it does add indirectly to the plot, any action and adventure, mystery and suspense, intrigue and other constructs of a plot.  For me, it made me like them with endearment and increase my respect for those who work in the mission field in poor countries. I felt as if I knew them and again as if I was there with them. 

At first, I wondered why Courtemanche had involved the Pope in the negotiations with the FBI in indicting Nicholas for the terrorist attack on the plane and extraditing him back to the US. But no sooner had I wondered why he did this, I realised it was because of the Catholic influence in Haiti and therefore it would be beneficial to extend the solution to the water and human trafficking crisis to the head of the largest denomination of Haiti's religious institutions where he can exert his worldwide influence and power. It was effective but it did provoke my bias against the Catholic church from my childhood upbringing.

I am looking forward to more stories like this from this author and the promised sequel to Assault on St Agnes. 

This is an uplifting, positive and Biblically based novel on spiritual warfare, the power of prayer, being submitted to God, allowing the Spirit to work through you by His Spirit, exercising the authority of God given to Christians over the demonic and who we are in Christ. 

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 5/5

Enemy Spiritual Level 5/5

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 Nicholas of Haiti contains elements of the criteria of what constitutes Christian Spirit-filled Fiction outlined in this booklet, (click on the title below to see what this is based on), I bestow unto Nicholas Courtemanche the 

Reality Calling Christian Spirit-filled Fiction Award

Congratulations, Joseph!

To buy or preview this novel, click on the link below to Buy or Preview icon below: 

Readers and reviews are an author’s best asset, so I encourage any reader, to consider reading Nicholas of Haiti 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 Redemptive Fiction Award: Afflicted by Fayla Ott.

 I reviewed this on 11/06/19 in another blog, now defunct.

Afflicted

EVIL VISITS SALEM

When two young girls start acting bizarre and violent, they are diagnosed as bewitched by the village doctor. The "afflicted children" begin accusing villagers of witchcraft, a crime punishable by death. Lucifer's plan to wreak havoc on the community is set in motion, and his demons revel in the turmoil they are inflicting upon innocent people, including the saintly and beloved Rebecca Nurse. 

Lydia Knapp watches her loved ones suffer and die. Will Rebecca's prayers be enough to strengthen the angel army, and help Lydia discover hope? Will Lydia have to sacrifice everything to stand up for the truth? 

Afflicted is a fast-paced, riveting read, which exposes the dangers of Pharisee religion, and how it promotes fear. This new insight into one of our nation's most tragic events reveals the significance of God's grace, and the necessity of prayer to fight spiritual warfare. 

If you like Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness, then you'll enjoy this page-turning fictional account of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. 

Prepare to stay up all night with this gripping tale of suspenseful tension, and unforgettable characters. 

Perspective by Peter

I accepted the author's request to review this novel due to the spiritual warfare, supernatural involvement of angels and demons that is in the same caliber as Peretti's, This Present Darkness series. The other reason was that I had heard of the Salem Witch Trials. Not knowing much about them, I was intrigued by Ott's take on it from the novel's description.

This is a very engrossing novel. I would not say it is fast paced, but there are enough events at a consistent pace to keep you reading. This added to the feel of being transported to this 16th Century where life was definitely slower than it is today. Ott is very good at applying her research of this controversial event of 1692 and reproducing the other characteristics of this time. Her characterization is well developed and adds to this feeling of being transported to this era. Another aspect of reproducing this period is how they regard themselves and speak to each other. There is a degree of stoicism, decorum, and propriety that seems to be part of this period. One of the most noticeable characteristics of this period is the addressing of a married couple. As Ott explains,

Goody: An abbreviated version of Goodwife, a title used to address a married woman, or a woman who has been married. The modern term is “Mrs.”

Goodman: A title used to address a man. The modern term is “Mr.”

It took me a while to get used to this, and I had to chuckle as I could not imagine using these terms in today's society. It reminded me of Pride And Prejudice where Elizabeth Bennett's parents called each other Mrs Bennet and Mr Bennet. I cannot imagine addressing my wife like this! (At least, not with my surname!).

Ott has depicted a dichotomy of faith in this novel. On one hand, you have the Nurse sisters who have a faith in God that is relational and based on the Bible and the Jesus of the Bible. These sisters, and especially espoused by Rebecca Nurse, live out their faith by God's Word (Bible). They are very much the Doers of the Word and not just the Hearer's of the Word as outlined in the Bible, 

 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.  But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.  (James 1:22-25 New King James Version

(bold italics mine)

This was evident in the respect Rebecca and her sisters had earned by the community from the highest of this community to its outcast (Goody Good). Her faith in action led to many of the community to come against the outrageous and farcical charges of witchcraft against them. It also led to two of the accused accepting God's gift of salvation, one before she was hanged and the other's conversion leading to a descendant of hers becoming a world-famous evangelist. The way Ott has depicted this, what came to mind was akin to Billy Graham, to the point where I was tempted to investigate his genealogy! 

Rebecca's faith in action showed such a powerful witness to the truth of God's Word and who God is. It became a living witness to these two characters and others. Ott has succeeded here in showing how Christians are to live when they live out God's Word just as James outlines in his book where the aforementioned verse comes from. It shows us how to live despite the dire circumstances we are in and that despite this, we can rise above these and not succumb to them. Living victoriously just as Jesus' death on the Cross achieved for us.  Instead of letting her incarceration demoralize her, she used this time to minister to the other prisoners, encouraging them, counseling them and even singing a psalm, 

Shine thy light in the darkness, Oh God Let not the enemy harm me. Reveal thy plan in the trial, Oh Lord Thy glory the world to see

Actually, this scene has similarities to the time when Paul and Silas were in prison as described in  Acts 16: 25. There are many other examples in this novel that show Rebecca living out her faith in varying situations; verbal and physical abuse from the prison guards, verbal abuse from other community members, even the bitter and foul-mouthed Goody Good (before her conversion). But she did not retaliate or give in to her emotions. Instead, she acted very similar to how Jesus acted while here on Earth. 

Ott contrasts this with legalistic or Pharisee religion from Reverend Parris and other ministers. It is this that supports the farcical and outrageous nature of the trials. Here these ministers practice "good" works (which I found debatable!) to find favour with God and preach doom and gloom, fire and brimstone that shows none of God's grace and mercy. These ministers seem more concerned with following Church doctrine rather than Biblical doctrine. I found it interesting that Parris, Salem's Reverend, ignored those accused of witchcraft and gave them no pastoral care which is the main function of his vocation. It is even harder to accept that he was so ignorant of demonology that he could not identify this behavior as such when his daughter and niece manifested demonic behavior in his presence!

Rebecca's living out her faith from the Bible showed how the love of Christ eliminates fear while the legalistic attitude and practice promotes fear and spiritual bondage and strengthen ignorance. It amazed me that in that time period, there was so much fear and legalistic attitudes rather than a knowledge of how spiritual warfare works and how to combat it. It was Rebecca who first identified the cause of these witchcraft accusations and what to do about them. You would expect that this should have come from Reverend Parris or even the other Reverends from the surrounding districts, but their ignorance had blinded them to the truth and how to discern it. Later in the novel, there is only one, Reverend Hale, who also identifies this as being from demonic origin and that the court approach in dealing with these witchcraft accusations was so inappropriate and a travesty of justice with far-reaching effects on the community and their generations to follow.

Yet, it takes those with a conscience and an active faith in God and His Word to thwart man and the demonic onslaught in these Trials. Rebecca, Lydia Knapp, and Reverend Hale are the only ones who stood up to the governing authorities of the Trials and became a voice of reason and truth. Rebecca had such a profound effect of young Lydia in her witness to her about God's Word and who God is that gave her the courage to speak up and tell the truth. This resulted in the end of the Trials and a revolution in the court system of the time. But as depicted in the novel, this change was not an improvement as such. 

Ott has integrated the supernatural into this novel very well. I guess when the Peretti being the originator of this angel/demon story arc, showed us this in his This Present Darkness series, it would follow that this successful depiction is reproduced by many Christian authors since. And yes, the issue of prayer as the source of the angel's power has been controversial by Christian apologists but I liked how one of these described it, rather than prayer directly empowering the angels, this apologist believes it is the prayer that God receives and acts on that then moves Him to instruct the angels what to do. And it is also what He has planned as well. In so many of these novels where we have angels and demons, so many times, the angels are to protect and watch until God instructs them to fight or become more active.

This has been displayed in this novel. Ott, like many other Christian authors, has depicted the frustration of the angels as wanting to fight and become more actively involved in the plight of the human race being at the mercy of the demonic army but are unable to do so until God gives them His order to act.

There is a spiritual lesson here for us. So many times we feel the natural inclination or urge to act before we have assessed the situation as to what should happen or even take this situation to the Throne Room of God and ask for His guidance and what His Will is for this situation. When we follow our inclination or act impulsively, even if it feels right to do so, we always make it worse and play into the enemy's hands. Just as the angels have to be obedient and follow orders and accept that God knows what He is doing and will deliver at the right time, it is the same for us. It is His time and His Sovereignty, His Omniscience that knows the hows, the whys, the whens and the wheres of the situation at hand. And while we wait for God to command us, we learn patience and trust in Him and not in ourselves.

In this novel, as in others, it is tempting to view the hierarchy of the demons as comedy relief. There is always minor demons acting impulsively and disrupting the plan of attack from the demon in charge or their actions leading to their human charge learning to trust in God or even pray for the first time or pray more to Him as examples of the effects of their incompetence. And the demon in charge seems to be one that is abusive, out of control and violent towards them for the misdemeanours of the lesser demons. Yes, I could say that this is a characteristic of the fallen nature and effect of being changed from their angelic state when they rebelled against God, but despite this coming across as comedy relief, I feel the reader needs to be discerning here.

Peretti has shown us a possible way how Satan and his demons act in the supernatural arena that we don't see. But nevertheless, it shows us the effects these demons can have on our lives when we are ignorant and blinded by our sin or lack of faith in God or just plain denial of anything supernatural. Despite how these demons are depicted in novels such as this one, they still have a battle plan with the objective to enslave the human race to our sin, keep up separated from God and ultimately to be eternally housed in Hell upon our death. They want us to do their bidding by deceiving us into believing it is for our good or deceiving us into accepting them as gods and/or we are gods as well. Anything to thwart the purposes of God and mock Him in the process and keep mankind from Him. 

In this novel, we have the motive of the demons to destroy then take charge of the court system starting with it in Salem. Having the population accused of witchcraft and then the courts acting in such a farcical and fraudulent manner is their aim here. The court officials and the Reverends of the surrounding districts (apart from Reverend Hale and Mather) are ignorant of the spiritual causes of these accusations of witchcraft and rule for hanging with no evidence to support this at all. Their ruling is based on hearsay only, what we call "he said, she said" in today's world or "your word against mine". And to make matters worse, if you stated anything in support of the accused, you were then at risk of being accused of witchcraft as well, imprisoned and facing hanging.

Even the angels were ignorant of the motive behind these bewitchings and demonic attacks. However, Raphael, captain of the angelic army discovers their true motive,

“Raphael, what is the meaning of all of this? What is Lucifer doing?” Uriel asked. Semiel leaned in to hear their captain’s response. “I just learned his plan and came to tell you and the others.” The other angels present at the meetinghouse joined the conversation. Raphael continued, “This is much bigger than I anticipated. This goes beyond persecuting the faithful warriors of Salem Village.” “So Lucifer isn’t here to hang saints?” “He’s here to hang them, but oh so much more, I’m afraid. What he has planned will affect this land for years and years to come. The seed planted here from this turmoil will continue to grow, long after these trials are over.” Semiel frowned. “How is that possible?” “Think about it. Why does Lucifer hate this new land?” Understanding dawned in Uriel’s eyes. “He’s after the court system.” Raphael crossed his arms. “Exactly.” “Will he win?” asked Semiel. “Only time will tell. If he does, just remember, he still loses. Now, we’d better get back to our posts.” The angels saluted their captain with their swords, and floated up and over the trees, each making their way to their assignments. Raphael sure hoped the faithful were praying.

When I read this, I wondered what specifically they wanted to do with the court system. It becomes very clear at the end of the novel when Raphael and Uriel are having their debrief after the trials have ended and the court practices are reviewed, 

Raphael and Uriel watched the girl walk home. “Now you see the purpose,” Raphael said. “I don’t understand.” “The girl has changed. She’s no longer afraid and focused on herself. She is confident, and caring. A strong and true warrior, like Rebecca.” “So all those people died to transform this one girl?” “Is that ever how it works, Uriel?” He thought for a moment. “No. Other lives will be effected.” “They already have.” “Yes, but Satan’s plan worked. The courts will change. They are already restructuring the system and removing many of the former proceedings. They will use fewer spiritual methods, including the use of ministers and Scripture. How can that be good?” “It’s not. It is a manifestation of man answering his own will, and Satan using it for his. However, we must remember, Uriel. Satan does not win in the end. The Most High is still working in hearts. There is always hope, and we see it in her.” He motioned to Lydia. “I’m guessing you know more than I do, Raphael?” “Not much. I only know a descendant of hers will lead many to Christ.” “So all of this pain brings triumph after all.” “Like I said, The Almighty always offers hope. Come. There’s a celebration in Heaven for the newly welcomed saints. We don’t want to miss it.” The angels spread their wings and flew to the sky, disappearing over the clouds.

Don't we see this now? Man answering his own will and Satan using it for his? You can see this in today's ideologies that if you say anything that is seen as supporting an issue that is being challenged or what someone has said that is contrary to popular belief or what they want as popular belief, you are accused the same as those you are supporting. Hate speech, censorship, call it what you will, but these are just ploys to promote the will of man and satan. God and everything associated with Him is being removed. Prayer has been removed from American schools, you no longer need to swear on the Bible in court that you will tell the truth, you can be penalized for reading the Bible is some American schools and public places. The list goes on and will do so until we live in a society where anything to do with the Bible, or the God of the Bible, is a crime and those who believe and live as such will be persecuted and forfeit their lives for doing so. The word tells us so that we will be persecuted for Jesus namesake and what He achieved on the Cross. There are many Christian novels that depict what this could be like. Sobering but reflective of our future as we move towards a Christless and totally secular (satanic) society before the return of Christ.

This novel is a deviation from Ott's usual genre and writing as I have discovered from other reviewers who have read her previous novels, I have not, this is the first of her bibliography. These reviewers are wanting her to write in this genre and I would encourage her to continue to do so. Ott seems to have found a niche genre here and does it so well. 

I certainly would look forward to more in this genre and style of writing. Ott has an important and essential message to her readers in this genre and God is no doubt using her talent wisely and appropriately for His purposes.

This is one compelling and spiritually uplifting novel with an important message of how to live out your faith under God's direction as found in His Word and to avoid fear and spiritual bondage from a lifestyle of legalistic or Pharisee religion. It also illustrates that as Christians we need to know the strategy of our opponent/enemy and again this is Biblical where we are also given the weapons to fight this. 

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 4/5

Enemy Spiritual Level 4/5

Overall Rating: 4.6

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Spiritually, based on my review and on the aforementioned reference booklet, A Spiritual System for Rating Books by David Bergsland (Radiqx Press) and that Afflicted contains elements of the criteria of what constitutes Christian Redemptive Fiction outlined in this booklet, together with David Bergsland we bestow Fayla Ott with

The Reality Calling Redemptive Fiction Award

Congratulations, Fayla!

To buy or preview this novel, click on the image below. 

Readers and reviews are an author’s best asset, so I encourage any reader, to consider reading Afflicted 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.

Interview with Sheri Kirkendall and her Devils Dump Series.

 I interviewed Sheri on 13/10/19 in a previous blog, now defunct.

Today, I have novelist, Sheri Kirkendall as my guest where I interview her about her spiritual warfare novels, Devils Dump and Satan's Loophole. I found Sheri's novels in a Facebook group where Satan's Loophole was being promoted. I love this genre of spiritual warfare so decided to give Sheri some exposure to promote her novels.

So sit back and let Sheri relate to us about her writing experience and her novels.

But first, what are these novels about?

Devils Dump.

What happens when the devil decides to drop in on Blessed, Tx.? Good people go bad, beaches become polluted and objects fall from the heavens. Oh and Blessed, becomes the Devils Dump. A small band of Christians join together to defeat the devil and his plan to devastate their town. Seven women in town give birth at the same time to twins and it is foretold by the angels that a 'child will lead them.' Nowhere however are they promised a victory over evil.

Satan's Loophole.

Lucifer returns to Devils Dump to finish what he started ,,, nobody can imagine what he has in store for Josiah and the rest of God's warriors, both angel and humans.

An attack at the hospital penthouse leaves one of our heroes fighting for his life; A 20 foot high snow bank on the beach forces another warrior to choose between someone he loves and his children (but are they his children) and giant whales are throwing themselves out of the sea.

Lucifer is confident of a victory this time but God has surprised for him you won't want to miss .... Is Lucifer's time finally at an end or will his sleepers give him yet another victory?

Now let's talk to Sheri. Thanks for stopping by, Sheri! Let's dive straight in. Tell readers about your writing journey. How did you get started?

I started out an avid reader and making up stories in my head. Some of these I’d stretch out over weeks …. I was usually the heroine (LOL). I rarely wrote things down because I didn’t want people to read my thoughts and laugh at me. Then I took literature in high school and fell in love with writing short stories and poems. Unfortunately, these were all lost when my grandma’s basement flooded. After high school, I worked on the local paper The Alliance Review for a couple of years but it didn’t really fulfill my need to write and I didn’t like writing what someone told me to write. After my husband died in 1994 I started going back to church. Eventually, I took over publishing the weekly bulletin and monthly newsletter. I began writing little blurbs for the bulletin and short stories for the newsletter. Eventually when it became difficult to come up with new ideas every month I decided to write a serial and include 1-3 chapters a month. That serial was Devils Dump and it took almost 5 years to complete.

What gave you the inspiration to write this series?

When it was finished I had numerous friends who encouraged me to have it published. I was skeptical but looked into it. It took a couple of months to pull it all together and polish it a little and find Createspace and have it published. I was so proud of it until I sat down to read it. So many grammar mistakes and misspellings and punctuations that were so wrong. I plan to do a second edition of the first book as soon as the series is finished. But why this subject matter? I grew up with it. I believe in the gifts of the Spirit and my grandmother seemed to have every Spiritual gift except speaking in tongues. I grew up in a hellfire and brimstone church so it was all real to me, not fantasy or something made up. I have my own spiritual gifts so like I said it’s real to me … I believe what a lot of people poke fun at. If you tell me demons are running around in your house I will PROBABLY believe you … to a point and I’d have to witness it … I think having your home and family and where you work blessed is a good thing.

Do you have a favorite Bible verse that resonates with you?

I do … too many to write here but I have one that I have had hanging in my house for years because we all have a tendency to go through hard times.

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” Jeremiah 29:11-14a

I have verse 11 hanging on my wall but you need to see it in context. So many times we blame God when things are going wrong but we need to remember only good things come from God … the rest we do to ourselves because we forget to bring God into it.

What was the hardest part of writing this series?

There really wasn’t anything too hard about writing it … at least not Devils Dump and Satan’s Loophole. I am having a little harder time on the final book which has no title yet. My inexperience as a writer and what it takes to make something readable was the hardest part. Every time I read from Devils Dump I find more mistakes. I am prouder of Satan’s Loophole. I think it is better written with fewer mistakes. I can’t afford a big-name editor but I had several friends and a preacher edit Satan’s Loophole and then ran it through a couple editing programs. I have read it through and found some mistakes but one person told me it was terrible and filled with errors … .of course he also said this was not a genre he’d normally read … so who knows?

How long did it take you to write The Devils Dump series?

When I actually sat down to making Devils Dump into a book it was several months. Satan’s Loophole was written and ready for editing and proofing in about 7 weeks and book three has been two-thirds finished for over a year. Something happened in my life and even though Satan’s Loophole was written I didn’t get it proofread, edited and published for more than a year after Devils Dump. The best of the three is book three … I guess you get better from experience. I am even awed myself at some of the things I came up with. But I have been dealing with some illness so it probably won’t be published (if completed) till Spring … but you never know when inspiration might strike. It could be sooner.

Where did the title Devils Dump originate from?

You have to read the book ☺ Actually it’s about a town name Blessed that is located on the Gulf of Mexico in southern Texas … it is a real town but location and name are not real. I vacationed there and when I decided to write the book it was the perfect setting. The blessings leaked out of Blessed and if you follow the path you come to Devils Dump (shortened from Devil's Dumping Ground)

What type of author are you? A plotter or pantser? Novelists tend to use one of the following methods:

-Plotter: by extensively plotting it out, -Pantser: as it came to you (that you write by the seat of your pants)

Or was it a bit of both?

I don’t plan anything. I don’t pre choose characters. I feel something inside wanting to get out and on the paper and I go with the flow. Usually, I am as anxious to find out what happens as I hope my readers are. The only research I do is about names; making sure a Bible quote is correct and appropriate, and sometimes locations. The closest I come to plotting is that once I name a character I make a list and how each character is related and if they are good or evil etc. I made the mistake in Devils Dump of including this list in the back of the book. Sadly I discovered people were going back and reading it first and that just took a lot of the mystery out of the book …. I learned my lesson and won’t do that again and will not include it in future editions if there are any.

Case in point … about not knowing in advance …. In Satan’s Loophole, there is a sub-plot that has two people talking every couple of chapters. I knew pretty quickly who these people were but it wasn’t until I wrote the last conversation between them that I knew if they were going to be good or evil … I love the mystery of it.

You like reading in the supernatural. Have you read any other similar novels in this genre? If so, how have they influenced the Devils Dump novels?

I have read all the expected horror authors such as Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Frank Peretti and I don’t see any of them in my writing. What I do see is that they showed me not much is off-limits … if you can imagine it you can write about it. There is one little part in Satan’s Loophole where the family goes to the window and one of the men says “we’ve been Stephen Kinged” because something is happening to them at the moment which appeared in a Stephen King novel. So if something pops into my head that might be from the influence of another writer I acknowledge it in some way … mainly my inspiration is my Bible and experiences from living with my grandparents.

What is the best part of your author’s life?

The best experience was receiving my first author’s copy of Devils Dump … WOW! what a rush seeing my words and my name on an actual book but even better than that I think were the reviews and how much my friends liked it. One even took it to her book club and they all bought copies and used it as their ‘book of the month’ … that was a great feeling that something that was bursting to get out of me brought joy to other people.

What is next after these two novels?

Finishing the third book of course and then hopefully doing a complete set of the three. I want to go back through all of them and expand on things people have said they think I skimped on (like advancing years in Devils Dump…they want more information about those unwritten years) and hopefully making them as close to perfect as I can. However though this series will end for sure after the third book, I have introduced a couple of new characters which may find they deserve a series of their own … one just never knows.

What advice or encouragement would you give a first-time novelist who wants to write in this genre?

KNOW their subject matter. As I mentioned earlier … I think … I got one really bad review that thankfully never got accepted on Amazon and the first thing the person said was he knew nothing about this genre or Christianity in general and normally would never have read it (so why did he?). But if you don’t know your subject matter then you leave yourself wide open to those who do to criticize and point out where you went wrong. Obviously, mine is a work of fiction and I took some liberties with a few things but I never went outside what would be Biblical. Then if you know you are comfortable with your knowledge then go for it .. If God put a story in your heart then you need to write it. Don’t be afraid of failure or you will fail before you start.

Apart from spiritual warfare, what other messages or themes have you included and why?

Love is important. Counting on your friends is important. Being about to read people and know when they are lying or trying to mislead you is important. These are important in everyday life. As it is said we are not islands and we need other people and it is great to have a large circle of like-minded or at least open-minded people around you. Most importantly is that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you and at the name of Jesus demons will flee from you. If you are having a bad day just call on Jesus …. Just saying the name oftentimes lifts the clouds.

Most Christian authors who write in this genre want to depict spiritual warfare as it is in reality, showing Biblical principles of this warfare, to reinforce the authority given to us through Jesus’ death on the Cross and to reveal the satanic strategy of deception, and enslavement of the human race. How close have you adhered to these principles in your novels? Have you employed any poetic licence to get your message across?

Poetic license of course. BUT not to the point where it deviates from Biblical principles. I wanted to teach and entertain at the same time. If I wasn’t going to make a story of it I might as well have just said … go read your Bible it’s all in there. My main characters are not from the Bible but every demon I researched and the names of the demons and angels are real. Their position or what they actually do for God is where I took poetic license. Has anyone had an up-close and personal confrontation from Lucifer himself as Josiah did in Devils Dump? I don’t know but I don’t know that they didn’t either.

Have you had any specific instances in your life where you had to employ these Biblical principles of spiritual warfare, including during the writing of these novels? I realise this might be personal and you can ignore this question if that is the case. If you do answer this, have you depicted any of the spiritual warfare in the novels based on these experiences?

Yes, and you are right a lot of it is very personal. I have put on the armor of God so often it now fits like a glove. I have made the devil flee in Jesus name many many times. Prayer is our strongest weapon against Satan and the other fallen angels and demons. I have actually had an angel appear to me when I was about to give up. Unlike in my book, my angel did not speak to me and I couldn’t tell you if it was male or female but I do know when I was losing hope God sent it to me to give me the courage and yes I used this many times in my books

Your novels are described as similar to or based on Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness series. Have you based your novels on the same “formula” as Peretti’s? Any ways you have deviated?

I am not sure I can answer that. I read Peretti’s books more than 20 years ago. So I imagine like with all my life experiences they could play a part but not consciously. I remember loving the series I just cannot at this time tell you anything more then they were about spiritual warfare … but I have read many many nonfiction books on the same subject. The one book I thought would influence me and I did everything to steer away from it was The Shack … I love the book and the concept and wished I had written it … it is actually quite close to one of my short stories … and I wrote mine first ☺ To honestly answer this question I would have to go back and reread Peretti’s books again. Until a year or so ago I read an average of 2-5 books a week … so it is impossible for me to remember all of them and how much influence they had.

What other authors have contributed to you being a writer of spiritual warfare novels?

Honestly, none. I read mostly horror mysteries and nonfiction like C.S. Lewis who I believe is one of our greatest Christian authors. It was mostly life that made me decided to write in this genre and what I learned in church and mostly what I learned from my very religious family

What take-home message would do you like your readers to embrace?

Just because something goes bump in the night doesn’t mean it isn’t real and that you can’t fight it and make it go away. It doesn’t mean you are crazy. Pray and call on Jesus in all circumstances.

Have you encountered any criticism from the depiction of spiritual warfare in your novels? Any from other Christians?

Absolutely none. Remember I said one reader used Devils Dump in her reading group? Well, it was a Christian reading group and they all loved it … she left reviews on Amazon for both books. Actually most of my readers are Christians and I have not had any negativity from any of them … they have actually expressed liking them very much and learning from them.

What has been the reaction of your church towards this genre that you have depicted?

Again nothing negative. Remember Devils Dump started as newsletter serial and if anyone objected I would have been asked to discontinue it. Since it went on for years I get no one objected. Also one of my big fans and one who proofread Satan’s Loophole is a local pastor and he really liked both books but felt Satan’s Loophole was the better of the two. I will also ask him to proofread the 3rd when it is done.

The title of the second novel, Satan’s Loophole, implies that Satan may have found a way to victory over God or at least over the human race. Without revealing any spoilers, is this title deliberate and hints at a significant plot arc?

I really don’t want to give anything away but consider this. When Satan wanted to tempt Job he needed God's permission. Let’s just say he didn’t have God's permission to do what he did in Satan’s Loophole. Satan does not want to bring down God’s wrath just yet and so like a petulant child he found a way to do something that hadn’t been included in the definite can and cannot do list. Never to I imply or want anyone to think Satan can pull anything over on God … but you have to read the book to learn his punishment.

I noticed that you published both these novels independently. Did you have any resistance from traditional publishers?

I am an unknown entity in the world of writers so finding an agent, or a publisher is not easy. I’d love to have had a traditional publisher but the only one I discovered wanted $3000.00 from me upfront and even I know that is now how traditional publishing works. I’d like to see movies made of my story and many of my readers have asked me why I don’t do that … people don’t understand it isn’t MY choice … most of it is just beyond my ability to navigate the publishing world.

Would you continue to publish independently?

If it is the only way I can get my books published then yes. Would I like to have an agent and a traditional publisher? Absolutely.

Where can readers find you?

Devils Dump page on Facebook  -  Satan’s Loophole Group on Facebook  -  Devils Dump Group on Facebook

Sheri Kirkendall’s author's page on Amazon  -  Sheri's blog  -  Author Page on Goodreads

Any closing comments?

I write because I love writing and because I have hundreds of stories running around in my head. Some of my earlier short stories are included on my blog and many of them are in the NOTES section of my Facebook page. One of my favorites that I wish I had made into a novel is called “The Last Trial” and it is on both the block and FB notes page.

I write because I want people to know that God is real and even though Satan is real he is a created being who has no power over you unless you give it to him.

I hope to connect with my readers and I hope they like what I do, but like many authors, I think I honestly write for myself and would do it even if nobody ever read it but me.

Also like may authors I absolutely HATE auto correct … worst thing ever invented. Sometimes I WANT something misspelt or a punctuation mark left out or added because sometimes I want things to sound like we really speak.

Anyone who wants to contact me can do so through my blog, Facebook, and Goodreads. I will answer any questions I can.

Thanks and appreciation to everyone who has decided to read my books …. Now one important question … would you please leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook and anywhere else you can think about. Reviews sell books so even though I appreciate at people reading the book I will say a special prayer for all who also choose to leave a review.

Sheri, I have enjoyed this interview! Thank you so much for giving us an insight into your writing life and the background to the Devil's Dump series. I am looking forward to reading them. I pray this interview has encouraged readers to investigate this series and be blessed and spiritually encouraged with the Biblical principles you have based them on.

We could look at a guest post to promote Book 3 when it is released. It would be great to have you back!

Now a little about Sheri Kirkenhall before we finish up:

I was born and raised in Alliance, Ohio. I bounced between Alliance and Columbus Ohio until I was a senior in high school. My dad died when I was 3 so I lived with grandparents until my mom remarried when I was 7 and we moved to Columbus. After she remarried my step-dad and I did not get along so I moved back and forth about 6 times. I started reading in earnest when I was when I go my first pair of glasses when I was in 5th grade. It became the joy of my life. I always had a book in my hand. I also wrote imaginary stories in my head that could become very involved and last nor months. I never even considered writing them down. They were all genres from monsters chasing me through the streets of Alliance after I found a secret passageway out of my grandma's house through her hat collection. In Columbus, the imaginings were more me being someone else who had a better life.

 

I began writing poetry and short stories in Junior High. I save most of them but they were destroyed when my grandma's basement flooded. Then later when I was in charge of my church newsletter I started writing short stories .... some fiction and some Bible-based and the majority of those I have saved and some are in the NOTES section of my Facebook page and some on my blog.

 

I suppose before I get too far down the road I should mention I married at age 24 to Jerry Kirkendall. We had a beautiful daughter Heather and he had two sons, Danny and Jeff. (Heather had two children Jalen and Alexi) Jerry died just after our 20th anniversary and his son Jeff died not long after that. I didn't do much writing during this period because I spent most of the time reading every book I could get my hands on. Jerry and I owned two businesses. One was a sports card shop but that was kind of a side thing. We owned and printed circuit board company which I was able to keep open after his death for about 5 years. Then technology changed and I closed it. I was also in a near-fatal auto accident the effects of which I still deal with today.  (Other jobs I had ... I drove a taxi cab on summer just for the adventure of doing it; I worked for a potter for one winter; I worked for a tv station and then I decided to try and be an author full time.

 

As I mentioned I did a lot of writing for our church newsletter and that is how Devils Dump came into being. Over about a 5 years time frame, I included a chapter at a time in the newsletter. When I retired many friends and family encouraged me to get it published (easier said than done) but because they kept encouraging me I decided to rewrite Devils Dump as a novel. It only took me two months from the time I rewrote it to publishing on Create Space ... I did all the proofing myself and I must stay I made lots of errors. I am currently in between other thing rewriting for a second printing and expanding things reader requested I explain in more depth) As soon as it was published I began book two Satan's Loophole ... it took me a couple of months to write the first draft. I sent copies out to friends and a preacher to proofread... Something changed in my life and I didn't get back to Satan's loophole until early 2019.  I gathered all the proofread books, corrected what needed to be corrected and did a little expansion and sent it to KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) in July 2019. In the meantime, I am about 1/2 way through the final book in the series. It's discouraging knowing I have a good story and everyone who has read it has really like it ...  sadly not all that many people have read it. A lot more people are reading Devils Dump now due to the sequel being out but not a lot are reading the sequel

 
I am retired ... so have all the time in the world to write but due to my injuries from the auto accident my hand only lasts so long.

If this interview has piqued your interest in these novels, click on the images below:

 

Readers and reviews are an author’s best asset, so I encourage any reader, to consider reading Devils Dump and Satan's Loophole 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.

Novella Review: It Came Upon A Midnight by Fayla Ott

 I reviewed this novel on 01/12/19 in a previous blog, now defunct.

It Came Upon A Midnight

Another spiritual warfare plays out in this novella written by Fayla Ott, author of AFFLICTED.

Christmas has come early for Avery when she gets a job at a tourist home in the small town of Herald, Ms. For years, she has heard the stories about the haunted house and the ghostly statue on the property. At first, she disregards them as urban legends until she comes face to face with spiritual forces that threaten not only her job, but her life.

What happened between Frederick and Helen Bailey the night she died? Why did he insist on building a statue in her image to place where he could view it everyday? Are the rumors true? Did Frederick murder his wife in 1892? Does he and his wife still haunt the Bailey property?

Perspective by Peter:

I was really excited to see this new offering from Fayla Ott. I became a fan of her writing since I reviewed Afflicted earlier this year.

Afflicted did not disappoint and this new novella has not either. I can see this novella being the first in a new series. Ott has a passion for depicting spiritual warfare biblically and this novella portrays that again, just like she did in Afflicted. Fott sets up this story with a haunted house and as the novella progresses it raises the question whether the haunting is due to ghosts, urban legends or demons.

Avery becomes spooked by strange happenings in the house as she is setting it up for a Christmas display. As with most suspenseful stories, it is the curiosity of the main character(s) that progresses the story further and we see Avery exploring the house in areas where she should not and yes, she encounters the source of the haunting. She also discovers more about the house's sordid past.

It is with a conversation with her friend, Lisa, that Fott establishes what and who the source are.

Ott provides a very important Biblical insight to how we need to live. This conversation between Avery and Lisa shows what they are dealing with and what we need to be focussing on in order to be victorious against them,

“You’re serious, aren’t you? You really believe demons act like ghosts?” “Yes. I think it’s rare, but obviously something evil happened here to invite demonic activity. Demons can take the form of humans to fool people into believing in things which deter them from the truth.” “We’ve never talked about this at my church. I wonder why.” “People do not like to talk about it. I guess we have to be careful, though. We need to be aware of them, but we shouldn’t obsess over their presence. We have to focus on the presence of Christ instead.”

It is a sad and tragic indictment on the Christian Church if what Lisa says above is not talked about, and Christians equipped Biblically and spiritually to deal with the demonic. Avery is secure in the truth she speaks in this quote above, discerns their tactics and despite being affected by them, she does not let this overtake her or give in to her fear.  It is here that Ott depicts more Biblical truth in dealing with them. How Avery distinguishes between what is a ghost and what is a demon is what every Christian should know from this conversation I have included above and what the Bible states about this that Ott has included at the beginning of the novella,

…For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. ---2 Corinthians 11:14 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. ----James 3:15-16 Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8 The Lord is my light and salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1

On top of these Biblical truths and principles that identify our opponent, Ott employs one of the most important and powerful ones, that calling on the name of Jesus to defeat them. And using this principle is successful as it always is as there is nothing more powerful than the name of Jesus to defeat any attack of any demon or satan himself. One other aspect depicted here is the Spirit of God, speaking to Avery, reinforcing to her that she belongs to Him. From this, we are to understand and accept that seeing He died for our sin, and to restore us back to Him, He has broken the bondage of sin and death and has given us the power over the demonic and satan so we do not have to feel or act defeated or become "owned" by those forces. It all gets down to who we are in Christ. (That is another topic for another day!).

When I read the names of the demons, I recognised them as those from Afflicted. This was a good move on Ott's part. And the angels were from that novel as well. It is from this aspect that Ott could carry this series further, but more to the point, she has left some plot arcs loosely open. It is this can would be the main driving thrust to progress this to a series. What does happen to Sam and Avery? What happens to Sonnellion and Belias? What happens with Avery’s being reunited with her foster parents? 

I would have loved this story to be longer. Short stories or novella always have their characteristic shortness as their main restriction but it all depends on the ability of the author to pack in as much as possible without compromising story, characters and pace. Short stories and novellas do not need to impress the reader that everything is rushed or shallow to fit into this short " space". Ott does not compromise here in this offering but if it continues as a series, this needs to be longer or even novel size to do the subject matter the proper justice. This is an important topic that a longer size or in novel size would lend itself well to.

A sobering account of spiritual warfare set against the background of Christmas. Ott achieves what Christian fiction should do, entertain, uplift, educate (equip) and draw both Christian and non-Christian closer to God.

Strongly 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 4/5

Enemy Spiritual Level 5/5

Overall Rating: 4.8 Stars

 
If you would like to investigate It Came Upon A Midnight, click on the image below:

Readers and reviews are an author’s greatest asset, so I encourage any reader, to consider reading It Came Upon A Midnight 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 that 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.