Interview with Kevin M. Kraft, Author of MOMO

I was contacted by the author via Goodreads to review his book, MOMO. It was free on Lulu.com. I thoroughly enjoyed it. My review can be found here. My enjoyment encouraged me to consider interviewing Kevin as I wanted to see what makes this author tick to have written such an engrossing novel that educates, encourages your faith and trust in God and that relationships can be healed by Yahweh Ropheka (The Lord who heals), specifically in this case the father/son relationship. 

MOMO

A father and son, on a weekend jaunt to the family cabin in the Missouri woodland, find themselves in a fight for survival a single night against a savage creature straight from the annals of cryptozoology…with courage, faith and a single cabin door as their only defence. 

With dawn so far away, their generator running out of power and no means of calling for help, will these things be enough to allow even one of them to see another day? 

Soon to be a major motion picture!

This is Kevin's first interview and he certainly has a lot of encouraging things to say and he has encouraged me greatly. Looks like it is not just his novel, MOMO, that has impacted on my faith and myself! 

So grab a coffee, get comfortable and let Kevin M. Kraft entertain and encourage you in his passion for writing and giving Glory to God in the process.

Okay Kevin, how about we start with you telling us a little about yourself? 

Well, besides being a writer, I’m a singer-songwriter and guitarist, an award-winning screenwriter, a movie maker and social commentator. I’m the CEO of T E K Productions here in Kansas City, Missouri, where, most importantly, I’m a husband and father of a family of six. My “real” job is as a youth care worker at a psychiatric hospital. 

What inspired you to become an author and has it always been a desire of yours to write? 

Well, the first thing to inspire me to write was being told stories, either through my parents and teachers reading to me or through television and movies. I always loved to be told great stories and I loved great storytellers. As I began to learn to read, I would get the books I had been read and associated the words and letters and realised, “Hey, someone wrote these things!” And I wanted to do the same—write stories that enthralled both others and even myself. So from the moment I knew how to piece together a coherent sentence, I wanted to write. 

What tools have you found most successful in advertising/marketing yourself and your books?

You know, to tell you the truth, I am really not that good at marketing myself. I’m a Johnny-Come-Lately to those tools and practices. I’ve been writing for years and self-published my first novel a couple years ago, but I have a meager (albeit loyal) readership. I’m...trying to increase that. And to that end, my first strategy is to try and burn up the book review blogs with my latest book and thereby bring attention to my past novels. I’m taking a lesson from author Amanda Hocking, who gained much success this way. 

What has surprised you the most about becoming an author? 

The most surprising thing to me is the discovery, through the response of others, that I’m an effective writer. It may sound pompous to say, “I know I’m a good writer,” but I think I am—at least that’s what I’m told—and I know how to do it. It’s a talent or gift that I exhibited in the first grade, with students and teachers and family alike responding very emotionally and enthusiastically to my stories. But I’ll also admit that I’m my own worst critic who is very rarely ever satisfied with his own work. The real test for me is how my own work affects ME. If I can reread a novel or a screenplay I’ve penned, and not get tired of it and still be moved emotionally by it, I know I have something extraordinary. My biggest challenge is knowing when to stop revising and just leave it alone. Like George Lucas, I think said about his films, they are never finished, they’re just released. I feel the same about my writing. 

How has writing and being an author impacted further on your relationship with Jesus Christ? 

I express myself best through the written word. To craft a sentence or a sentiment or an idea in just the right way that it gets into a person’s thoughts or soul and stay there and grows and perhaps enlightens or enthrals is invaluable to me. And to be able to summon word pictures to convey truth can’t be over-appreciated. My walk with Christ has been influenced by such things. Great writers are big readers, and I’m inspired to write effectively when I read effective writing. God frequently uses stories to show me things I might otherwise miss—spiritual truths that define me and mature me. I listen to my favourite songs again and again to try and figure out why. Same with books. I’ve read James Byron Huggin’s novel, Leviathan repeatedly, because it moves me. It’s one of the most incredible novels I have ever read, so much so that I’ve read it to all of my children, as well as read it for myself. I want to write novels that do that for someone else. The idea of communicating truth so effectively—I keep using that word, I know!—is something I want to manifest. 

Obviously becoming an author has been a huge accomplishment for you, but can you tell us what a major goal of yours is outside of the world of writing?

Uh-oh! Now you’ve done it. I’m an aspiring filmmaker. I, in fact, have felt the Lord leading me into the industry, and film has, as much as reading and writing, shaped my perception and understanding. So...yes, movie making is my passion right next to writing. And the two have, of course, merged together. In fact, this interview comes in conjunction with the impending release of my inspirational thriller, MOMO, which is a novelization of my award-winning screenplay of the same name. My hope is that MOMO the book will become popular and lead to interest in MOMO the movie, and that people will support our efforts when we eventually crowdfund it on Indiegogo or Kickstarter or whatever funding platform we decide to use. Movie making comes as “naturally” or as easily as writing does. But…it takes money I don’t have. 

So we know you like to write, but can you divulge to your fans out there what’s something that you like to do in your downtime, when you're not writing? 

Well, my family is always most important to me. I have a wife and four kids. They’re a continual adventure and a true source of joy. But if you’re talking about hobbies and things like that, I am a cigar box guitar guru. In fact, I founded the annual Kansas City Cigar Box Guitar Festival—a legacy I’m proud of. I love to build and play them and due exhibitions about the history and application the instrument. There are few things more inspiring than creating music on something you built with your own hands. 

Do you think there is anything significantly different about Christian fiction, as opposed to secular fiction? 

That’s difficult to answer in that I find myself wanting to reply with something more than the obvious, which is “the Message.” At the same time, secular fiction can sometimes say things better than Christian fiction. Same with movies. Christian artists in particular tend to more concerned with thrusting the MESSAGE they are trying to convey and forget to tell an original or compelling or GOOD story. I know that may sound awful or judgemental. But...I think you might know what I mean. 

I notice that you are in a band. Tell us a bit about this.

Oh! Yeah! Thanks for asking about this. Going back to what I said about the cigar box guitar. I infrequently do concerts. But when I do, I now sing with my two eldest kids and a friend of mine. We are collectively known as Kevin M. Kraft & the Home school. We do both original songs and some covers, and eclectic mix. My kids have really emerged, much to my delight, as capable singers and I LOVE performing with them. Not only is this frustrated rock star getting to periodically play onstage, my kids—MY KIDS sing with me. How many people can boast about that? 

How did MOMO come about? You mentioned in a message to me that it is very special among your writings? What does MOMO stand for? 

A few years ago, after several frustrating years of trying to get my film making career off the ground, we—meaning my wife and my associates—decided we needed to break in with an easily-made, low-budget movie, to just get something good made that would open the door to other film projects. And as I considered what that first film might be, I knew that I’d always wanted to write, as I termed it as a boy, “a really good and scary Bigfoot movie.” A creature feature. A thriller. And effective thriller. I was really influenced by two movies as a kid: The Thing From Another World and Sasquatch: The Legend of Bigfoot. I made a vow, when I was around 13, whenever Sasquatch came out, to make a movie when I could. Wasn’t sure how. I know, as I studied film even back then, that it was an expensive enterprise. Fortunately, digital technology makes it possible for the everyman to make movies now. Anyway, it had to be simple to stay low-budget, so I came up with two people, a father and son in a cabin-in-the-woods thriller. I live in Missouri and, having a love for cryptology, I discovered the legendary MOMO...which stands for “Missouri Monster”, which, in turn, refers to a cryptid, a sort of Sasquatch-like creature that was reported to terrorize the town of Louisiana, Missouri for two weeks in the 1970s, to secure itself in the annals of cryptozoology and unexplained phenomenon. Perfect, I thought, because MOMO is singular and distinctive from the generally-known Sasquatch/Bigfoot/Yeti cryptids. Why, just the name—“Momo—is a great hook! 

Well, to make a long story as short as I can, I wrote the script, it won an award, got some accolades, but we were unsuccessful in acquiring funding for it. So last year, my wife suggested wisely that I write the novel to the screenplay and get that out there. Actually, I had thought about it even a year before that but didn’t do it, concentrating on the script. But I finally wrote the MOMO novella, understanding that most movies begin as books. Since the script is an effective thriller, I thought I should have been able to write an effective novel from it. It’s the first time I ever wrote a novel from a script! The rest is history...or will be. Originally, being a guerrilla filmmaker at-heart, I wrote the screenplay with the intention of me and my oldest son playing the leads and doing it on a very limited budget—just to show I could. But since that didn’t lead to funding success, I’ve since cast professional actors in the lead roles...although some have suggested I go back to the original intent. Anyway, MOMO is special to me because of all that and because I identify with both the father and son in the story. I love a story that moves me emotionally, and when I read what these two characters experience...it’s really special. I’m moved. 

What kind of reaction are you hoping to receive from readers of MOMO? 

In researching the story, the screenplay in particular, I watch every Bigfoot/Yeti movie I could find. And I was surprised to find that most of them, except for maybe one or two, were horrible, abysmal either in content or quality. The two exceptions were arguably okay and weren’t outstanding; they were just better than the rest. And I watched all of these films asking myself why? What worked and what didn’t work in these films? And I took notes and I studied each film intently—sometimes making myself sick...sitting through some of these—anyway, I came up with a formula for success that I plugged into the script and therefore the book. And without giving too much of my secrets away, I will say that one thing was emotional payload. So, to answer your question, I hope that readers will be moved by the emotional payload of the characters, the father and son in the novella. And that readers will be moved in such a way that they will want to reread MOMO again and again to re-experience the thrills they found the first time they read it. And, of course, I hope they will check out my other novels, which are, undoubtedly, the best novels they’ve perhaps never read. Is that...is that pompous? LOL!

You have had some beta readers give you positive reviews and you have two published reviews so far that are also positive, have you been surprised it has been received so well? 

Yes and no. I’ll say that I’m very, very pleased, even overwhelmed by the response to MOMO. But I have to say, I knew, with the screenplay, that I’d written an effective thriller. I mean...I entered it into the ZedFest Lo/No-Budget Screenplay Contest and knew it would win, which it did. I just knew it would. It was a great script, an effective thriller scientifically engineered to succeed. What I’m pleased about is that the novel is, seemingly, just as effective and thrilling. I was really worried that I wouldn’t be able to adequately adapt the script into a novel. But I’m pleased to know that I apparently succeeded. I collect comments and reviews from my test readers and include them in my promotional materials and in the book itself, so others can see what reader just like them have already said about MOMO. 

Why did you make this a novella instead of a full length novel? I would have liked it to be longer, you could then add more scary scenes with MOMO and have more scenes where Mark and Evan's faith is tested and also explore more about their fractured/estranged relationship and the healing power of God. 

After carefully considering the possibilities of the novel, I decided that it was simply long enough. I knew that if I tried to make it longer for the sake of making it longer, I would have simply diluted it and made an effective thriller less-effective. The story centres on two people with the majority of the action taking place in one location. There are just so many things that can happen under those circumstances, right? Also, I wanted the book and the script to be pretty close. It’s a movie tie-in, so one needed to compliment the other. Except the opening. The opening is different in the script. Besides, novellas are a sort of forgotten art that has its own virtues. And I typically don’t do things the easy way. But...yeah, MOMO was just as long as it needed to be. But I thank you for wishing for more! That’s flattering. 

You mentioned that MOMO needs to be made into a movie, what is the next stage in this development? I agree, it would make a great movie. 

Thank you! And I hope I get lots of readers who will agree and tell lots of other readers and moviegoers the same!!! The next step for me is to build my readership by burning up the blogosphere, letting the world know that this fantastic novella could become a motion picture within the year with their support. So I’m doing anything I can to make it happen. And I appreciate what you’ve done to assist me in that. The cast and crew of MOMO, at least as it exists now, are standing by. We lack only funding to make it. 

When will MOMO be released in print form and e-book form? 

January 31st is the target date! I’m so excited!!!! People can visit my website to keep tabs on that or look my up on Facebook or, of course, my Author’s Spotlight at Lulu. 

Can you tell us a little about how your previous novel, S: A Contemporary Religious Fantasy came about? I can foresee that this could be quite a controversial topic seeing that Jesus died for the human race only and that Hell was created initially for the satan and fallen angels. 

Controversy? Downright vitriol in some cases! Not many, but...some. S came about one day when my youngest daughter said, “Daddy, you know how the Bible says we’re supposed to love our enemies?” I said yeah. “Does that mean were supposed to love Satan too?” Just like me, her imagination is rich with why’s and what-ifs. The conversation grew from there. We discussed whether it was possible for the Devil to repent and how the Devil is a person and a personality and imagine what kind of personality he might have to do what he did and would God forgive him if he repented and should we pray for Satan’s repentance. We discussed the fact that Satan was an angel, one of the sons of God, and didn’t that imply that God loved them all as their Father and what about the angels who fell with Satan. We also talked about role and nature of sin and why do Christians STILL sin? Jesus died not just to save us from the curse of sin but the YOKE of sin. Why would we be instructed against sin, if it wasn’t possibly for us to avoid it? And we discussed if is there ever a time when a believer has no choice but to sin...and couldn’t come up with any examples in the affirmative. We sin because we choose to go against our nature—our new nature—willingly and what does that make us? Also, what is the depth of God’s grace? How vast is it? 

Anyway, all these questions are addressed in S: A Contemporary Religious Fantasy. And while many might take exception to making Satan a sympathetic character, I would remind them that this is a fantasy, hence the subtitle. I’ve actually been amazed that, with only a couple exceptions, most people responded very, very, very enthusiastically and positively to S and re-examined their own lives accordingly. Odd as it may sound, it is surprisingly light, was fun to write and is probably my most profound work to-date. 

What is the W-3 Crew series about? That sounds like a Young Adult orientated series? 

The W-3 Crew was born out of my frustration with the popularity of the Harry Potter novels among Christians in the mid-90s. In fact, I got tired of the whole witchcraft craze and wanted to write some stories that would offer something, oh…less-dark, less-Satanic! As with MOMO, I had this idea for an adventure series about three upstate New York kids who encounter strange phenomenon, which was probably inspired by my love of SCOOBY-DOO and THE NIGHT STALKER TV series I loved in the 70s. So I started writing these really short stories with these characters and decided, after several of them, that I needed to write a novel explaining how these three unlikely friend met. Hence The W-3 Crew. My eldest daughter absolutely loved the first book, which was really fun to write, and a second, even bigger novel, a sequel, followed. At nineteen, my daughter still wants me to complete the trilogy! And I am pleased to say I plan to begin work on the third novel very soon. Better late than never. I look forward to catching up with Michael, Tanya and Justin again. 

As far as classification goes…young adult, adult, middle reader…as with marketing and self-promotion, I am the worst at writing for anything other than a broad audience. In fact, one of my failures is that I DO NOT do that. The book industry works in demographics and I just do not. I write with families in mind most of the time. Even S is a book (and now a screenplay) that could be enjoyed by a large and wide audience, despite what the subject matter may suggest. I hate being put into a box. I will always describe my audience as “broad”. 

All your novels, (S: A Contemporary Religious Fantasy and the W-3 Crew, MOMO) can be classified in the edgy, speculative Christian fiction category. You have started your writing career in a relatively new and evolving, but not very well accepted or understood genre of Christian fiction. How did this come about? Had you considered writing in a safer more mainstream genre of Christian fiction first? 

Oooh, “edgy”! I have never been called that…I don’t even know what it means, but it sounds exciting! How this came about is…I’ve always had a vivid imagination, stoked by an interest in the strange and wonderful, always asking why and what-if. I soaked up material on unexplained phenomenon. I was steeped in it. Couple that with my faith and my desire to weave wonderful stories and there you have it. Have I considered writing safer more mainstream genres of Christian fiction first? NEVER! What I write is a reflection or who and what God has made me to be. It has probably made my journey longer than it would have otherwise, but that’s fine. Maybe one of the things I’m to be, as an artist, is DIFFERENT. To open up the field of Christian fiction, if that is, indeed, what I write. Frankly, I sort of resist that label. I write what I write, plain and simple and my worldview and sensibilities come naturally to the surface. People seem to really enjoy what I write BECAUSE it is, by nature, defiant of conventions. To hear someone tell me that is the highest of compliments. In whatever I do, however, rest assured I seek to glorify the Lord, whether in a profound work like S: A Contemporary Religious Fantasy or with a simple fun adventure like The W-3 Crew. It’s how I live. I don’t know the meaning of the word “safe.” I have always just written what I had to write. 

Your fans, I’m sure, want to know if there is more to come. Would you mind giving an exclusive glimpse of what is to come? 

The completion of the W-3 Crew trilogy (I guess…or so it turns out), a nonfiction book for the layman that examines why Darwinian Evolutionism isn’t just incompatible with Christianity (“theistic evolution” is an oxymoron) but simply the biggest lie ever told to Man based on nothing but a desire to eliminate God…and working on some novels and children’s stories with my wonderful wife. We have some excellent ideas we’re planning on finally penning. Also, some of my kids are writing, so I’ll be helping them with their work! 

What message do you want readers to obtain from reading MOMO? 

That faith-based fiction can be effective even if it isn’t message-oriented. That sometimes what’s great is to tell a great story and place Christian characters in an incredible situation and see how they react…and this can speak not just to the faithful but to those outside the church as well. I want both readers and writers to see that Christian entertainment, whether, books or films, need not be second-or third-rate nor only consumable by those of us in the Church. We should set the standard for the world when it comes to these things. I hope I’m doing my part to achieve that. It seems petty, but when one considers how popular books and movies are and their influence on our culture, the need for excellent faith-based material, material that dares to color outside the lines established by Christendom, becomes clear. 

Is there anything you’d like to say to your readers? 

I hope you are entertained and blessed and inspired in some way by my work. Please contact me with your thoughts about it. I welcome that! Please be on the lookout for the MOMO movie campaign. We’ll crowdfund it in the spring and we’ll need your support if you think it’d make a great movie. And keep reading my work. That spurs me on to write more! I love storytelling. 

Do you have any words that you’d like to leave us with? 

Something I love and thrive on is that fact that the Creator of the universe has placed within His creation, the ability to create. I honestly think, as an expressive artist, that such outlets allow us to, at least a little bit, identify with the Father as the Creator. As a writer, I create people, place them in a world and sometimes in dangerous situations in which they grow to become better people and perhaps teach others about themselves. I encourage everyone to find, if they can, some creative outlet…to experience what it’s like to, well, create. It’s a wonderful feeling that makes you appreciate God the Creator even that much more and perhaps understand Him better. Does that make sense? I feel like I’m rambling a bit. And, of course, the advice that runs through MOMO:

“At the end of your strength is God's. Push yourself there.” 

Where can readers find you? 

Website: www.kevinmkraft.weebly.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kevin.m.kraft?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevkraft

Goodreads: Kevin M. Kraft

Kevin, Thank you for a most entertaining and insightful look into your world and your novels. I look forward to reading the rest of them and I am sure that now readers of this interview will be eager to check these out too and start reading. You are man of many talents and it is very encouraging to see you use these for the Glory of God. I love your passion for your craft and it is going to be great to watch you make the movie version of MOMO and then be blessed watching it! 

MOMO by Kevin M. Kraft

MOMO by Kevin M. Kraft. 

Author of THE W-3 CREW and S: A CONTEMPORARY RELIGIOUS FANTASY, comes a thrilling novella, based on his award-winning screenplay, with as much suspense as it does soul and as much terror as it touches the heart.

A father and son, on a weekend jaunt to the family cabin in the Missouri woodland, find themselves in a fight for survival a single night against a savage creature straight from the annals of cryptozoology…with courage, faith and a single cabin door as their only defense. 

With dawn so far away, their generator running out of power and no means of calling for help, will these things be enough to allow even one of them to see another day? 

Soon to be a major motion picture!

The Guru's Review:

The author requested me to review this new novella after finding me on Goodreads. This novella will be released later this month, (January 2015).

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. A real page turner and the second half when all the horror starts is very fast paced and absorbing. The first half is successful in developing the characters, Mark Taylor and his 16 year old son, Evan, and the relationship that is in need of some work and repair. I found them to be very real and relational. In a novel with this theme of healing a fractured father/son relationship, the characters need to be real in order for the author to deliver his message and the reader to relate to it. Kraft is successful here and this is one strength of this novel. 

Kraft shows great insight into the father/son relationship and the dynamics that should exist, but in the majority of cases in reality, does not, resulting in fractured/estranged relationships between the two. In many respects, I wish my father had taken the initiative to do this with me, what Kraft has Mark do with his son. I really warmed to this relationship that he portrays with these two characters. He has made them honest with each other, real and admitting their shortcomings with themselves and each other. I also related well to the third male character that was very much a part of this novella although not there in a physical sense, that of Evan's grandfather. I loved the special bond that Kraft describes between the grandfather and grandson and how it is this that forms one aspect of the healing between Evan and his father. 

I felt Evan's pain in the fractured relationship with his father and could identify with his request for acceptance and approval which is part of every son's heart towards his father, 

"I know you love me dad. But...I don't think you like me much."

Mark sat there, totally cut to the quick. He opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out.

Evan resumed, "Not all the time, Dad, but.... it's like you're trying make me into...well, you! You pressure me about the archery team, because your're a dead shot. You're teaching me because grandpa taught you.....I could not care less about bows and arrows.....and Dad.....I hate camping. I'm glad you wanna spend time with me, but you never take an interest in what I like, what I'm interested in. I'm not like you, dad. I have my own interests, things you would probably hate or find boring. But they mean a lot to me. And you've never even tried ... to find out about me. I want you to get to know me, Dad."

It is from this POV that motivates both characters to change the relationship between them. However, this was set in motion by the death of Evan's grandfather 3 weeks before this camping trip. It seems to me that Kraft has used the desperate, life threatening situation of survival against MOMO to illustrate that sometimes in life we have to hit rock bottom to realise what we need to do to rectify our human relationships and let God be God and learn to trust Him to show us the way to healing and understanding and acceptance of each other for who we are. Kraft successfully portrays this fight for survival as a means to show Evan that he can be confident, a deficit that concerns his father and that Evan wants to change.

The account of Evan taking charge when MOMO strikes and sets the odds against them, is great reading and I was cheering Evan on in proving to himself and his father what a strong and confident young man he is developing into, and quite the hero because of this. Kraft shines in this account. And Mark Taylor earns the respect of his son and finally accepts Evan for who he is. He has definitely found out more about his son by the end of their ordeal!

The horror aspects were not overdone and I liked this intensity as it did not detract from the real message of this novel, the healing of the father/son relationship. The horror setting of man against beast, is the platform to allow Mark and his son to allow themselves to understand each other, trust each other and heal each other. Kraft is successful here as well and this is another strength of this novel. That is not to say the horror and suspense is not there! It is and is described well and convincing and I must confess, my heart was racing and I was tense when reading MOMO's attack on Evan. I was also left hanging in anticipation, not knowing what happened when the chapter ended with the final confrontation between Mark and MOMO. This really did make you read on to find out.

Kraft has the spiritual aspects very subtle and not in great force but the effect is just as strong. I love some of his quotes that he has given to Mark and his father, such as, 

Beyond your own strength is God's. Push yourself there.

Simple, short, but there is such a spiritual depth and wisdom to this and great encouragement. I love this one, and will become part of my encouragement to myself and others when the going gets tough. To me, this shows more about the spiritual side of this author. The other spiritual insights included in the rest of the novel also support this about Kraft. I had some reservations about this novel honouring God when I discussed reviewing it with the author, but I have no qualms about this now!

Kraft states that, 

MOMO is very special among my writings indeed. 

This definitely shows in this novel. I plan to interview him in the coming weeks so will discuss this more with him then. I look forward to this immensely. 

For anyone who wants a short, entertaining, engrossing novel that educates along the way and encourages your faith and trust in God and that relationships can be healed by Him, specifically the father/son relationship, then this novel ticks all those boxes. 

Highly Recommended.

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Blood for Blood by Ben Wolf

What if a vampire got saved? 

Calandra, an evangelist's daughter, is amazed to watch as Raven, a century-old vampire, develops faith. As Raven ceases to drink blood and becomes more human with each passing day, Calandra cannot deny her growing attraction to him even though she is being courted by another man. 

Raven's newfound salvation is both a relief and a burden, as he encounters multiple vampire taboos and must overcome them. Just when Raven begins to get the hang of his new lifestyle, Calandra is attacked by bandits.

Will Raven revert to his old vampiric ways to save Calandra from certain death? Or will he rely on his faith in God to help him ransom Calandra from a new brand of evil more horrifying than he ever was as a vampire?

The Guru's Review: 

As soon as I saw the cover of this book and read the blurb that I knew this was an exceptional book. I was quite willing to buy this book, but when Wolf promoted it in a mini Facebook competition, I knew I had to enter and was one of the first 10 to enter and yes, won a copy.

It is not very often that I say this is one of the best books I have read, but this is definitely very true of this novel. I was immediately drawn in and totally absorbed into the 18th Century setting and into the lives of the Zambini family and that of Raven Worth. Sometimes I had to stop reading, very reluctantly I might add, to absorb what I had just read and deal with the awe that was beginning to take me over. This is one very well crafted novel. Wolf writes very well, and the plot structure is strong and flows very smoothly without any hiccups.

When I read the blurb for this novel, I instantly thought, "This is one novel that definitely defines what Edgy Speculative Christian fiction is all about."

Edgy due to it being a taboo Christian subject and one that is one associated with the demonic and occult and the majority of Christians are either scared of this area, ignorant of it or are discouraged from knowing about it for fear of being lured into it, or they are frowned upon by their Christian peers if it is discussed, and then there is the attitude that "Do vampires exist?"

Speculative due to the question that Wolf raises, What if a vampire got saved? And it is this that this novel addresses and I believe shows that the Gospel of Christ and His death on the Cross is for all, no exclusions.

Christian due to the the Gospel being presented to Raven and him being transformed into a new creature as mentioned in 2 Corinthians 5:17,

Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence.

Fiction well, we all know what that means!

Wolf has obviously researched vampire lore and mythology and integrated this well into the plot and in bringing Raven to life as a reluctant vampire. In other vampire novels, it is this lore and mythology that forms the basis of the paranormal romance but in this novel, it forms the basis of why Raven is unhappy and wants out of this life that has been unwillingly thrust upon him. Wolf uses this to not only entertain but to add suspense while educating in the life of a vampire. The way he has described vampire lore through the character of Vanessa and Raven accounting his entry into this existence is very fascinating reading on its own and well done by Wolf. Some of this research/lore/mythology can be easily accessed on Wolf's website with his miniseries of You might be a vampire if... which gives concise bites of information including biblical insights as well. I found this an invaluable resource and I encourage every reader to access this.

I loved the way Wolf has used the doctrine of salvation and redemption to minister to Raven's dark existence. Like his treatment of vampire lore, Wolf has done the same to the biblical response to this existence that is diametrically opposed to everything relating to God. The following passages spoken by Luco Zambini, the pastor, explains it very well and is where the book gets its title from, this first conversation being before Raven accepts Jesus,

"I believe God has a plan for your life, I believe he wants to save you and-"

"I don't have a soul to save....You forget that I am not mortal. My soul is gone."

"Actually, you're immortal because you're cursed. You forfeited your soul when you turned, and you received immortality. Either way, your're still bound to the covenant you made with sin.....You may not have chosen to become a vampire, but we've all sinned. We're all cursed, Raven. There's only way to break that curse....It's by the blood of Jesus Christ."

And in another with Luco after he accepts Christ,

"...Calandra's right, Your're heading in the right direction."

"I feel like I somehow need to make up for the wrong I've done as a vampire."

Luco shook his head. "Jesus died for your sins. His blood covered your transgressions. He atoned for your sins so you wouldn't have to."

"His blood," Raven repeated. "I still find that ironic that His blood is supposed to keep me from drinking everyone else's.

"Blood for blood, Raven," Luco said. "His blood is the substitute for all of ours, yours included. Blood for blood."

"But it didn't cost me anything. I'm cursed, damned, and immortal, and somehow God can just fix all of that with no consequences on my end? it sounds too good to be true."

"Don't misunderstand the Gospel. If you think this ought to cost you something, then you've got the right idea. When you claim Jesus as your Saviour, He claims you for Himself. the caveat in Christianity is that you aren't actually getting your life and your soul back. You're handing them over to Jesus. There's that element of sacrifice you're looking for."

"I don't feel like I've sacrificed anything that I wasn't already eager to get rid of though," Raven said.

"Don't worry about that. In time, you'll see differently. We all do."

Another conversation that Wolf had Raven understand was in response to Raven not having a soul. As Raven explains,

"I don't have a soul to save....You forget that I am not mortal. My soul is gone."

Luco states, "Actually, you're immortal because you're cursed. You forfeited your soul when you turned, and you received immortality."

When Raven accepts Jesus, Luco explains,

Now you go out and walk in your new faith, starting by not feeding tonight... You're being sanctified, Raven. Your life is changing. God is restoring your soul, one piece at a time.

Luco then encourages Raven to find comfort in the reality of Psalm 23, especially verse 3,

He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

And this is what Raven allows God to do so from then on till the riveting, fast paced ending, we see that God has indeed restored his soul.

This is just some of the correctly applied biblical theology used by Wolf to minister to Raven before and after he accepts Jesus. This is one area where this novel shines.

Apart from Wolf wielding of the Word of God very appropriately, he is also a master of character development. All of these are very real and relational. No two dimensional characters in this novel. You will love Luco and see him as a great example of being the Shepherd that Jesus is (Yahweh Roi, in the Hebrew), as evidenced in him accepting Raven without any condemnation or judgement and mentoring him in his new found life as a new creation in Christ. 

Then we have Garrett, who is bitter and twisted from his past dealings with vampires and does not see Raven and his sort as redeemable and forgiven beings but as forever damned to hell and he sets out to prove this, and in doing so he loses his faith in God, his fiance, Calandra, and becomes the epitome of deception, deceit, hatred and selfishness. Quite the Pharisee is Garrett.

Raven himself is portrayed as a tortured victim of the curse of vampirism and is genuine is his quest to be free. He is one very likeable character and is very remorseful concerning the lives he has ruined and killed in order to survive as a vampire.

Calandra is one very obedient, young woman, typical of the era of the 1800s, but also as one very determined and feisty character, she is committed to the Lord and is very accepting of Raven despite her attraction to him.

The other characters of note that are developed well are Harry, the outlaw and thief. This man is very scheming and cunning and the reader picks up these vibes and instantly dislikes him and his cohorts.

Marshall is also developed well and once the reader finds out his hidden agenda, his motivation behind all that he does in connection with Luco and Raven is fully explained. This is one twist I did not see coming.

Another major twist that was totally unexpected was right at the end concerning another character and it really did change the whole setting of the plot to that point. It was very clever and I believe Wolf could do a sequel very effectively here.

With all these elements Wolf has constructed a novel that is very real and all absorbing, and while being in this mode, it occurred to me that this novel shows how we judge the level or degree of sin in another's life. How many times have we taken the Garrett attitude and treated someone, Christian or non Christian, abominably because we disliked their type of sin more than other types of sin while forgetting that Jesus died for all and every type of sin however it manifests in our lives? Luco seems to have the right attitude here to accept and love all of mankind and their sin as exemplified in the form of Raven. This novel also shows how Christians judge and treat those who are different or are far removed in lifestyle, behaviour and attitude form us. Again Luco shows the way here. He is quite the Shepherd as God is. Is this why I and many other readers like him so much? We are instructed by Paul to imitate him (Paul) as he imitates Christ. I guess this is one reason I love Luco, and also Raven as I guess there is a little (or more) of him being very different in all of us (only we know what those differences are) that we desperately would like to have the understanding and acceptance from our fellow Christians. Again, another area where this novel and Wolf shine.

If a Christian wanted to find out about vampires and the Christian response, then this novel would be one of the best places to start.

I would be one very happy reader if Wolf was to continue this story either from what I have hinted at previously or with the plot line and character introduced in the Epilogue. I am going to discuss this with the author.

I am sad with a degree of separation anxiety that this novel had to end but elated at such a wonderful last few chapters that Wolf so brilliantly constructed and tied up all the elements in this masterfully created novel.

Highly Recommended.

Interview with David E Stevens, Author of Resurrect (Fuzed Trilogy, Book 1) and Giveaway

I bought Impact (previously published as Resurrect) in 2013 when it was first published. I had not had the chance to read it until Amazon announced recently, it had been updated to a faster moving, updated Second Edition with additional scenes, in preparation for taking the Fuzed Trilogy to the movies. This was enough for me to start reading it now and realised interviewing this author would be one very interesting read and improve my enjoyment and understanding of this apocalyptic techno-thriller. 

To help promote this new edition, I approached David about having a giveaway as well. To win one of 5 copies of the kindle edition of this updated edition (only published in the kindle format), go to the end of this interview and follow the instructions by Rafflecopter. I can guarantee that this is worth entering as this novel is one thrill of a ride, and one very memorable read. 

Now, please read on and enjoy this interview with debut author, David E Stevens.  

Author Name: David E Stevens

Author Bio: Commander Dave Stevens was a nuclear weapons qualified Navy fighter pilot. He served as the Strike Operations Officer for the Persian Gulf during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. With a Top Secret clearance, he led classified defense programs, test-piloted new F-18 fighters and earned an aviation patent. He’s been to 33 countries, 10 miles above the earth and 600 feet below the Atlantic. He also survived hundreds of his own carrier landings. Dave holds engineering degrees from Cornell and the University of Michigan with graduate work in astrophysics. An international speaker and award-winning author, he uses an extensive network of subject matter experts – from astronauts and astrophysicists to intelligence operatives – to entertain and educate.

Current Book Title: Impact (Fuzed Trilogy Book 1)

Tell us a little about yourself, your work and how you got into writing.

As a young lieutenant, I lost a close friend in a jet crash. I learned that 60% of all tactical jet fatalities were pilot’s overwhelmed by mission tasks and flying into the ground. So, I designed an altitude warning system that used peripheral vision cues to create a falling sensation and literally scare the pilot into reacting. It worked. We received a government patent and it was ranked #1 for DARPA funding. Unfortunately, because I was just a pilot and didn’t have a large government lab backing me, the project was never funded. I learned that a good idea isn’t sufficient.

After I retired from the Navy at the 20-year point, I realized that pilots weren’t the only ones who needed to be scared into action. I used Probabilistic Risk Analysis to rank the greatest threats to the human race. Very few people want to listen to a lecture but everyone likes a good story. So, knowing that a good idea isn’t enough to get exposure, I decided stories as a medium to get the word out.

Each of the top threats became the nemesis in the three stories of the trilogy. With many experiences from my career (along with those of my friends in special ops and the intelligence community), it was easy to write an action adventure. I always enjoyed “wordsmithing” but had never done fiction. I quickly discovered I loved it.

How do you come up with the character names in your books?

All my character names are from real people, although I often mix and match first and last names – not to mention personalities – to allow them “plausible deniability.” You always have to be careful if you’re around me … because you may end up in a story. I always give my people the option to opt out before publishing.

Have you ever written yourself or people you know as a character in one of your books?

In addition to the above, I used much of my background as a fighter pilot along with the work I did on classified programs. The same applies to many of my key characters, but they’re almost always an amalgamation of people I know. However, there are some characters that play themselves, such as astronaut, Dr. Ed Lu and astronomer, Dr. Carolyn Shoemaker. In the second book, I’ve been working with Jim Cantore of the Weather Channel. He also gave me permission to use him as himself in one of the supporting roles. Hopefully, they can play themselves in the movie.

When did you decide to make a career of writing?

I really was thinking of stories primarily as a way to get an important warning out, and to reach people who think like I used to think.

After my Literary Agent read Resurrect, he immediately sent me to work with an editor, who asked me if I had ever paid attention in English class. After basic writing boot camp, my agent sent out Resurrect and the first publisher that read the manuscript offered us a contract. At that point, I thought this might be a great second career.

Do you outline before you sit down to write (Plotter style), or do you sit down at the computer each day, waiting to be surprised, writing your book literally by the seat of your pants (Pantser style)? Or are you a combination of the two?

Good question. I do both. I usually know where I want to end and have a good idea of the basic path to that destination, but as I write, many of my characters take on a life of their own and change the direction. I also get great ideas from my readers, reviewers, friends and family. I really thrive on that type of feedback.

What do you do when you are not writing? I have a small real estate business and an e-commerce business.

Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?

Actually, most of it is based on real events that happened to me or friends. Of course, I take liberties with the events and sometimes combine them. In the Navy, there is a running joke. “What’s the difference between a Fairy Tale and a Sea Story? One begins with, ‘Once upon a time…’ and the other starts with, ‘Hey, this is no s….’” And, of course, many say that’s the only difference.

The overall apocalyptic plots are reality that we hope never happens. Unfortunately, they are inevitable unless we do something, which is the purpose of the series. I really don’t believe that we will be wiped out by an asteroid or comet tomorrow, but there is a very real chance a major city could be obliterated or coastal cities inundated from a 100-foot-tall tsunamis created by an ocean impact. That would be truly a tragedy if we have the ability to prevent it. The same applies to the threats in books two and three.

A reviewer on Amazon, who knows you, mentioned that you would have been an astronaut but a freak accident prevented you from continuing in this pursuit. Is part of Andy/Josh's character and plot concerning him based on this part of your life?

In part. I was chasing the astronaut program and had a water skiing accident that busted a disc in my neck. It wasn’t a serious injury but enough to take me out of the running. However, there is absolutely no guarantee that I would have made it even if I hadn’t had the accident. I was in the running but hadn’t been selected.

Elizabeth states that she knows who Josh is and who sent him. Josh is dumbfounded, but does not question her about how she knew this. Why did you develop this part of the plot like this? I found it incomplete and an important part of the plot left undone and rather annoying.

Sorry. It is annoying but this is the first of a trilogy. I wanted to leave the identity of Jesse undefined at this point and up to the reader to decide. And it’s poor form to solve that mystery in book one of a trilogy.

Josh’s understanding of who Jesse is gradually morphs as he gets more information but he’s still unsure as the first story wraps up. Elizabeth, on the other hand, believes she knows who or what he (Jesse) is. It’s a classic clash between “I only believe what I can see, feel and hear,” versus woman’s intuition and faith. We will continue the discovery process as the story unfolds.

I really tried to make each story standalone with a real conclusion while remaining connected. I hate stories that leave you hanging until the next episode. Interestingly, the publisher made me take the last chapter of Resurrect and put it as the first chapter of book 2. I got around that to some extent by including much of that first Chapter as a “preview” of book two, at the end of book one.

The genre that best describes the Fuzed Trilogy is apocalyptic techno-thriller, and this trilogy is the first for me to read in this genre. Do you feel that this predominately attracts male readers or do you think that there would be some female readers that would be fans of this genre? Did you have a particular gender in mind when you wrote this Trilogy?

It’s interesting that you ask that. I wrote this predominantly with male readers in mind. It wasn’t just a demographic choice, as a new author, it’s easier to write from a male perspective and for a male audience.

However, I was very surprised and a little horrified when my publisher released it early to a large number of Christian reviewers that were predominantly women. Understandably, many of them expressed frustration in their reviews, stating that they would have never read it if they had known it was a techno thriller or science fiction. Despite that, they gave me some outstanding reviews and are responsible for much of the 4.7 of 5 stars.

There is a somewhat tragic love triangle and a strong romantic story that runs through the book. The few negative reviews we received were understandably due to my mild use of bad words and sexual innuendos. I thought long and hard about that, but I worked with fighter pilots, SEALS, etc., and I couldn’t bring myself to have some of my characters say “darn” or not notice the body of a beautiful woman. That would have been unbelievable and as you’ll see below, it would impact my mission to reach a specific target audience.

What message do you want to convey to your readers in Impact?

There are two messages. The first is in the “Author’s Note” at the end of the book. As mentioned, it warns of very real threats that could kills tens of millions with little or no warning. I highlight them only because we now have the technology to prevent them.

The second message is much more subtle. I was raised with no exposure to organized religion and believed that a Supreme Being wasn’t required to explain the universe. Loving physics and astrophysics, and watching its incredible journey, I realized its tenets are now far stranger than any religion.

From the time of Newton to the 1950s, it was easy to claim that science simply and intuitively explained everything significant that happened in the world, and there was no need for any supernatural or spiritual component.

That’s no longer true. Physics isn’t simple or intuitive anymore. It requires multiple dimensions. Quantum mechanics says objects can be in two places at the same time, and pop in and out of existence. The universe, including space and time itself, popped into existence and, therefore, required something to initiate it … that exists outside of space and time. The physics constants that define our universe are so perfectly fine-tuned to support life, it’s statistically impossible by chance.

Today, physics not only “allows” for the existence of a Supreme Being, but may actually “require” it. I hope to reach those, like I was, and, at least open their minds to the possibility that cutting edge physics is beginning to intersect with and support the potential existence of a Supreme Being. This is sometimes referred to as “sower” fiction.

What this means is that this series is NOT written for Christians. I love it when Christians read and enjoy it, but it was written specifically to reach non-Christians. With that in mind, I would ask those Christians who read it to keep in mind the purpose, and if you share it with your agnostic and atheist friends, DO NOT say it is a spiritual or Christian book. That defeats the purpose. I can tell you from past experience, when I was an atheist, I would have rather had root canal than read anything spiritual. Likewise, I would request that Christian reviewers NOT highlight the spiritual side of the story, again, to prevent our target audience from being scared away. You are now part of a covert operation.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received from another author?

Show don’t tell!

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Write! Peter, as you know, we all have friends who are going to write that great novel … but never get around to it. The holidays are a great time to start. That’s when I started.

For those who have written, grab a guide to literary agents and start sending out queries. Although self-publishing is rapidly becoming the norm, getting your work in the hands of others, can dramatically improve the quality, as my editors helped me. And, at least for now, literary agents are still the gate keepers to the major publishers.

Who are you reading right now?

Some of my favourite authors were the late Arthur C. Clark, Isaac Asimov and C.S. Lewis. Right now, I’m reading mostly non-fiction to stay abreast of the latest science and technology, which is important when you’re writing techno-thrillers.

What’s next after the Fuzed Trilogy, do you have a new project in the works?

I’m working on a concept for the fourth book of the trilogy. lol

When will the next installment of the Trilogy be released?

Book two is finished and just has to complete the final proofing process. It’s also awaiting the movie development go ahead to determine when to release it. Book three is still in process.

Any progress you can tell us about Impact becoming closer to being made into a movie? Congratulations on this being optioned by the way! That must be a writer's biggest reward, especially with this happening to your first novel!

Thank you Peter. Yes, it’s very exciting. The development process has just begun. They’re still raising development funds but they have enough that they’ve started working on the initial video game concept. We’re also in the process of looking for a renowned screenplay writer. Movie development is a multi-year process and, of course, there are no guarantees, but our two producers, Rick Eldridge (The Ultimate Gift) and Fred Miller (Angels Sing) are extremely talented and have been nominated for Academy Awards. I have the greatest confidence in them.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

Oddly, I haven’t really experienced that. If I slow down or get tired, I just move on to something else.

What tools have you found most successful in advertising/marketing yourself and your book?

Well, I’ve found a lot of things that don’t work and spent money on things that I shouldn’t have, as most authors do. Steve Harrison’s group has been helpful, although their programs are primarily geared to non-fiction authors, some of it applies to any writing. You need to be very careful in how you invest your money in marketing. That’s one of the reasons it’s helpful to have a literary agent. They can at least steer you to or away from programs that aren’t cost effective.

Did any specific author(s) motivate you to begin writing?

Arthur C. Clark (2001) was not only a brilliantly creative writer, he was also an astrophysicist and was the first person to come up with the idea of an artificial satellite back around WWII.

Where can readers find you?

We’re revamping our book site as we transition to movie development, but http://www.Fuzed.org is now our primary site for the trilogy. People can reach me directly through the contact form on the site, or via Resurrect at Comcast dot net. I love getting emails with feedback and critique that allows me to improve the story. Many authors say that but I really mean and use it. I’d prefer the feedback as an email rather than in a review if possible. I always give readers credit in the acknowledgments of the next book if I incorporate their ideas.

Website: http://www.Fuzed.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ResurrectTrilogy

which will soon be converting to https://www.facebook.com/FuzedTrilogy

Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidestevens1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15059010-resurrect

Amazon: 
http://www.amazon.com/Resurrect-Fuzed-Trilogy-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00Q1BGS8K/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418751724&sr=1-1&keywords=Resurrect

David, thank you so much for allowing me to interview you. You have given myself and readers of this interview insight into yourself and this enthralling and captivating novel that you have so masterfully constructed.

I am sure that readers are eager to either read Resurrect or are eagerly awaiting the release of iMagine, Book 2. Concerning the latter, I am with much anticipation!! 

Now, I encourage all visitors to enter the giveaway below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Impact (Fuzed Trilogy, Book 1) by David E Stevens

Book Description:

Winner of the 2014 Epic Award and ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year, Resurrect is a cross between The Bourne Identity, Avatar and Armageddon. It tackles the most likely and preventable cataclysms facing humanity.

What if you were fatally injured but offered a second chance in a genetically perfect body? The price? You don't look the same and everyone you knew believes you're dead. Oh, by the way, you have two years to prevent the extinction of humanity. 

Ridiculous plot? Not so fast. According to new research, the probability of a sudden global cataclysm is ten times more likely that we originally thought (see Author Page for video). A portion of all proceeds will be donated to non-profits, such as the B612 Foundation, that are working to protect humanity. 

This Kindle eBook is a Second Edition and has been updated from the paperback version in preparation for taking the Fuzed Trilogy to the movies.

The Guru's Review: 

I originally bought the first edition when it was released, thanks to Amazon's Recommendations. It remained on my kindle unread until Amazon advertised the updated 2nd edition recently. 

I knew from the description, and the fact that Stevens knows what he is talking about that I would like this book. Stevens is a Former Navy Commander, graduate of Strike Fighter Weapons School (“Top Bomb”), and nuclear weapons qualified, he served as the Navy’s Strike Operations Officer for the Persian Gulf during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. With a Top Secret clearance, he also developed classified weapon systems, test piloted new fighters and earned a patent. I think that more than qualifies him to know what he is talking about!

One thing I hate is when a new author writes about what they know and it ruins the novel because they don't write well, but I cannot say this about Stevens. He writes well and this definitely makes this novel all the more enjoyable and easier to understand with all the technical content he includes about how government defense forces work, aviation, military intelligence, science, and all things concerning astrophysics. Where some authors bog the reader down with too much information about an issue or background information distracting the reader and causing them to become disconnected from the plot, Stevens successfully avoids this by only including information that the reader and plot requires is worded carefully and concisely. After reading this novel constructed in this way, any reader is going to walk away with a better understanding of all the concepts and topics that Stevens has included. 

This novel grabs you from the start and does not let you go! Stevens keeps your curiosity piqued throughout. It is one very interesting construct where science and the supernatural intersect. It is very easy to see that the description of this novel being a cross between The Bourne Identity, Avatar and Armageddon is very true, and can only add to the various layers that this novel has in its development. Makes for one very action packed and totally absorbing read. 

One of the strengths of this novel is that everything is in its place, there is not too much or too little of any of its ingredients. It is one very well-rounded and very well-balanced novel. Another is the balance Stevens achieves integrating the knowledge of astrophysics, aviation, science, military and government politics with the action and adventure, suspense and even the element of romance that I feel fits in extremely well here. I do look forward to seeing how the relationship between Elizabeth and Josh develops in books 2 and 3. I do like romance in novels like this as long as it does not take over or stick out from the plot. I love romance written by male authors. Stevens does this well, and what he has included on this issue actually enhances the suspense of this novel. 

A major plot element is the genetically perfect body and enhanced abilities that Josh is given following his death.  As the reader progresses in the novel, it is tempting to see Josh as a superhero, but Stevens portrays Josh as a rather humble one and he does not see himself as such or expects the accolades or notoriety that we are used to being placed on characters such as these. Again it gets back to my comment previously that everything is balanced, but I can see that how Josh is developed is not the main focus of this novel but rather the reason he was created this way is, and that is for the mission that Jesse has given him. His enhanced human abilities are there to enable him to achieve this mission. It is really fun as well as enthralling seeing Josh use these abilities to achieve his mission. My kind of superhero! 

Stevens has entered the author arena on one very firm footing and comes across as a natural, one would not realise from reading this novel that he is a new author. It very encouraging for any author and reader to then have reviews either 4 or 5 stars on Amazon. Then the icing on the cake is to have their debut novel optioned to be made into a movie!  

I have an interview I recently conducted with Stevens that will be posted a few days after this review and it reveals a lot more about the background to this novel, the Fuzed Trilogy, and the author himself. It also has a giveaway of 5 copies of the updated 2nd edition (only published in kindle format). I encourage everyone to read it on this blog and consider entering in the giveaway. You won't regret reading this book!  

Took me a few days to come down to earth after finishing this novel. I look forward to Book 2 with great anticipation. 

Highly Recommended. 

The Levine Affair: Angel's Flight by Lela Gilbert

The Levine Affair: Angel's Flight

Haram’s slaughter of Christian villagers have stunned the world. A barbaric gang of thugs has kidnapped of hundreds of schoolgirls. They have slaughtered young boys and men and have burned countless worshippers alive in their churches. They’ve raped and forcibly married Christian women to Muslim men. 

And now…. 

An American missionary has been kidnapped in by Boko Haram. 

A young Nigerian mother is sentenced to death by stoning. 

A Texas oilman has disappeared in Nigeria’s oil-rich delta. 

No government in the world will touch these politically charged cases. 

Acquisitions editor Karen Burke works for the small, L.A. based “faith and inspiration” imprint of a venerable New York publishing company. She arrives at work one Monday morning to find a book proposal on her desk. “See if this story has legs,” her boss writes. “If you have to do a site visit, do it. This could be huge!” 

The book proposal was written by an American, Nate Gregory, recounting his shocking recollections of being held hostage by Muslim radicals in Nigeria. His story is gripping, and although Nate was simply doing construction work on a short-term missionary assignment, he turns out to be a surprisingly talented writer. 

Karen is troubled, however, with his description of his Muslim captors, his seemingly “colonial” view of the Christian community in Africa, and his eloquent but relentless deprecation of “Sharia law,” the Islamic religious system under which he was held captive. He also makes incredible claims about brutal amputations as sentencing for crimes, crude violations of women’s rights, and the burning alive of Christians in their churches. 

Talented or not, is Nate Gregory just another Islamophobic religious fanatic who hates Muslims? 

Meanwhile, David Levine, an Israeli philanthropist based in London, has put an elite paramilitary team together. Levine is deeply concerned about the global threat of Islamic jihadists like Boko Haram, and their ferocious tactics in trying to impose Shari’a law around the world. 

Since neither the US, NATO nor any other government wants to get involved in politically incorrect religious politics, Levine has formed an elite team of former Special Forces commandoes. He sees it as his own little army – fighting jihadis, one deadly attack at a time. 

Unbeknownst to Nate Gregory – who’s been led astray by a Southern California preacher who claims to have miraculously saved him from his captors - Levine’s team, commanded by Joe Brac a retired Green Beret, was actually responsible for his release from captivity. 

Now Levine has tasked Brac with another rescue – this time to liberate Jumoke Akabakar, the 18-year-old Nigerian girl who has been sentenced to death by stoning for adultery. 

The story unfolds as Karen Burke, in order to confirm the facts in Nate’s book proposal, travels to Nigeria to meet up with him. The two of them get along better than they might have imagined. But what seems to be a simple fact-finding mission soon gets increasingly ugly. 

While Karen and Nate are in Nigeria, they learn that an American oilman has been kidnapped and beheaded in the Niger River delta. At about the same time, the corrupt governor of the local Nigerian state is assassinated. Worst of all, an urgent warning reaches them that a mob of jihadis has targeted the church compound where they are staying. The Boko Haram terrorists are heavily armed and raging with hatred. 

All at once Karen and Nate find themselves in the crosshairs of bloodthirsty radicals. They have unexpectedly been left on their own and aren’t at all sure that help is one the way. They have no choice but to run for their lives. 

Joe Brac’s small team of Special Operators rescue has been working night and day to develop of plan to liberate Jumoke. That was their key mission, well conceived and meticulously planned. 

But now, unexpectedly, they have two more victims in grave danger. 

Will they find a way to rescue Nate and Karen?

The Guru's Review: 

I discovered Angel's Flight through a blog post promoting this novel from author, Martin Roth, who writes in the same genre, the persecuted church. His novels also involve a special ops team that support the persecuted Christian church with military force. I loved Martin's books, and I just love this one.  I am very encouraged to see that there are authors such as Roth and Gilbert who are writing novels to alert Christian readers of the plight of Christians and their persecution for their faith in God in countries where their religious/political regime is extremely hostile to the Bible, God and Christianity. Another author, whom I have all his books but have not read them yet, is D. I Telbat. His books look very exciting yet with the same serious message about the persecuted church.

The first thing that hit me reading Gilbert's novel is the detail she has included in the descriptions of all things military. This has been achieved by using the knowledge and experience of W. Jack Bruckner (LTC, Retired, Special Forces) to her fullest advantage here. His input is invaluable and definitely adds credibility and authenticity to the plot lines, and enriches the action scenes. It also adds credibility and development to the ops team characters and other military personnel. I loved the description of the management and planning system of Levine's special forces; this felt as if you were part of this special ops team. I would love to see this team continue in further books as Gilbert has created a team that becomes endeared to the reader, especially their leader, Joe Brac. 

Gilbert successfully recreates the Nigerian culture and political landscape and you really feel that you are transported there. The same  can be said for the Muslim agenda of domination and suppression/eradication of Christianity through violence and force. The Muslim extremists threat feels real, you can feels their hatred of Christianity and any who don't agree or follow the Muslim faith. Conversely, the fear, and desperation to escape this threat experienced by Karen, Nate and their cohorts is also real and is transferred to the reader. I was there with them dodging bullets, feeling that I would not escape unharmed or at all. 

Gilbert shows that she has researched and understands the mindset of the Muslim doctrine in relation to their terrorist activities/jihad, as explained by Levine, an Israeli philanthropist,

In their minds they are all part of one pan-Islamist nation that has no borders. And they've declared war on the rest of the world, especially on Jews and Christians. Have you heard some of the sermons in their mosques? Unbelievable hatred! And in some areas they're killing the so-called infidels by the thousands. As I'm surew you know, a lot of the violence goes unreported, and even if it is, no one lifts a finger to help. I think the time has come for private individuals to get involved. We have to fight for the sake of the oppressed...... because no one else will fight for them."

and further where he explains to Karen, 

Karen......you must understand.....this so-called "war on terror'......in the minds of our enemies, is a war against the infidel-you and me-for the sake of establishing a pan-Islamic state. This isn't just about Nigeria. It is a global threat. In the minds of the jihadists, there is no difference between Christians and Jews and, really, all non-Muslim Americans....there are reports of books in mosques throughout America, calling for the death of Christians and Jews......their publications....in their view, we are mortal enemies because America supports the existence of Israel, and America does embrace radical Islam's geo-political ambitions.

It is both these accounts that show the main theme and background of this novel , the persecution of Christians and Jews and that the world does not seem to be doing too much to rescue these persecuted groups, hence Levine's formation of his special ops group as he explains, 

I intend to put together a small paramilitary unit that can perform surgical military strikes, rescue hostages, and deal with tyrants.... I have been very fortunate in my business and am privileged to do what I can to protect and assist innocent people in difficult circumstances. On several occasions it has been necessary for me to provide rescue and relief for certain individuals when they have run out of options.

When you read books like Gilbert's, Roth and I presume Telbat (having, as I mentioned previously, not read his yet), you cannot help but know that what is described in these books should also exist in reality. Would it not be heart-warming, inspiring and a great witness of who God is and what God can do if what is described in these novels was not just a fictitious account? 

Martin Roth, in a recent blog post about this book, has the following to say about this book,

The words “ripped from the headlines” have become a cliché, but they describe abundantly this excellent book. It is well researched, well written and features all the drama a reader would want from an international thriller, including, it must be noted, violence and a modicum of (somewhat opaque) sex.

The persecution of Christians around the globe, and particularly in the Muslim world, is an escalating terror. Yet too many Western Christians seem uninformed or, at best, aware but unwilling to do much.

We need more educational resources, in all forms of media, that vividly portray the new reality. That is why novels like “The Levine Affair: Angel’s Flight” serve such an important role. This is a novel that the church needs to read.

I could not have described this any better myself. After reading Roth's novels and now this one, I agree that the church needs to read novels such as these and of Telbat's to get the message about the persecuted Church and get real about this neglected area of Christianity, that Western Christianity is isolated from, and which it should not be.

I wondered why Gilbert chose Nigeria as the setting for this novel, and the following from Roth's post gives a clear reason why she did so, 

A harrowing report in the Baptist Press last year noted that Nigeria was, at that time, by far the most lethal country for Christians.

According to the article:

The publicly reported Christian casualties in Nigeria last year [2012] were greater than the Christian casualties of Pakistan, Syria, Kenya and Egypt combined. In fact, Nigeria alone accounted for almost 70 per cent of Christians killed globally. This makes Nigeria the most lethal country for Christians by a huge margin.

Statistics like this should be sobering for the Christian Church, especially for Western Christianity and act as a wake up call. I applaud these three authors for writing novels to reflect this reality and pray that God use their novels to wake up any reader to this reality. 

I am very appreciative of these three authors and it has woken me up to the reality of the persecuted Christian Church. I believe that God can and does use fiction to educate, entertain, and change a Christian's heart, and attract a non-believer to consider Him to be real. Gilbert, Roth and Telbat are strategically placed by God to be used in this media to, as Roth so aptly put it, 

We need more educational resources, in all forms of media, that vividly portray the new reality.

Christian fiction, through these authors, portrays this  very vividly. 

Angel's Flight: Highly Recommended.