Showing posts with label Christian fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christian fiction. Show all posts

Mar 5, 2011

Let There Be Darkness (Sneak-peek 2 of 2)



           Here is part two in a two excerpt post from chapter four of my book, Let There Be Darkness. It takes place in a world between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. We are not given any specific details of the creation of God's angels. The book takes the stance that they may have been human at one time. The following scene (from chapter 4) continues with the execution of Rikali. If you have not read part one you may do so HERE. (This is an unedited copy) 

     Skylarm arrived with Stumpy at the Mintock Chasm. Uriel and Abaddon were already there. Stumpy grinned as they walked up the hill to the ledge overlooking the chasm.
     “What are you smiling about? You are about to die.”
     “You’ll see”, Stumpy said still smiling.
     Skylarm took Stumpy by the arm and handed him over to Uriel.
     “Thank you. You may go.”
     He had never seen such defiance and had already decided to see the sentence carried out.
     “I will stay and report back to Michael when the deed is done, since this case is so out of the ordinary,” Skylarm said.
     “How so? Is it not his third death mark?”
     “No, have you not heard? He rejected God’s grace outright,” Skylarm said.
     “I don’t believe I have ever encountered a case like this, the verdict we received said it was a third offence.”
     Skylarm thought this was odd since the trial was less than an hour ago and to his knowledge he had the only paperwork with him, but he said nothing.
     Skylarm and Uriel caught up to Abaddon who had moved the prisoner closer to the chasm. His feet had been bound along with his mouth.
     “Why is he gagged Abaddon?” Uriel said.
     “He was blaspheming God, but that is to be expected in his case.”
     “Let’s get this over with. Rikali you have been found guilty for the crime of rape, received a death mark, and rejected God’s grace. You have been sentenced to death and death you shall receive,” Uriel said as he began to walk away. Skylarm had heard that he never watched the actual execution.
     Stumpy’s face was full of fear and he was red from screaming into his bonds to no avail. It was remarkable how quickly his pride had left him. Skylarm wondered how anyone could reject God and even blaspheme him until the end. Abaddon had been right; this was to be expected in Rikali’s case.
     He watched from a distance when a thought struck him. How did Abaddon know that this behavior would be expected? They had been under the impression that this was a third offence. And who told them this in the first place? He had come straight to the chasm from court. Why was Rikali so confident before? What had he meant by ‘You’ll see’? Suddenly he was very interested in the muffled screams coming from Stumpy. As he approached he could hear Abaddon talking.
     “You have outlived your usefulness. Did you really think that we would let you go?”
     Something wasn’t right.
     “Wait!”
     Abaddon lifted Rikali’s bulky frame off of the ground as if he were a doll as he looked at Skylarm.
     “Stop!”
     Stumpy was heaved over the edge. There was a cracking sound as his head struck a rock on one side of the chasm and then nothing.
     “Didn’t you hear me?” Skylarm said with a look of alarm.
     By this time Uriel was at his side.
     “Are you a judge?” Abaddon said.
     “No, but I…”
     “Then you have no authority to stop an execution and so you were ignored. Isn’t that the way of it?”
     Something wasn’t right and Skylarm did not know if he could trust either of these hulking men. He would not become belligerent this close to the chasm.
     “Yes, I merely wanted to make sure his wrist restraints were tight. They looked like they had loosened.”
     “I don’t think it matters now, but thank you for the concern,” Uriel said. In the future please refrain from yelling at the moment of execution. Abaddon could have fallen in with the guilty.”
     “Yes of course, forgive me,” Skylarm said as he dismissed himself. He could feel Abaddon’s eyes on his back as he walked down the hill.

Mar 3, 2011

Let There Be Darkness (Sneak-peek 1 of 2)



     As you may or may not know, I am writing a fiction book called Let There Be Darkness. It takes place in a world between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. We are not given any specific details of the creation of God's angels. The book takes the stance that they may have been human at one time. The following scene (from chapter 4) features a pre-angelic Michael as one of God's judges. (This is an unedited copy)
     
     Michael looked down from his chair at the man before him.     
     “Are you Rikali?”
     “Yes, your Excellency?”
     “Approach the chair.” This would be quick, cases such as this always are. “Rikali, you have received a death mark from this court in the name of God at the request of Constable Analos for the crime of rape. The penalty is death. If you seek the grace of God then you shall have it. God’s pardon only applies to the death mark, as there are local penalties in the case of rape. Should you decide to beg God’s grace you will undergo castration before being released. Do you understand the charges against you?”
     “I do.”
     “What would you ask of this court before God?”
     Stumpy held his head high and glared indignantly at the judge. “I will ask nothing of you, this court, or God himself for that matter.”
     Michael was in shock. He had executed people before for receiving a third death mark, but only twice and never for rejecting God’s grace. In fact he couldn’t think of a single time when any court had had any person willingly ignore grace.
     “Did you hear me judge?” Stumpy said now fully drunk with arrogance.
     “Yes I did, but may I ask why?”
     “Because God is a manipulative, infantile, overlord who wants to hear us beg and squirm. He will get no such pleasure from me.”
     “These things are not true. God loves us. Are you well Rikali?”
     “I am perfectly sane judge. Do your job and convict me.”
     Michael stood and cleared his throat. “Because you have rejected God’s grace you are to be bound and thrown to your death in the Mintock Chasm. The sentence will be carried out immediately.”
     Skylarm approached the guilty, bound his wrists, and led him away.
     Michael collapsed in his chair. With his head in his hands he muttered to a court attendant to send everyone in the waiting area away until tomorrow. He stared at the floor in disbelief.


Previous Sample of Let There Be Darkness
     

Jan 31, 2011

Don't Make Chuck Norris Angry!


     You may be surprised to know that there are "pot shops" in Los Angeles. As strange as this may sound, it only gets weirder. There is a new brand of Marijuana available (for prescription only) called Chuck Norris' Black and Blue Dream. The weed gets this name for having a kick to it.
     Chuck Norris is widely known for being a conservative Christian. He recently helped Mike Huckabee campaign for president. Chuck's Kick Start program has helped to keep over 60,000 kids off drugs and out of gangs.
     He has yet to come out publicly against using of his name without permission. This is the most scary part of the news story. No one has reportedly heard Norris say anything on the matter. Now, we know he can't be happy since he is a role model for students, but his silence should tell us something. It should also tell the pot shops something. 
     They should be afraid. When someone is high their reaction time slows down and they will need all of the quickness they can muster when Chuck finally comes to town.

A few of my favorite Chuck Norris facts:
1. When Bruce Banner gets mad, he turns into the Hulk. When the Hulk gets mad, he turns into Chuck Norris.

Jan 29, 2011

Randumblog's Interview With Jerry Jenkins


     There are very few people (with a pulse) who have not heard of the Left Behind series from Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. They have sold over 70,000,000 copies and still continue to climb. Jerry Jenkins has a new book out called The Brotherhood (my complete review here).


     He agreed to do an e-interview for Randumblog about the book's release. I am excited about the chance to interview a writer who has authored over 175 books. Please feel free to share this article with others so we can get the word out about this amazing book.

Nate: Good morning Jerry. Thank you for agreeing to do this e-interview. I know you are a busy man so I will keep it brief. In fact this may be your first interview in a while that does not mention the sweeping success of the Left Behind series. Oops, I guess I just blew that one.                                                                                The Brotherhood is coming out on February 1st and I must say I am excited. What inspired you to do a cop drama?
Jerry: As the son of a police chief and the brother of two cops, I was raised in the milieu and always fascinated by it. I love police thrillers and cop shows on TV. And in a previous life (in the sixties) I actually worked three cases as an undercover drug buyer--a narc. Believe me, writing is an easier way to make a living. Plus, I set this story in Chicago, where I lived for 35 years, so this was sort of a labor of love. 
Nate: This is the first book that has actually moved me to tears and I am not just talking about the sniffles. I had to stop reading it for the rest of the day. Were you going for tears when you decided to take the story in a painful direction? 
Jerry: I teach that if there are no tears in the writer, there will be no tears in the reader. It's only fair that you cried while reading, as I cried while writing. I wasn't necessarily "going" for tears; I was just telling a story that happened to move me.  
Nate: The story's main character Boone Drake is very easy to relate to. Is he based off of anyone you know? 
Jerry: My characters are always composites of people I know. I might use one person's name, another's gender, another's hair, another's voice, etc. And I have lots of cops in my extended family, so their personalities, histories, and even elements of their cases find their way into the story. 
Nate: The plot involves police drama, loss, and even the mafia. I have always been a fan of mafia movies. How much research did you have to do on Chicago's seedy underworld? 
Jerry: Yes, I always do lots and lots of research. And I'm still doing it, as The Brotherhood is the first of a trilogy. 
Nate: The Brotherhood really handles the, 'Where's God when I'm hurting' question in a way I could understand. What would you like to see people take away from Boone Drake's experiences? 
Jerry: Hopefully each reader takes a personal message from the story--whatever he or she needs at the time. As you say, where-is-God-now is a big element here, so whether the reader is going through something as deep as Boone or just the normal struggles of life, there should be something here for him or her. 
Nate: Last question Jerry. I have been reading some interesting things on your Twitter account (@JerryBJenkins) about your recent trip to China. What was the single best moment of your trip? 
Jerry: On the way home Dianna and I stopped in Bangkok and met our sixth grandchild, an almost-four-year-old boy named Max. Our son and daughter-in-law haven't even met him yet, though they have been in the process of adopting him for three years. It was bittersweet. He's so cute and precious, and he's happy and in a good place, but it killed us to leave him. He needs a home and family, and we pray that will happen soon. 
Nate: Thank you again for your time. The Brotherhood is available in stores now or for order online at Amazon and other retailers. I am already looking forward to the next book in this series. 
Jerry: Thanks, Nate. Happy to say The Brotherhood is available for Kindle too.

Want more on The Brotherhood?
Check out author C.J. Darlington's interview with Jerry Jenkins
Get Randumblog for your Kindle