Saturday, April 28, 2012

MEET AN EXCELLENT AUTHOR -- MIKE DELLOSSO



One of the best authors I’ve found yet.
by Molly Noble Bull

As my friends will tell you, I am a hard-hitting writing partner and contest judge when I put on my critique hat. But every once in a while, I find a novelist that meets all my expectations. Mike Dellosso does. We are privileged to have him visit us today. 


Great to have you here, Mike. (Applause) Take it away.  

Mike
Wow, thanks, Molly. I’m sure I don’t deserve that kind of introduction. As you know we writers are our own biggest critics and often teeter on a thin edge of insecurity. Thank you for the kind words.

Molly
Mike lives in Pennsylvania. But I would like to learn a lot more than that. So, Mike, tell us about Mike Dellosso.

Mike
I'm a husband, father, and follower of Christ trying to write the best stories I can, stories that inspire and encourage and maybe even convict. I also love talking about what God's done in my life and teaching writing to all age groups.

Molly
Mike writes what is called Speculative Christian Fiction. In other words, his Christian novels are pretty scary. Tell us more about Speculative Fiction, Mike, and about all of your books.

Mike
Molly, my stories are grounded in the real world in real time (no fantasy or sci-fi here) but have elements of the supernatural involved. Sometimes it's the spirit world, that unseen reality that operates in another realm, sometimes it's giftedness, supernatural abilities, powers, knowledge, and sometimes it's just the intervention of God into our daily lives. I try not to get too far-fetched by always asking myself, "Is this possible?" Not probable, but possible. If I can convince myself that indeed the supernatural element is possible, then I go for it. That may make some readers who have read my books raise their eyebrows but I only need to convince myself, and I have a pretty open mind.
I have published five novels and one novella to date. My first The Hunted, is about a man who returns to his childhood home to help look for his missing nephew. What he finds is a secret that has been buried for decades and has only now been revealed, bringing with it a reality so terrifying no earthly power can stand against it. 


Scream deals with the reality of hell. When Mark Stone hears screams not of this world on the phone death is sure to come calling. When his estranged wife is abducted, natural evil clashes with supernatural evil to push the stakes higher than they've ever been before. In Darlington Woods, light and dark meet head-on in the town of Darlington, MD. A boy is missing and a father won't give up. But the only truth to be found is within himself. Darkness Follows takes place in Gettysburg, PA and mixes historical elements with psychological suspense. It deals with the question, how deep can true love reach into the depths of darkness? 


My latest novel, Frantic, focuses on a small boy with a supernatural gift. The speed is relentless and has kept readers turning pages into the early morning hours. My novella, Rearview, is part of the 7 Hours series which I wrote with six other authors (each of us writing a book). It focuses on Dan Blakely, a professor who has it all until a false accusation strips him of everything. In desperation he decides to do the unthinkable.

Molly
Let’s talk about Scream. After mentioning all the other things I like about Mike’s writing, what I liked best about Scream was the fact that the book talks openly about the existence of Hell. Many preachers today refuse to mention that topic in their Sunday sermons. But Mike’s book brought it right out into the open. Tell us your thoughts on Hell personally, if you feel comfortable doing that, and also as it relates to Scream. Then talk about any other thing you would like to discuss regarding that novel.

Mike
Personally, I don't like the doctrine of hell. I've wrestled with it, debated both myself and others about it, questioned its reality and eternal existence, and argued with God about it. How can a loving God create such a place? To me, it just doesn't jive with the God I know and serve. But—and  it's a big but--it's  really not about how I feel about it, what I think, or what my mortal idea of fairness is. Time and time again I return to the Bible and what I find there, whether I like it or not and whether I agree with it or not, is a hell that is very real, very horrible, and eternal. Period. I can dislike it all I want but I have no argument against it.
In Scream I simply want to get the reader thinking about hell, about the reality of the place, about the gravity of it. I want him or her to face the question: If I died right now, where would I go? Most people never think about eternity or they've convinced themselves that everything will be okay in the end. But that's not the picture we get in the Bible. It teaches there is a place called hell and all mankind is on the road there unless we accept Jesus' offer of salvation.
For reasons beyond my knowledge, Scream has been my best selling book by far. I think it has something to do with the theme, something to do with the characters, and something to do with how the two are blended. It's routinely used by others as an example of how a faith message can be woven seamlessly into a story plot and avoid being "preachy."

Molly
Your descriptions in Scream were as good as it gets. I felt I was actually there. Tell us how you learned to write such detailed descriptions, and more about your ideas on the craft of writing. Where do your ideas come from? How do you get started—the works?

Mike
I observe a lot and read a lot. I love watching people, how they dress, how they talk, how they move and interact with each other. And when I read other novels I read not just for the enjoyment and entertainment of it but I read to learn. I’m constantly taking note of how other authors use description and pacing and dialogue. I’m constantly learning and improving my own craft.

Molly
Clearly, you are a devout Christian. Tell us about your Christian walk.

Mike
Sometimes I feel like my Christian walk is more of a Christian stagger, a series of stumbles and falls. I’ve endured some hardships in life (stuttering and cancer) and they have allowed me to see God and experience Him in a way most people don’t get to. I’ve grown as a person, matured, but continuously fail. I’m far from getting this Christian walk thing down. But by God’s grace I wake up each day and go at it again.

Molly
Why did you decided to write what some might call Stephen King look-alike novels—Frankenstein meets Jesus Christ. What message or messages are you trying to send in your books—other than a good read?

Mike
I want readers to experience God the way I have, as a God of light who conquers darkness and consoles and comforts His children. I want them to be encouraged that darkness can be banished if we only surrender to God. I want to use the medium of story to convey messages of hope and courage and love. I write supernatural material because we not only serve a supernatural God but we are everyday engaged in a supernatural battle against evil and the darkness where it resides. This is real stuff and worthy of spending my time writing about.
I take my writing and storytelling very seriously. I’m not out to just write a good story, I want to write a life-changing story. I believe God has blessed me with the ability and opportunity to publish novels and I don’t want to waste it. I need to make it count.

Molly
Tell us more about your current novel and a little about your novels coming up in the future, and please include all your contact information.

Mike
Well, I have two current novels. The first, Frantic, released back in February and is a fast-paced tale of a young boy with a very special gift. The protagonist, Marny Toogood, just wants to do the right thing but finds himself caught in a triangle of evil so sinister it seems there is no way out. Here’s the back cover blurb:
Can a deranged serial killer be stopped before it’s too late?
For gas station attendant Marny Toogood it s just another day on the job when an urgent message from a young girl in the backseat of a car draws him into a daring rescue attempt. Now on the run with the girl and her brother, Marny begins to realize he must conquer his own past and surrender all to Christ.
As they face kidnapping, underground cults, and other evils, can Marny trust the simple faith of a child and stand his ground against a power so twisted?
The other is my 7 Hours novella, Rearview. 7 Hours is a collaboration of seven novellas by seven authors.
In each installment, a character is visited by the enigmatic Thomas Constant, who makes a heart-stopping statement: “You are about to die. But you may choose from one of three options: Live seven more hours, travel back in time and relive seven hours, or accept the inevitable and die now.”
My story is about Professor Dan Blakely, a man who has it all . . . until a false accusation leaves him in financial ruin with nothing to fall back on and little hope.
In a moment of desperation, he decides to do the unthinkable. But when he loses control of his car and careens down the side of a mountain, his plans take another turn.
Trapped beneath the frame of his mangled vehicle, Dan is visited by a mysterious stranger who offers him three choices. Filled with regret, Dan makes a decision . . . but little does he know that his troubles have only just begun.
Readers can find out more about my suspense novels at www.mikedellosso.wordpress.com or www.facebook.com/mikedellosso.
In October of 2012 we’ll release my first novel in a new genre, contemporary drama. The novel is called A Thousand Sleepless Nights and will be published under my pen name for this new genre, Michael King. Readers can find out more about the book and Michael King at www.michaelkingbooks.wordpress.com.

Molly: 
Thanks for stopping by, Mike. I know we will want you to come back soon.

Mike: 
Thanks for having me, Molly!

Molly: 
To learn about all Mike’s books, write Mike Dellosso in the search slot at online and walk-in bookstores. To download and print out the first part of Scream for free, click below.
Click again to see videos from three of Mike’s books.
.   Darlington Woods
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvaRGqt0EuM&feature=related   



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And check out Molly's first non-fiction book, The Overcomers: Christian Authors Who Conquered Learning Disabilities by Margaret Daley, Ginny Aiken, Jane Myers Perrine, Ruth Scofield and Molly Noble Bull. 
To find all Molly's books, write Molly Noble Bull in the search slot at online and walk-in bookstores.  



Tuesday, April 24, 2012

But God, What if … ?

Exodus 4:1

Moses answered (God), “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?”

I must confess, I love it when these important men of the Bible question God. Not because I want to encourage others to do the same. I mean, there’s no point, right? But when I see someone of great faith have weak moments, I know there’s hope for me. So no, I don’t use this as an excuse to be sloppy. I see it as a call to be more, as was Moses.

So Moses had a what if moment. I can relate. That’s why I’m forty six and only now starting on a path of ministry that others started many a year ago. I know the what ifs.

“What if no one cares what I write?”
 woman in mirror
“What if everyone hates my style?” As though each and every person had the same opinion about anything.

“What if this is a big waste of time?”

“What if people think I’m ugly?” Okay, I’m a little vain.

These are the chains that bind us—Satan’s tools. When God calls us out to do something, there are no what ifs. Only what will be. He knows the outcome already, otherwise He’d never have given us the task.

Does it mean the aspiring writer will be a million-dollar royalty-making published author? (Hmmmm. How ‘bout it Big Guy? All right, all right.) No, it doesn’t. In fact, I know my calling has already touched lives through information disseminated on my blog and the tightening of relationships with people around me. I’m still feeling the call, so I guess there’s more.

dollar signYes, I hope for the contract with a dollar sign in front of six-figures—okay, I’ll take five—somewhere on the page (preferably going to me and not just the publisher). But even if that never happens, I’ll know I’m being used by Him. And like His Grace, it’s sufficient.

Tell us about a WHAT IF moment God used in your life.

Check out Connie’s other Moses-related blog post:

What Did Moses Do Anyway?

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Molly's interview with Christian author Mike Dellosso, the author of Scream, will be posted on April 28th. Molly says Scream will scare the freckles off your nose, but it will also inspire you. Stay tuned.
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Thursday, April 19, 2012

POV--How many are too many?

There is a conversation going on over at ACFW about how many points of view to use in a novel. It's generally a point of preference to me--no hard and fast rules. I personally like a story with several points of view. I'm currently working on a book written in first person, which means there is only one point of view throughout the story. So my tastes are eclectic, probably like yours. Multiple points of view work well in a plot-driven book. Keeps the action hopping. Doesn't work as well in a coming-of-age or literary story. I've noticed writers of Christian fiction tend to shy away from multiple points of view. Guess it is what readers like so we must deliver.

Whether you're a fan or not, I believe there can always be too much of a good thing. I'm currently reading a book with about 200 points of view.

Okay, maybe not 200, but more than I can count. I know because I tried. The book is entitled TO DARKNESS AND TO DEATH by Julia Spencer-Fleming. It's a Clare Fergusson/Russ Alstyne Mystery, according to the cover. You couldn't prove it by me though since these two characters are so seldom in the story I keep forgetting who they are.

There is a missing woman--a must in any good mystery--a conspiracy (though I haven't quite figured out what yet) intrigue, forbidden love, and small town scandal. The usual stuff that draws me to a story. The only problem is each chapter jumps into the heads of about 5 major players. I'm usually a few paragraphs in before I remember who it is and what his story is.

The biggest problem with so many characters is I can't decide who to root for. Maybe that's what the author was going for. This way I experience every character's motivation. Every action has a logical reason in the head of the perpetrator, though most of the reasons are dumb and not very well thought out. It's almost like reading 200 short stories that interconnect.

Regardless, it's driving me nuts. I don't know why I keep reading except I want to figure out what the author was thinking when she chose to spend so much time on so many not very interesting characters.

I have two questions for you. Make that three. #1 How many POV's do you prefer in a book? #2 Have you ever read a book that you didn't really enjoy all the way to the end and what possessed you to do so?

Sunday, April 15, 2012

THE HARBINGER

A Novel by Jonathan Cahn


Reviewed by Molly Noble Bull


There is a right and a wrong way to do everything from driving a car without crashing into a telephone pole to discovering what is important in life. As an author, I sometimes look at rules and regulations set by teachers and critics I never met personally in deciding how to create successful novels, writers who may or may not agree with me on things most important in life.
Yet though all my years as a writer and then as a published author, I learned that there are things more important than rules and regulations. They are truth and inspiration.
The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn is one of the most inspiring novels I’ve ever read.



It’s really more than a novel. The author, a Messianic Christian rabbi, states that the facts in the book are true. He simply chose to write the truth in a narrative format. 
The book is about an ancient mystery—the secret of America’s future. The Harbinger is not a book designed to cheer one up on a gloomy day. Jonathan Cahn is not a “next year is going to be better than this year” pastor. In fact, The Harbinger sounds like it was written by an Old Testament prophet. The truth is always better than selling beachfront property to those who need to seek higher ground, and Jonathan tells it like it is (or will be) rather than as we might want it to be.
I give The Harbinger five stars because it inspired me and was based on scriptures from the Bible, and it will inspire you, too. Click below to see and hear a twenty-eight minute interview with Jonathan Cahn and learn how to buy the book. 
 
Molly Noble Bull is one of five authors who wrote The Overcomers: Christian Authors Who Conquered Learning Disabilities, a new book from Westbow Press. To find all Molly’s books, write Molly Noble Bull in the search slot at online and walk-in bookstores. 
       

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

THE BIBLICAL CALENDAR


by  Guest Blogger
Matthew Miller


If you were to ask a person “Can you tell me the time,” the person will most likely look at their watch or cell phone.  In like manner if asked for the date, one would consult the calendar or again check the cell phone.  These sources will give us the time and date but are they really the correct time and date.  Time for the most part is a universal standard.  Dates however depend on what calendar one uses. 
There are many ways to set calendars and even in Christian and Jewish communities there seems to be much debate and uncertainty over “how to” determine days and months.  Even the seventh day Sabbath is going through a fiery trial to hold its independence apart from the moon as a way to determine the correct “seventh day.”
In this article we will find out how the Creator of heaven and earth recons/establishes time.  We will study;
·       What determines the beginning of “regular” months
·        And how the “first” month of the year is determined
Determining the regular months
During the time from Moses to the fourth century, the first visible crescent of the new moon was used to determine the regular months.  The Children of Israel would watch the sky for the crescent new moon and declare that evening Rosh Chodesh (i.e., the first day of the month). 
In the fourth century, Hillel II (a Jewish Rabbi) established a fixed calendar for Judaism based on mathematical and astronomical calculations (cited by R. Avraham Hiyya in his Sefer Ha'ibbur). This Jewish calendar, still in use today, standardized the length of months and the addition of months over the course of a 19 year cycle, so that the lunar calendar realigns with the solar years.  This is not the calendar Yahweh established.
Note: Constantine (the Christian emperor) also changed Yahweh’s calendar in the fourth century, a change that remains hidden to most Christians.
Determining the first month of the year
Exd 12:2-20  This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you
During the time when the children of Israel were in the desert they were an agrarian people.  The first harvest of the year would come in early spring, this was the barley harvest.  Yahweh instructed them to bring an offering of flour made from barley, to be waived by the Priest on the day after the Sabbath during the seven day Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Passover is the 14th day of the “first” month; the Feast of Unleavened Bread is from the 15th day to the 21st day and Firstfruits is the day after the weekly Sabbath during the seven day Feast of Unleavened Bread.                    
Lev 23:9-11 And Yahweh spoke unto Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, and say unto them, When you come into the land which I give to you, and you reap the harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the Priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before Yahweh, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
On the day after the Sabbath, the Feast called Firstfruits, a bundle of barley was brought into the Court of the Temple and thrashed; then 'parched' on a pan perforated with holes, so that each grain might be touched by the fire, and finally exposed to the wind. Then it was ground in a barley-mill, which left the hulls whole.  Then the flour was passed through thirteen sieves, until the flour was sufficiently fine (Men. vi. 6, 7).  Though one ephah, or ten omers, of barley was cut down, only one omer of flour (i.e., about 5 pints), was offered in the Temple on Firstfruits as a wave offering.  The omer of flour was mixed with three-fourths of a pint of oil, and a handful (approximately) of frankincense was mixed in it, then a handful was burned on the altar.
In order for this month to be the First month of the year:
·       The barley had to be made into flour for the Firstfruits wave offering
·       Therefore the barley (the flour is made from) must be RIPE
In the spring, as the 12th month ends (on Yahweh’s calendar), during the last two days of the lunar month, the barley is examined to see if it is Aviv or ripe (i.e., ready to harvest).  Without having Aviv/ripe barley, the flour for the wave offering cannot be presented to Yahweh.  Without having barley flour for the wave offering, the main event for this Feast (the waive offering of barley flour) would be absent.  Without the wave offering, the Feast would be incomplete and therefore unacceptable to Yahweh.
There are two factors Yahweh established to determine the “first” month of the year;
·       The crescent New Moon must be seen
·       The Barley must be Aviv/ripe
The month of Abib
Exd 13:4   This day you came out in the month Abib. You shall keep the feast of unleavened bread: you shall eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded you, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it you came out of Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty handed
Deu 16:1  Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover to the LORD Yahweh your God: for in the month of Abib the LORD Yahweh your God brought you forth out of Egypt by night.
The English word Abib is Aviv, in Hebrew.  This is why we see the title for this month in scripture called the Month of Abib.” Because the “first” month of the New Year comes in the spring of the year, the word Aviv is one way to say spring in Modern Hebrew.
Note: If the barley is not Aviv/ripe at the end of the 12th month, an extra month is added to the calendar, and the “first” month of the New Year will arrive at the sighting of the next crescent new moon.
In conclusion
Yahweh is calling Christians to worship Him on His Feast days according to His calendar.  The calendar most Messianic Jews and Christians are using today is based on the Hillel II calendar.  This calendar is based on mathematical calculations, not the visible new moon and ripe barley.  Although many are still using the Hillel calendar, the Biblical calendar Yahweh established is beginning to be used by many who are seeking truth rather than tradition.  Not since the first century have so many believers been drawn to keep Yahweh’s Feast days on the true calendar.  This way of determining time should be something Christians are familiar with, but the blind have been leading the blind.  Yahweh is opening the eyes of pastors, teachers, elders and other leaders within the body of Messiah so that His True Calendar and True Feast days may be understood and therefore taught.
Note: We must never judge our brothers in Messiah for which calendar they use or how they choose to keep the Feasts.
Col 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.  
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Matthew Miller is a pastor for Yeshua (Jesus.) He pastors The Vineyard of Yahweh -- a Messianic Christian congregation.  
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Check out Molly's newest book, The Overcomers: Christian Authors Who Conquered Learning Disabilities. 


  


Sunday, April 8, 2012

JESUS' PASSION, OUR COMPLETION

by Connie Almony 


            As authors, we know the feeling of satisfaction when we write the words “The End” at the bottom of our manuscript. We’ve dispensed the last of our blood, sweat and tears onto a page littered with bits of our soul. Our lives. Our being.
Figuratively, of course.
            As Christians, we pour out this offering in ministry, in hopes it will one day bless someone, draw them closer to God, make their lives more meaningful.
            Yet, there are words more profound, representing a larger sacrifice and an infinitely greater offering. They are not only for the writer, but for each and every one of us on this spinning globe called planet Earth. They are not “The End,” though they can be misunderstood as meaning the same thing.
            “The End,” suggests a story that’s over. However, these words tell of stories just begun. New Creations. Lives stepping out in purpose. They were uttered by our Savior as His Life drained from His flesh and His renewing filled our souls.
We might imagine Him on the cross, looking on His new creation and smiling at the beauty we now embody because the master has given so much to refine us.            Though the blood from His crown of thorns drips into His eyes, and His lungs labor to take in their last breath, He peers at His children, righteous pride swelling in His scarred and battered breast, and declares, “It is finished!”
John 19:30 

                                                           Connie Almony
Check out Connie’s other blogs:
Finding fullness in Christ:

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Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Tales from a Mega-Millions non-winner

I didn’t win the lottery. I would’ve needed better odds than a couple hundred million chances to win since I don’t play. But it’s hard to live in America during the last week without being inundated with images and dreams and false claims of winners and chances and unearned riches.

I get why people play the lottery. (Only marginally though since I’m a natural tightwad and see no sport in throwing money down a hole with virtually no chance of recouping a penny of it.) But I get the allure. I really do. Times are tough. Marriages are falling apart. Families are crumbling. Businesses are outsourcing. Pensions are worthless. And gas prices, well, don’t get me started on gas prices.

Americans need a light at the end of the tunnel. Hope. Something to cling to in uncertain and scary times. It’s fun to take a chance, to dream of a life transformed from the everyday, ho-hum to magical and exotic beyond our wildest fantasies.

Where is your hope? Would winning a few hundred million dollars make all your problems go away? Or make them hurt less? I doubt it. Money—even hundreds of millions of dollars of it—is only temporal. It doesn’t last. It doesn’t provide true peace. There is only one true hope that produces peace and joy regardless of gas prices and insufficient retirement planning.

Hope in a future of no pain, no sorrow, no loss, and eternal fellowship with our Creator is the only true way to happiness and fulfillment. It’s the only thing that lasts. I Peter, chapter one says we have been given a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ and an inheritance that can never spoil, perish, or fade…

I don’t mean to belittle or lecture anyone who plays the lottery. That’s a personal choice. I won’t deny an unexpected windfall would be fun for a season. But may we put our hope in a treasure that lasts, where neither moth nor rust can destroy.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

THE OMEGA CONSPIRACY by I.D.E. Thomas


Article by Molly Noble Bull

According to The Ancient Alien series via the History Channel, aliens from other planets visited earth eons ago, planted mankind here and promised to return one day. Science fiction author, Arthur C. Clarke, called the last generation of man before this possible scenario Childhood’s End in his novel by that name while Greek mythology and children’s literature are full of giants and super heroes.
However, these premises don’t fit with the biblical account of creation. So, where can the truth be found?
The Omega Conspiracy by I.D. E. Thomas explains that what science fictions authors, the History Channel and others call ancient aliens were actually the fallen angels found in the Book of Genesis, chapter 6.



Some say that the Bible calls angels “the sons of God”—whether good angels or bad ones. You will find this information interesting when you read the scripture verses below. 

[And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
And the Lord said, “My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.]
Genesis 6 verses 1-6. 

The Omega Conspiracy was published in 1986, and the book agrees with Greek Mythology and the History Channel. Ancients did come down to earth and were certainly mighty men of old, but they didn’t come from other planets. They were fallen angels who fell from Grace, married human woman and bore children with them. Their offspring were giants, both in size and intelligence. The giants were also called the nephilim, and they were super evil.
Will the fallen angels and their evil offspring return to earth one day as they promised?
I.D.E Thomas and others think perhaps the fallen angels and their offspring are in the process of returning now.
How do you spell flying saucers?
The Omega Conspiracy by I.D.E. Thomas is a fast and exciting read, and it can be ordered from Amazon. Just write The Omega Conspiracy by I.D.E. Thomas in the search slot at online and walk-in bookstores.