“Maria’s dream ended with a start. She opened her eyes to the north wind, blowing through the open window and encircling her bedroom. A mouse hiding in a dark corner of the room scurried back to its hole in the wall when Maria’s mother opened the door and ran to her daughter’s bedside. As she knelt to comfort Maria, the wind gusted its escape as fiercely as it had broken into the room, rattling the shutters as it went.”
-A very rough draft of the book’s first paragraph.
The Structure and Outline of the My Second Book.
Over the past week I have made substantial progress in my second book, enough to give you, my Substack subscribers, an update and some previews.
The book seeks to find the true nature of Christianity. Some of the mysteries the characters seek to resolve are:
If Christianity is a way to fulfill our dreams, then why are so many prayers unanswered?
If Christianity is the solution to human history, then why does violence and injustice still dominate nearly 2,000 years after Jesus?
If Christianity has the power to transform lives, why have followers of Christ hurt so many people?
If, as Jesus says in the beatitudes, the meek will inherit the earth, why is the history of Christianity about intellectuals, elites, and those who held high church office?
Will Watson, one of the main characters, seeks the answers to these questions as he lives with his family in the city of Los Angeles. The book is historical fiction. Many of the stories stem from my more than 20 years in L.A. The characters are developed with people I have known in mind, and lesser-known but true stories of the City of Angels are threaded throughout the book.
I am looking forward to publishing sections of the book as Substack posts soon. Now it’s time to get back to writing!
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Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. Jeff Shasta has brought many of history and American wars to life for me.
Those are some scary questions! It takes bravery to name what we all wonder but are inadequate to ask.