The first of my novels to deal with the supernatural, this one is primarily a creepy-crawly. It is based in part upon one of the Old Testament’s most cryptic lines: “That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair: and they took them wives of all which they chose” (Genesis 6:2). Actually, it draws even more upon the pseudepigraphic book of Enoch, which treats in detail the concept of supernatural beings having mated in ancient times with human women. I have also thrown in an updated version of Circe’s potion, the apparent reincarnation of a Fifties femme fatale, a bizarre cult, a strange series of murders, spirit possession, a female serial killer with a Joker-like sense of humor, and the idea that the mysterious Dark Lady of Shakespeare’s sonnets is still with us.
Strangely enough, my novel is also somewhat of a hard-boiled detective story. Father Sam, my protagonist, must act as a private eye and investigate several odd characters as he attempts to understand uncanny events. At the same time he has to deal with problems resulting from his past alcoholism and the failure of his marriage.
Although my plot is mainly “for fun,” I do comment obliquely on evils involving contemporary religion, particularly such issues confronting what generally might be called the Anglican Communion, which continues to disintegrate each year. But all about us, we see problems in organized religions—greed, materialism, hatred, power plays, and the lack of spiritual center. However, to avoid direct parallels, I have created a nonexistent Anglican breakaway church. Hence, no one should assume I am writing about a particular denomination or actual clergymen. Readers are free to determine on their own how problems displayed in the novel reflect those of today’s churches.
Like my other novels, this one is available at the Murray State Bookstore and on line at Authorhouse.com, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, and Borders.com. Prices vary a good deal as do the shipping schedules.
A Kentucky Colonel in King Arthur's Court and The Swamp Maiden of Venus.
