The God Tablets
Here is a preview of my new novel. I’ve put the first 32 pages up for you to read, but beware – that’s all you’ll see until it’s published. I can’t show it all to you, because that would mean it has been published and then no publisher would touch it. I’m in the market for an agent or publisher, so if you like what you read, please pass that information along to someone in the industry.
The main thought in Sunny’s mind as she strolled along the Mall was whether the bathrooms at the Lincoln Memorial were open on a Sunday evening — that is, until the tree exploded.
She and Russell were almost to the Memorial when the earsplitting boom stopped them. She spun around, heart pounding. Were they in the middle of a terrorist attack? But all she saw was a medium-sized elm tree, identical to the others and rich with summer green, burst into flames that reached toward the sky.
What was happening? A strong moldy odor enveloped them, and sparks flew in their direction. Heat hit like a tsunami and nearly knocked them over.
“Get back!” Russell grabbed Sunny’s arm and pulled her to a small rise about 40 feet away. A man in shorts whipped out a camcorder. A woman clung to his other arm, just as Sunny gripped Russell’s.
The tree burned quickly, snapping and spluttering as the fire moved up and out from its center. Branches glowed red for a brief second before being consumed in the flames. Acrid smoke curled toward the small group, engulfing them in an orange haze. Sunny coughed but stood her ground. She feared the entire row of trees would catch fire and overcome them, but she couldn’t bring herself to move.
Within five minutes all that remained were glowing embers and a gap in the trees that lined the sidewalk. The trees to either side were untouched, despite their overlapping branches.
• Read the 12 New Commandments as they were written on the tablets
| • Hear the author read this scene: |
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Synopsis
Stone tablets with 12 new commandments claiming to be from God are discovered under burning trees in capital cities around the world. The commandments focus on the need for peace and inclusiveness.
Is this a hoax, or could it be real? People around the world take sides. Sunny and Russell Anderson, who witness the event on a visit to Washington, D.C., clash. Sunny, a peace activist, believes the tablets to be from God and becomes a leader in the New Commandments movement. Her husband Russell, an evangelical minister, considers the message blasphemy. This further strains their already difficult marriage.
But they find out just how terrifying life can be when the Christian Soldiers, a fanatical group trying to hasten the Rapture, blames Sunny for the peace that threatens to break out all over and ruin its plans.
