Amazon Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls Category:  Action/Thriller Publisher: Living Free Press ISBN-10:  0965045414 Type: Fiction Pages: 318 Copyright: June 2005 ISBN-13: 9780965045414 An Independent Publisher Book Award Winner 2006 about the adventures of two women, a rich American businessman and a disillusioned French priest become interwoven with the story of Mary Magdalene, Jesus, the Black Madonna to translate scrolls found in the French Pyrenees while being stalked by adversaries who attempt to prevent the foursome. "Mon dieu? What is this? This is not papyrus, but it seems to be ancient linen. There must be an explanation in one of the other scrolls. This one is only cloth. There is nothing inside. There is no writing." We were all puzzled and agreed to set it aside until we saw what the rest of the wrapped scrolls contained. With our permission, he continued to unwrap each one. His hands were shaking, revealing his excitement. "Hmmm. They are written in ancient Greek. There appears to be a sequence." Looking at each scroll, he arranged them on the table. "Ah, oui," he said as he began to scan some of the scrolls. "They seem to be numbered, and ah, oui. This one must be the first." The rest of us refrained from talking. The moment was intense. I noticed I was holding my breath. Slowly I let it out. Looking up at us with tears in his eyes, he began speaking in French, then caught himself and switched to English. "Mes amies, I think we have the Holy Grail here. If these scrolls are authentic, these words were written by Mary Magdalene." The air was pregnant with the import of his statement.    Excerpt "Life is like a tapestry. A chance meeting can lead to a beautiful new thread. We are weaving our individual tapestry with each choice we make." - Sebastian, Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls

Rapid Review
Author Bettye Johnson brings the world a wonderfully written, intriguing novel about Mary Magdalene. Although the book is a work of fiction, it reads like history and you want to believe it is history. You want to believe that all of the questions have been answered by the lost scrolls of Magdalene.

With a hint of romance, adventure and history, this book is a page turner that you will have a hard time putting down. Follow along as two women find the scrolls of Magdalene while in the French Pyrenees Mountains. Since they can't read the ancient writing, they work with a businessman and a priest to have the scrolls translated so that all can see the life of Mary Magdalene. Discover if Magdalene was the wife of Jesus. What was her connection with the Black Madonna? What was her life like?

Easy to follow and understand, this book is a great read. You don't have to be a history buff to follow along. You don't need to be a religious fanatic either. You just need a free day and an open heart to follow along this journey to discover the scrolls of Mary Magdalene

NorthWestWriters.com
Is this or is this not fiction? In this day and age with new facts about our very existence questioned and new biblical discoveries being unearthed, who can say beyond any doubt that this book is fiction.

Bettye Johnson, author of Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls, shortly after a trip to France said in her words, "We visited the Languedoc region of the Pyrenees where I became enthralled with the Black Madonnas. When I came home I made a decision to write about Mary Magdalene and I learned that there is almost no history available that is reliable from the time of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. It became a journey of discovery for me and I learned a Pope Gregory around 500 C.E. made a decision to portray her as a prostitute and a whore."

Johnson also has a continuing interest in symbols and the knowledge that she has gained over the years enabled her to decipher what she calls "the obvious unobvious that unaware people miss."

If you liked The DaVinci Code, you will certainly like Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls and all the secrets that it reveals.

Writer's Digest
Writer's Digest 15th Annual International Self-Published Books Awards Commentary:
Books are judged on a scale of 1 to 5 with five being excellent, the highest. Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls was evaluated in areas of plot, grammar, character development and cover design and given a five.

Judge's commentary: Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls is a tantalizing story depicting the discovery of ancient scrolls about Mary Magdalene and Jesus. Though it covers some of the same ground as the Da Vinci Code, the writing is infinitely better and far more believable. The heroines in the story are more realistic and the adventures described in a truer voice along with a possible time-line--something very much lacking in Dan Brown's tale. Whether the reader chooses to believe what is revealed in story form or not, the book is entertaining from beginning to end.

Judge's response to question what did you like best about this book? No suggestions--the author knows how to write and tell a compelling and convincing story. Hopefully the promotion for this book will be enough to make those who read the Da Vinci Code want to read the Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls.