Category:
Fantasy
Publisher: Coming Soon!
Type: Fiction
Pages: 350
PROLOGUE OF BOOK:
Darkness permeated the universe.
There was no light.
The celestial bodies encompassing the solar system were dead … and the earth, a lifeless rotating sphere covered in ice.
Jeremiah 4:23-27
I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.
I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly [danced]. I beheld,
and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the
fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the
LORD, and by his fierce anger. For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate;
yet will I not make a full end.
The only sounds that could be heard were the explosions created by massive asteroids as they rocketed toward and made contact with the surface of the planets – creating craters as large as cities – and the wailing of angelic and celestial beings that were suffocating in outer darkness, no place to call home.
These formerly glorious entities had become fugitives and vagabonds, wondering aimlessly in a universal void. It had not always been this way, though. In a time before time, the galaxy that was now a frenzied heap of nothingness was the abode of a countless number of beings – marvelous beyond comprehension. But … that glorious Kingdom was before Lucifer, the Anointed Cherub, fashioned an alliance of supernatural beings and attacked the Throne of Jehovah.
However, the formless and void condition that characterized the galaxy would be liberated; Jehovah was about to utter His first words – as it related to the reinstatement of his castigated Kingdom – In many Millennia.
Gen 1:3 “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”
Join me on a journey of discovery that will unearth the age-old conflict between good and evil, light and darkness; and Chronicle the Trail of the Dragon in his attempt to reign upon his previous possession … Earth! These are the Chronicles of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Put your name of the pre-order list at:
v2tm@rocketmail.com to be sure to get your copy first. We will keep you informed as to the publication date.
In the tradition of The Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones, Mark brings you the epic trilogy – the Kingdom of Heaven Chronicles. The first episode of the trilogy, The Ruins of Rahab, thrusts the reader into a fantastical world where fact and fiction collide.
Race and his four feisty friends from Missoula, Montana, are on the brink of becoming participants in a forgotten epoch of fire breathing seraphim’s, elves, dwarfs, and giants; while at the same time discovering the genesis of Atlantis, Eden, the builders of the Great Pyramid, The Sphinx and many other archeological and astronomical mysteries.
With time running out on humanity, Race and his tenacious team from Pluto have only one opportunity to compete in the popular, but exceedingly violent, Galactic Pok-a-Tok Tournament held only once every millennia in a time before time. The fifth planet from the sun, Rahab, is the birthplace of the captain of Rahab’s undefeated Pok-a-Tok team – Lucifer, the Anointed Cherub. Winning this competition is imperative, for the champion receives an amulet made out of stones derived from the four rivers of Eden that enjoy supernatural qualities. There will be little hope for mankind’s future without gaining an understanding of this talisman.
Enjoy a world where fact is truly stranger than fiction!
Mark D. Harrell
Excerpt
A Tale of Two Verses
Had I never met a certain gentleman on that steamy summer day that was June of 1996 – I’ll call this man Morpheus (as in the Morpheus of the Matrix Movie Series starring Keanu Reeves) for my purposes – I would never have developed the potential to perceive the hidden world of Genesis 1:1-2 prancing around the pages of my Bible.
It was shortly after that divine appointment in Sarasota, Florida, that I died. Don’t misunderstand me, I didn’t cease to physically exist; I died in the sense that I was becoming aware that our life on this planet is a hologram of a greater reality (some call it quantum physics); a parallel world filled with magnificent angelic beings (both good and evil), fire breathing seraphim’s, disembodied spirits (demons), giants, dinosaurs, and all manner of paranormal activity.
I enjoy my life … I really do; however, thanks to my above mentioned Morpheus, the personality possessing my pen would whisk me to worlds unknown at unexpected moments. Each time I picked up my instrument to write, Race would take me on an expedition through a world that never ceased to open wondrous, previously undetected realities – realities that are more authentic than we presently appreciate.
I invite you to join me on a journey to explore out of sight mysteries of an actuality just beyond the grasp of our fingertips … or is it?
Walk with me through a world that Race and his four friends – not to mention my Morpheus – has made known to me; it is in this world you will find that fact can definitely be stranger than fiction!
Eph 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Chapter I
“It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.”
Graduation Day – Missoula, Montana
The two figures lingering in the shadows were surveying the events unfold in front of them with attentiveness, their eyes, hidden behind dark sunglasses, searched the immediate area for any sign of danger. Unknown to Race, the two entities had been assigned as his guardians at the time of his birth; too much rested on Race reaching his twenty-third year of life – which he had just celebrated with family and friends three months earlier on the ninth day of March – for him to be left unprotected. Not now – particularly when they were so close.
The visitors, both of them over seven feet tall – one blond and slim, the other bald and bulky – were sensitive to how important Race and his friends would be to the future of humanity. The discovery was only weeks away, and it was their responsibility to make certain that Race would be alive to unearth the artifact.
Little did they know, while walking across the platform to receive their well-earned degrees, that their lives were about to change; nothing would ever be ordinary again.
The crowd in the Assembly Hall was beginning to empty into the courtyard. It was a stunning summer evening just before dusk; the reflection of the sun was shimmering off the snow covered mountains in the distance. The commencement ceremony for the graduates had just completed, and the excitement of the moment was etched on the faces of the newly departing seniors.
“Race, can you believe we’ve finally finished with our education?”
Brianna, or Bree, as her friends called her, had just finished her fourteenth year of school with Race. The two had been the best of friends since the first day they met in the second grade; inseparable was the word used to describe their relationship. Everyone called them the odd couple, mainly because Bree was barely five feet and four inches tall, with long, shiny brunette hair that met the small of her back when worn down; she scarcely weighed one hundred pounds. In contrast, Race was a muscular six foot – three, enviably tanned, and a dead-ringer for Brad Pitt – at least that’s what everybody said. They now found themselves sitting on the cusp of a new life; a life that didn’t have a clear-cut path laid out for their immediate future.
“No… it seems like it all went by so fast,” Race said while he trotted over and gave her a gigantic bear hug. Hugs were their usual hello and goodbye.
“Hey! Don’t take all the hugs for yourself, man. Save some lovin’ for the rest of us.” Quinn – Mr. spur of the moment with his floppy sandy blonde hair, blue eyes, and six foot two frame – hollered as he ran over with M (which was short for Emily) and Hunter. M’s short red hair was blowing in the wind; her vibrant spirit in full swing, as always. Hunter—the captain of every athletic team imaginable – was the rock of the group. When you’ve seen Dwayne Johnson, “The Rock,” you’ve seen Hunter. He was always the one to step up when someone needed protection; it came naturally to him.
The five of them had been joined at the hip since entering school together at the University of Montana. One of the reasons for choosing the school was because of its location near the Rocky Mountains. They loved the snow and the skiing that came with the “white stuff,” as they called it, every year in abundance. In fact, Quinn was thought to be skilled enough that he tried out for the USA Olympic slalom team, barely missing a spot in the most recent Olympics. Now that they had received their diplomas, they were a little unsure about what was to come, but that wasn’t going to stop them from having fun together for the next few months. They had set aside some time to hang out together before they settled into whatever awaited them on the horizon. With the grades and academic awards they just received, they knew a good job would be forthcoming. They would plan their excursion in a few days, but first things first.
“Come over here, you guys!” Mrs. Deleon, Race’s mom, was frantically waving both arms in the air trying to get their attention. She was forty-seven, but no one could tell by looking at her. She and her husband had the stature and energy of someone Race’s age. How Race ended up with dark hair was a mystery. Both his mom and dad were natural blondes. “We have to make sure we get some picture memories of you guys graduating before you get out of your gowns.”
“Mom, they are robes… not gowns. Gowns sound so… well… girlish,” said Race as Quinn couldn’t help but laugh at him for being so literal. But that was Race; literal to the bitter end.
“Step over here on the patio so we can get a few photos of you guys with the mountains in the background. The snow is still covering the top; they’ll look great!” Mrs. Deleon took pictures while the four created wacky posses for them to remember the good ole days.
“Okay… just give me some smiles this time. No crazy stuff.” You could see a tear trickling down her cheek as she held the camera up and caught the five of them in the viewfinder looking so elegant in their graduation gowns. All the years with Race’s friends flew through her mind in that brief moment. She remembered the good times and the bad, but what stuck in her mind the most was that they had always been inseparable. It broke her heart that they didn’t know what the future held for them.
“That’s perfect. Race… you’re dad and I are going to run on to the ranch ahead of the others. We’ll see you there shortly.” The Deleon’s had moved to Missoula, Montana when Race and Bree decided on the University of Montana. Mr. Deleon did very well in his archeological adventures; money was no object. He was always funded very well by those interested in his excavations, not to mention reaping the benefits from the value of what he would uncover.
“Sure thing, mom.” Race had a sheepish look, knowing what was coming next.
“And remember… we love you with all our hearts and are so proud of what you’ve accomplished.” Mrs. Deleon ran off before Race could say anything. She knew that kind of stuff embarrassed him.
“Man… I wish she would save that for when we’re not around everyone.”
“Bout ready to go…are we…mama’s boy,” jabbed Quinn as the others threw their arms around Race in time to see his face turn beet red. Quinn took great pleasure in embarrassing Race whenever he could. That’s what friends were for, he would think inwardly, trying to justify his antics.
“Yea, let’s get outta here. My parents have the ranch all fixed up for a pretty zinger of a graduation party. I think they invited everybody in the school… teachers and all,” said Race.
“I can’t wait. When your parents put on a party, they really go all out. It’ll be a blast,” Bree said as she took Race by the arm to leave.
“Wait just minute, guys. Take a look at those two men in white suits and black sunglasses standing by the statue of the grizzly at the courtyard fountain? They look cool and all, but ... those white suits and ties seem a little out of place at a college graduation. Do any of you recognize them?”
Hunter was probably the most observant guy Race had ever met, and when he noticed something they all paid attention.
Quinn looked intently at the tall, well dressed individuals. “No, I’ve never seen them before. I think I’d remember a scar that large, not to mention their height.” One of the men, the bald one, had a scar decorating the right side of his face that ran from the bottom corner of his chin to the underside of his eye, touching the top corner of his nose. “How badly do you think we would have thumped everybody if they had been on our basketball team, though? I think it’s a False alarm buddy. Now, let’s get to the party your folks are throwing before all the food is gone. I’m starving; a gallon of some of mom’s lemonade would do the trick about now.”
Because of the close relationship, Bree, M, Hunter and Quinn had adopted Race’s mom as their mom away from mom. With the five of them running around, it was never a dull moment at the Deleon household.
After slowly making their way through the sea of people, Bree, M, Quinn and Hunter jumped into Race’s jeep and headed toward the Ranch for their long awaited graduation party. Race didn’t tell anyone, but the presence of the two well-dressed men in sunglasses bothered him a little. He did have a vague recollection, now that Hunter brought it to his attention, of seeing them at places in the past, but thought it would be best to keep his concerns to himself, for now.
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