Publisher's Weekly review of THE PROPHET'S MANTLE

Below are snippets of the Publisher's Weekly review of the novel. I cut out the spoiler alerts, because it's just rude to give the people a whole plot summary before they have a chance to read it for themselves.

"A retelling of the New Testament from a woman’s point of view, this novel is not precisely The Gospel According to Miriam — although that exists as a (missing, rewritten, and assigned to male authorship) text within the text. Rather it is the more personal story of Miri . . ."

"In most ways retreading familiar ground, albeit through the eyes of a sympathetic protagonist, the author is most radical in her treatment of Simon Peter . . ."

"Those not shocked by Peter’s revised role are likely to be offended instead by Miri’s eventual decision to not only forgive him but keep his secrets. She also replaces Judas as lone traitor with a conspiracy known to Jesus. Likely to appeal mostly to those who already believe but want to imagine how women fit into the story, the story raises a few hard questions but stops well short of answering any. "

A good review, for a first novel. The last line may have been meant as a criticism, but raising hard questions is exactly what this author intended to do, not answer questions. This is a work of fiction after all, not a biography or a theological tome.

Advanced to Quarter-Finals!

THE PROPHET'S MANTLE is among 500 novels advanced to the Quarter-Finals in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards.

One contest reviewer writes, "Now this is how to do a retelling of the Gospels."

please visit my page on Amazon Shorts, where you can:

• read the first chapter
• rate it
• write your own review

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UG3C76

Please note that there is NO COST to download the excerpt.

Read the First Chapter

You can now preview the first chapter of THE PROPHET'S MANTLE on CreateSpace:

https://www.createspace.com/Preview/1054631

Please rate the excerpt and leave comments.

(Updated 2/17 because CreateSpace ate the first preview.)

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Status of THE PROPHET'S MANTLE

THE PROPHET'S MANTLE, a work of historical fiction that explores the mystery of the original Gospel, is complete at 150,000 words. Currently the novel is competing for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards contest on www.Amazon.com. I am seeking a publisher and/or agent for the work.

Description

“You will weave a beautiful mantle. You will weave it from the strands of your life. When the babe comes forth, you will wrap him in this mantle. It will be as though you had enclosed him within yourself.”

Forbidden to follow Christ on his final journey, Miri of Bethany fits her loom with strips cut from a widow’s garments. Through these dark lines she weaves threads from the Christ-child’s swaddling clothes, hair from the Baptizer’s braids, fishnet ropes and golden ribbons.

Miri later transcribes the memories in the mantle onto twenty-four scrolls – but will those who control the powerful young church allow a woman’s authority over the story of Christ? Forced to live in exile with the man who stole her manuscript and broke her heart, Miri accepts one final opportunity to share her Gospel. Night after night, Miri’s story unfurls as delicately as the tendrils of smoke rising from their campfire.

THE PROPHET’S MANTLE draws on the real-life mystery of Q, the missing source document for the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Early Christian leaders disseminated and preserved these three Gospels. What happened to the original? THE PROPHET’S MANTLE resurrects the saga of the stolen Gospel and the people who lived it.

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