The Atheist & The Parrotfish by Richard Barager tells a complex but compelling story probing some hardcore human issues. Atheism, transgenderism, guilt, death, relationships… It’s all there.

A cross-dresser, Ennis Willoughby, is in need of both a new kidney and a new heart. His hope of a double transplant is in the hands of his nephrology doctor, Cullen Brodie.

The two organs suddenly became available through the tragic death of a woman who, coincidentally, had worked in the very medical center where Brodie works. In spite of Willoughby’s age (in his sixties), the doctor ensures that his patient is the recipient of these vital organs. Everything seems to go well until an odd phenomenon occurs.

Ennis Willoughby – whose female side he calls Emily – feels an uncanny connection with his anonymous donor.

Ennis tells Brodie as well as his psychiatrist, Becky, that he knows who his donor was, he is convinced her name is Carla, and even odder is that he suddenly experiences new tastes that no doubt came from her. He feels he has received Carla’s soul as well as her organs.

In spite of things that Ennis suddenly knows and feels that cannot be explained, the two doctors resist his theory.

Meanwhile, Brodie has his own demons to fight. An untimely death and a broken-up relationship with the love of his life make for a heavy past which forever lurks in the background. Unable to come to grips with what happened, it is easy to just become a staunch atheist living as you please. God cannot logically exist, it’s as simple as that! But underneath this belief system, there is deep pain – pain he drowns in promiscuity and large living.

Underneath it all, question about God’s existence keeps on popping up.

Carefully crafted narrative weaves in scenes from Brodie’s past as well as Willoughby’s. Several other key characters are brought in, adding to the story’s complexity and brilliance. Unexpected twists and turns keep the reader riveted.

Barager, who is himself a nephrologist practicing in Southern California, employs a rich vocabulary, subtle imagery and a stunning knowledge of culture, including the arts, overseas societies and much more.

However, as well as a rich vocabulary, the author does not spare us from sexually charged content and crude language—all of which serve to paint an authentic picture of the characters. Thus, the book would not be classified as “Christian” per se, and would not be a good fit for everyone.

The Atheist and The Parrotfish (Evolved Publishing, May 2017) is a fascinating, well-written read. A page-turner rom the get-go.

For more information, please visit www.richardbarager.com and connect with him on Facebook, LinkedIn and Goodreads. 

This story also appears in Assist News Service.

Janey DeMeo M.A.

Copyright © June 2017

www.orphansfirst.org

www.JaneyDeMeo.com

www.twitter.com/JaneyDeMeo

http://janey-demeo.blogspot.com

Step Into Your Future: A Women's Guide to Business Success

If you’re a small biz owner--or want to become one--then this book’s for you: Step Into Your Future: A Women's Guide to Business Success by Rosemary Hossenlopp (Morgan James Publishing).

Rosemary Regier-Hossenlopp, MBA . . .is an expert on the mindset needed for business change. She is the founder of Business Success Plan group and inspires small business owners, professional services consultants and other women leaders to create personal business plans. She makes it easy for business owners to define and execute success plans. Her book on Step Into Your Future: A Businesswoman’s Guide to Success sets the standard for realigning to current market needs.

Here’s what Rosemary tells us about her book:
“What specific incident inspired you to gather together this information and put together a book?

→ Rosemary Regier-Hossenlopp: The heart of success is figuring out what gets you the best results. You hear about business planning techniques that can help you focus on getting the business results you want. But you procrastinate in implementing them. I know this because I have been there too. It is overwhelming when you need to be the plumber, the accountant, the salesman and the person who delivers the goods. It is hard to make the time to work “on” the business and not work “in” the business. More planning advice is available at www.StepIntoYourFuture.com/teleseminar/

“What’s specific inspiration changed your life … and why do you feel it had such a ‘mind-shifting’ impact on you?”

→ Rosemary Regier-Hossenlopp: I believe in easy; an easy way to see what you need to do and came up with a quick process that allowed me to identify steps that accelerated my success. You can get more information at www.StepintoYourFuture.com/teleseminar/

Check out Rosemary's video trailer.

Oh, and while we're on the subject of stepping into the future, what about our kids? Check out the new version of my biblical parenting book, Heaven Help Me Raise These Children!--Biblical Answers to Practical Parenting Issues.

That's all for today, readers. See you soon. Same blog, same time . . . (Whatever time you happen to click in.) Keep reading the good stuff.

Janey L. DeMeo M.A.
www.orphansfirst.org / www.JaneyDeMeo.com

Broken Angel

This month’s Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy (CSFF) blogtour features Broken Angel by Sigmund Brouwer—an action-packed, character-driven fantasy novel full of suspense. Please enjoy the following interview with Mr. Brouwer. It will no doubt whet your appetite to read the book.

JD - Mr. Brouwer, Broken Angel intrigued me right to the end and kept me reading. Yet, it was very different from one of my favorite books written by you, The Weeping Chamber. How different were these books to write? Do you feel more akin to one genre than another?

SB - Thank you for commenting kindly on The Weeping Chamber. It’s a special book to me because the research helped me learn so much about the historical background to the gospels. Technically, because of the setting and because of how booksellers categorize, yes, it is a different genre.
Sometimes when I am at schools, though, I ask the kids if they’d like to read a book about a man who was accused of working with the devil, who was hailed as a man who could lead a country to freedom from an evil empire, who was betrayed by one of his best friends, then tortured to death in public, then reappears after he was buried so deep in a tomb that it was impossible to get out. It’s fun to get their reaction, because they immediately think it’s a supernatural kind of thriller. Because in a sense, the events before and after the crucifixion are taut with suspense and the eerie feeling that comes when the fabric of the supernatural wraps a place and time on earth.
In that way, Broken Angel was not that much different to write.
I always try for suspense, no matter what genre. At this point, after 18 novels, I can see that I’ll continue with what my editor, Shannon, calls visionary suspense -- what if stories set in the near future that explore concepts that are hopefully unexpected, yet plausible.

JD - I enjoyed the different characters in Broken Angel, especially Caitlyn. But Mason Lee's cruelty gave me the creeps. I'm curious as to what inspired his character. Did you research cold-hearted criminals, watch horror movies or just conjure Lee's character up in your imagination?

SB - Unfortunately, I think villains are the easiest to create, and I say ‘unfortunately’ because I think it’s a simple matter of taking a vice that most of us have to resist -- selfishness -- and allowing a character to pursue his or her own goals without any regard or compassion for anyone who gets in the way of that self centered pursuit.

JD - I noticed Bill Myers endorsed your book (which is right up his alley). Bill is a personal friend and also on the advisory board of my non-profit organization, Orphans First (orphansfirst.org). Bill also spoke at the Commencement Ceremony of the Bible College my husband founded in France (we were church-planting missionaries there for 22 years). Do you know Bill? Has his work inspired you in any way?

SB - I have a great deal of respect and affection for Bill. We’ve worked together at workshops with kids (literacy) and he’s a profound thinker and compassionate man who is also capable of enjoying life like an eight-year-old boy. His work is inspiring because he sets the bar so high that it gives other writers a standard to follow.

JD - I love Cindy's accompanying song @ brokenangelsong.com. (Cindy may be blessed to know that I used to buy her soundtrax and sing her songs in our church in France.) Do you and Cindy often work together on projects?

SB - Cindy and I have only worked together on one other project -- The Weeping Chamber, and her album, The Loving Kind.

This time, many years later, the collaboration was not intentional. I had just finished my first draft of Broken Angel, and she played me a song she had been working on: Beautiful Bird.

It was as if Cindy had been inside my novelist mind for 10 months, because the song had the emotional resonance I wanted readers to take away from Broken Angel as Caitlyn finally takes flight for freedom.

I begged her to allow it to become part of the novel, but in a non-traditional sense. So readers can finish the book now, and go to www.brokenangelsong.com and hear the song and see the video that reflects the theme of the book: each of us are born to fly. (Our daughters are the angels in the video, and I hope this is something that readers might like, as despite the setting of Broken Angel, it really is a story about a daddy and his girl.)

JD - Thank you for taking time to bless my blogreaders with your answers. May God continue to bless you and Cindy--and your families--as you serve Him with your talents.

Check out reviews by some of my fellow bloggers.

*Participants’ Links:

Brandon Barr
Justin Boyer
Keanan Brand
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Janey DeMeo
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Mark Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Katie Hart
Timothy Hicks
Christopher Hopper
Joleen Howell
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Magma
Margaret
Shannon McNear
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Nissa
John W. Otte
Steve Rice
Ashley Rutherford
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
Mirtika or Mir's Here
Sean Slagle
James Somers
Donna Swanson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Laura Williams

*Featured book, Broken Angel http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400070325 .
Featured author, Sigmund Brouwer: Web site – http://www.coolreading.com/ .

You might want to also check out Bill Myers whose link is on the side of this blog with other links.

Janey L. DeMeo M.A.
www.orphansfirst.org / www.JaneyDeMeo.com