Sunday, February 26, 2012

BW9: Frank Peretti



One of my favorite authors is finally releasing another book after a long six year wait.  Frank Peretti who wrote This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness, two ultra scary, chilling, spine tingling books about spiritual warfare has written Illusion which will be released March 6th.  

Synopsis:   Dane and Mandy, a popular magic act for forty years, are tragically separated by a car wreck that claims Mandy’s life—or so everyone thinks. Even as Dane mourns and tries to rebuild his life without her, Mandy, supposedly dead, awakes in the present as the nineteen-year-old she was in 1970. Distraught and disoriented in what to her is the future, she is confined to a mental ward until she discovers a magical ability to pass invisibly through time and space to escape. Alone in a strange world, she uses her mysterious powers to eke out a living, performing magic on the streets and in a quaint coffee shop.

Hoping to discover an exciting new talent, Dane ventures into the coffee shop and is transfixed by the magic he sees, illusions that even he, a seasoned professional, cannot explain. But more than anything, he is emotionally devastated by this teenager who has never met him, doesn’t know him, is certainly not in love with him, but is in every respect identical to the young beauty he first met and married some forty years earlier.

They begin a furtive relationship as mentor and protegee, but even as Dane tries to sort out who she really is and she tries to understand why she is drawn to him, they are watched by secretive interests who not only possess the answers to Mandy’s powers and misplacement in time but also the roguish ability to decide what will become of her. 

I discovered Frank Peretti back in the 1986 with the release of  "This Present Darkness" about evil trying to take over a small town and the battle not only with humans but angels and demons for their souls.  It's a gripping tale that will literally give you goosebumps as angels fighting amongst the humans with demons sitting on someone's shoulder whispering in their ears.  
Released 1986

"Ashton is just a typical small town. But when a skeptical reporter and a pastor begin to compare notes, they suddenly find themselves fighting a hideous plot to subjugate the townspeople—and eventually the entire human race. A riveting thriller, This Present Darkness offers a fascinating glimpse into the unseen world of spiritual warfare.When the fictional town of Ashton runs up against the sinister Omni Corporation, all hell breaks through - literally."

Released 1989

Peretti followed up in 1989 with the Piercing the Darkness: 

 "This sequel to Peretti's This Present Darkness is built upon fundamentalist Christian ideas. As it tells the story of Sally Roe, who goes from spiritualism to conversion, it also traces a battle to save a Christian school from demon-inspired litigation. The human activities are again overshadowed by the battle between angels and demons, whom the author takes quite literally, giving them names, personalities, and dialogue. They influence all human activities, just as human prayer helps angels and hampers demons."

released 1992
"A thriller that penetrates to the very heart of a vast struggle that threatens to tear our society apart. Successful news anchorman John Barrett is caught in a suspenseful moral and spiritual battle over the importance of Truth. Using all the elements of edge-of-your-seat fiction, master storyteller Frank Peretti weaves a prophetic tale of our times. John Barrett, top news anchor for Channel 6, knows something is wrong. The story doesn't add up. It couldn't have happened that way, and Barrett is determined to find the truth. Was his father's death really an accident? Or did he know too much? Another spine-tingling tale of deception, murder, and redemption."

Released 1995


"An ancient sin. A long forgotten oath. A town with a deadly secret.Something evil is at work in Hyde River, an isolated mining town in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest.

Under the cover of darkness, a predator strikes without warning-taking life in the most chilling and savage fashion. The community of Hyde River watches in terror as residents suddenly vanish. Yet, the more locals are pressed for information, the more they close ranks, sworn to secrecy by their forefathers' hidden sins. 

Only when Hyde River's secrets are exposed is the true extent of the danger fully revealed. What the town discovers is something far more deadly than anything they'd imagined. Something that doesn't just stalk its victims, but has the power to turn hearts black with decay as it slowly fills their souls with darkness."

Released 1999
"The sleepy, eastern Washington wheat town of Antioch has become a gateway for the supernatural-from sightings of angels and a weeping crucifix to a self-proclaimed prophet with an astounding message.

The national media and the curious all flock to the little town-a great boon for local business but not for Travis Jordan. The burned-out former pastor has been trying to hide his past in Antioch. Now the whole world is headed to his backyard to find the Messiah, and in the process, every spiritual assumption he has ever held will be challenged. The startling secret behind this visitation ultimately pushes one man into a supernatural confrontation that has eternal consequences."

Released 2005
 "Some monsters are real. Miles away from the hectic city, Reed and Rebecca hike into the beautiful Northwester woods. They are surrounded by gorgeous mountains, waterfalls, and hundreds of acres of unspoiled wilderness.During their first night camping, an unearthly wail pierces the calm of the forest. Then something emerges from the dense woods. Everything that follows is a blur to Reed-except the unforgettable image of a huge creature carrying his wife into the darkness.  Enter into deep wilderness where the rules of civilization no longer apply. A world where strange shadows lurk. Where creatures long attributed to overactive imaginations and nightmares are the hunters . . .and people are the hunted."


Released 2006
"Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker-two of the most acclaimed writers of supernatural thrillers-have joined forces for the first time to craft a story unlike any you've ever read. Enter House-where you'll find yourself thrown into a killer's deadly game in which the only way to win is to lose . . . and the only way out is in. The stakes of the game become clear when a tin can is tossed into the house with rules scrawled on it. Rules that only a madman-or worse-could have written. Rules that make no sense yet must be followed.

One game. Seven players. Three rules. Game ends at dawn."

If you like supernatural, psychological, spine chilling thrillers, be sure to check out Frank Peretti.  Just don't read his books alone or in the dark. :)   I've already preordered my copy of Illusion.  

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25 comments:

  1. Hi, I'm keeping a book blog this year and am looking to meet other book bloggers. I've read 5 books already and somehow imagine I'll catch up. The most recent book I read was Eifelheim by Michael Flynn and the next will be Beautiful Children by Charles Bock.

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  2. I didn't know Peretti had a new book coming. I think I've read all the others. They're very dark- especially House with Ted Dekker, but I enjoy them.

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    1. I like dark books that aren't horribly gross. I have enjoyed most of what he or Ted Dekker have written. Did you ever read Thr3e?

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  3. I loved the Dickens push! Thanks! I haven't read Peretti since the 80's! That brought me back.

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    1. Glad to hear it. Once I'm through with Moby Dick, will be able to concentrate on Oliver Twist.

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  4. Hi Robin,
    I missed the linky for week 8. Here is my link.

    Velva Jean Learns to Fly - Jennifer Niven
    http://sherriesbooks.blogspot.com/2012/02/review-velva-jean-learns-to-fly.html

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    1. No problem is you miss a week. Just add it to the current week.

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  5. I also haven't read Peretti since the 80's. I still remember some of the scenes from This Present Darkness quite vividly!

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  6. 3 books to report in on. "Quake" by Gail Karwoski retells the story of the devastating San Francisco earthquake and the great fire that followed. "Father Damien and the Bells" by Sheehan was a wonderful tribute to St. Damien of Molokai and the work he did with the outcast lepers before contracting the disease himself and dying from it. Last, but not least, "Northanger Abbey" by Austen which was so good I could hardly stand to put it down. The many references to "The Mysteries of Udolpho" has inspired me to add that to my TBR list.

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    1. I have yet to read Northanger Abbey. On the list for this year. "Udolpho" sounds intriguing.

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  7. I finally posted about my eighth book for the year, and hope to post another one this week, too. :)

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  8. Got behind with posting, but I've just posted books 7, 8, & 9. Haven't made it to Dickens yet, but started Margaret Robison's "The Long Way Home".
    Oh, so many books....!

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    1. hee hee. So many books, so little time. Every time I wear that shirt out in public, folks always comment about it.

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  9. {shudder}

    Finished the Capture of the Earl of Glencrae by Stephanie Laurens but the review doesn't go live until March 14

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  10. I've read 19 books so far this year, but I expect I will slow down as we move into the Spring and Summer. I will probably not be carting books on my hiking and backpacking trips. No extra weight! I could have picked any number of books to list this week, but I chose the The Underneath as it was the most powerful (YA or other) book I have read in a while. I had a music to it that reminded me of Texas. Besides ... it gives me three other choices to list in March if I don't post any individual reviews.

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    1. No books on backpacking trip? Not even one little one. I'd have to take at least one.

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  11. Procrastination is a funny thing. In the process of reaching my goal of reading "Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics" I also read "The Dyslexic Advantage" (fabulous), "A Tailor-Made Bride" (sweet), and "O Little Town" (overly dramatic fluff).

    I'm off to dig into "Gone with the Wind" next. Peretti will have to wait for now, but thanks for reminding me of his work!
    LibertyHillHouse

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    1. Have to admit I've never read Gone with the Wind. One of these years. :)

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  12. Just finished reading "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks". I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It was an interesting look at the family behind the HeLa cell line and their struggles.

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    1. Glad you enjoyed it. One of these years I'll challenge myself to read a few memoirs.

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Thank you for your kind comments.