John Faubion

Canceled provides non-stop action from the start. Something evil works against the faculty of a seminary. Jerold Steele loses his job, his identity and almost loses his life. Brenda Neal joins him in trying to discover what evil wants so many dead.

What I loved about this book beyond the characters stems from the part God plays in their lives. When we call upon the name of God, He will protect us. Some of the twists and turns this book takes caused me to shake my head in disbelief. But the author creates a story that shows how God triumphs over evil.

So if you enjoy Christian thrillers, check out this book for yourself.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, but this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.… (altro)

“We know the enemy, and his name is Evan Gale."

“Who are you, Evan Gale?”

Canceled by John Faubion is a thriller ride you won’t soon forget. Reminiscent of Peretti, a spiritual battle is taking place while events unfold on earth. A liberal seminary that doesn’t believe in the supernatural begins to question its teachings, as staff members meet violent ends.

I was glued to my seat as I followed Jerold Steele and Brenda Neal in their search for the truth. I could almost taste the fear and terror that Faubion puts some of his characters through. The twists surprised me, as I thought I knew the identity of the killer.

I appreciated the great, easy, and clear gospel presentation as it was very appropriate. I was surprised by the use of a 70’s tract in this very modern story. (I read that tract as a kid.) I would have been happier without denominations being named, since some readers may infer that a particular denomination mentioned must therefore be evil.

I received a copy of the book from the author and publisher via Celebrate Lit. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.… (altro)

I had such an uncomfortable feeling the entire time I read this story. The topic of the book deals with people who don’t believe in God. Some turn to darkness and a world where evil prevails in their mind. I didn’t want to continue with the story when I read that a character had a satanic Bible in their office. I felt chills on my arms as the story drew me to a place where only God could rescue me.

Jerold is a complicated character to me. He is a professor at a seminary but is up front about being a non believer. It is hard to explain the eerie things that start happening to him, but I knew evil was present and surrounding him. What would you do if suddenly you were erased and didn’t exist in any data that proves who you are? Suddenly your ATM card doesn’t work and the bank has no information on you at all. Jerold is up against a power that wants to take him out. With the help of Brenda whose father is the president of the seminary they try to unravel what is happening with deaths of friends they work with.

The author takes us to a place where doubt comes in and Jerold begins to question if perhaps the Bible is real. The story is thought provoking and follows Jerold into a desperate place for answers. Who is Evan Gale? Is he the enemy who is killing people? What control does he have on others? These questions are exactly what Jerold needs answers to if he wants to stay alive. His friends and colleagues all turn on him.

I wasn’t prepared for this story at all but what a powerful message it delivers. Like Jerold we sometimes doubt God and turn our back on Him. He will never leave us and Jerold comes to a place where he hears the truth. I could feel all his disbeliefs fall away as he fell to his knees. In that moment the story takes on a different feel to me. Perhaps the darkness was starting to go away and I could see the light where darkness once was.

Be prepared to take a journey into spiritual warfare as Jerold fights an enemy that wants to destroy everything that represents God. This is not a book that is easy to read but one that gives a message of hope. In our darkest moments, God is there to fight the enemy. Do you believe in God? Jerold faces that question as the story reaches a point where a decision needs to be made. The ending is good and left me with an urgency to pray against any evil that would try to turn me away from my faith.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.… (altro)

I was given a copy of this book, free, in exchange for my honest opinion.
Scott and Rachel are a married couple that has grown more than complacent in their relationship., Scott is a financial investor is facing a predicament that is putting a lot more pressure than he is used to. Perhaps, more than he can bare. Rachel is a stay at home mom for their two kids. She is longing for adult interaction and has growing doubts about Scott and his love for her. Enter Melissa and Virtualfriendme.com. This is a techno company that has developed software that will allow people to create a virtual that is essentially real in every aspect except for physical bodies. Rachel decides to recreate a virtual friend with the personality of her dead friend Suzanne. When the pressure begins to get to be too much for Scott at work, he creates a friend Alicia. Through backdoor programming, Melissa is looking for the person that is her perfect match. That programming matches her with Scott. She sees him being married as a mild stepping stone, especially when Scott has gone further astray then he thought it was possible.

Okay, I am just going to say it. This book is twisted. From the very beginning. There really isn't a build up before we see just how crazy Melissa is. And then Faubion just keeps it going. I enjoyed this not just because it was about her killing/stalking habits. It examines an average marriage and how easy it is to become complacent in it. Don't get me wrong, Melissa setting her sights on Scorr didn't help the marriage. But Scott and Rachel's relationship had issues, the first and most obvious one was lack of communication. Scott didn't tell Rachel that he loved her and he didn't talk to her about what was going on at work. And despite the popular opinion, it wasn't because he thought she was too dumb to understand or that he was falling out of love with her. He felt that he was failing Rachel as a husband and wanted to protect her. Rachel, on the same hand, thought that she was failing him as a wife. Both come to the realization, almost too late, that their marriage was something worth fighting for.

I am going to point out something that may be overlooked in all of the action. I am not making an excuse or even saying that it was alright. But Scott was a decent guy. He made a virtual friend, not in the hopes of replacing his wife or even to get some side action. It was a way to relieve the stress and pressure of his job. He did this with the understanding that the virtual friend was not software that had human behind it. Alicia was supposed to be virtual in every single way. Thankfully Melissa's crazy pulled him out of the rabbit hole before he went irreversibly too far. But isn't that how it always start? When someone pulls up some porn, it's not to replace their significant other. When a married person finds themselves alone with a coworker/church member/friend of the opposite sex, it's not always because they sought that person out. It is very easy to fall down the emotional rabbit hole, unless a couple is conscious of the pitfalls and actively put up safeguards. And this is a lesson that Scott and Rachel learn when they decide that they are going to fight for their marriage and do everything that they can to protect their family.

Was it all believable? No, there were some things that were a bit of a stretch. But this story was realistic. And it happens in some form, maybe without the life and death drama, all too frequently.… (altro)