Watch Out before this happens to us: Learn to understand others and don’t let our rights be null and void

The Manhattan Prophet by Jake Packard

Publisher: Bascom Hill Publishing Group

ISBN: 978-1935-098058

How far will mankind fall before it is obliterated and destroyed beyond return? What earthly and human barriers will be broken and eliminated before there is total annihilation and nothing left for testing, killing, to replenish and rebuild. Economic destruction, epidemics, diseases beyond proportion that spreads world wide, global warming and over population and worse: a nuclear blast that occurs and destroys our city and more leading to a chain of events that spreads throughout the word. This brings me to my review of a novel so unique-so far unparalleled and so frightening and thought provoking, the Manhattan Prophet by Jake Packard.

The book opens in the year 2069 with a silver haired man emerging from the forest, opening his laptop and communicating with a young man. He begins to recount events that occurred during a four-day period 22 years before. Events that change the complexion of our world and what he states were “those four glorious days.” Next the author brings us back to Riker’s Island on December 21, 2047 where a young man named Salem Jones is being released not only from prison but also into what is left of society and into the throes of life after being incarcerated at birth. Salem Jones-our Prophet, the savior of this book is being released from a life that he was forced to live because the world thought that he was infected at birth by his mother with the Aid’s virus and more and would not last more than a short time.

Intertwining events from the past and the present the author presents a really fatalistic and graphic picture of the destruction inflicted on humans by humans. A single nuclear blast and New York City is destroyed. One more blast and more retaliations and countries throughout the world have the same catastrophic results-chain reactions-more blasts and what is left is sick, diseased, mutilated, decapitated people and countries that are beyond the realm of medical attention, which no longer exists for the most part, and will take a major miracle to restore as it once was.

General, a man of power, who does not want peace, will do anything to eradicate the good that might come from the words of this Prophet John Kennedy Storm the Mayor had other ideas and he did not believe that Salem Jones was evil. He did not want to go along with the violence. Two powerful men, each with their own agenda and each with their own formula for how they see the world and what the future will be.

Maria and Herbie and Jamal who get caught in this web of terror and fear as part of the news team that the government threatens if they do not assist them in their goals. Using flashbacks in the lives of all of the characters to explain their pasts and how they became who they are in the present and to what lengths they will go to protect each other, their families and others.

Will the General win out in the end or will Salem Jones’s words change what people think make them understand his words?  Salem reminds everyone that they were born and given all that they need to help themselves live and grow. He reminds them of how they turned their back on creation and worshipped false gods. Choosing between money, pleasure, power or fame as their favorite gods.

The ending will astound the reader and remind us that hate is a terrible word read the book to decide what you belief,

Finally confronting the General and all that he claims to stand for he tells the world that it is him and his ideals that have forced upon the people modern idolatry and those who oppose will live under the threat of death.

Can you live in a world where you every thought is controlled and your words are not heard? Can you live in fear for your life and with the threat of death if you go against what others think? Can you live in a world where you have no rights and the government controls what you see on and hear from the media and the streets are filled with killers who are programmed to eradicate any one who opposes them?

No democracy, no beautiful world, gangs ruling the streets and underground in Shantypark and your basic needs controlled by others. What will happen to our world and what does happen is in the hands of this groundbreaking author who has given the reader pause for thought in this mind stimulating, thought provoking novel of one man’s journey for redemption for the world and its people.

Do you stand with the General, the gangs and the Alliance, or do you stand with Salem Jones and the good he is trying to inspire and instill in all of us. Remember: Nothing stays the same as we learned by the events in this book and the outcome: everything you will learn is interconnected: no one knows what will happen next as you will learn: and finally: there are no limits to the glory and the grace of God. This is truly and thought provoking and mind stimulating book that will profound the reader. This is a definite must read.

I reviewed this book for bookpleasures.com fran lewis

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When Hope Meets Alex Two DIfferent World Become: You decide

When Fates Collide

The title not only fits the story but the way it begins too. There have been many pairs of outlaws that have teamed up. Bonnie and Clyde, Thelma and Louise and of course Batman and Robin. But, none of these pairs can compare to the zany and seriously wacky bounty hunter who teams up with a receptionist working in corporate America to hunt and bring back and track down a jumper who has eluded the law and will stop at nothing to get their man.

Meet Hope: Sitting innocently having a drink in her usual hangout the Crypt feeling sorry for herself and saying that she has no life and nothing ever happens to her of any consequence. Maybe she should have been thankful for that. All too often when we complain and wish for more or some changes in our lives we might get our wish but not exactly in the way we might have liked. Hope lives in Tampa and thought that she would be there for the rest of her live doing her everyday and mundane job and just going through the motions. But, then she meets Alex. No, she does not just come up to her and say, “Hi, you wanna be friends or BFF’s.”   That would be boring and not make this great story what it is funny, comical and extremely creative for first time paired authors Yvonne Mason and Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc.

Alex is a bounty hunter who is looking for someone named Hope Harrington, who you would assume is a woman or a young girl. But, you know what happens when you assume. I don’t have to explain that to you. Well, she goes into this bar the Crypt thinking that she now has her man and will earn the bounty or the money for bringing him in. Walking into the bar with the guys jacket or rap sheet she sees what she thinks is her jumper and proceeds to execute the arrest and telling the suspect not to even think about trying to get away. Of course I am using different words for this review. Spinning her around she slammed her onto the floor and what came out of Hope’s mouth cannot be written but you can just imagine what you would say if it were you getting slammed dunked. After realizing that she had found Hope Harrington but not the one she was looking for the two decided to get to know each other and team up to find the real suspect.

The guy that they were really looking could change his appearance at the drop of a hat and was out to make Alex look bad to her boss and to herself too. But, Alex is a force to be reckoned with and timid and not so forceful Hope is about to learn the ropes and learn a whole new meaning of not so boring life or job.

After losing the suspect twice they decide they try to figure out his next move. Alex feels that he might try and steal a boat and head for the Florida Keys. How she manages to lose the suspect you will have to read for yourself. With the help of a friend named Tyrell, Alex and Hope take off for the Keys and what happens is hysterical and yet creative that you would think this was an episode of America’s creative and funniest videos or the new and improved Unsolved Crimes solved in a very unique and different way.

With all of the boats at the dock and many there for Gay Pride week it was easy to lose the suspect in such a big crowd. But they would not give up and Alex would not lose the bounty and her time was short and she needed to find this guy and fast. There was a festival in St. Duvall and Alex thought that since this guy was a master of disguise he might be hiding in plain sight and of course looking anything but like himself. Splitting up and searching for this guy Tyrell gets a lead and relates the suspects true appearance to Alex. How they finally get him will make you double over and yet show pure admiration for our girl Hope and her clever mentor Alex. How far would you go as a law enforcement officer to get your man? Would you have yourself body painted as a nun in order to hide your true identity? Would you have yourself body painted as a zombie to create a diversion and not allow yourself to be noticed? Would you come up with a clever way to make these disguises work for you and against the suspect who is not only full of himself and loves attention but has his body painted too. I won’t tell you as what because that might give too much away.

Hope is quite smart and she comes up with a way to not only help Alex foil this guy but help others too. There is a contest for the best costume being held on Mallory Square. She convinces the people in charge of the contest to add a new twist to it: They were going to sell off the contestants to the highest bidder. Yes: there own contest and whomever gets the most bids during the contest, as in who wants to own that person the most, as the authors state, will go out on a date with the lucky winner. The proceeds will go to a children’s charity fund.

What happens during the contest and how they finally get him will not only give up pause for thought about how dangerous the job of a bounty hunter really is, but also how creative and cunning you have to be. Just when Alex apprehends the suspect as he comes on stage another twist and turn occurs and she needs the help of her Uncle Max a higher up in law enforcement to help complete the takedown of this man. The rest and the outcome you will have to read for yourself. The friendship between these two gets as tight as the handcuffs on a criminal and they decide they make a good team. Will Hope chuck her job in corporate America for a life of danger, the unknown, sleepless nights, travel and not many amenities, or will she decide to go back and complain about having no life and being bored? Will Alex entice her to take a step on the wild side and be her partner? You will have to wait and see. I can feel a sequel coming on and I know that you the reader will want to see what trouble these two will get into next.

Five stars would not be the right things for this book: Five Bounty Hunters and Five Gift Cards for Body Painting by Mr. Van Goth.

Fran Lewis: reviewer