All Hallow’s Eve is the night before All Saints Day in the liturgical church. In fact, Halloween is shortened from All Hallow Even. In medieval times, Christians honored the dead on All Hallow’s Eve and built bonfires to ward off any evil spirits that might be abroad. Christians today recall to mind and honor those saints on any day who have passed away, not specifically on All Hallow’s Eve and All Soul’s Day. We rejoice that they are in heaven with our Lord. Because for us to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Yet, these two days are observed on the Episcopal, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic calendars, among others. It was on All Hallow’s Eve 1517 in Wittenberg, Germany, when Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses thus setting in motion the Reformation of the Christian Church. So, I would imagine Luther thought the date appropriate to serious theological discourse and thought.
Of course secular America has turned the holiday in to a ghostly, ghoulish, prank-filled, often innocent humorous childish revelry. I’ve taken to showcasing Christian horror novels at this time of year.
A wonderful series of novels to kick off this showcase is Barbara Ellen Brink’s Amish Bloodsucker Trilogy. This is a Young Adult (YA) romp with vampire slayers that can be enjoyed at any age. CHOSEN, book one in this series was a finalist in the Grace Awards 2012 and the author’s SPLIT SENSE, an inspirational paranormal thriller won in the Grace Awards 2011 Speculative Fiction category.
Book One ~ Jael is just an average teenage girl with over-protective parents, an unrequited crush on the hottest guy at the school, and a best friend she shares everything with. Until her parents let her in on the secret they’ve kept for nearly sixteen years…
Jael is the Chosen One. Born to be a vampire slayer. Her destiny was written in the Book of the Shunned. She’s been chosen by God to set the Minnesota Loon Lake Amish community free from the grip of the Bishop, an ancient and powerful bloodsucker who has been using Amish people for his own personal jamba juice. Will she leave her friends and all she knows and follow her destiny to Minnesota willingly, or will the Bishop bring her destiny to Sunburn, Nevada?
Amazon/Kindle. http://amzn.to/1dKENCR
Book Two ~ Jael leaves Nevada and her close friends, Brianna and Shadow, behind. She travels to the Loon Lake Amish community in Minnesota where she moves in with grandparents she’s never met and learns to live the plain and simple life…at least as plain and simple as she can handle. She may learn to milk a goat, but she is definitely NOT giving up her cell phone or crossbow!
While finishing out the school year at Loon Lake Public High School, she meets the guy of her dreams…someone to keep her company when she’s out staking vampires at night.
Her true purpose is to destroy the Bishop, the oldest and most powerful vampire of all. But first she must find out just what his diabolical plans are for the teenagers of the community, and put a stop to him and his undead followers before it’s too late.
Amazon/Kindle. http://amzn.to/1ciLyrR
Book Three ~ The Bishop is growing his vampire followers by leaps and bound, feeding on the naturally rebellious teenage population. Jael tried to keep one step ahead of the undead and their schemes while maintaining a semi-normal life. But living Amish while still being considered an outsider is beginning to wear on her. With old friends in town for the summer and a boyfriend as loyal as Captain America, Jael is never short of help. Slaying vamps and having people around that you love can be a dangerous combination. Jael has some hard decisions to make and she’s afraid not everyone will be on board. Will she fulfill her destiny or fall into the Bishop’s trap?
Amazon/Kindle. http://amzn.to/19QKcUL
*****
Ellen C. Maze is an amazing writer of the supernatural who’s novel RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER finaled in the Grace Awards 2010 Speculative Fiction category. Let’s see what Ellen is up to now in her series The Corescu Chronicles…
Book One ~ THE JUDGING heats up when Hope Brannen, a young widow get romantically involved with the infamous Dr. Mark Corescu, a former priest dating back to 1640 in medieval Hungary. He now lives in present-day Atlanta, Georgia where his is a self-proclaimed judge and executioner of evildoers who have sinned against God. He sees himself as an agent of God handing out justice.
Anthony Agricola, a part-time seminarian calls Corescu a vigilante. An interesting element is that the doctor doesn’t just execute his victims, he also drinks their blood. Through the centuries, he has murdered over one hundred thousand people or one each night since he began his campaign of reproach.
Amazon/Kindle. http://amzn.to/1gZ4QIG
Book Two ~ DAMASCUS ROAD finds Dr. Mark Corescu mortified by how he has rationalized judging the wicked to satisfy his blood-lust. He flees to a remote location in Europe intending to protect humanity from himself. But this leaves newly-made vampire Paul Black without a mentor. Black blames Tony Agricola and takes his revenge upon the mad of God who opened Corescu’s eyes to what he was doing. Somehow Agricola convinces Black to feed his blood-lust only on him and another preacher. However two detectives are following the trail of bodies Black and Corsecu have left. Finally Black and Agricola travel to Germany searching for Corescu. Hope Brannen, the jilted woman who loves Corescu follows. Will finding the ancient and now repentant vampire give the answers they seek?
Amazon/Kindle. http://amzn.to/1aRWt9i
Nike N. Chillemi ~ mystery & a merry heart 