THE JIHAD MESSIAH (Book review by Rita Stella Galieh)

Storm clouds are gathering

As the title suggests, Nick Daniel's fast-paced novel is set in the Middle East several years into the future. As a novelist who writes about the past, I am intrigued with these forecasts into what might yet unfold. Not for the faint-hearted, the story line pulls aside the curtain in revealing the vicious plans of those who would seek to stamp out faith in a just, but loving God.

The setting: Iraq. A power struggle exists between two Muslim Iraqi army majors. Deception at the highest levels becomes catastrophic for the main protagonist as he is dogged by his nemesis seeking to annihilate him. Add Christian Bedouin followers, plus a feisty Jewess, into this mix of religious  fervour and you have the sort of conflict we constantly see on our nightly newscasts!

Rita:  Nick, I am fascinated with the way other authors undertake their research. You had me believing you are either an Iraqi or have lived there. Would you share with us how you came to know so many relevant details?

Nick:  In 2007, after listening to Perry Stone Jr. (author of Unleashing the Beast), speak about the connection between Islam and the end times, I began toying with the idea of a novel with this scenario. I had always found eschatology fascinating and was a fan of the Left Behind series, but this new information made more sense to me than everything I had heard about the end times before.

I’m a storyteller by nature and as I studied the connection between Islam and the end times, I realized there’s a great story here. I did my homework on the subject for two years, watching documentaries, interviewing people, and reading books--from Islamic texts to Arabic dictionaries.

My research on the subject included reading Joel Richardson’s book Antichrist: Islam’s Awaited Messiah, in which he talks about the three characters in Islamic traditions that have a parallel with another three figures in the book of Revelation: The Mahdi, or Islamic Messiah, the Biblical antichrist; the Muslim Jesus, or Isa son of Mary, who is the Biblical false prophet; and the Dajjal, or Islam’s antichrist, who is the Biblical Jesus. Based on these three characters, I developed the idea for a trilogy.

Rita:  How would describe the genre of your book, The Gentlemen's Conspiracy? And this latest novel?

Nick:  While The Gentlemen's Conspiracy is a historical suspense novel--a mystery with lots of twists--my new novel, The JIhad's Messiah, is an end times thriller with a military flavor to it.

Rita:  What is your day job. And how do you fit in writing time?


Nick:  I'm a science writer by day, and have always earned my living with the written word. The best time to work on my novels is late at night, when everybody else is sleeping.

Rita:  Goes to show how different we are. I'm counting sheep in the wee hours! But thanks for your insights, Nick, especially about research. We can never do enough of it. Sounds like your scientific mind works overtime. Now, for those interested in your novel, how can they follow up on it?



Nick:  No problem. Rita. They can look at this page: http://jihadseries.com/the-books/the-jihads-messiah/
I will add a link or a form there for people who want to pre-order the book.

As much as I love my romance stories, I read across the board, but I know many readers have certain preferences. Romance sets my heart fluttering. Suspense sets it racing, and Thrillers make it pound.

 * At the other end of the sphere, Rita Stella Galieh writes historical romances. Her next novel, will be released in Sept by Ark House Press Book I of the Watermark Women Trilogy is titled: Signed, Sealed, & Delivered. How could she believe in her future when she couldn't escape her past? http://inspirationalromance.blogspot.com