Ray Keating's Thrillers, Mysteries and Historical Fiction

 

In case you’re not completely caught up on Ray Keating’s Pastor Stephen Grant and Alliance of Saint Michael novels, the following is a complete list, with summaries and links to purchase paperbacks, Kindle editions and signed books.

• Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel by Ray Keating

 

The Alliance of Saint Michael brings together men and women with varied backgrounds and talents to work covertly against the two most significant threats to Christianity and civilization at the dawn of the 1930s - communism and fascism. In Moscow, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is going to be obliterated to make way for the Palace of the Soviets. The Alliance of St. Michael readies itself for its first mission – find and salvage a rare item of great significance from the cathedral before the building is lost.

Paperbacks and Kindle edition via Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZCX7L97

Signed books at https://raykeatingonline.com/products/cathedral

 

• Persecution: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel by Ray Keating

 

While the charge of “persecution” gets tossed about rather casually, Pastor Stephen Grant and some of his closest friends and associates get a close-up, bloody view of what it truly means to be a modern-day martyr. From the White House to the Vatican, and from Russia to the Middle East, the action is unrelenting and the suspense is palpable. Can Grant and his former CIA colleagues act in time to save innocent lives?

Paperbacks and Kindle editions at

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BKRZV6M1

Signed books at https://raykeatingonline.com/products/persecution

 

• What’s Lost? A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story by Ray Keating

 

From the pages of his own journal, Pastor Stephen Grant tells a riveting mystery involving deception, betrayal, sacrifice and friendship, along with plenty of action and questions about what we truly can know about others. Grant takes us on a personal journey across decades and around the world, from Long Island to Vietnam. This is the second Pastor Stephen Grant story told from Grant’s own viewpoint, unfolding each day in the pages of his journal.

Paperbacks and Kindle editions via Amazon at

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B091SBQRYK

Signed books are at https://raykeatingonline.com/products/whatslost  

 

• Past Lives: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story by Ray Keating

 

Torn from pages of his own journal, Pastor Stephen Grant tells about threats, murder and puzzling people from his past. It’s a compelling mystery involving action, unexpected turns, lost innocence, sought-after perspective, and twisted revenge. This is the first Pastor Stephen Grant story told from Grant’s own viewpoint, unfolding each day in the pages of his journal.

Paperbacks and Kindle editions via Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WJTPT4M

Signed books at https://raykeatingonline.com/products/pastlives

 

• Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel by Ray Keating

 

More than 500 years ago, two men – Jan Hus and Martin Luther – tried to bring about change in the Catholic Church. They suffered, with one burned at the stake. Could a modern-day pope transform these reformers from heretics to heroes in the eyes of the Catholic Church? Shadowy figures inside and outside the Vatican oppose Pope Paul VII’s efforts, and stand willing to do anything to stop him. For help, the pope turns to Stephen Grant, a Lutheran pastor, former Navy SEAL and onetime CIA operative.

Paperbacks or Kindle editions via Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08P1S5R26

Signed books at https://raykeatingonline.com/products/vaticanshadows  

 

• The Traitor: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel by Ray Keating

 

Stephen Grant – former Navy SEAL, onetime CIA operative and current pastor – looks forward to a time of prayer and reflection during a retreat at a monastery in Europe. But when he stumbles upon an infamous CIA traitor in a small village, Grant’s plans change dramatically. While a debate rages over government secrets and the intelligence community, a deadly race for survival is underway. From a pro-democracy demonstration in Hong Kong to the CIA’s headquarters in Langley to a monastery in France, the action and intrigue never let up.

Paperbacks and Kindle editions at Amazon via

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1709209771

Signed books are at https://raykeatingonline.com/products/thetraitor

 

• Deep Rough: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel by Ray Keating

 

One man faces challenges as a pastor in China. His son has become a breakout phenom in the world of professional golf. The Chinese government is displeased with both, and their lives are in danger. Stephen Grant – a onetime Navy SEAL, former CIA operative and current pastor – has a history with the communist Chinese, while also claiming a pretty solid golf game. His unique experience and skills unexpectedly put him alongside old friends; at some of golf’s biggest tournaments as a caddy and bodyguard; and in the middle of an international struggle over Christian persecution, a mission of revenge, and a battle between good and evil.

Paperbacks and Kindle editions at Amazon via

https://www.amazon.com/dp/107308843X

Signed books are at https://raykeatingonline.com/products/deep-rough-a-pastor-stephen-grant-novel

 

• Shifting Sands: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story by Ray Keating

 

Beach volleyball is about fun, sun and sand. But when a big-time tournament arrives on a pier in New York City, danger and international intrigue are added to the mix. Stephen Grant, a former Navy SEAL, onetime CIA operative, and current pastor, is on the scene with his wife, friends and former CIA colleagues. While battles on the volleyball court play out, deadly struggles between good and evil are engaged on and off the sand. 

Paperbacks and Kindle editions at Amazon via

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1730956866

Signed books are at https://raykeatingonline.com/products/pre-order-shifting-sands-a-pastor-stephen-grant-short-story-publication-date-november-26-2018

 

• Heroes and Villains: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story by Ray Keating

 

As a onetime Navy SEAL, a former CIA operative and a pastor, many people call Stephen Grant a hero. At various times defending the Christian Church and the United States over the years, he has journeyed across the nation and around the world. But now Grant finds himself in an entirely unfamiliar setting – a comic book, science fiction and fantasy convention. But he still joins forces with a unique set of heroes in an attempt to foil a villainous plot against one of the all-time great comic book writers and artists.

Paperbacks and Kindle editions at Amazon via

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1718881614

Signed books are at https://raykeatingonline.com/products/heroes-and-villains-a-pastor-stephen-grant-short-story

 

• Reagan Country: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel by Ray Keating

 

Could President Ronald Reagan’s influence reach into the former “evil empire”? The media refers to a businessman on the rise as “Russia’s Reagan.” Unfortunately, others seek a return to the old ways, longing for Russia’s former “greatness.” The dispute becomes deadly. Conflict stretches from the Reagan Presidential Library in California to the White House to a Russian Orthodox monastery to the Kremlin. Stephen Grant, pastor at St. Mary’s Lutheran Church on Long Island, a former Navy SEAL and onetime CIA operative, stands at the center of the tumult.

Paperback and Kindle editions at Amazon via

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1979463514

Signed books are at https://raykeatingonline.com/products/reagancountry

 

• Lionhearts: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel by Ray Keating

 

War has arrived on American soil, with Islamic terrorists using new tactics. Few are safe, including Christians, politicians, and the media. Pastor Stephen Grant taps into his past with the Navy SEALS and the CIA to help wage a war of flesh and blood, ideas, history, and beliefs. This is about defending both the U.S. and Christianity.

Paperbacks and Kindle editions at Amazon via

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1548964182

Signed books are at https://raykeatingonline.com/products/lionhearts-a-pastor-stephen-grant-novel

 

• Wine Into Water: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel by Ray Keating

 

Blood, wine, sin, justice and forgiveness… Who knew the wine business could be so sordid and violent? That’s what happens when it's infiltrated by counterfeiters.  A pastor, once a Navy SEAL and CIA operative, is pulled into action to help unravel a mystery involving fake wine, murder and revenge. Stephen Grant is called to take on evil, while staying rooted in his life as a pastor.

Paperbacks and Kindle editions at Amazon via

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1515274950

Signed books are at https://raykeatingonline.com/products/wine-into-water-a-pastor-stephen-grant-novel

 

• Murderer’s Row: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel by Ray Keating

 

How do rescuing a Christian family from the clutches of Islamic terrorists, minor league baseball in New York, a string of grisly murders, sordid politics, and a pastor, who once was a Navy SEAL and CIA operative, tie together? Murderer’s Row is the fifth Pastor Stephen Grant novel, and Keating serves up fascinating characters, gripping adventure, and a tangled murder mystery, along with faith, politics, humor, and, yes, baseball.

Paperbacks and Kindle editions at Amazon via

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1514137615

Signed books are at https://raykeatingonline.com/products/murderers-row-a-pastor-stephen-grant-novel-signed-copy

 

• The River: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel by Ray Keating

 

Some refer to Las Vegas as Sin City. But the sins being committed in The River are not what one might typically expect. Rather, it’s about murder. Stephen Grant once used lethal skills for the Navy SEALs and the CIA. Now, years later, he’s a pastor. How does this man of action and faith react when his wife is kidnapped, a deep mystery must be untangled, and both allies and suspects from his CIA days arrive on the scene? How far can Grant go – or will he go – to save the woman he loves? Will he seek justice or revenge, and can he tell the difference any longer? 

Paperbacks and Kindle editions at Amazon via

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1499514174

Signed books are at https://raykeatingonline.com/products/the-river-a-pastor-stephen-grant-novel-signed-copy

 

• An Advent for Religious Liberty: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel by Ray Keating

 

Advent and Christmas approach. It’s supposed to be a special season for Christians. But it’s different this time in New York City. Religious liberty is under assault. The Catholic Church has been called a “hate group.” And it’s the newly elected mayor of New York City who has set off this religious and political firestorm. Some people react with prayer – others with violence and murder. Stephen Grant, former CIA operative turned pastor, faces deadly challenges during what becomes known as “An Advent for Religious Liberty.” Grant works with the cardinal who leads the Archdiocese of New York, the FBI, current friends, and former CIA colleagues to fight for religious liberty, and against dangers both spiritual and physical.

Paperbacks and Kindle editions at Amazon via

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1480174491

Signed books are at https://raykeatingonline.com/products/an-advent-for-religious-liberty-a-pastor-stephen-grant-novel-signed-copy

 

• Root of All Evil? A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel by Ray Keating

 

Do God, politics and money mix? In Root of All Evil?, the combination can turn out quite deadly. Keating introduced readers to Stephen Grant, a former CIA operative and current parish pastor, in the fun and highly praised Warrior Monk. Now, Grant is back in Root of All Evil? It’s a breathtaking thriller involving drug traffickers, politicians, the CIA and FBI, a shadowy foreign regime, the Church, and money. Charity, envy and greed are on display. Throughout, action runs high.

Paperbacks and Kindle editions at Amazon via

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083TX7M9P

Signed books are at https://raykeatingonline.com/products/root-of-all-evil-second-edition

 

• Warrior Monk: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel by Ray Keating

 

Warrior Monk revolves around a former CIA assassin, Stephen Grant, who has lived a far different, relatively quiet life as a parish pastor in recent years. However, a shooting at his church, a historic papal proposal, and threats to the pope's life mean that Grant's former and current lives collide. Grant must tap the varied skills learned as a government agent, a theologian and a pastor not only to protect the pope, but also to feel his way through a minefield of personal challenges. The second edition of Warrior Monk includes a new Introduction by Ray Keating, as well as a new Epilogue that points to an upcoming Pastor Stephen Grant novel.

Paperbacks and Kindle edition at Amazon via

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1793144745

Signed books are at https://raykeatingonline.com/products/warrior-monk-a-pastor-stephen-grant-novel-signed-copy

 

Are Corporations Really in Control?

Free Enterprise in Three Minutes with Ray Keating – Episode #173: Are Corporations Really in Control? – Ray Keating explains why the assumptions that large corporations control government and the market are detached from economic reality.

Celebrating James Bond Day with Pastor Stephen Grant and Ray Keating, Part III

 The Keating Files – October 5, 2022

James Bond Day is October 5. Celebrate with Ray Keating and his creation, Pastor Stephen Grant. For example, consider what The Rev. Kenneth V. Blanchard, a former CIA officer, wrote in a review of The River: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel for The Washington Times:

 

“Mr. Keating's storytelling is so lifelike that I almost thought I had worked with him when I was at Langley. Like the fictitious pastor, I actually spent 20 years working for the U.S. intelligence community, and once I started reading 'The River,'... I simply could not put it down. What Ian Fleming's 007 series has probably done for ex-MI-6 agents and Tom Clancy has done for retired CIA officers, Mr. Keating has done for the minority of former CIA agents who have served their country by working in the intelligence community, but now wish to serve God.”

 

Get all of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries!

 

_________

 

Ray Keating is a columnist, novelist, economist, podcaster and entrepreneur. The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Two great ways to order Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel, which is Ray’s sixteenth work of fiction, and the first in the Alliance of Saint Michael series. Signed paperbacks here and the Kindle edition here.

 

Two great ways to order Ray Keating’s new nonfiction book – The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed paperbacks here, and paperbacks, hardcovers and Kindle editions here.  

 

Get all of Ray Keating Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries in paperback and for the Kindle at Amazon.com and signed books at www.RayKeatingOnline.com.

 

Some of Keating’s best columns and essays are available in Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York. And his other recent nonfiction book is Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know. Again, signed books at www.RayKeatingOnline.com.

 

Also, listen to Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

 

Check out Ray Keating’s Disney news and entertainment site at www.DisneyBizJournal.com.

Celebrating James Bond Day with Pastor Stephen Grant and Ray Keating, Part II

 The Keating Files – October 4, 2022

James Bond Day is October 5. Celebrate with Ray Keating and his creation, Pastor Stephen Grant. Indeed, consider a James Bond-type in a very different profession. From James Bond to Pastor Stephen Grant?

 

In an article titled “If James Bond Became a Pastor” covering Ray Keating’s Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers/mysteries series, author and columnist Gene Veith noted,

 

“Mr. Keating knows how to tell an exciting story. And these books, like the James Bond novels, are ridiculously entertaining. As for larger themes, there is vocation, of course. I see these books as honoring the pastoral ministry. Because in real life, pastors are heroes engaged in saving the world.”

 

Veith also wrote, “Now, imagine that James Bond, the dashing spy with a license to kill who keeps saving the world, decides to become a pastor… Grant is a former swashbuckling CIA agent who finds himself called to the ministry… Pastor Grant extends pastoral care to people he encounters – explaining the gospel, offering marriage counseling, and bringing God into the conversations – though he also dispatches bad guys with his gun. Talk about Law and Gospel.”

 

Get all of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries!

 

_________

 

Ray Keating is a columnist, novelist, economist, podcaster and entrepreneur. The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Two great ways to order Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel, which is Ray’s sixteenth work of fiction, and the first in the Alliance of Saint Michael series. Signed paperbacks here and the Kindle edition here.

 

Two great ways to order Ray Keating’s new nonfiction book – The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed paperbacks here, and paperbacks, hardcovers and Kindle editions here.  

 

Get all of Ray Keating Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries in paperback and for the Kindle at Amazon.com and signed books at www.RayKeatingOnline.com.

 

Some of Keating’s best columns and essays are available in Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York. And his other recent nonfiction book is Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know. Again, signed books at www.RayKeatingOnline.com.

 

Also, listen to Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

 

Check out Ray Keating’s Disney news and entertainment site at www.DisneyBizJournal.com.

Celebrating James Bond Day with Pastor Stephen Grant and Ray Keating, Part I

 The Keating Files – October 3, 2022

 

James Bond Day is October 5. One way to celebrate is with Ray Keating and his creation, Pastor Stephen Grant. From the “Author Introduction to the Second Edition" of Warrior Monk: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel, here’s what Ray writes about the influence James Bond and his creator, Ian Fleming, had on the creation of Pastor Stephen Grant…

 

        As for deciding to write Warrior Monk, my work as an economist did come into play. Many years ago now, a colleague mentioned that a new priest at her parish formerly worked for the Central Intelligence Agency. That caught my attention, and I filed it away just in case I ever did delve into the fiction realm. 

        A few years later, in 2007, I received word that Hofstra University on Long Island would be hosting a conference titled “Bond, James Bond: The World of 007.” My editor at Newsday agreed that I should cover the event for my column. At that gathering of Bond experts and fans from around the world, I learned that Ian Fleming was 44 years old when his first Bond novel, Casino Royale, was published. That happened to be how old I was at the time of the conference. So, I took that as some kind of sign. I filed my Newsday column on the conference, and then started working on my first novel, featuring a Lutheran pastor who had been a Navy SEAL and a CIA operative. Stephen Grant was born. 

 

Get all of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries!

 

_________

 

Ray Keating is a columnist, novelist, economist, podcaster and entrepreneur. The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Two great ways to order Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel, which is Ray’s sixteenth work of fiction, and the first in the Alliance of Saint Michael series. Signed paperbacks here and the Kindle edition here.

 

Two great ways to order Ray Keating’s new nonfiction book – The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed paperbacks here, and paperbacks, hardcovers and Kindle editions here.  

 

Get all of Ray Keating Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries in paperback and for the Kindle at Amazon.com and signed books at www.RayKeatingOnline.com.

 

Some of Keating’s best columns and essays are available in Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York. And his other recent nonfiction book is Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know. Again, signed books at www.RayKeatingOnline.com.

 

Also, listen to Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

 

Check out Ray Keating’s Disney news and entertainment site at www.DisneyBizJournal.com.

What’s Next for Bond, James Bond?

 by Ray Keating

The Keating Files – August 29, 2022

 

While we wait for the announcement of who will next play British secret agent James Bond on the big screen, Bond fans and even those with only a passing interest should take the time to get to know Bond better. They can include re-watching the movies, but I suggest taking time to read the James Bond books.

 

Amazingly, there are more than 40 James Bond novels to read, including the original 14 written by Bond creator Ian Fleming.

 

Fleming died in 1964, and two of his Bond books were published posthumously. Subsequently, the Fleming estate has selected various writers to pen further adventures of 007.

What one gets from the books that’s largely missing from the movies is a far more complete Bond, including his doubts, fears, internal reflections, his love of England, his past, his thoughts in unraveling mysteries, regrets, his perspective on death, and his assorted, at times surprising, desires. The books provide James Bond in full.

 

And that most certainly includes a Bond trilogy just completed by novelist Anthony Horowitz. 

 

In 2015, Horowitz’s first Bond novel – Trigger Mortis – was published. With a few pinches of Ian Fleming material integrated into the story, we open the book with James Bond just after Goldfinger. This is Bond at his peak, and the author treats us to a great deal of Bond’s thinking on a wide range of matters, including evil.

 

Then in 2018, again with a bit of Fleming’s original material, Horowitz, in Forever and a Day, takes us back to Bond’s first mission as a double-0, not all that long after World War II. Here, we see Bond working to earn the job of being 007.

 

And finally, the recently published With a Mind to Kill, we take flight with a more experienced Bond in the 1960s. Being older and through a great deal more than most men could possibly imagine never mind survive, Bond doesn’t waver in terms of what he thinks about the job he is doing, even as the world around him seems to have queries and doubts. As for Bond, he has more questions about whether or not he, in particular, is still capable of being the person to do the job.

 

In each of the books, Horowitz ably combines plenty of action, with a mix of gravity, humor and alarm, as well as degrees of warmth and emotional depth. He not only excels at capturing Ian Fleming’s voice, but I couldn’t help but think of the Bond in these pages being played by Sean Connery. That’s a credit to both Horowitz, and, of course, Connery.

 

Each of Horowitz’s James Bond books – Trigger Mortis, Forever and a Day and With a Mind to Kill – deserve to be savored by readers.

 

But there’s more. As the Bond powers-that-be ponder who should play Bond next and what the stories should be, why not turn to Horowitz’s trilogy for some answers? Taking Bond back to the 1950s and 1960s would be a bold and marvelous choice. Well-done period pieces can be completely engrossing, and there’s simply so much more that Bond can do as a spy in the midst of the Cold War. Take the cue from these Horowitz books. Heck, take the stories from these books!

 

As for who should play Bond, well, there’s no direct answer from these books. But it’s rather easy to see that Henry Cavill has the right look and stature to play a James Bond of the 50s and 60s. (For Cavill, imagine a career marked by playing both Superman and James Bond!) I certainly would look forward to that first moment on screen, when a Henry Cavill Bond, in a tux, declares, “Bond, James Bond.”

 

_________

 

Ray Keating is a columnist, novelist, economist, podcaster and entrepreneur. The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Two great ways to order Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel, which is Ray’s sixteenth work of fiction, and the first in the Alliance of Saint Michael series. Signed paperbacks here and the Kindle edition here.

 

Two great ways to order Ray Keating’s new nonfiction book – The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed paperbacks here, and paperbacks, hardcovers and Kindle editions here.  

 

Get all of Ray Keating Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries in paperback and for the Kindle at Amazon.com and signed books at www.RayKeatingOnline.com.

 

Some of Keating’s best columns and essays are available in Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York. And his other recent nonfiction book is Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know. Again, signed books at www.RayKeatingOnline.com.

 

Also, listen to Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

 

Check out Ray Keating’s Disney news and entertainment site at www.DisneyBizJournal.com.

August 24th Marks Celebration of the Festival of St. Bartholomew, the Apostle

 by Ray Keating

The Keating Files – August 24, 2022

If you don’t already have it, I heartily recommend picking up a copy of Celebrating the Saints: The Feasts, Festivals and Commemorations of Lutheran Service Book by William Weedon. It’s a wonderful devotional. 

For August 24th and St. Bartholomew, Weedon, in part, writes: “St. Bartholomew (also called Nathanael) was one of the first of our Lord’s disciples. His home was in Cana of Galilee, where the Lord performed His first miracle. According to St. John’s Gospel, Philip sought to introduce his friend to Jesus in Judea. Nathanael was more than a little skeptical about a Messiah who hailed from the town of Nazareth (a town not even mentioned in the Old Testament). But Philip urged him, ‘Come and see.’ He did, and as so many have done since, he left a changed person.”

In the Pastor Stephen Grant books, Father Tom Stone is the rector at St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church. Here’s a description of the church from Warrior Monk: “St. Bartholomew’s Church itself was a beautiful, historic stone building that resembled a mini-castle. Another building comfortably housed church offices, a large room for congregational meetings, dinners and events, classrooms and storage. And the large, six-bedroom parsonage was made of the same materials as the church. All of this sat on four acres on a lake in Eastport.”

 

And as for Father Stone, here’s the quick rundown: “A priest and rector at St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church on Long Island, Tom is one of Grant’s closest friends, and served as Stephen’s best man. He enjoyed surfing while growing up in southern California, and is known for an easygoing manner and robust sense of humor. Along with Stephen, Tom and other friends regularly meet for morning devotions and conversation at a local diner, and often play golf together. Tom is married to Maggie Stone, who runs her own public relations business. They are the parents to six children.”

 

Oh, yes, on days when the temperature hits at least 50 degrees, and when not in clergy attire, Tom is known for his Hawaiian shirts (much like the person who created this character!).

 

Happy St. Bart’s Day!

_________

 

Ray Keating is a columnist, novelist, economist, podcaster and entrepreneur. He is the author of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, and the Alliance of Saint Michael novels; and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

 The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Two great ways to order Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel, which is Ray’s sixteenth work of fiction, and the first in the Alliance of Saint Michael series. Signed paperbacks here and the Kindle edition here. 

 

Two great ways to order Ray Keating’s new nonfiction book – The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed paperbacks here, and paperbacks, hardcovers and Kindle editions here.  

 

Get all of Ray Keating Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries in paperback and for the Kindle at Amazon.com and signed books at www.RayKeatingOnline.com. 

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

 

Check out Ray Keating’s Disney news and entertainment site at  www.DisneyBizJournal.com.

 

CATHEDRAL - Page-Turning Historical Fiction Set in the Early 1930s

 CATHEDRAL: AN ALLIANCE OF SAINT MICHAEL NOVEL is Ray Keating’s sixteenth work of fiction, and the first in the Alliance of Saint Michael series. Purchase at Amazon.com.  

 

The Alliance of Saint Michael brings together men and women with varied backgrounds and talents to work covertly against the two most significant threats to Christianity and civilization at the dawn of the 1930s - communism and fascism.

 

In Moscow, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is going to be obliterated to make way for the Palace of the Soviets. The Alliance of St. Michael readies itself for its first mission – find and salvage a rare item of great significance from the cathedral before the building is lost.

 

Regarding CATHEDRAL…

 

"A stellar depiction of time period and tension. With so many swirling motives and three-dimensional characters in the mix, there is inherent tension for readers, as they eagerly anticipate one of Keating’s classic twists. The depth of historical detail is notable; a good deal of research went into the crafting of this novel, which gives it an authentic and immersive feel. The complex puzzle makes for a page-turning and unpredictable ride, and a firm foundation for Keating’s enticing new series."  - Self-Publishing Review, ★★★★

 

“…many of you will enjoy Cathedral and the new series that it launches… Ray Keating is working with an explicitly Christian moral and theological framework, demonstrating the freedom that Lutheran novelists have in their vocation.”  -  Gene Veith, Cranach: The Blog of Veith, and author of many books including The Spirituality of the Cross

 

“A sophisticatedly crafted and exhilarating read, the intrigue and thrills begin from the very first page and don’t stop till the end as Keating delivers an absolute corker of a Historical Thriller! … Cathedral proves an addictively entertaining five-star read and is unreservedly recommended.”  - BookViral Reviews

 

“This new Alliance of St. Michael series continues Keating's already demonstrated mastery and skill in writing, character development, and accelerating the interest level of the reader throughout… As with all Keating novels, this newest venture is worth your interest, reading and gifting.”  - Pastor Rod Zwonitzer, retired host of KFUO radio's “BookTalk”

 

“A Catholic, a Lutheran, and an Anglican walk into an auditorium, all surprisingly ready for action and adventure. Ray Keating’s newest series, ‘An Alliance of Saint Michael,’ is an action thriller starring various Christians, of various denominations, coming together to fight ideological evil… a good summer read, quite in line with Keating’s other works.”  - Mary J. Moerbe, “Meet, Write & Salutary” blog