April 23 marks the feast of Saint George and to celebrate I’ve asked amazon.com to mark down my #1 Best-Selling historical fiction novel on Saint George title Sword and Serpent: A Retelling of Saint George and the Dragon.
Sword and Serpent has been the best-selling Catholic fiction novel of the last couple years:
The story begins in AD 299 with an orphaned young man (the future Saint George) who begins a laborious journey with his sister to Rome. Along the way he meets figures such as Saint Christopher, Saint Blaise, Saint Nicholas, and others. The story climaxes with a mysterious encounter with an intellectual Dragon – but in a way that you may not be able to imagine yet. Let is suffice to say that it plays into the Catholic tradition of demonic apparitions…
Sword and Serpent is part of a 3 Volume Series and the second installment is also a best-seller and available for sale today as well. Part 2, title The Tenth Region of the Night is on sale for:
Please explore the reviews for the Sword and Serpent to discover what people are saying about this new edition of Catholic historical-fiction: Read Reviews of Sword and Serpent.
Let’s examine at the tradition of Pontius Pilate’s wife and the horrific dream that she had in Matthew 27 and how it relates to the Apostles and Nicene Creed.
Is there a reason why the name of Pontius Pilate was included in the second creed?
Pontius Pilate’s name is in the Creeds because it anchors the life of Christ into human history, specifically Roman history. If you interested in the redemptive meaning of Rome, the Roman Pontius Pilate, and the Roman cross of execution in the redemption of man by a Jewish Messiah, please see my book The Eternal City: Rome and the Origins of Catholicism.
There is a “tradition” that Pontius Pilate’s wife Claudia Procula had a dream of billions of people chanting “sub Pontio Pilato” over and over and over.
What she was hearing was the billions of Christians who recite “He was crucified under Pontius Pilate.”
Most woman would be honored to know that their husband’s name would be on the lips of billions over a period of 20 centuries. But in the case of this Prefect of Judaea, it is the notorious reputation of being the remote efficient cause of Christ’s crucifixion.
The dream of “Claudia” is referred to in Matthew 27:19:
While Pilate was sitting in the judgment hall, his wife sent him a message: “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, because in a dream last night, I suffered much on account of him.”
If the tradition is true, she dreamed of the countless recitations and liturgical chants of “under Pontius Pilate.”
Origen is the first to mention that she converted to Christianity. She is a saint. In art, she is depicted as whispering into the ear of Pontius. Mel Gibson’s Passion depicts Claudia giving linens to the Blessed Mother to collect the Blood of Christ from the scourging.
Saint Claudia, pray for us.
If you’d like to take our courses on Historical Theology, the Creeds, the Councils, and Catholic Tradition, please sign up with us at newsaintthomas.com.
When I was Protestant, we relished in the belief that the Apostle Paul was thoroughly Protestant. We considered him to be the proto-Martin Luther. We believed that Paul taught:
justification by faith alone
once saved always saved
authority of Scripture alone (no Tradition)
sacraments as symbolic
However, there were always those little verses in Paul that made me feel uncomfortable. Here were things that we tried to ignore:
Paul rejoiced in being celibate – I didn’t know any celibate Protestant pastors that spoke like Paul did
Paul called himself “Father” in relation to his converts – he once refers to his ministry as “priestly”
he speaks of baptism transformative and saving
he speaks of obedience and good works quite often
he holds out the possibility that he might forfeit his own salvation through infidelity
This passages kept bubbling up until at last I saw that Protestantism couldn’t hold all the tension within these passages…and so I became Catholic.
After entering the Catholic Church, I wrote a simple and systematic explanation of nearly every major Catholic doctrine within the writings of Saint Paul.Not only does the book walk you step by step through Paul’s thoroughly sacramental and ecclesial theology, it also includes an appendix with all the verses in Paul – a kind of Pauline cheat sheet for Catholic theology. This appendix will save you hours of time looking for passages. It already arranged for you.
To celebrate Saint Paul’s own conversion, this book is half price today (and down to only $0.99 on Kindle): The Catholic Perspective on Paul.This is a great resource for anyone interested in Apologetics, Pauline theology, New Testament studies, or for anyone who wants to become familiar with Paul’s letters. Check out the Table of Contents and read a free sample here:
If you’ve read the book already, please leave a review by clicking here. I’d love to read your thoughts and I’d be grateful for your review.
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Thank you to everyone who took part in our Tenth Region of the Night Book Launch Party.
My new best-selling Catholic historical fiction novel about early Catholic saints, Tenth Region of the Night, is now on sale (a few dollars cheaper) for the next few days, if you’d like to get a copy.
Here are the winners of our contests:
Take an Epic #Selfie with the Book (Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card AND a free signed copy of Tenth Region)
Winner: Mari Webber with this photo from Germany with depictions of two characters from the books: Saint George and Saint Nicholas
Thank you to the hundreds that participated. I wish I could send a prize to you all. Thank you so much for supporting the book. It means so much to me.
Happy feastday of Jolly Ol’ Saint Nick. Here’s a short Catholic video giving you 3 “Catholic talking points” or facts about Saint Nicholas that you can share at the office cocktail party this Advent:
The new novel’s cover depicts a Greek ouroboros – a snake eating itself. Evil always turns in on itself – and this is the plot of the novel. Just before daybreak (what the Egyptians call the “Tenth Region of the Night”), evil is thoroughly destroyed by the dawning light – Saint George, the martyrs, and Constantine’s conversion.
If you’d like to immerse yourself into the life of early persecuted Christians (circa AD 299) with the likes of Saint George (Jurian), Saint Nicholas (Nikolaos), Saint Christopher (Menas), Saint Catherine (Aikaterina), Constantine, and Saint Helen, then please explore these novels.
It’s what would happen if you mishmashed stories like The Princess Bride, Lord of the Rings, and Hunger Games with historic truths about relics, miracles, bilocating saints, popes, and self-sacrifice. What if epic adventures didn’t have in a far away fantasy world…but happened in the Roman Empire in AD 299. That’s this story…and it has something like a dragon it!
Just like last time, we are having a Launch Party to get the word out with prizes.
Here are 8 epic ways you can do epic things and win epic stuff:
1. Take an Epic #Selfie with the Book (Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card AND a free signed copy of Tenth Region)
HOW TO ENTER: Take a photo with the book The Tenth Region of the Night. Extra points will be awarded for costumes or exotic places. The more epic, the more likely you are to win. Take a photo, post it on Facebook and then send an email to [email protected] with a link to your picture.
RULES:
This is not a random drawing. This is a performance-based contest that will be judged. Be epic. Get the family to dress up as Jurian, Sabra, Aikaterina, Menas, Helena, et al. and snap a selfie with the book. Or maybe take a photo of yourself holding the book in someplace amazing. If you get a photo of yourself standing next to Pope Francis holding the book, you win hands down!
Selfies with any version of the The Tenth Region count (printed, ebook).
HOW TO ENTER: That’s right mixologists, here’s a contest for you! Using ideas, concepts, locations, items, people, or ingredients mentioned in the book Tenth Region (Saint Anastasia is a pharmacist in the novel!), create the official The Tenth Region of the Night cocktail or beverage. Send an email to [email protected] and write down the recipe, take a photo of the drink, and the explain how it relates to the book.
RULES:
This is not a drawing. It is performance based. The best concotion wins.
The drink need not be alcoholic. It could be a kid’s milk shake or soda concoction. Or it could be “Menas Mojito” inspired by dragons, the Aikaterina Sleeper Martini, Constantine, and/or the sword of Saint George. Get epic. Get crazy. Have fun with it. Take pics.
3. Just Get the Book Contest (Prize: $100 Amazon Gift Card)
HOW TO ENTER: Buy just one copy of The Tenth Region of the Night and then send an email to [email protected] simply stating “I bought a copy.” If you buy more than one copy, please send one email for each copy you bought. *If you already reviewed the novel before today and emailed me about it, you’re already entered into this contest.
You can enter for each copy purchased. (For example, if you buy four copies, send an email saying “I bought 4” in the subject line.)
Winner will be drawn at random on December 24.
4. Christmas Contest (Prize: an iPad Mini mailed to your house! AND a free signed copy of Tenth Region)
HOW TO ENTER: Several reviewers on amazon.com said that Sword and Serpent would be a perfect Christmas gift. This contest honors Saint Nicholas who is an important character in the book – it’s also his feast day this week. To win this prize, purchase at least 4 copies (1 for yourself and 3 as gifts to give away at Christmas) and send an email to [email protected]. You can order copies by clicking here.
RULES:
You must purchase at least 4 copies to enter.
If you purchase multiples of 4, you can enter that many times (8 copies = 2 entries; 12 copies = 3 entries; 80 copies = 20 entries – enter how many copies you got in the subject line: “I got 8 copies as Christmas gifts” – that’s 2 entries in this prize)
Winner will be drawn at random on December 24 and will receive an iPad for free.
5. Review the Novel at Amazon.com (Prize: $100 Amazon Gift Card AND a free signed copy of Tenth Region)
HOW TO ENTER: Read the book and leave a friendly review at amazon.com. Next, send an email to [email protected] with a link to your review.
RULES:
Please leave a review at amazon.com before December 24.
Even though GoodReads is not a retailer, we’ll count GoodReads reviews too. So if you review at Amazon and goodreads, that’s two entries. Way to go! Click here for GoodReeds reviews.
6. Write a Blog Post about Sword and Serpent (Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card + a promo link to your blog from my blog)
HOW TO ENTER: Write a blog post about The Tenth Region of the Night with the amazon link to the book in your review. Next, send an email to [email protected] with a link to your review.
RULES:
The post does not have to be a “book review.” It can be a theological reflection or an interview with me about the book.
7. Facebook The Book (Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card)
HOW TO ENTER: Write an update on your Facebook wall about Sword and Serpent and include a link to the amazon link and the link to the book trailer. Next send an email to [email protected].
8. Book Club Contest (Prize $75 Gift Card to Restaurant and Skype Chat with Me and your Group AND a free signed copy of Tenth Region)
HOW TO ENTER: Gather a book group of at least five friends who will read the The Tenth Region of the Night and meet to discuss. The winner will get a $75 restaurant gift certificate to pay for food or drinks for your book club. I will also sit down with you via internet interview in Skype or Google Hangout for 15 minutes to talk about the book and answer group questions. Send an email to [email protected] with a link to an Evite or other online invitation showing four or more attendees.
You can choose the restaurant, but please find one that has gift cards so I can pay for it.
Winner will be drawn at random.
I will arrange my schedule around the winner’s book club meeting to do the Skype interview. It’ll be fun!
Okay, there are the 8 contests. They all end on Dec 24 2016. Get busy taking epic selfies. By the way the easiest contest to win is #3 – Just Get the Book: The Tenth Region of the Night.
Check out this incense smoking Saint Nicholas “nutcracker” statue.
Mari Webber, New Saint Thomas Institute Member and Sword and Serpent Launch Team member (and Our Lady of Guadalupe NSTI Pilgrim) purchased in Germany this beautiful smoking Saint Nicholas for our family. Our children love it! Thanks Mari for your generosity!
You place incense inside of him and he blows the incense smoke out of his mouth, as if he is smoking his pipe:
and here is Mari taking an “epic selfie” with a copy of Sword and Serpent in Germany:
“I am totally enjoying being a member of the New Saint Thomas Institute! I am like a sponge soaking up all the goodness and richness of it all. So grateful for it!” – Jacqueline S
