Writing Belle: Pacific Book Award Winner James McPike, Author of Thrillers

The Holy Land. There has been a fascination with this place for what seems like an eternity. Personally, when I think of the Holy Land I envision Indiana Jones searching for the Ark of the Covenant or something along those romantic lines. James McPike envisions adventure, and he has done that with The Lost Prophet, a thrilling novel and winner of the Pacific Book Award. I was able to speak with James about his book, his award, and his inspiration.

Synopsis

After one of the Holy Land's most sacred monuments is destroyed, the Ministry has to turn to their most prolific investigator to solve the case—Vince Ramsey. He soon discovers that they are facing a graver threat than any of them could've imagined. It seems the enemy's primary objective is to abolish the remains of biblical prophets—and wipe out their very existence from history.

With all-out war on the brink in the Middle East, Ramsey must stop the person responsible before he strikes again. Following clues through an ancient landscape rich with peril and religious undertones, he eventually is led to a remote desert inside Jordan where Deuteronomy 34:6 states: "God buried Moses . . . but no man knows of his sepulcher unto this day." Backed by a foreign superpower—the enemy has every intention of uncovering the elusive burial place. But can Ramsey prevent another horrific travesty with worldwide repercussions from happening . . . or will the villain accomplish his final blasphemous act?

Q & A with James

Welcome back, James! Congratulations on the release of The Lost Prophet. Tell us about that.

Thanks for having me here once again! It’s always good to be back. I must say that I’m real excited to share the news about my latest book The Lost Prophet. The main protagonist—Vince Ramsey—returns once again to save the day from a global threat. Some reviewers have even compared him to 007 or Ethan Hunt. I kept up on the current events happening in the Middle East with all the sacred monuments being destroyed, and then tied in some timely biblical themes to up the stakes in the story. Readers Favorite called it “Exciting and captivating” and a judge for the Indie Reader Discovery Award gave it 5 stars, saying: “This may be one of the best books of the year so far.” I really hope the readers check it out for themselves, especially since it’s a local product!

What was the inspiration for this book?

People have always asked me “Why don’t you write a series?” So this is it. This is the sequel to my last book Realm of the Unknown. But in many ways I think this one hits all the right notes and gives us a modern day hero we can all root for. (It can also be read as a stand-alone novel.) Writing is something I take seriously, try to be a perfectionist at, and it’s always been a FUN journey for me!

You recently just won the Pacific Book Award for Christian Thrillers. What was that like?

It was truly a great surprise! It definitely made my day. I’m glad somebody out there enjoyed it. It makes me feel like my efforts to get the book recognized have paid off.

Any upcoming projects?

I’m currently working on the third book in the series. It’s still in its early stages, and I don’t have a title at the moment. All I can say right now is it’s my attempt, based on the clues I follow in my own research, to uncover the Holy Grail. I think folks will ultimately be surprised where it may be hidden today!

Where can readers connect with you online and buy your books?

I always enjoy hearing from readers. If they do get a chance to check out any of the books, I hope they’ll let me know what they think. They can find more info on my website at jamesmcpike.webs.com or simply check out my Amazon page.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Thank you for being so gracious and making this happen Summer! I want to congratulate you as well on your upcoming book State of Vengeance. Looks like it will be another blockbuster hit that fans can be proud of!

Visit James Online at his website.

Check out all of his books here.