Peacocks, Pedestals, and Prayers: Nephilim and the Bible Research

 

Peacocks, Pedestals, and Prayers

A great deal of research went into my novel, Peacocks, Pedestals, and Prayers. The Bible and other sacred writings were integral to the plot. It's FREE today through Monday. Download a copy today!

Nephilim and the Bible Research: Part 1

Nephilim: Part angel, part human. They are mentioned several times throughout the Bible and other sacred writings. Not only are the passages cryptic, they are also controversial to many religious scholars. The two passages that inspired me to write Peacocks, Pedestals, and Prayers begin in Genesis and end in Matthew.

Genesis 6:4

The Nephilim² were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.

This passage has been analyzed and speculated and dissected and studied for centuries. The bottom line is this: no one really knows what it means. There are many interpretations. One interpretation suggests that Noah and his family were spared because they were favored by God. The rest of mankind became violent and wicked. Some question if Earth was infected with a new breed of being-part man, part angel or Nephilim.

Did God flood the Earth to eliminate the Nephilim? These violent beings were giants with six fingers. In other archeological findings, they were said to have red hair. With exception to Noah and his family, everything was wiped out. However, the Nephilim reappear later in the Old Testament.

Numbers 13:33

And there we saw the ^gNephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the ^gNephilim), and we seemed to ourselves ^hlike grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”

The Anakim and the Zamzummin were not the only descendants of the Nephilim. Other "breeds/races" show up in different parts of the Old Testament. So the magic question is this: Did the fallen angels come back and mate with human daughters, or did the Flood fail to wipe out all of the Nephilim? I guess we'll never know, but then in the New Testament the subject is revived.

Matthew 24:37

But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Again, another mysterious passage. Jesus says more in Matthew 24 about Noah, the Flood, and the Coming of Man. Although many scholars dismiss the idea, some believe this is a prophecy about the return of the Nephilim during the End of Days. Jesus does not mention the Nephilim, but the reference of the Flood remains.

Peacocks, Pedestals, and Prayers is about a fallen angel who breeds with humans. The existence of modern-day Nephilim is one of the major themes of the novel.

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Zither by Jeffrey Hamlon

 

 

Metafiction/Humor/Mystery

Date Published: April 20th, 2021

Publisher: Zither Studios

A nutty religious cult abducts a herd of prime gazebos (huh?) and it’s up to bumbling P.I. Mars Candiotti to rescue them. Mars, aspiring author, chronicles his quest in Jeffrey Hanlon's comic mystery Zither. 

 Guided by his magically prescient IHOP waitress, Mars strives to mitigate the shocking global consequences of the gazebo heist, even though he has no idea what the word mitigate means. Mars has five Important clues with which to solve his confounding mystery: Butterscotch, John Travolta, Trombones Venetian Blinds, and Wind Chimes. 

 As Zither swallows its own tale, Mars finds it increasingly tricky to distinguish between real people and his rambunctious fictional characters. Zither becomes the romper room where his reality meets fantasy - and get frisky with each other. 

 Using his (odd) clues, Mars’ international odyssey leads to an explosive conclusion in Panama. TVs around the world tune in to watch live coverage of “Carnage in the Canal”. 

 Amid the lunatic havoc that is Zither there is (of course!) an epic love story as Mars meets Marian, the brainy librarian he had dreamed of. Marian says his books are "slapstick existentialism with subjective reality couched in parable". (This is news to Mars). But is Marian real? 

 Is any of it real?

"Hanlon’s humor shines bright and will leave fans of such madness wanting more." Publishers Weekly 

 "This zany, rollicking mystery adventure is as compelling as it is hilarious." Independent Book Review 

 Nominated for the prestigious Audie Award, Best Fiction 2021

About the Author

I was born in a Southern California beach town. 

My family moved to Northwest Oregon when I was 7. Or maybe when I was 8. 

Had we stayed in the Beach Boys town, and knowing myself as I do now, I suspect I would have grown long hair, started a rock band, and been heavily into drugs. The rock band would probably have been pretty good. The rest of it, not so much. I’d likely have joined the ranks of those like Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin. 

We moved to a mountaintop. The last five miles to get there were gravel. The final two miles were steep and to the end of the road. 

That’s where we lived: the end of the road, 22 miles to the nearest town. 

Our closest neighbor, about a mile down the road, was a hermit who lived in a shack. He had a goat. About once a month the goat would visit us. Then the hermit would show up to retrieve his goat. I think the goat liked us better than the hermit, which is why the goat kept showing up. Goats are funny animals. I think they aspire to be house pets. 

And speaking of animals, we had cats. Lots and lots of cats. Because we were remote and at the end of the road, unkind people – and ‘unkind’ is the kindest description I can use here – would dump their unwanted cats on or near our property. The cats would find our house. We gave them Fancy Feast and our love, and in turn they loved us. 

My childhood friends didn’t visit too often. That was at least partly because when they did show up my father would say something like this: “Great! We have a job that could use an extra hand. Won’t take more than five minutes.” Well, that five minutes usually turned into an hour or two – volunteer labor! – and that friend would seldom visit again. 

So my favorite childhood playmate was a 2000 pound Hereford bull, a big boy with horns spanning three feet. I’d go out in the pasture and the bull would strike a pose not unlike what you’ve seen in the movies where the bull was ready to charge, head down, eyeing me. But he wasn’t going to charge me. He just wanted his forehead scratched. And so I would scratch his forehead. He liked that, shaking his head every so often to show his approval. Then we’d elevate to a game that the bull might have called ‘Let’s see how far we can toss this little kid!’ and I’d place my right hip against his massive head and he’d toss me into the air like a sack of flour. Over and over, farther and farther, higher and higher. I could have done that for hours – I can fly! – but after a few tosses the bull would grow bored with the game and wander off. Probably to chase some cute heifers. 

The nearest library was 30 miles away, and we ventured there often. It was a majestic old building, and the Grand Room had books on all four walls with reading chairs in the center. But that was not where I wanted to be. I figured all those books were popular books or books I was supposed to read. I wanted something different, so I would enter the room with a small sign that said ‘Stacks’. It was row after narrow row after row of books, floor to ceiling, dimly lit, dusty. It was like entering a cave. Filled with treasures! 

It was in those Stacks that I discovered the likes of Kerouac and Heller and Huxley and Fowles and Steinbeck and Ellison and Bradbury and Hemingway and many many others. 

As Stephen King said, “Books are a uniquely portable magic.” 

And those, each in their own way, was the inspiration for the first book I wrote at the age of eight or nine: ‘Pond Scum’. 

It was illustrated.

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We Never Knew Just What It Was by Mike Murphey

 

The Story of the Chad Mitchell Trio

Non-Fiction

Date to be Published: August 11th

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

Of all the groups to emerge during the folk era of the 1960’s, first the Chad Mitchell Trio and later The Mitchell Trio were unequivocally the best. Their complex harmonies, sense of comedic timing and stage presence were unique to the folk movement. They didn’t enjoy the commercial success of other groups because their material made political and social statements that radio and television refused to play. They were wildly popular, though, on college campuses throughout the country during this turbulent time and fostered political and social awareness among thousands of young men and women as they faced the challenging era ahead.

But as Mike, Chad and Joe Frazier raced along a frantic treadmill of rehearsals, recording sessions, nightclubs and concerts, Mike and Chad began to realize the demand for musical perfection was the only thing they had in common. Their personalities were and remain polar opposites. When Chad left in 1965, neither mourned the parting. John Denver replaced Chad. Two years later, Joe’s demons caught up to him forcing Mike and John to fire Joe.

When folk reunions became popular, fans and folk historians agreed that The Trio was the one group that would never take the stage again. Their schism was just too great.

Mike and Chad and Joe hadn’t spoken in twenty years. Then came a call. I will if he will. Their mentor and music director Milt Okun worried they were making a mistake. They couldn’t possibly be as good as their fans remembered.

They were. Mike and Chad kept their day jobs, and their distance. But once again, they shared the music.

About The Author

Mike Murphey is a native of New Mexico and spent almost thirty years as an award-winning newspaper journalist in the Southwest and Pacific Northwest. Following his retirement, he enjoyed a seventeen-year partnership with the late Dave Henderson, all-star Major League outfielder. Their company produced the Oakland A’s and Seattle Mariners adult baseball Fantasy Camps. He is author of the award-winning novels Section Roads and The Conman… a Baseball Odyssey along with his Physics, Lust and Greed time travel series. We Never Knew Just What it Was is his first effort at non-fiction. Mike loves books, cats, baseball and sailing. He splits his time between Spokane, Washington, and Phoenix, Arizona where he enjoys life as a writer and old-man baseball player.

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Wanted by R. Dale Watkins

 

Bloodroot by Daniel Meier

 

Historical Fiction

Date Published: 08-01-1021

Publisher: BQB Publishing

England, 1609. Matthew did not trust his friend, Richard’s stories of Paradise in the Jamestown settlement, but nothing could have equipped him for the privation and terror that awaited him in this savage land.

Once ashore in the fledgling settlement, Matthew experiences the unimaginable beauty of this pristine land and learns the meaning of hope, but it all turns into a nightmare as gold mania infests the community and Indians become an increasing threat. The nightmare only gets worse as the harsh winter brings on “the starving time” and all the grizzly horrors of a desperate and dying community that come with it.

Driven to the depths of despair by the guilt of his sins against Richard and his lust for that man’s wife, Matthew seeks death, but instead finds hope in the most unexpected of places, with the Powatan Indians.

In this compelling and extensively researched historical novel, the reader is transported into a little-known time in early America where he is asked to explore the real meanings of loyalty, faith, and freedom.

About The Author

A retired Aviation Safety Inspector for the FAA, Daniel V. Meier, Jr. has always had a passion for writing. During his college years, he studied History at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington (UNCW) and American Literature at The University of Maryland Graduate School. In 1980 he published an action/thriller with Leisure Books under the pen name of Vince Daniels.

He also worked briefly for the Washington Business Journal as a journalist and has been a contributing writer/editor for several aviation magazines. In addition to, Bloodroot, he is the author of the award-winning historical novel, The Dung Beetles of Liberia that was released in September 2019 and the highly acclaimed literary novel, No Birds Sing Here in April 2021.

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Walking in the Shadow of Footsteps by Roynell Young

 

Journey of Enlightenment

Leadership / Self development

Published Date: August 24, 2021

Publisher: Elite Online Publishing

Despite a life of challenges—from childhood illness to witnessing violence as a youth on the tough streets of uptown New Orleans, falling into the trap of drugs as a teen, and assaults on his confidence as an adult—Roynell Young is living his life’s purpose.

Walking in the Shadow of Footsteps takes readers on an emotional journey through the life of an unlikely hero who earned his way into the National Football League as a first-round draft pick, enjoyed a nine-year career as a professional athlete, then carved a pathway that led him to create an organization that today impacts thousands in the impoverished Sunnyside area of Houston. Driven by an unquenchable desire to discover his life’s purpose, Young learned that true power and freedom are the result of an unshakable commitment to live his purpose and spread the good news to the underdog. His unique story is his love letter to humanity.

About the Author

Throughout my life, I have had to eliminate the distractions that threatened to keep me from fulfilling my purpose, from childhood illness to witnessing violence in my youth, falling into the trap of drugs as a teen, and assaults on my confidence as an adult. Despite it all, I am living my American Dream, a life that pays homage to the struggles of the ancestors and builds a foundation for the continuum of healing and self-reliance for Black people and those who find themselves disenfranchised.

I have been around fame and I’ve been around fortune and people with it. Whether because of my humble upbringing or because of my experiences as a professional athlete in the NFL, the fame and fortune don’t impress me. I remain focused on the power and freedom that come with being true to my purpose. The Creator has charged me with the responsibility of spreading the good news to the underdog.

Walking in the shadow of footsteps has allowed me to live my purpose, the reason I exist in this world, and to help others do the same.

This story of my life is my love letter to humanity.

- Roynell Young

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Relatively Normal Secrets by C.W. Allen

 

Middle-Grade Mystery Adventure

Release Day: September 7, 2021

Tuesday and Zed Furst are perfectly normal children with perfectly strange parents. Their father won't discuss his job, their mother never leaves the house without her guard dog, and the topic of the family tree is off limits.

When a last minute "business trip" gets the adults out of the way, Zed and Tuesday decide to get to the bottom of things once and for all. Too bad some thugs with shape-shifting weapons have other ideas. Their escape leaves them trapped in the modern-meets-medieval Falinnheim, where everyone insists their father is a disgraced fugitive. They hope whoever is leaving them coded clues may have some answers, but they're not sure they're going to like what they learn.

If they ever want to see their parents again, they'll need the help of a smuggler with a broken compass, their unusually talented dog, some extremely organized bandits, and a selection of suspiciously misquoted nursery rhymes.

Zed and Tuesday may not have all the answers, but one thing is certain—when it comes to normal, everything is relative.

About the Author

C.W. Allen is a Nebraskan by birth, a Texan by experience, a Hoosier by marriage, and a Utahn by geography. She knew she wanted to be a writer the moment she read The Westing Game at age twelve, but took a few detours along the way as a veterinary nurse, an appliance repair secretary, and a homeschool parent.

She recently settled in the high desert of rural Utah with her husband, their three children, and a noisy flock of orphaned ideas. Someday she will create literary homes for all of them. (The ideas, not her family.)

Relatively Normal Secrets (Cinnabar Moth Publishing, Fall 2021) is her debut novel. She writes fantasy novels for tweens, picture books for children, and short stories and poems for former children. Her work will appear in numerous anthologies in 2021. She is also a frequent guest presenter at writing conferences and club meetings, which helps her procrastinate knuckling down to any actual writing

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Our African Unconscious by Edward Bruce Bynum, Ph.D.

 

The Black Origins of Mysticism and Psychology

Psychology

Date Published: September 14, 2021

Publisher: Inner Traditions; 3rd Edition, Revised Edition of The African Unconscious

Reveals how spirituality and the collective unconscious of all of humanity originated in Africa

• Examines the Oldawan, the Ancient Soul of Africa, and its correlation with what modern psychologists have defined as the collective unconscious

• Draws on archaeology, DNA research, history, and depth psychology to reveal how the biological and spiritual roots of religion and science came out of Africa

• Explores the reflections of our African unconscious in the present confrontation in the Americas, in the work of the Founding Fathers, and in modern psychospirituality

The fossil record confirms that humanity originated in Africa. Yet somehow we have overlooked that Africa is also at the root of all that makes us human--our spirituality, civilization, arts, sciences, philosophy, and our conscious and unconscious minds.

In this African-revisioned look at the unfolding of human history and culture, Edward Bruce Bynum reveals how our collective unconscious is African. Drawing on archaeology, DNA research, history, depth psychology, and the biological and spiritual roots of religion and science, he demonstrates how all modern human beings, regardless of ethnic or racial categorizations, share a common deeper identity, both psychically and genetically, connected with a primordial African unconscious.

Exploring the beginning of early religions, spirituality, and mysticism in Africa, along with philosophy, art, and science, the author looks at the Egyptian Nubian role in the rise of civilization and the emergence of Kemetic Egypt, revealing how and why ancient Egypt was separated from the rest of Africa in the Western mind--despite it being the most sophisticated expression of the Mother Continent. He examines the Oldawan, the Ancient Soul, and its correlation with what modern psychologists have defined as the collective unconscious. Revealing the spiritual and psychological ramifications of our shared African ancestry, the author examines its reflections in the present confrontation in the Americas, in the work of the Founding Fathers, and in modern Black spirituality, which arose from African diaspora religion and philosophy.

By recognizing our shared African unconscious, the matrix that forms the deepest luminous core of human identity, we can learn to see and feel that the differences between one person and another are merely superficial and ultimately there is no real separation between the material and the spiritual

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