The Genesis of Seven
The Empyrean Trilogy, Book One
by Sara M Schaller
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publisher: Designs by Seraphim
Date of Publication: July 7, 2020
ISBN: 9781732516205
ISBN: 9781732516212
ISBN: 9781732516229 - ebook
Number of pages: 368
Word Count: 86,902
Cover Artist: Sara M Schaller
Tagline: In the beginning he was one of us.
Book Description:
Eighteen-year-old Jordan Conway has always wanted to help people, but helping seven archangels to achieve their divine duty was never quite what he had in mind…
When Jordan is entrusted by the head nun of his orphanage to deliver a mysterious backpack to a New York City address, he comes unexpectedly face-to-face with Archangel Gabriel. Their acquaintance fast uncovers a labyrinth of secrets that connect Jordan’s once-normal life to an ancient heavenly prophecy. Now, he must help Gabriel to reunite the archangels before evil forces grow too strong.
Soon, Jordan and Gabriel find themselves on a divine quest across the globe, while deep in the pits of Hell, Satan plots his return to earth. To gain control, however, Satan needs the powerful prophetic objects locked safe inside Jordan’s backpack—and the devil will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
With that notion threatening his only family and the safety of his newfound friends, Jordan must do whatever it takes to protect the ones he loves and help the archangels succeed. If that means sacrificing all he thought he knew to go to war with the devil himself? Bring it on.
Excerpt:
“Run!” Sister
Helen shouted.
Somehow, my body
obliged. My legs carried me down the alleyway, past dumpsters and trashcans. At
the street, I stopped briefly to figure out where to go next. I glanced at the
paper and realized I had a bit of distance to cover. The address was near
Central Park, but the orphanage was in the opposite direction. In fact, the
orphanage wasn’t even in Manhattan. There wasn’t time to figure out a route
though. At the sound of running footsteps, I looked over my shoulder and saw
two men dressed in black fast approaching.
Without a second
thought, I broke into a sprint and headed right.
I’d never been
chased in my life and soon realized I was the worst person for it. I kept
running straight for blocks. Not once did I try to evade my chasers. I was
merely in flight mode, running forward without a thought of where I had to go.
The backpack hit my shoulders every time I moved my legs, creating a rhythm my
heartbeat began to mimic. I was scared senseless, had no idea what to do, and
was weighed down by the duffel bag, which gave me a weird, galloping stride.
As I raced on,
some unknown part of my brain took over and told my legs to veer left into an
alleyway. My chasers passed by, unsuspecting, though they soon backtracked and
followed. At that point, my run became a series of quick turns and dashes
through side streets and alleys in an attempt to evade them.
Breathing hard,
heaving the cursed bag, and almost tripping over my own feet, I came to a
standstill in front of a chain-link fence. Did this seriously have to turn into
some iconic movie chase? I groaned as I sized up my new enemy, wondering why I
never took gym class seriously. Surely, completing the rope climb—something I’d
never successfully achieved—would come in handy right about now.
At the last
second I decided to backtrack, but the two chasers blocked my path. One was a
big, burly man, and the other was the second guy from the subway, who was much
taller and leaner than his accomplice.
Frustrated, I
ran up to the fence and swung my duffel bag through the air. It landed
surprisingly safe on the other side of the chain-link barrier. Without a
moment’s hesitation, I ran and jumped at the tall gate, latching onto it with
my hands. Flashbacks of the rope climb came to mind, and I knew this wasn’t
going to be easy. In a struggle, I scrambled up as my chasers approached.
By some miracle,
I made it to the top, and I was preparing to swing my leg over and ring that
fictitious bell when a hand gripped my ankle. When I looked down, a menacing
skull tattoo met my gaze.
What is it about this book
that makes it special?
This is one of those questions that authors hesitate to
answer because it’s a tough one. So, to keep my answer cohesive, concise, and
convincing I thought it might be best to list out five reasons why my book, The
Genesis of Seven, is special.
1. A new portrayal of angels
From the moment I thought of this story, I knew I wanted to give the angels a
different portrayal than previously seen in books and movies. I knew their
backstory and history had so much unexplored potential, and I also knew I
wanted to portray their diversity as well. Both of these factors make The
Genesis of Seven special because my book delivers a new way to perceive and
view the angels.
2.
Reinterpretation of Biblical stories
Although the angels are mentioned in the Bible, I felt like their story was
glanced over and never completely explained. Since I had so many unanswered
questions, I decided to dig deeper into their myths and lore, and present my
findings in a way that recreates their origin like never before. What this
transformed into was an entertaining retelling, which is what makes The
Genesis of Seven special.
3.
Global adventure
On top of these intents for my story, I also wanted it to be set across a
worldwide backdrop. I wanted anyone who read this book, no matter where they
lived, to be able to connect with it. For this reason, The Genesis of Seven
is special because it includes a global travel component full of adventure.
4.
Charismatic characters
I believe characters make every story, so I knew I had to include ones in this
book that readers liked and could root for. Each angel, each fallen, and each
human in The Genesis of Seven are unique and fully-developed. No two are
alike, and if anything, their differences are what make this a special book.
5.
Intriguing story
The last component of The Genesis of Seven that is special is the plot
itself, full of hidden twists and turns, epic battles, and the bonds of
brotherhood. If you love superhero stories than you’ll love this book because
what better superheroes are there than the angelic ones.
Exciting excerpt! Good luck on the release.
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