Jason Tesar's Blog, page 9

Changes to The Awakened: Book Two

Here is a list of the changes to Book Two in order of their appearance: - New cover artwork by Mike Heath at Magnus Creative - Title changed to Paths of Destruction: The Awakened Book Two - Reformatted the entire manuscript for readability and consistency - Added a hyperlinked table-of-contents - Updated Map of the Orudan Empire - Slight changes to the diagrams of the High Temple (profile and aerial views) - Put “The Prophecy” on its own page in order to highlight the context of The Awakened-  Slightly altered the chapter organization  - Removed the first scene of Book Two and placed it at the end of Book One - Added two new scenes in Chapter 1 - Added one new scene in Chapter 7 - Added one new scene in Chapter 12 - Added two new scenes in Chapter 28
Here is the new cover artwork, the updated map, and the new scenes.  Enjoy!


From Paths of Destruction, Chapter 1
Adair rested his head back against the seat, but kept his eyes open and focused on the terrain outside of the thundering locust.  The dense jungle passing swiftly beneath them began to grow thin in some areas as they descended from the mountainous terrain and flew out over a wide valley.  A moment later, Adair could see a meandering river that split into numerous tributaries and snaked across the land before joining back with the main flow.  The flying carriage suddenly descended toward the water and Adair felt his stomach lurch.The soldier kneeling directly in front of him pressed something he had been holding and the pressure on Adair’s arm suddenly released.  The man reached up and removed the band he had placed around Adair’s arm, then turned to his superior.
* * * *
Team Leader Devon Greer locked eyes with his Assistant Team Leader, Eric Thompson.  “Shock?” he asked.“Nothing.  Pulse and BP are great.  He’s healthy as a horse, but he still looks like he’s about to puke.  I don’t think he’s ever flown before.”Greer smiled as he turned his attention to the hostage.  The dark-haired man in the toga was resting his head against the back of his seat, but his eyes were alert and seemed to be taking in everything around him.  It was clear that he didn’t understand what he was seeing, but there was no hint of fear in him either.  His silent confidence and athlete’s physique spoke volumes.“I’ll bet you anything this guy’s a soldier,” Greer concluded.“Yeah,” Thompson replied.  “…a Spartan, maybe?”Greer smiled again.  “Alright.  Let’s get that foot patched up quickly.  We’re landing in two.”“Sir!” came the quickly reply.The chopper followed the river for another mile, then banked to the west and rose out of the valley to connect with a wide bend in a nearby dirt road.  As they descended toward the landing zone, Thompson had just finished wrapping the hostage’s wounded foot.“He’s OK for now, but he’ll need a thorough cleaning and some stitches when we get to the safe house.”“Good,” Greer replied.  “Let’s go.”As soon as the skids touched the dirt, the door slid sideways and the other three team members jumped out and took up cover positions with their weapons ready.  Thompson helped the asset out and Greer followed them to the open door of an armored SUV tucked beneath the overhanging foliage of a sprawling tree.  They quickly filed into the center bench seat, while the remaining members of the team filled up the rear and front passenger seats.The voice in Greer’s ear-piece sounded hollow.  “We’ll provide air support, but we have to peel off before we reach the city.”Greer looked back to the chopper and gave a thumbs-up to the pilot before pulling the door closed.  “Let’s go!” he shouted to the driver.Instantly, the vehicle shot into motion, leaving a cloud of dust that swirled into numerous vortices as the chopper lifted into the air and began to follow them.
From Paths of Destruction, Chapter 7
Even before the city of Nijambu came into view, Saba knew that he was finally headed in the right direction.  After years of searching, scouring the known world for anything that resembled the place he saw in his dreams, he could almost feel it as well as see it.As a forested peninsula slid away from the port side of the large vessel on which he stood, a large bay opened before his sight.  Leaning on the port railing, he squinted until he could make out the vast city of tents and short wooden structures that covered mile upon mile of the eastern shore.  From somewhere toward the prow, a loud blast of a horn signaled their arrival to the city.  Saba glanced up to the men scurrying up and down the mast, making last minute adjustments to the sails as the ship swung toward the city.  Far away, the deep bellow of a return signal indicated that the city was prepared to receive the ship.Saba’s heart began to race with the anticipation of discovery.  For so many years, he had lived with an unknown past.  And though he did his best to live in the present, he felt that a large piece of himself was missing.  People he had known.  Places he had seen.  Experiences that had shaped his personality.  All cloaked in mystery.Most of the memories that the cloaked figure had unearthed from his mind had dissipated just as quickly into the great cloud of oblivion that still held him captive.  But in a distant way, Saba vaguely remembered the emotions he felt when he experienced those memories for the second time.  Some had been painful and some pleasant.  And it seemed that a few memories even held the promise of surpassing joy.The ship moved sluggishly toward the extensive arrangement of docks constructed from the hollow stalks of a native tree.  As Saba watched the dark-skinned residents running along the docks in preparation for the arrival, he noted the absence of any signs of Orudan life.  He was far beyond the influence of the Empire.  Though this port city was massive and bustling, it was still painfully primitive by comparison.  And even these small signs of advancement would quickly fall away as one left the city limits.  Saba’s eyes traced the road that ran parallel to the shore and eventually disappeared into the hills as it swung to the southeast.  As he continued to stare out in the direction of the unseen canyon that he would have to follow, he was suddenly struck with a hint of longing that brought a smile to his lips.I’ve been here before.  I’ve walked this path!Somewhere, out there beyond the dense jungle tree line, a story was waiting to be rediscovered—his own story.
From Paths of Destruction, Chapter 12
Saba stood at the bottom of a ravine, watching the water of a stream as it flowed around jagged rocks and beneath the overhanging foliage on either bank.  The narrow path, a barely-discernible trail worn by repeated animal passage, picked up again on the other side of the stream and disappeared into jungle.  The deep, red earth that was exposed appeared like a wound in the otherwise green landscape.  Overhead, the tree limbs converged to form a canopy that kept the jungle floor in shadow for the majority of the day.  Despite the shade, the air was warm and heavy, making it hard to catch his breath.Something had told him to stop.  And since this whole trip was a chasing after vague memories, he obeyed without hesitation.  Was it the presence of something just out of sight, hiding in the forest?  Was it the fear of being captured?No, he thought to himself.  They’ve been following me for two days now.Turning to look downstream, he realized why he had stopped.This is where I turn!Cautiously, he placed his foot into the water and waited.  When nothing happened, he turned and began to wade through the shallows and follow the flow of the water.  With each step, he felt more confident about leaving the trail behind and setting off in this new direction.  Minutes later, he crawled through a marsh of tall grasses and thick mud to find himself standing in a wide stream bed where the water grew shallow and passed gently over a field of small pebbles.Fifty feet away, standing calmly in the center of the water, was a dark-skinned man in a loin cloth.  His close-cropped hair was showing signs of gray and his only other item of clothing or decoration was the short bone that ran sideways through his nose.  He didn’t carry weapons of any kind.It wasn’t necessary, because the stream bed was surrounded by at least twenty other younger males, carrying an assortment of spears and bows.Saba held both his hands out to either side and remained perfectly still.  His heart was beating rapidly, both from fear and from the excitement of finally seeing who had been tracking his every move for the last two days.As the younger men leaned forward and crouched in anticipation, the older man lifted his head and began to speak in his native language.Saba was amazed to find that he understood the words.“Among my people, there is legend.  Ancient ones speak of white man with white hair.  He leave something great important.  They say one day he return for it.”Saba smiled as the words and their pronunciation came instantly to his mind.  “I am he,” he answered in their language.
From Paths of Destruction, Chapter 28
Adair watched in amazement through the right side window of the horseless carriage as buildings, people, and other confusing sights nearly flew by.  The speed of transportation in this place was continually astounding and Adair once again realized that his fingers had unconsciously balled into fists.  He slowly relaxed his grip as his eyes focused nearer on the man sitting next to him—the leader of the soldiers who had rescued him.The man had black hair, cropped so close to his head that it looked like stubble around the side and back.  His skin was smooth and tanned, with a yellow tint.  His brown eyes rested steadily behind large upper lids, with a calm intensity that spoke of confidence.Only once had Adair seen someone of similar heritage.  A large merchant ship had once docked in Bastul for a week while the Captain and crew replenished their supplies and readied themselves to sail south for Nijambu.  Two of the men aboard that vessel looked like the man sitting next to him now.  At the time, they had been the most foreign things Adair had ever seen.  But he couldn’t say that any longer.  This whole world, wherever it was, was so foreign that it felt like a disorienting dream.Adair turned to look out the left side window and to casually inspect the man sitting on his other side.  This man, the second in command as far as Adair could discern, was fair-skinned.  Even more so than Maeryn.  His thin, red hair—also cropped short—wasn’t limited to his head.  It covered his face in a beard that looked to be about two weeks-worth of growth.  His freckled skin was a sharp contrast to his green eyes, which were looking straight ahead but also noting every movement that Adair made.Adair had seen that look before, and knew exactly what it meant.  As a soldier himself, he knew that these men were protecting him.  But they also had to stay vigilant and watch the person they guarded, in case he decided to flee or do something else to risk his own life.  Adair smiled inwardly at the comforting thought.  After what he had witnessed this day, he wasn’t about to do anything that these men didn’t tell him to do.  He wasn’t sure of their purpose or final intentions, but for now, they were keeping him alive.  And that meant something to a fellow soldier.Suddenly, the carriage was enveloped in shadow and Adair was startled out of his thoughts.  He looked forward just in time to see that they were entering a large, stone structure through an opening wide enough for eight carriages lined up end-to-end.
* * * *
Greer quickly scanned the rows of vehicles as the driver navigated the interior of the parking garage.  He kept his grip snug, but relaxed on the handle of his weapon as his eyes adjusted to the change in light.  Through the windows of the armored SUV, he continually searched for any threats or signs of attack.The driver circled the garage and descended to the lowest level where access to maintenance and utility shafts was readily available in case of a needed escape route.  In the northwest corner of the nearly-vacant garage, three inconspicuous sedans were parked and waiting with drivers ready to speed away at any moment.As the driver brought the vehicle to a stop, Greer noted the presence of several plain-clothes guards covering the entrance and exit ramps onto this level.  Assured of their safety, he grabbed the door handle and paused.“I’ll take him in the center vehicle.  Thompson, you and Martinez take the lead.  Jensen and Zylski are following.  Everyone ready?”When his team voiced their readiness, Greer opened the door and climbed out, bringing his weapon into a low-ready position.  Moving quickly to the armored sedan, he opened the rear, driver-side door with one hand and kept his eyes scanning the garage as Thompson led the asset through the door and into the back seat.  Greer immediately climbed in next to the man and shut the door.The driver looked in the rear-view mirror.  “Civilian clothes are on the floor.”Greer nodded, then grabbed a jacket off the floorboard and handed it to the asset.  “Put it on over your clothes,” he said, trying to explain himself with hand motions.The asset seemed to understand.Minutes later, three plain sedans left the parking garage with commonly-dressed passengers, their exits staggered by a few minutes.  Each vehicle headed a different direction as they turned onto surface streets, only to converge a half-hour later on the north end of the city.The small convoy traveled north for several hours before turning off the highway and onto a dirt road that ran for miles between the fields of a coffee plantation.  Row upon row of short bushes stretched to the horizon, broken only by the narrow strips of dark, fertile soil between them and the occasional stand of trees.  Eventually, the organized vegetation gave way to thick, random growth as they ascended into mountainous terrain.With the sun sitting low along the western horizon, the three armored vehicles pulled beneath the covered entrance to a tile-roofed house, situated on the point of a hilltop, overlooking the fields below.  Its earthen walls and sagging roof were contrasted by its majestic, unobstructed view to the west and south, while the north and east approaches were covered by an extensive network of security cameras.As soon as the cars came to a stop, one of the two residents came out of the small, stone building and onto the circular driveway to receive the new arrivals, whose approach had been carefully monitored for the last few miles.Thompson was already out of his vehicle and opening the asset’s door to take him inside.Greer walked around the sedan and approached the safe house resident.  “Is everything in order?”“You’re all set, Sir.  And we haven’t picked up any signs of pursuit, either.”“Good,” Greer replied as his eyes drifted from the western horizon to the limping man being escorted into the house.  As he inhaled the first calm breath of the day, he allowed the silence of this remote location to fill his ears.  He paused for moment, listening for anything out of the ordinary, but everything sounded normal.  At rest.“Did you hear from Command?” he asked, finally breaking the silence.“Yes, Sir.  They have a linguistic team coming in tomorrow morning.  They should be here by zero nine hundred.”Greer nodded, while his eyes scanned the tree line on the other side of the driveway.  “We’re going to need medical supplies and something to eat.”“Yes, Sir.  And your guest?”Greer turned to look at the main door where Jensen and Zylski were now standing guard.  He thought for a moment before replying.  “I don’t know where the guy is from, but let’s put on some tea and coffee and see if we can make him feel at home.”The resident nodded.  “Yes, Sir.”

Click here to read about the changes to Book Three.

Changes to The Awakened: Book One

On Friday, I published revised editions of the first three books in the Awakened series.  As I mentioned in that post, Kindle owners can download the updated content for free.  I don’t know if other e-reading devices and companies have similar mechanisms for making new content available to customers, so I thought it would be a good idea to just post the new content here.
So, here is a list of the changes to Book One in order of their appearance: - New cover artwork by Mike Heath at Magnus Creative - Title changed to Awaken His Eyes: The Awakened Book One - Reformatted the entire manuscript for readability and consistency - Added a hyperlinked table-of-contents - Updated the Map of the Orudan Empire - Slight changes to the diagrams of the High Temple (profile and aerial views) - Put “The Prophecy” on its own page in order to highlight the context of The Awakened - Slightly altered the chapter organization  - Added two new scenes in Chapter 7 - Added one new scene in Chapter 23 - Pulled the first scene from Book Two and placed it at the end of Book One
Here is the new cover artwork, the updated map, and the new scenes.  Enjoy!


From Awaken His Eyes, Chapter 7
Maeryn plucked the withered leaves from a flowering plant, trying her best to keep busy and her mind engaged with some sort of distraction.  But it didn’t seem to be helping much.  Her stomach was still tied in knots and she hadn’t been able to eat anything all day.  It was now the second day since Adair had disappeared and what she had thought was just another routine absence was beginning to feel like something more ominous.Years ago, Adair had the garden built as a gift to Maeryn, following the customs of her ancestors.  Trimmed trees and shrubs dotted the landscape, separated by rings of brightly colored flowers.  The north end of this secluded paradise was open to the hilltop courtyard, containing stables, soldiers’ housing, and various other structures, all surrounded by a pale stone wall.As the orange rays of the setting sun made their way into the silent garden, the peace was suddenly disturbed by a commotion from the courtyard.  Maeryn rose from her seat on a low stone wall just as a group of soldiers ran past the gate to the courtyard.  The startling sight was followed quickly by another figure standing at the base of the steps outside the gate.“Thaddius?” Maeryn called out.The Commissioner turned suddenly.  “Governess,” he replied.  The usual kindness was gone from his eyes and he looked almost panicked.“Thaddius, what’s happening?”The Commissioner came quickly up the steps and into the garden.  “Do you know where Adair has gone?”Maeryn’s heart suddenly pounded violently inside her chest.  “No.  He never tells me what he’s doing.  I thought you would—”“No,” Thaddius answered quickly, glancing around the garden.  “He left word for me yesterday morning that he would gone for the day.  But I haven’t heard from him since.”Maeryn suddenly felt dizzy and had to sit back down to keep from falling over.“Commissioner!” someone called from the courtyard.Thaddius turned and walked a few steps away while Maeryn shielded her eyes from the sunlight and breathed deeply.  The words of the soldier nearby seemed to drift to her ears as if from long distance.“The records at the docks indicate he took one of our smallest vessels and sailed yesterday morning.  He took a minimal crew and only enough provisions for the day.”Maeryn looked up suddenly.Thaddius was staring at the ground with a hand on his bearded chin.“Where did he go?” she called across the garden.“Nucotu?” the soldier asked Thaddius in a hushed tone.The Commissioner nodded.  “It’s two day’s journey.  I can’t think of anywhere else.”“Where did he go?” Maeryn repeated, louder this time.  Her anger at being left out of the conversation was now beginning to show.Thaddius turned slowly toward Maeryn, though his eyes were still fixed on the ground.  “Send a vessel to Nucotu,” he said finally.  Then he looked up at the soldier.  “Make sure they take horses and supplies.  If the Governor is not found, they’ll need to continue north and send a messenger to Leoran to notify the Council.”The soldier nodded and walked briskly out of the garden.“Thaddius?” Maeryn pleaded as she walked toward him.The Commissioner now looked her in the eyes.  “Let’s just see what they find in Nucotu.”  His voice was calm, but his eyes betrayed the depth of his concern.
* * * *
Saba waded carefully through the knee-deep water of a stream that wended through the mountains north of Bastul.  Somewhere to the south, it would converge with others to form the Nescus river which ran through the middle of the city and emptied into the bay.  With each burdened step, the school of trout were driven further upstream toward a pool where Ajani crouched upon a rock, pointing.Kael stood motionless in the water with a spear held ready over his shoulder.  His eyes were tracing their prey beneath the gentle surface.  Suddenly, he loosed his spear into the water and brought it up again with a wriggling fish impaled on its barbed tip.  He looked over toward Saba with a smile on his face.  “…dinner?”Saba nodded with a smile of his own.“I’ll make the fire,” Kael said, wading back to the shore where a small pile of fish had been gathered on the rocky bank.“I’ll help,” Ajani said, rising to his feet and jumping gracefully across the boulders that were scattered through the still water.Minutes later, Saba warmed himself by the flames while Kael added dry sticks to the fire.  Ajani was stringing the fish along a branch by their gills, readying them for cooking.  So far the short excursion was keeping the children busy and Kael’s thoughts seemed to be occupied by the tasks at hand.As the crackling flames grew higher, Kael moved away from the heat and sat on the ground.  “Mother must be worried,” he said quietly.Saba looked to the child, but remained silent.“Father has been gone a long time,” Kael continued.More silence passed before Saba finally responded.  “And what about you?”Kael stared into the flames.  “I’m not worried.”“Oh?” Saba replied.Now Kael looked up.  “Father is brave.  And he’s stronger than anyone.  Nothing can hurt him.”Saba smiled at the boy’s optimism, while inwardly he frowned at the conclusion that he’d already reached.  Adair was indeed brave and strong.  But even as he served the Empire with discipline and dedication, his primary loyalty rested with his family.  Saba had come to know the man well over the years and his respect for Adair had grown steadily with each interaction.  He already knew—without needing confirmation—that nothing short of death would keep him away from Maeryn and Kael.“You may have your mother’s appearance, but you certainly have your father’s courage.  You are just like him,” Saba replied.Kael’s face beamed as he looked back toward the fire.“These are ready,” Ajani said, lifting up the row of fish.“Good work,” Saba replied.  “Let’s take them down to the water and rinse off the dirt.  Then we can start cooking them as soon the coals are ready.”
From Awaken His Eyes, Chapter 23
As the last male servant came up the steps and out of the dry cellar, he nodded to Zula, then brushed his hands together to clear the grain dust from his palms.Zula turned to Maeryn.  “That’s the last of it, Miss.”Maeryn pretended to scan the preparations list in her hand while she waited for the man to finish walking out of the kitchen.  When he was gone, she looked up from the parchment that she had memorized days ago.“We’re alone now,” Zula assured her.Maeryn nodded.  “Alright.  I’ve received confirmation that twenty three of Bastul’s founding members will be attending the gala.  I had hoped for better participation, but this will do for now.”“…and their servants?” Zula asked.“I can’t know for sure, but it would be customary for some of their servants to attend with them.  After all, they wouldn’t dare lift a finger for themselves.”Zula smiled.“While I’m entertaining them, you’ll need to make contact with the servants and begin building relationships with them.”Zula’s forehead creased slightly.“This is going to be just as uncomfortable for me as it will be for you,” Maeryn assured her.  “I haven’t exactly been the most sociable Governess over the years.  But that will have to change.  These founding members and their families are the key to everything.  The servants in their charge account for the largest part of the slave population in this city.  And there’s no more practical way for us to make contact with them, than to start participating in their social circles.  I can’t stand these parties, but they’re the perfect masquerade for what we’re trying to do.”“And what will it look like beyond the parties?” Zula asked.  “You haven’t shared what the next step will be.”“Oh, I’m sorry,” Maeryn offered.  “I’ve been thinking about so many things lately.”  She realized suddenly that she been so consumed by strategizing that she had forgotten to inform her most trusted friend.“The parties will help build goodwill between the governorship and the families directly affected by it.  But I expect that Lemus will quickly tire of the effort, even as he experiences the benefits of it.  Eventually he’ll begin to decline participation, which will give me the opportunity to become more involved—to be his representative at events he’d rather avoid.  The goodwill will continue to be nurtured.  He’ll continue to reap the benefits.  And I’ll gain more opportunities to move through the city without his suspicious eyes looking over my shoulder.  And then we’ll have plenty of occasions to visit with the wives.  That’s where the real progress will be made.  They like to share servants because it makes them feel generous.  That’s when I’ll be able to meet one-on-one with them—”Zula was squinting but she didn’t look angry.“What?” Maeryn asked.  “Did I say something wrong?”“I’m proud of you, Miss,” she clarified.  “It takes courage to risk your life for the benefit of others.”Maeryn breathed a sigh.  “Thank you.  But I don’t have to do this alone, do I?”“No, Miss,” Zula replied with a smile.  “I can talk with other slaves at the market every day.  We’ll do this together.”Maeryn stood a little straighter at the comforting words.  “Good.  Now we only have two days to get ready for the gala.  I’m going to see if I can get a few more families to attend.”Zula simply nodded in response.

Click here to read about the changes to Book Two.

Why Update the Awakened First Editions?

As many of you know, I’ve been working hard at revising the first three books of the Awakened series.  A few readers have asked why I’m doing this, so I thought I’d explain and also give instructions on how to get the new content.
As I began thinking through the first scenes that I would need to write for Book Four, I realized what a huge transition it will be to move the story from an ancient civilization into our modern world.  Aside from language-barriers and other such challenges, I would be dropping readers into the middle of a modern culture where the forces of evil have been at work for thousands of years.  To successfully accomplish the transition, I needed to lay some groundwork, particularly with Adair’s part of the story.  As he is the first character to cross the barrier between worlds, readers will be experiencing the disorienting jump through his senses.  And the modern conflict into which he is thrust, had only been hinted at in the first edition books.  So the first order of business, and the primary reason for updating the books, was to add new scenes for Adair.
And if I was going to update the books with new content, then I might as well take care of the “to do” list of other items that had been accumulating since the first publication, right?
In addition to the new scenes, I added a glossary and pronunciation guide, a table-of-contents, updated the map and diagrams, reformatted the entire manuscript for readability and consistency, enlisted the help of editors to fix numerous typos and grammatical errors, and hired a designer to give the cover art a face-lift.
For those of you who don’town a Kindle, or for anyone who doesn’t want to re-read the books in order to find the new content, I will be posting the new artwork and scenes here on my blog.
If you do have a Kindle and have already purchase the books, you can download the revised editions for FREE.  It’s easy and takes less than a minute.  You can do it from your computer, or directly from your Kindle.
On your computer, go to www.amazon.com/gp/digital/fiona/manage.  If needed, sign in to your Amazon account.  This should take you to the Your Account > Manage Your Kindle page.  Under Your Kindle Library is a list of all the items on your Kindle.  Use the page navigation links to find the Awakened books.  Next to the title, there should be a link called “update available.”  Move the cursor over the link and another window pops up that reads, “A corrected version of this book is available. Update this title now.”  Click the link for “Update this title now.”  This opens an “Update Title” window.  Click the “Update” button and the new content will be sent to your Kindle.On your Kindle, the process is the same once you get to the account sign-in page.  From the home screen on your Kindle, click Books> Store > Menu icon > Kindle Account.  Then follow the instructions listed above.

Jason Tesar on The G-Zone BlogTalkRadio Show

Yesterday evening, I had the privilege of participating in a discussion about ebook trends, the publishing industry, and various other topics, with a panel of other sci-fi/fantasy authors.  If you didn't catch the show, click here to listen to the broadcast.

Book Review: What in the World is Going On?

What in the World Is Going On?: 10 Prophetic Clues You Cannot Afford to Ignore by David Jeremiah
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a good collection of prophetic, end times events compared with the current state of the world. I found the first few chapters particularly intriguing, as Dr. Jeremiah discussed the switch from gold to oil, to stabilize American currency. And the summary of global oil production versus consumption was alarming. If you are someone who believes that the prophecies of scripture will be fulfilled in a literal way, like I do, you'll be interested to read Dr. Jeremiah's speculation on the shifting balance of power occurring in the world today, the strategic alliances being formed between countries, and how this fits perfectly with the necessary environment needed to usher in the end times. The first two-thirds of the book was organized well and presented prophetic events in a logical fashion, but the last third seemed to jump around, coming back multiple times to the same subjects. I'm sure if I read the book in parallel to a topical outline, his approach would have made more sense. Granted, end times prophecy is a HUGE subject and the chronology of events is debatable, but I've seen some of this same information organized in a more-logical manner elsewhere. Still, this is a great book if you want to "get your feet wet" with the subject matter. Dr. Jeremiah's ultimate intention, which I share, is to point people to redeeming work of Christ and recognize the "signs" of the times that we're living in.

View all my reviews

Incarnation is now available for Sony Reader

Incarnation is now available for the Sony Reader. Click here to check it out.

Incarnation is now available for the iPad

Incarnation is now available for the iPad. Click here to check it out.

Print Edition of Incarnation Now Available at Amazon

For those of you who don't have an eReader device, the print edition of Incarnation is now available at Amazon. Click here to check it out.

Incarnation: Wandering Stars Volume One is now available for the Nook at Barnes and Noble

Incarnation: Wandering Stars Volume One is now available for the Nook at Barnes and Noble.  Check back soon for availability on other eBook platforms, as well as the release of the print edition.

Incarnation: Wandering Stars Volume One is now available for the Kindle on Amazon

The wait is over!  Incarnation: Wandering Stars Volume One is now available for the Kindle on Amazon.


Since the ages before time was measured, the angelic races have existed. Unseen by our eyes, they move through creation, shaping our world, sustaining our existence, and battling demonic hordes. But the war is changing; the battle lines are expanding into new frontiers and the next epoch is emerging.
Seven hundred years after the first humans were exiled from their home, their descendants have pushed eastward into a prehistoric wilderness. In a land shrouded by mist and superstition, primitive tribes struggle to establish new civilizations, unaware that their world is about to change forever.

Weary from unceasing conflict, Sariel—legendary warrior of the Myndarym—crosses into the Temporal Realm in search of the only one who can bring him peace. But he is not the first; others have already begun their inhabitation. As the dominance of their kingdom spreads, threatening to engulf all of humanity, Sariel finds himself standing between his own kind and the one he loves and must embrace the life he abandoned in order to secure her freedom.

In this riveting prequel to the Amazon bestselling Awakened series, Jason Tesar sets in motion a sweeping fantasy epic birthed at the very foundations of humanity when our prehistoric world collided with supernatural forces, spawning an age of mythological creatures and heroes.

Click here to visit the Amazon US page, or here to visit the UK page.   
If you'd like to know how you can help launch this book, here are a few ideas:Purchase the book: higher sales improve the book's Amazon ranking, which increases its visibility to potential readersRead the book: it's the only way to know whether or not you would recommend itRate the book (1 to 5 stars): higher ratings also increase the ranking and visibilityWrite a review: a recommendation from another person can be a powerful; it tells potential readers what they can REALLY expect from the bookTell others about it (Facebook, Goodreads, email, blog, etc.): in this digital age, "word-of-mouth" is still one the most effective ways to get the word out.  If you enjoy the book and think others might also, please let someone know.Many thanks to all the readers who have been so encouraging throughout this writing and publishing process.  It has been fun to bring you along for the journey.  Please keep the comments coming (through email, on this blog, Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter)!  I'll be interested to know what you think of this new installment of the larger saga.