Reader Question: Can You Explain the Ending of The Presence? (spoiler alert!)

Barbara writes:

I shared The Presence with three of my friends, and we all question the explosion at the end. Did we miss something? Was something implied? We felt the couple’s death was expected, but how did it occur?

Dear Barbara,

The Presence came out twenty years ago, and then was re-released ten years back, and I have not had an opportunity to talk about it for six or seven years now, though it still remains a personal favorite. So thank you for the chance to revisit this story.

To answer your question, my intention was to create a situation similar to what Paul received in his warning about his future direction. I knew from the very beginning that TJ was going to pay the ultimate sacrifice for his work, and that this was in a sense necessary for his quest. It was, I agree, totally risky. That the book went on to become a national bestseller within the Christian community was such a blessing, both to me and the publishers who gave me this chance.