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Inspirations from Reality: Truth Snippets Within The Prodigal Band Trilogy–The Series

My original inspiration to author the books of The Prodigal Band Trilogy was divine, or divine inspiration, my ‘mission of God’ so to speak, a term I use within the novels. But that was not the only reason for the content of these books: Battle of the Band, The Prophesied Band, The Prodigal Band.

Through years of research into popular culture, various brainwashing programs based on eye-witness stories, New Age philosophy and cult practices–I’ve known several individuals who belonged to New Age cults as well as bogus Christian ones, and of course occult groups as well–effects of drug use on various rockers and others including overdoses leading to death or near-death, supposed ‘suicides’ by famous rockers that may or may not have been suicides and were perhaps even murders (the ‘27 Club’ and all that…and now famous young rappers also appear to be caught up in that)… And then there has been research into Satanism, the so-called ‘Illuminati’ and other evil groups in that the power these evil ideas have on popular culture especially these days with all the symbolism shown in VMA shows and whatnot…devil horns, eye-covering ‘one eye symbol’ photos that seem to be everywhere…and the various websites exposing this stuff. Seemingly what began as my research began in the late 60s before I even considered writing these novels is now the norm. Back in the 60s and 70s, it seemed a bit extreme. Yet the most popular bands of that era, and their handlers, may have set those occultic scenarios into motion. I know that because I, too, dabbled into the occult for a short time.

I will say this, however. Without the divine inspiration, my novels would likely have played out differently. The journey of my six-member band, the ‘prodigal band,’ would have ended up on a different course.

Beginning next week this series of reality events and truths that caused me to write what I wrote will be posted, one truth at a time.

And, while fiction is fiction, there is likely not one fiction novel of any genre or kind that has not been inspired by some real event or truth in the life of the author.

As to the picture at the top of this post–“pearls of wisdom,” so to speak.

Feel Censored? Use Fiction to Tell the Truth. Plus: More Spring Sales

First, about the spring sales…out in my neck of the woods in this mountain rural community we have (sponsored by our Community Church primarily to help our volunteer Fire Department with donations)…last year I “broke even” financially with sales of my two printed novels Battle of the Band and The Prophesied Band at this event. I have sold some more at the “second annual” spring event and handed out “business cards” with the URL for downloading the FREE PDF e-book FREE PDF e-book The Prodigal Band.

Before I go on to the main topic regarding present-day censorship especially with narratives, political and otherwise, I must say that I have a problem with Christians, including authors, that get on my case because my characters cuss or play rock music. Sorry, folks, but if you really think no Christian ever cusses (and I don’t know a Christian who doesn’t cuss every now and then!) or if you think rock musicians are all “devil worshipers” then you haven’t done your homework or you have bought into nonsense. Plus you have Christians who think all “Christian rockers” are really devil worshipers! Stryper then, Hillsong now, right? Did Stryper sing and play about Christ? Yes. Does Hillsong today sing and play about Christ? Yes, despite the appearance of Justin Bieber (I’m being facetious, okay?), and despite some “symbology” issues some have with Hillsong. Now, why would a non-Christian sing and play about Christ? A joke, right? Harking back to the late 60s and Norman Greenbaum’s hit song, “Spirit in the Sky” about Christ–and assuming Greenbaum is Jewish–why would he do a song about Christ? A reminder–the late 60s saw a surge in a movement called “Jews for Jesus.” Maybe Greenbaum was part of that.

Continue reading “Feel Censored? Use Fiction to Tell the Truth. Plus: More Spring Sales”

About The Prodigal Band Trilogy: The Theme-Good Triumphs over Evil

I began writing a book that would eventually work its way into three books that make up the Prodigal Band Trilogy–Battle of the Band, The Prophesied Band, and The Prodigal Band–back in the late 1960s in diary form as the characters morphed from just a group of guys in a gang or a clique, with or without girlfriends, living on Long Island-then-New York City, to rock musicians with or without girlfriends, living in England. Why the morph? Because of my own interest in rock music as well as actually having participated in a local band for a few months, and having gone to England in 1970, as well as the notion I had the rock bands from England were more worthy overall than American ones (and Brit bands were my fave bands anyway.) These topics have been discussed in previous posts here and on my blog.

The names and looks of the characters were created in the mid-60s with other characters being created in the mid-80s, which was when I started getting serious about the books, which was still just one book novel. But instead of a diary to write stuff that would later make up the book(s), I just wrote on notepad paper with pen.

Read the rest here.

Being a ‘Non-Conformist’ Author: You Don’t Always Have to ‘Follow the Script’

In the mid-1990s I joined a local far west Texas writer’s group called ‘Texas Mountain Trail Writers.’ While working on the first printed novel I would call Battle of the Band, I needed ‘tutoring’ so-to-speak on absolutely what had to go into the novel to make it a legitimate novel, to market and sell the thing–that is, get some literary agent to ‘sell’ it to a big time publisher. No literary agent came a-calling, so I had to do it myself.

And this was what I picked up in all of these discussions and even annual writer conferences, which I will now list:

Read the rest here.