When Bad Events Lead to Good Outcomes: Snippets from The Prodigal Band Trilogy and The Murder Rule, Part Three

Sorry about the lack of a ‘Happy Resurrection Day’ (aka Easter) post, or Passover, or Ramadan, or whatever other religious holidays are happening these days, but various events took place I had to deal with, vehicle or other issues, and there are other issues forthcoming. Which is why now is the time to post the next ‘When Bad Events Lead to Good Outcomes’ snippet post—and what with all the bad events going on in this world these days (inflation, various divide and rule agendas involving race, gender, politics, economics, the ‘pandemic treaty’ and digital currencies and whatnot the powers-that-shouldn’t-be are trying to force on the rest of us), good outcomes are what we need, and not just from the realm of spirituality.

Believe it or not, but physical reality can bring about good outcomes even when truly evil events occur, because just as God controls the spiritual realm, He also controls the physical world. And years ago, I heard a story from a friend that shocked the heck out of me, thinking such an event could never happen because—it just seemed impossible! I heard part of this story at a snack party after Christmas caroling about a week before Christmas in the early 2000s, led by a pastor of the local non-denominational church I had just joined a year or so ago.

I and some others were sitting at a dinner table near where snacks were served at another table in the home of one of the carolers, eating the snacks. This friend and a couple of others were discussing something I wasn’t really paying any attention to, and then this friend, who was clearly Asian, said this:

Continue reading “When Bad Events Lead to Good Outcomes: Snippets from The Prodigal Band Trilogy and The Murder Rule, Part Three”

About The Murder Rule: the Why

As with my post on why I wrote The Prodigal Band Trilogyhere, I need to write about why I am writing The Murder Rule, which is a “spin-off” so-to-speak of that trilogy. Hopefully, the novel will be completed either by the end of 2022 or by the middle of 2023…which, BTW, is a year where likely events that seem to be on schedule to happen play a key role in the final part (or parts, should a Part Four happen after Part Three) of The Murder Rule.

So, why am I writing The Murder Rule? The Prodigal Band Trilogy, based on the Gospel of Luke Chapter 15 parable of The Prodigal Son, deals largely with the spiritual battle of Good vs. Evil whereby ‘the prodigal band’ Sound Unltd repents of their nihilistic behaviors (‘riotous living’ according to the parable) and accepts ‘missions of God’ which leads to accepting Christ as Lord and Savior (‘returns to the father’ according to the parable). The Murder Rule is more of an expose` of the truly evil events within the music industry and the world as a whole, whereby if one tied to these evil narratives ‘leaves the reservation’ so-to-speak and begins to repent or fully does repent of their ties to evil, they just might be ‘taught a lesson’ so-to-speak: either they wind up dead or are threatened with death.

Part One, narrated by a pop culture pundit featured as narrator of The Prodigal Band, Lloyd Denholm, is highlighted by a rocker character featured in Battle of the Band named Denny Spradlin, front man of a rival band to the prodigal band, whom the media reports ‘committed suicide’ in early 1996, but was in fact murdered because he began turning against the music industry ‘narrative.’ To quote a line that opens The Prodigal Band, ‘If dead rock stars could talk,’ which was inspired by actual events as I discuss here and which was picked up by one of my fave alternative news/opinion sites, WinterWatch, here. And since Spradlin supposedly committed suicide—just as several rock stars from the 60s to the 90s supposedly committed suicide when in fact they were murdered for various reasons—is why he was chosen as the victim in Part One of The Murder Rule.

Part Two, narrated by a fan and part-time roadie of the prodigal band Sound Unltd called Bobby Jones, deals with why he later joined the trilogy’s evil new age cult called ‘The Church of the Circle of Unity’ as well as a ‘megachurch’ pastored by a man who wanted to ban his ‘employers’ from the US because of their supposed ‘devil worship.’ When Bobby left the church he committed to the new age cult, but soon regretted that decision. The result? Leaders of that cult, one of whom is featured in The Prodigal Band, tried to ‘teach Bobby a lesson,’ but failed, as Bobby survived a murder attempt (but lost his St. Bernard dog in the process). The character narrating Part Two, Bobby, was chosen not only because he ‘regretted’ partaking in an evil cult, but also because he truly accepted Christ as Savior and composed a song about Christ that would be sold to the prodigal band in Chapter Nine of The Prodigal Band.

Part Three, which I am still working on, is also narrated by Lloyd Denholm and features an important support character within the entire Prodigal Band Trilogy, prodigal band manager Joe Phillips, who is tied to a very elite and powerful family. Yet, he opposes the evil agenda of this family and refuses to take part in the evil agenda and is considered a ‘wayward son’ by these evil family members. Thus, ‘the murder rule’ could also apply to him, even though he is the son of one of the world’s most powerful individuals. Now, why would these powerful individuals seek to destroy members of their own families, or minions whom they needed to carry out their agendas but, at some point, refused to do so?  Here is the proof that even sons of oligarchs or high-level oligarchy minions are not above ‘the murder rule.’ Phillips was chosen as the main character in Part Three due to his elite roots and to show that elite roots won’t necessarily prevent one from being ‘murder ruled.’

Folks, this world seems to be getting more and more consumed by evil as time goes by, and it is my ‘mission’ so-to-speak to expose this evil in fiction mirrored by the evil in the real world often clouded in mystery. Thus, a ‘mystery’ or crime novel based upon truth…with spiritual overtones, of course!

Snippets-to-Spin-Offs: The Murder Rule, and More (Part Seven)—Reaching the Climax

In these final snippets from Part One of The Murder Rule I will post ‘the pre-climax’ so to speak, not revealing the name of the killer of rocker Denny Spradlin in early February, 1996. But this killer did know the man Denholm spoke with in the second snippet, a former rap superstar and record mogul himself, now living in fear for his life should he expose the true killer of Spradlin, among other reasons, such as betraying his oath to ‘the Order’ that Spradlin also betrayed and who suffered murder over it.

Denholm knew that this rap star named ‘Drakk’ was also in hiding, but did not know where. But he figured Drakk’s lawyer in the record label lawsuit that Drakk had lost, because the other side had threatened and bribed the judge to make sure Drakk’s side lost, would know where Drakk was. The lawyer’s name was Wilmont. Denholm made an appointment with Wilmont to find out where Drakk was.

The first snippet is below, and both snippets are copyright © 2022 Deborah Lagarde. The time frame is June, 2005.

Continue reading “Snippets-to-Spin-Offs: The Murder Rule, and More (Part Seven)—Reaching the Climax”

Feeling Censored? Use Fiction to Tell the Truth (Revised)

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.

There are people who are Christian authors who believe all “Christian authors” should write a certain way and not have cussing characters or characters who sin before they accept Christ as Lord and Savior. All “Christian author” novels should be squeaky clean. Sorry, but I can’t write that way when, first of all, I accepted Christ as Savior after repenting of the following behaviors: dabbling in the occult (as one of my band characters does); having pre-marital sex (as several of my characters did); being rebellious against some authority; cussing (I have dropped the “f” word but occasionally use the “s” word–and it was hard for me to type that “f” word into my novels, but my characters are my characters!); and questioning what has been certain interpretations of the Bible, among other sins. Because of this, my novels are not “Christian adult fiction” but “adult fiction.” My novels are meant to try to get non-believers to consider believing on Christ of their own free will. Isn’t that what Christ said? “Make disciples of all nations”? I’ll let others “preach to the choir.”

Now, the main point: my novels also include a certain amount of satire and parody of how the music industry works, and it’s not just the “sell your soul for fame and fortune” narrative. It is actually more sinister, what with signing recording contracts whereby the label virtually owns you unless they dump you, and both the label and the distribution outfit (the corporation that owns the label, or “parent company”) take well over half of the take on sales (today it is supposedly most of the take) and where the recording artist must pay for recording studio and production and album cover art and even tours, assuming the recording label pays out some “advance” which also must be paid back. (And I thought authors had it bad!). But the really big time acts (as chosen by the moguls, that is) do get more leeway and more of the take–for a price, which is not a “sold soul to the devil” price literally, but agenda-wise. Once you are made huge, you are forced to stick to an agenda that you might eventually discover is laden with evil. And then the crash begins…And, if you start to oppose the agenda…watch out! My The Prodigal Band Trilogy makes this truth clear and to the point.

Continue reading “Feeling Censored? Use Fiction to Tell the Truth (Revised)”

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