I have been writing the rough draft of next book, “The 10th Demon: Children of the Bloodstone” for five straight days as of yesterday. I decided to take a walk outside for a change instead of on my treadmill. Forty minutes into the walk, i start experiencing chest tightness and a very rapid heart rate. I had never hurt like that before and a yard man allowed me to use his cell phone to call my wife. We ended up rushing to the local hospital where I work at my day job.

Here’s the deal. I was hurting and the pain wasn’t letting up. No matter how hard I prayed; no matter how many times I tried to calm my breathing; no matter how much I tried to ignore the pain, it wasn’t getting any better. In fact, at that moment in time I would have done ANYTHING to stop the pain.

George and Miriam are an elderly couple who come to Beckon for help. I don’t want to give away Miriam’s problem, but let’s just say that Mr. Vale and his strange assortment of “professionals” living in Beckon, Wyoming could help Miriam with her problem and relieve George’s pain. He signs away his life and, literally his soul and soon Miriam is cured. When I first read “Beckon” I wasn’t as impressed with the immediacy of George’s need. After Tuesday evening, I had a new angle on his “pain”.

I don’t want to give away the plot of this book, but once George and Miriam appear in the story Jack and Irina become integral to the uncovering to Vale’s secret; his connection to the people living in the caves; and the need to send “sacrifices” down to the spider creatures. I kept waiting for a frankly Christian message to surface, but the message here is very subtle.

What does it prophet a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul. The story of Beckon and its inhabitants comes to a gruesome, but satisfying conclusion and it is worth the read. Just prepared to be scared witless.

Oh, by the way, I am reclined in my hospital bed right now having had a cardiac catheterization that revealed my heart is absolutely normal. It seems the problem was the heat! Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers.