Billions of years earlier God battled and threw out the high priests trying to take over heaven. Accompanied by Lucifer, they took refuge deep in the bowels of Earth. The conflict caused an opal, metaphorically Holy Sophia or the Creator's third eye (divine wisdom), to separate into three pieces that fell to Earth. This created spiritual and cosmological disharmony.
Satan must keep these three pieces separated to prevent the Second Coming of Fire, the spiritual union of Creation with its Creator. If he fails, humankind unites with God, thus ending war, poverty, prejudice, and injustice. Joining the pieces also changes the negative energy used by the priests to feed and control Lucifer and his devils. The inability to manipulate energy to control Satan could end their priestly reign and prevent them from speaking for God, acting in the name of God, and taking the place of God.
Benning Wentworth, a banker named after his uncle and New Hampshire colonial governor, must fulfill Lucifer's mission. He is one of Lucifer's many illegitimate children, naively believing his father is in charge. In truth, the modern Pharisees want the Second Coming of Fire stopped, not Satan.
In a hopeless attempt to distinguish himself from his siblings and win favor with his father, Benning sought and received vampyric immortality from the "royal" line, a specific kind of vampire that evolved from humans and are a natural part of evolution. Benning also believed it would help stop the Second Coming of Fire.
The kiss awakens Benning to a higher consciousness causing despair, isolation, suicidal tendencies, and overwhelming loneliness. One of his greatest fears is reincarnation to a life even more emotionally and spiritually painful than what he suffers. Benning's kiss has upset the universe's balance of power. It will bring about war between devils and vampires threatening humanity. It is the End of Times.
The story is one of awakening, quest for meaning, and spiritual empowerment told, in part, through the actions of an emotionally tortured devil turned vampire; an ethical, street-smart brothel owner; and a young, confused female reporter coming of age as a lesbian. The story weaves in commentary about greed, destiny, and corrupt corporate religion while giving vampire genre a new twist.
Author Biography
Paul Jesep is an attorney, policy analyst, ordained seminary trained priest, and author of books on ethics, usury, history, and religion. He has a lifelong interest in vampire genre.
He lived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where his vampire novel is based, for approximately ten years writing extensively on the State's politics, history, and social and business climate.
Paul's books include: "Rockingham Park 1933-1969 - the History of Power, Glamor, and Gambling"; "Living the Gospel - the People of St. John's"; and two children's books on the Isles of Shoals. He also wrote a history column for the Portsmouth Herald, "Legend and Lore" starting in 1994, and later a political column. He is a past president of the
John Paul Jones House/Portsmouth Historical Society.
Paul earned degrees from Union College, Western New England University School of Law, The Graduate School of Political Management at The George Washington University, and Bangor Theological Seminary. Paul is an ordained priest with a focus on nondenominational spiritual health and wellness for professionals as part of Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) to integrate mind, body, and spirit.
He resides in New York State.
Author interview on NH Public Radio:
http://nhpr.org/post/vampire-novel-featuring-new-hampshires-colonial-governor
