Author questions spirituality, existence of gods in one man's international travels in fictional novel

In Tariel's Way: A Spiritual Adventure Michael B. Millard tries to answer questions about faith that have existed for years through adventures of a protagonist

Geneseo, NY - Dec 20, 2011 - Michael B. Millard's Tariel's Way: A Spiritual Adventure provides a skeptical perspective of religion with a story set in 12^th century B.C. in western Asia.Tariel is an elderly man whom young people go to for advice, and in return, he tells them hisstory to give them insight.

During his initiation ceremony into the Bronze Age Caucasian Mountain Tribe, a wolf bitesTariel. The man falls ill, and hallucinates that he is peaceful with the silver wolf. He has to leave his village, and when he tries to return to his village and his feeling of selflessness, he experiences a sequence of wild adventures all over the world.

Tariel gets the opportunity to have some intense spiritual experiences through these adventures and meets several religious figures along the way. The people he meets try to explain what is occurring to him, but the only person who can make him fully understand is Dang Ra, a Tibetan woman he met on his journey.

"This book investigates spiritual issues at a time before the advent of the great religions," Millard said. "It is my attempt to confront the most basic of all questions: do the gods exist?"

Millard believes that yoga students, people who practice eastern religions as well as anyoneinterested in a good adventure story will enjoy his book. He hopes that his fictional workencourages reader to explore some of the most important religious-centered questions that have plagued humans forever. 

About the author:

Michael B. Millard was born in San Francisco and raised in Chevy Chase, Maryland. He graduated from Washington University cum laude, and later received his doctorate in modern Russian history from the University of Rochester. He was a financial adviser for Merrill Lynch, but he now teaches literature as an adjunct professor of English at the State University of New

York at Geneseo. He and his wife, Frances Luce, have two sons, Clayton and Peter. 



About the book:

Tariel's Way: A Spiritual Adventure by Michael B. Millard

Purchase at: Amazon.com and Barnes and noble.com

Find the answers that are revealed by Michael B. Millard in Tariel's Way: A Spiritual Adventure.                                               

                                                                           ~The Ethereal Chick~

~Parting Ways~ A Novel by Patrick Sipperly

    I am so excited and honored to bring our featured book to you this week. And an interview with author, Patrick Sipperly.
                   

     Peter Bishop's faith was  shaken by his Church, but his desire to live his life in the Grace of God never wavered. His Church was in his heart and not in the ways of Great Assemblies. Parting Ways is for everyone, but especially for those who have struggled with their faith or the workings of their church.
     I was very touched by this fight to do the right thing and knowing in your soul what the right thing is for you as an individual.

     Enjoy some time with Patrick Sipperly to see what makes him tick and watch the trailer at here.

Who is Pat Sipperly?

Just an average guy who loves his God, his family and his country. I've spent a good part of my life in ministry and video production. My greatest desire is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others and point souls to heaven. I'd like to invest my life into accomplishing that using all the creative talents and gifts God has given to me.

What inspired you to write? And what was the inspiration for writing this particular book "Parting Ways"?

For many years, I've had a desire to make great movies with a wholesome, godly message. But “making movies” is too broad of a term when you consider all the necessary ingredients that go into making movies. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the story was most important to me, so I pursued writing screenplays. While I was writing my first screenplay, Snowed Inn, I connected with a friend from high school who had a burning desire to write a novel. We started talking more about writing and later collaborated on a book of short stories called Time Out On A Roller Coaster. After we published that book, I started thinking more seriously about writing a novel rather than a screenplay. If a screenplay doesn't turn in to a movie, it just lays there collecting dust. With a novel, at least you have something to show for your work. Then if it's good enough, it can turn in to a movie. Parting Ways touches on some of the most important elements of life to me like faith, church, and the scriptures. I hope to make it the first book in a trilogy.

As writers, we are always told to write what we know. Does this book mirror your life in any way?

Parting Ways reflects many personal experiences both good and bad. I've incorporated snippets of my time in the military, both sides of the pulpit in ministry, working in a coffee house, and traveling in Arizona.

Many authors have a certain time of day when their creativity peaks. When do you feel most creative?  And is there a special place you like to write?

I have to admit, I'm a bit of a moody person. Time of day is less influential than being in the right frame of mind and creative mood. I get some of my best ideas in the shower or on one of my long walks. I'm still working on the discipline of writing whether I feel like it or not. As far as a special place to write, I don't have a special desk at all. I prefer to sit comfortably on the couch near window with my computer on my lap and coffee nearby.

Do have a favorite method of writing, for instance, do you use an outline or do you like to just go were the story takes you?

Learning to write screenplays first has really helped me to stay on track. I can go off on a crazy unimportant tangent quite easily and the story can get bogged down. With a screenplay, timing and page count are very important because of production budgets. It's not the same with books. Working from an outline, and regularly asking myself, “Why is this section important? How does this move the story forward?” helps me to keep focused.  

What other projects are you working on?

I have the outline for the next book in my mind that will continue the Parting Ways story. I'm also still producing videos and still plan to make movies. The media landscape is constantly changing and I'm prayerfully navigating which direction to go for the future.

Where can we find you? (websites, blogs, etc.)

I have three primary outlets online.

For writing: www.PatrickSipperly.com

For words of encouragement and churches meeting in homes: www.ChristianHomeChurch.com

For Video Production, Voice Talent or Graphic Design: www.ArizonaVideoCompany.com

by Cindy Schuerr ~The Ethereal chick~