After Left Behind

Jerry Jenkins

Jerry Jenkins is a name instantly recognizable to just about everyone. He is the co-author of the Left Behind series, a set of books that have been read by both Christian and non-Christian alike. Books like these are rare to be sure.

You may think that after the wild success of the Left Behind series that Jerry Jenkins and Tim Lehaye went on a long vacation, however nothing could be further from the truth. Both of these great authors have been busy writing together and independently.

Jenkins has written several more books, Luke's Story, Riven and Midnight Clear just to name a few. Of Riven Jerry Jenkins comments that this is a story that has been "rattling" around in his brain for nearly 40 years. He goes on to say that, though he gives his all to every work this and a few others have a special place in his heart.

 

Frank Peretti Fra

Frank Peretti

Anyone who has even a mild interest in Christian fiction has heard of Frank Peretti. He is the author of several New York Times bestsellers including Piercing the Darkness and the Oath. Like many writers, Frank Peretti came to his calling late in life.

During his early years, he played the banjo with a bluegrass group and moved to a pop band a few years later. In 1972, he married his wife and was soon ministering through song. Over the years, he has pastured with his father and worked construction to pay the bills, but it was not until he started writing part time that he truly found his passion.

This Present Darkness was the first book Frank Peretti penned and though it has now become a bestseller, it was at first rejected by publishers. Believe it or not, this novel rose to success through word of mouth, as people read it and passed it along to friends and family. This Present Darkness is a spiritual tale that begs the question what if we could see the forces of darkness at work all around us. The release of this book brought an increased interest in spiritual warfare.

After the success of these books, he moved on to tackle a couple of non-fiction books, No More Victims and No More Bullies were released in 2001 and 2003 respectively. You will find a hint of Frank Peretti himself in these books and his autobiographical story The Wounded Spirit.

Moving on to more recent books and projects; you will find a bit more horror in his collaborative effort with Ted Dekker. The two teamed up to write the thriller/horror House, which has subsequently been made into a movie. From a personal standpoint, I can tell you this book is so well written that neither author stands above the other. Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker's voices were so well woven that you almost feel like together they are another entity altogether. Excellent book and the movie promises to bring to life the graphic images that will haunt you long after the last page is read.

Frank Peretti has and will likely remain one of Christian fictions best writers. For the soul who likes a little excitement and a painted portrait of good and evil, you cannot go wrong with his books.

[More About Ted Dekker

When you set about to find a good Christian fiction to read, you might want to consider any of the works of Ted Dekker. While all of his books carry an undercurrent of Christianity it is not in the preachy manner some have been written in. In fact, when he first began submitting works books like Black were turned away as not Christian enough. Later of course they were accepted, became best sellers and some of the refused texts even won awards.

Ted Dekker Early Years

Ted Dekker grew up a child of missionaries; he has said publicly that a day in the life was throwing on a pair of shorts and running off into the jungle to explore. You can see an image of Ted Dekker in many of his books, Black, Thunder of Heaven and Heavens Wager, where the main character relives moments similar to his.

Writing

Ted Dekker has not always been a writer; it was his first love but not his first vocation. He spent years in the manufacturing field before chucking it all to move to the mountains and devote himself to creating the characters and stories we know and love.

Dark Images

Black, Showdown and Saint have painted evil with a very dark brush. From the black bats in the world of Thomas Hunter to the twisting dark caverns in Showdown evil has the veil torn away to show its slimy vicious nature. Nowhere was this graphic portrayal more real than in House, a novel he wrote with Frank Peretti.

You may be shocked at moments and terrorized at others but one thing is for sure when you read a Ted Dekker book you will know evil as it is and not as the often-portrayed "misunderstood" element that mainstream media sometimes hands us.

While you are viewing evil and thinking you would never fall for it rest assured you will be introduced to the fallacy of the human heart. In twists and turns, you will see how people are misguided and deceived by evil but then redeemed by the light. Ted Dekker books may not call that light Jesus or God but you have no doubt, who is calling these people to repentance and love!

Movies

Hopefully very soon you will be able to see many of Ted Dekker books available on the big screen. House has been released, however finding the movie in mainstream places like Blockbuster or Hastings is proving to be a trick. Thankfully, it is available on the Ted Dekker official website as well as through many Christian media outlets.