Billy:

How did you come up with the idea for "Imaginary Jesus?"

Matt:

I have always thought it interesting to take Biblical stories and transport them into the present so I can see what makes sense and what is weird. For instance, Jesus walking up to fishermen and saying "Follow Me" doesn't seem like a big deal. But imagining him walking into a fast food restaurant and telling the employees to follow him is a completely different picture. It's weird to imagine people leaving burgers burning on the grill and walking out the door after Jesus. So, as I started to wrestle through a lot of our misconceptions about who Jesus is, I thought it would be funny and interesting to see what it would be like if we could actually see our misconceived Jesuses. It all grew out of that first chapter in the book, where someone points out, "Hey, your Jesus seems a little weird. I don't think that's the real Jesus."

Billy:

Who are your favorite writers and why?

Matt:

Oh boy... how many do I get to list? Here are a few:

1) John Steinbeck. If I could grow up to write like anyone, it would be JS. I re-read "East of Eden" about once a year. He has an amazing ability to draw out the complexities of human interactions that shows a keen understanding of human nature and what drives us. He doesn't waste words, and his books are moving and powerful.

2) Gene Wolfe. Gene Wolfe gets touted all the time as one of the best living writers in the English language, and I think this is true. His books are the type of books that I can re-read multiple times with increasing enjoyment. Check out his collection of short stories "Strange Travellers" or the novel "Pirate Freedom."

3) Flannery O'Connor. Again, keen insight into human beings, but Flannery also has keen insight into everything else. Everything she wrote, essays, short stories and novels are all amazing. The short story "Parker's Back" is my current favorite. I've never lived in the South, either, I'm a California boy.

4) Michael Connelly. I love the Harry Bosch detective novels. I always pre-order them and then wait by the mailbox. I love reading about someone so dedicated to justice and the fact that every human being matters and they all "count." And he's a gifted story teller, who uses plot to reveal character over time. Harry Bosch is certainly my favorite series character.

There are a lot more... Vonnegut, Beuchner, Lewis, Chesterton and more. But I don't want to bore you by listing a million authors!

Imaginary Jesus
BY: Matt Mikalatos
PUBLISHED BY: Barna
PUBLISHED IN: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4143-3563-6
Pages: 225
Ages: Adults
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

“Imaginary Jesus” is about a man named Matt Mikalatos, a fictional version of the author. The first chapter opens up with Matt, a former comic book store clerk, sitting in a coffee shop with Jesus sitting across from him. A strange comes up to them and starts a fight with Jesus. The man calls himself Peter - Peter the apostle.

The imaginary Jesus runs out the coffee shop. Both Matt and Peter try to follow him, but Jesus is just too fast for them. Peter takes Matt through time on their quest to find the real Jesus, where they meet a talking donkey. Along the way, Peter shows Matt several fake/false Jesuses, including Magic 8 Ball Jesus and Liberal Social Services Jesus.

When I first saw the silly cover, I didn’t now what to except. It looked like a kid took his crayons to the cover. When I started reading the first chapter, which starts at 0, I was laughing out loud until the very end. “Imaginary Jesus” is hilarious debut novel. At times the book reminds me of the book “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” but “Imaginary Jesus” has a wonderful message hidden behind all the silly humor. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a few good laughs, and at the same time learn something new about yourself.

Note: I would like to thank the Tyndale House for sending me this complimentary copy to review.

What Sex is a Republican?
BY: Terri McCormick, M.A.
PUBLISHED BY: The Capitol Press
PUBLISHED IN: 2010
ISBN: 978-09815728-0-2
Pages: 320
Ages: Adults
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

“What Sex Is a Republican?” is a autobiography of the former Wisconsin State Representative, Terri McCormick. Her childhood and family life is briefly covered in a few chapters. Terri didn’t become a political player until after she became involved in reforming her children’s school. She went up against the teacher union, leading the way for the state to form more chapter schools.

The author covers her campaign to become the State Representative of Wisconsin, which she held from 2000 to 2006. During this time, she talks about the mistreatment she encountered from other politicians and media outlets. It was not because of her sex, but because of her political beliefs.

Terri became what I would refer to as a “rare politician” - an official who is working for the people and not their political party. She discusses about the radical partisanship that is in both parties, and the “front row politician” - the party leaderships that pull the strings on the bills and amendments being passed.

The book is not a straight autobiography. At times, I felt like I was reading a text book about the corruptions and backstabbing in our government.

Terri McCormick does a good job on writing about how our government has changed. Our country’s founders wanted a nation that was run by the people. It seems the politicians have forgotten about our Constitution, and instead they only think about their parties and their own agenda. The book covers the ups and downs of campaigning, which would be a good guide to read if you are thinking about running for an office seat. I recommend “What Sex is a Republican?” to any political junkie, or just someone who wants to learn how to make some changes in our troubled government.

Note: I would like to thank The Cadence Group for sending me this complimentary copy to review.

Fear Street Nights: Midnight Games
BY: R.L. Stine
PUBLISHED BY: Simon Pulse
PUBLISHED IN: 2005
ISBN: 978-0-689-87865-7
Pages: 183
Ages: Teens & Up
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

A year has passed since the events in “Moonlight Secrets.” The night people are still recovering from the death of one of their own. Jamie’s cousin, Dana Fear, arrives in Shadyhigh. Dana is going to finish high school there. And yes, Dana is a descendant of the Fear family.

Dana starts hanging out with the night people - a group of teenagers who hang out at 3a.m.. She befriends Nate, who is still getting over Candy’s death in “Moonlight Secrets.” Strange events start to occur, and the body count rises. Is Angelic Fear back from the dead?

“Midnight Games” is a fun, fast-paced sequel. There are more screams and scares than the previous installment. It was clever to bring in Dana Fear, as she is connected to Simon and Angelic Fear. I can’t wait to read the final book.

I bought two "Leprechaun" DVD sets last weekend. Each set had three movies in it, so I got six movies for under twenty dollars. I had only seen the original movie with Jennifer Aniston. I'm ready to watch the fifth movie. I can't recommend these movies to anyone, unless you enjoy a cheap-made horror film with bad acting.

The River Kings’ Road
BY: Liane Merciel
PUBLISHED BY: Gallery Books
PUBLISHED IN: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4391-5911-8
Pages: 388
Ages: Adult
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

I don’t read much fantasy books. The first look at the cool cover design caught my interest. “The River Kings’ Road is set in the kingdoms of Oakharn and Longmire - once a strong empire, but has fallen apart, splitting into two empires. The village of Willowfield is brutally murdered by the red mist - created by a crazy witch named The Thorn. The villagers are all killed including Sir Galefrid, and his family.

A mercenary knight, Brys Tarnell, saves a crying baby from the massacre. The baby Winston is the heir to Sir Galefrid. Brys doesn’t know anything about raising a baby and gets help from a baker’s daughter, Odosse. She is also a mother.

Leferic, Galefrid’s brother, wants control of both kingdoms. Once he hears of the rumors that his nephew has is alive, he makes a deal with the witch. Now, Brys and Odosse must protect Winston from the clutches of The Thorn.

“The River Kings’ Road” is an exciting debut novel by Liane Merciel. The action starts up in the first chapter, as the massacre of Willowfield occurs. The descriptions of this fantasy world is well written. The dialogue between the Brys and Odosse is superb. The author is currently working on the second novel in the series titled “Heaven’s Needle.” I can’t wait to read it. I recommend the book to anyone who enjoys fantasy/adventure novels.

Note: I would like to thank Gallery Books for sending me this complimentary copy to review.

ISBN: 978-0-689-87864-0

After a brief hiatus, R.L. Stine returned to his “Fear Street” series with book one in a new trilogy back in 2005. Lewis, Jamie, Nate and other teenagers begin sneaking out at night - giving them the freedom to do anything the want. They hang out at the old Fear mansion that is soon to be demolished. The mansion is said to be cursed by the spirit of Angelic Fear. One night the kids discover a hidden room filled with valuables. They steal several of the objects.

A year passes by and the Fear Mansion has been torn down. Several shopping stores have been built over the ruins, including a bar called “Nights.” The bar stays open late at night and serves beer to the teens. Strange accidents soon occur, and it eventually ends up with one of the teens being murdered. Is the curse of Angelic Fear true?

I grew up reading the “Fear Street” series. I quit reading them in the late 90’s when I could no longer find in the stores. After I did some research online, I found out that there are dozens of “Fear Street” books that I don’t have. In 2005, I was looking forward to this new series, but I could never find them at my local Walmart or at the Barnes & Nobles in the city. I never thought about the books again, until late one night I typed in “Fear Street” in the search engine at Overstock.com. That’s were I found the “Fear Street Nights” trilogy. “Moonlight Secrets” is under 200 pages and is an easier and faster read than the new supernatural style teen books that are out today. There’s not very many thrills in the first book. It mostly just introduces the characters and sets everything up for the second and third books. Fans of the original series will get a kick out of the return of Simon and Angelic Fear. This is a must read.