International Intrigue!

International Intrigue!  Do spy novels peak your interest!  How wild is your imagination?

Father Serafim Gascoigne Author of "The Landing Place"  will be a guest on CarraRileyLive  9-9-10 at 2 p.m. PDT in Williams, Arizona. 

Reverend Serafim Gascoigne was born in London in 1944 and has lived in the USA for fourteen years and currently in California.

He served as a Russian linguist in the British Army in Berlin during the 'Cold War' and also worked as a German interpreter.

In Berlin he came across first hand experiences of Russians who had lived in Siberia, committing their stories to memory to be used later for his own writing.

After leaving the army he taught in London and rural parts of England, and was a pioneer in computer education in the 1980s.

During this time he published educational computer books with Macmillan and later with Sybex (John Wiley) and IDG.

He traveled to eastern Turkey and central Siberia where he met the archetypes for his fictional characters.

He also traveled to Lebanon and Syria, visiting Christian communities and pursuing his interest in ancient languages and cultures.

In 2008, he saw a need for teen novels that are family-friendly with traditional heroes and heroines and decided to draw on his vast experience and write his own. Rev Serafim is currently a presbyter of an Eastern Orthodox parish in Seattle.

Great reviews on this Book of intrigue!

• Fr. Serafim Gascoigne has a delightful grasp of the English language and paints magnificent pictures with his graphic descriptions in this suspenseful read. Every page arouses your curiosity leading you to turn pages faster and faster. He blends history, drama, romance and deep life lessons within the content of the book. The series of complications involved with "The Landing Place" and the interesting characters creates a book you will not want to put down. The fascinating storyline with a Russian Imperial Air force pilot discovering the secrets of "the mountain" keeps your attention throughout the book and leaves you wanting more from the author.

• In the early 20th century, a young pilot in the Russian Imperial Air Force crash lands on Mount Ararat on a reconnaissance mission. Thus starts an adventure that touches on the mysterious and the miraculous. The author has a clear sense of place; everything, including the rocks, the plants, and the weather, is described in vivid and lively terms. The story itself is engaging and holds the reader's interest throughout. A good read for young adult readers and their families.  

• I found myself mesmerized by a time and place in history of which--I realized--I know very little. The author has a masterful way with language and creates both the suspense and the humanity that takes the reader into a different emotional space. Like others, I could not put it down. I'd like to see a sequel so I know what happens to the main characters. Just a delightful read. I hope there are more!  

• Move over CS Lewis, another teller of tales that makes us seek our God has just arrived. I started reading "The Landing Place" in the afternoon. It was going to be a summer reading project. I could not put it down. In the wee hours of the morning I was racing through the finish and wanting to start it again. I only put it down once, to let the dog in, and was exasperated to have to leave the action for even a brief moment. Father Serafim Gascoigne has captured characters so passionate, so real that anyone would care what happens to them. I spent the next day feeling I know these people. His descriptions of the people, myths and culture are also accurate. I have traveled to many of the cultures involved here and can tell you he captured smells, flavors and myths and mystical powers to perfection. Children will love this book. Not only is it a moral tale, it is based on no other place than the mountain site of Noah's Ark. Parents will love to read this tale to their youngsters. But be prepared for begging to read "one more" chapter every night.  

I am very excited to meet Father Serafim Gascoigne in person on September 9, 2008 in Williams, Arizona and do an interview on CarraRileyLive at 2 p.m. PDT.  Join us LIVE to hear all about his background and history which makes the book even more exciting.

Check out the website to purchase the book.