The Rose of St. Rita
About
Greg was born into a dysfunctional single-parent household. He was shy and unpopular in high school, only wanting to blend into the background. Robert was his only friend. Whose mother and Lola (grandmother) made Greg feel loved and wanted. Greg finally finds the courage to speak to a girl in class, sparking a budding romance. Then, a Stranger came into Greg’s life, threatening to harm him and his mother unless he cooperated with him to steal the Rose of St. Rita. He reveals Greg is a descendant of the Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans found in the book of Enoch. The Stranger informs Greg that they share a distant connection through the Nephilim.
The Miracle Rose of St. Rita was touring the US from the Vatican, and one of its stops was St. Rita’s Catholic Church in town. The same church Robert’s family attends. Greg persuades Robert to take him to Mass with his family. The Stranger wanted to steal the Rose and threatened everyone Greg loved if he did not help him. The Stranger needed the miracle of the Rose for him and his brethren, who were currently living a cursed existence on Earth. To gain access to the Rose, Greg lies to his best friend and the Pastor of St. Rita’s, volunteering to help with the presentation of the Rose.
The price of Greg’s cooperation with the Stranger cost him dearly. His mother and new girlfriend are dead, and his best friend is in a coma. Greg is now an outcast and an orphan. The authorities send him to live in the foster care system until he turns eighteen.
Twenty years later, he is powerful and wealthy, just as he always dreamt he would be. Greg is now one of southern Virginia's most influential and wealthy pastors of a mega-church. His beautiful assistant is not everything she appears to be, even if she is only half-human. The re-emergence of the Stranger disrupts his life, and his best friend Robert wakes up from his coma.
Praise for this book
At the onset of Brother Greg, the author’s use of an elusive Bible verse hints at subtle tones of mystery, which immediately draws the reader into the story.
The book is a captivating read that follows both the present life of Brother Greg, an esteemed leader of his wife’s church, and the younger days of the man, whose character builds upon itself to unveil the shroud of heaviness in his heart that haunts him to the day.
The author reveals enough of each character to really make the reader feel as if they are experiencing the thoughts, emotions, sights, sounds, and details along with each one. There is no shortage of heightened suspense and hidden gems of “aha” moments riddled throughout the book that lets you really understand each character’s development. From the inner workings of churches, to the obscure interpretations of mysticism that shroud such things, the story delves deep into the balance of good and evil — the lengths people will go to in their moral struggle to maintain peace in their lives.
While the story ends in a twist, I truly am looking forward to reading any future stories to come from this author. Highly recommend!
Intriguing story and I love the cover art! Can’t wait to finish reading it.