I haven't read Showdown or any of that series, I've just read the jackets...but I just bought Renegade and Chaos. The back cover of Renegate reads:

Turning his back on all that he once believed, Billos enters the forbidden book and lands in a reality that is as foreign to him as water is to oil. A place called Paradise, Colorado, where he discovers he has strange new powers given to him courtesy of a mysterious figure known as Marsuvees Black.

Now I can't decide if I want to read these yet or read Showdown first.

from his website blog ...

Thanks. I've actually read that but until I saw this on the jacket I coulnd't figure out how the Paradise books worked into the story.

They tie everything together. Everything began in Paradise. So read "Showdown" first then "Saint" and "Sinner" when it comes out. Also, don't forget to read "Skin" as it ties in to.

Dekker has done an excellent job with all these series and tying them together.

Circular rather than linear is exactly what these books are.

Also, I believe, based on the last of the fourth in the new series that there may be other adult Thomas Hunter Circle books to come. Remember in that reality Elyon hasn't come in the flesh for the ultimate sacrifice.

I don't believe "Sinner" will tie that up only the "circle" in Paradise. Think about the name of the place and the titles of the books. Paradise is the epicenter for everything to do with the Paradise books and the Circle/Forest books.

Anyway, I'm hoping for some more adult fiction where Thomas Hunter is the main character once again like in Black, Red and White. We'll see.

From a reader's stand point I'd read the Circle Trilogy first (Black, Red, White). Then I'd read the Paradise trilogy "Showdown", "Saint" and "Sinner" (when it comes out). Then I'd read "Skin". Then I'd read the Books of History Chronicles.

Just my opinion from having read everything that's been published so far and what I've deduced from the last pages. And I put together some things that I thought were true such as Alucard's role in this world and who the "Dark One" was etc. I was right. And I figured out very early on who Johnis and Billos was in this world.

Oh and Dekker has a new mystery out in Jan 09 called "Kiss". I can't wait.

I've tooled around on the website a little and saw some mention of a "Green" but it might just be wishful thinking from the fans.

Where did you see that, Justin? I'm just now seeing a review for his book Adam, which sounds really intriguing. Has anyone here read that?

I haven't read anything of his except for the Circle and the Books of History stuff...yet... I don't remember where I saw that, I think it was in the forums where someone said "I hope that when he writes Green, he..." That's why I said I wasn't sure, but it would be interesting to see where he went with it. I just figured that Black/Red/White (as in the wordless book colors) were the only ones that would make really good fiction.

So far I'm really fascinated with how he manages to tie all the books together yet they can stand alone. I suppose even the Trilogy and History books can but they're a much better read if you do read them all.

Yes and it was a good thriller! I'd recommend it.

Oh good, thanks Dee! I've been trying to find my Circle Trilogy and I just can't. Maybe I lent it to someone in my family but i just don't know. I'll have to check again when I get back home on Sunday.

Wanna check out mine?

NO, I WANT MINE!!!!!!! I wish I could remember what I did with them.

There's probably some spoilers here.

Oh my gosh. Okay so I probably could've figured out who the dark one was and I knew that Alucard was Dracula spelled backwards (which he never actually says in the books) but I try not to think that far ahead so that I can be surprised. I love the way that they applied the "dark one" idea, especially since all four of them (except Silvie?) had somehow betrayed the others at some point in the story.

The Ted Dekker website has all sorts of stuff about two more books in this series..It will be interesting to see how the story continues if there are two more...it makes sense though,

Chosen
Infidel
Renegade
Chaos
Lunatic
Enigma

Spells 'Circle'

I didn't know there were two more books, Justin, but that's pretty good, that the first letters spell Circle. I love how he's pulling it all together, what a mind he's got to do that.

As a writer all I can say is that he's sat down and done mucho planning and plotting etc. to be able to tie everything together.

I have "Sinner" but haven't read it yet.

I'm currently on the "Zion Covenant" series by Bodie & Brock Thoene (Tay-nee). Nine books and set just after Hitler and Nazis have taken over Germany and violated the Versailles Treaty and taken the Rhineland without any consequences cause the French are the French (chickens......squawk) and because Chamberlain and his cronies in the Foreign Office in Britain just don't want to go to war.

I love the way they've done these books. Totally historically accurate. With real characters and full of stuff I really never knew about Nazi Germany or the Holocaust. And yeah I looked them up to verify they were facts.

Winston Churchill is a main character but they've had to clean up his language. He still boozes it up and smokes his stogies.

For Christian books they are a little gritty but how the heck else can you write about those times and not be realistic.

First book starts with "Vienna Prelude". All books have titles to do with music cause characters are all connected and musicians. Characters are Messianic Jews, Christians and regular Jews.

First book starts out with Hitler taking Austria. They are very well written and very well researched.

I discovered them from their "A.D. Chronicles" which use Scripture perfectly to tell the story of Peniel, blind beggar Jesus spit on clay and healed eyesight. Peniel follows Jesus and tells the story of how he doesn't trust Judas and how not only his regular eyesight was opened but his spiritual eyesight was too etc. Anyway, the scroll has been protected by Jewish Christians over the years. First book is "First Light" and each book is 2nd this, 3rd this, 4th this etc. I've just gotten the 9th book which is when Jesus is headed back into Jerusalem for Passover just before His crucifixion. Haven't read it yet.

I found out that's the last of the series. The first are the "Zion Covenant", then the "Zion Chronicles", then the "Zion Legacy" series then "The A.D. Chronicles". So I've gone back to the first while still reading the last.

And both their sons write too. Jake Thoene wrote a trilogy that is a good spy series. Lots of action. "Shaiton's Fire", then "Firefly Blue" and "Fuel the Fire". Now I'm looking for the series he co-wrote with his brother. I'm gonna have to buy them used over the Internet. Books-A-Million and my local Christian book store don't even show them as being written so that means they're out of print. So used it is.

Anyway, very good writers.......all of them.

I have Sinner but I don't have time to read it until December...One of my friends has read my copy and he said that Dekker probably "planned for this book to come out so close to this election for a reason."

Ohhhhhhhhh very cryptic comment Justin. I bought it when it came out but let it tempt me big time but resisted cause we're going to the mountains (Sevierville/Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, TN) this Sunday and then to Lake Lure, NC over the Christmas holidays for ten days (where they shot parts of the movie "Dirty Dancing"). It's gorgeous up there.

Not sure how much reading I'll get done on this trip cause I'm taking my friend and her mother with us. Poor gal has had it rough for the last five years. She got a bad staph infection in her foot and had half it amputated in stages......first two toes then more toes then half the foot etc. And the bones in her good food are weak and she keeps breaking them so she has to wear one of those removable black "Darth Vader" type casts. She has to use a walker. Can't drive anymore cause of her feet and her mother is old and right before my friend got sick her mother had broken her hip and when she fell she broke her right arm too and it didn't heal properly so she can only drive around town for short trips to the doctor, to buy groceries etc.

Neither one of them get out that much unless I pick them up for lunch or something or my friend's brother does. So if they could they'd be hopping up and down they are sooooooo excited to be going.

My friend wants to go do EVERYTHING......however, I somehow think they'll do a little bit and then just enjoy being in the mountains. We needed to use up our points on our Wyndham stuff so we got the presidential condo which has a balcony outside each of the bedrooms (not sure how many but know it's at least 4 and that each one has it's own bathroom with a big jacuzzi and a huge walk in shower (important too so my friend could bring a chair to sit in the shower and wouldn't have to step up and over into a tub cause she can't........has to sit to take showers etc.). I promised I'd held her get in her jacuzzi........short enough for her to slip from her walker chair to the side of the tub then she can hold on to me and I'll put her feet in the tub and she can hold on to me and the safety rail to get in water and I'll help her get out too. She's almost as excited about that as the trip cause it's been over five years since she was able to soak in a tub other than her physical therapy. And because it's the presidential condo it's got a huge plasma TV in the living room and smaller plasma TVs in each of the bedrooms along with Blue Ray DVD players and CD players and very comfy furniture and a gourmet kitchen. But the best thing for her is the view. Nothing but rolling farmland/hills and mountains.

I'm packing enough books to do me cause somehow I don't think they're gonna have the energy to go do all the stuff they want to from checking out the Internet. I think they're gonna have to pick and choose and that they'll enjoy themselves just being out of their house and lazing around and sitting on the balconies/decks and even down by the lodge (recreation area) where they have benches, a park, carpet golf and even more views. So I'm bringing my books.

Now over Christmas the ten days is meant to be down time for me, the hubby and Oscar the Wonder Yorkie. We're in a cabin in the woods with Bald Mountain Lake on one side and I think it's called the Bald Mountain Gold Course on the other side. We're across from holes 5 and 6 but far enough away that if there are some crazy golfers they won't bother us. We'll be able to see the golf course but it's far enough away so that we won't be bothered by it. Can see the lake from the cabin but is not right on the lake. And on the opposite side of the resort is Lake Lure and the putting range for that golf course is the one you see in "Dirty Dancing" where Baby's father and mother are practicing their putting when she asks him to borrow the $500.

I'm just looking forward to being in a cabin in the middle of the woods (which it is) where from the observation deck on top of the cabin you can sit and see the golf course and the lake and can see the lake on the balcony on the top floor (master bedroom suite) and then nothing but woods from the bottom floor and balcony and porch and outdoor swing.

Looking forward to reading and relaxing and the only place I really want to go is to Biltmore House to see the Christmas lights and decorations and......of course.....to their winery. They make great wine.

They're having a New Year's Eve formal dress ball there at the country club but we're not going. Might go down and have dinner in the other restaurant then go back to the cabin.

So I've been saving books and DVDs. Got all the Indiana Jones movies ready to have an Indy marathon and then see the new one (already had the others but bought the new one still has wrapper on it so I won't be tempted to get into it). Same for other movies that came out and that will come out.

But boy those Dekker books have been big temptations and so has Vince Flynn's new book and the James Rollins Indy book. I love his other books but didn't want to spoil the movie by reading the book first. So I bought them both and have not read them.

I'm ready to get out of town.