In The Shadow of Babylon

Friends ... Many of you have been following my blog for several years. This time however I have added many more readers. If you would prefer not to receive 'Free Grain" please let me know and I will remove you from the list.
 
Writing a novel is a very interesting process. The most gratifying part of it is having complete control over a universe created entirely by oneself. The power and tone of a subject's voice, hair color, age ... indeed, the success or failure, and life or death of the characters becomes almost surreal as one begins to embrace the god-like power of writing.
   The internet has dramatically changed the publishing business. In the traditional system an author searched and searched for an agent or publisher. This is an almost impossible process if one does not have connections. For example, the author of the Harry Potter series (best selling series ever) was rejected by 120 agents and publishers before being discovered by accident!
   After 60+ rejection slips, I decided to publish my first novel myself. Come to find out this is now de rigueur in the publishing world. Agents and publishers track sales of on-demand books and if they see one getting traction they might step in and sign the author to a contract and invest in promoting the book.
   When I decided to self-publish I hired a professional book editor who has written 15 books (three of which made the New York Times best seller list). Here's what she had to say about In The Shadow of Babylon:
   The writing in In The Shadow of Babylon is truly lyrical. Your command of the language and your ear for its nuances are both so finely tuned that Ayuba’s story should instantly draw readers into his world. All of the descriptions, especially in terms of the settings, were remarkably vivid. (the Shale Sea was one of my favorites; I could almost feel the heat shimmering off the ground.) The story of In the Shadow of Babylon followed Ayuba’s dramatic life and the discovery of his scrolls/“song” via a high-tension timeline that was both exciting and inspiring and at times humorous and heart-breaking.  

Here's the book's promo copy: 

   Could an ancient scroll discovered in a vault beneath Baghdad’s Azzohour Palace provide the answer to Iraq’s current crisis? The scroll—pre-dating Hammurabi’s Code by more than 7000 years—details the life of a shepherd who became the founder of a country that existed and thrived in pre-history. It may be the most profound archeological find ever.
   Shortly after the first Gulf War, an ancient gold-paneled tomb is discovered in Baghdad. Dr. Elman Darshi, the world’s leading Sumerian language authority, is ordered by Saddam to translate the find. Warned of Saddam’s paranoia over ancient prophecies, the professor smuggles his translation to his daughter, Alexandria, a doctoral student at University of California, Berkeley. Shortly after completing the translation, Dr. Darshi, his wife, and youngest daughter disappear.
When Iraq is liberated and Saddam deposed, the secret tomb is rediscovered. Only Alexandria can read the esoteric writing inscribed on its walls. Together with Dr. Ibrahim Feroz, a young and handsome associate professor at University of Chicago, they present the ancient poem, called The Song of Ayuba, to the world on a global National Geographic TV special.
   When the inscribed panels are removed from the underground crypt, a scroll encased in an urn is discovered. It is an autobiography of a warrior poet named Ayuba and proves to be the oldest writing in the world. Publication of the scroll reveals profound life lessons that foment fear and anger in radical Muslims and hope for the majority throughout the Middle East.
   Ayuba’s message makes In the Shadow of Babylon hard to put down—each page reveals a new adventure brimming with danger. Ayuba’s message echoes through several millennium. A stanza of his epic poem inscribed on the gold panels now on display in the Museum of Ancient History located on the ruins of the storied city of Babylon sums up the vision of his life—


Sleep, and in the veil of night
Dream of valor in the light
When comes the awakening dawn
It is your dreams you act upon

   In The Shadow of Babylon is now available on Amazon in print or Kindle. To review, or order please go to Amazon by clicking on the Amazon box at the top of this page or through your browser. Search for Babylon, John Schwartz. (It's important to include my name as there are several "Babylon" books and one that actually has the same title).

   The preferred way to buy is through my publisher as I get more exposure with mainstream publishers from orders placed at:
https://www.createspace.com/3597286

   If you would like a signed 1st edition please send a check for $24 (includes shipping and handling) to the publisher. Make sure to include your return address.

Publisher

JOSS International Inc
2533 N Carson Street
Suite 2592
Carson City, Nevada 89706

   Should you decide to read In The Shadow of Babylon I will be eternally grateful. Should you recommend it to everyone on your e-mail list or post it on your Facebook page, my appreciation will border on the intensity of sexual delight. Should you Twitter Ayuba or form a book club and include Oprah, my delight will be beyond orgasmic, assuming there is such a place!

The most important part of publishing, like selling any other product, is positive word of mouth! If you like the book please tell your friends ... organic growth is what makes or breaks a book.