DOUGLAS BOND BOOKS

• Learn about the authors that have influenced me, how I prepare to write a book, what I'm thinking about as I write.   WRITING

• Join my blog and keep up to date on the writers' club the INKBLOTS, www.douglasbondbooks.blogspot.com : 

Dutch publishing house, Den Hertog, has purchased translation rights from P&R Publishing and has released The Betrayal in Dutch. Het Verraad was released, November, 2009. Judging from the increased size of the book, Dutch appears to require many more letters to create words to say the same thing.

Released June 1, 2009, The Betrayal sold out faster than any of my other books--in 5 months. It's now in its second printing.

Guns of Providence is in final stages of production, with cover art coming together, final editing, type-setting, map, and other details concluding. I've been reading it to my son Giles who has been doing his own illustrations as I read.

Listen to an audio excerpt: Guns of Providence

Russ Pulliam, with the Indianapolis Star, reviewed the book and wrote this about it: 

"Like G.A. Henty in an earlier era, Douglas Bond offers a ringside seat on the War for Independence. Bond is a historian with unusual insight, tracing a Scottish Covenanter immigrant family and revealing the truly British origins of the American Revolution."

Greg Bailey, Executive Director of Publication with Ligonier Ministries publishing house, Reformation Trust, asked me at the Ligonier conference in Seattle, October, 2009, to consider writing a biography for their profiles series, with General Editor, Steven Lawson. The book profile on the life of John Knox will be entitled something along the lines of The Mighty Weakness of John Knox. This is a new genre for me, and a new publisher. I'm looking forward to the writing very much. I will be in Scotland again in April, 2010 and am looking forward to some boots-on-the-ground research for the Knox Profile. To release sometime in 2011. The editorial committee of Reformation Trust and Dr. Sproul approved my proposal outline "with enthusiasm," so work begins.

• Listen to Bond's Key-note address on JOHN KNOX at 2009 Reformation Faire, Peoria, Illinois
• Join this site and watch for new audio and video clips on Knox and Scotland coming up after I return from leading the Spring, 2010 Covenant High School historical studies tour in Scotland, England, and Normandy.
• Listen to Predestination Defended, audio book by John Knox
  

• JOHN KNOX HISTORICAL FICTION NOVEL, companion to The Betrayal?  I have signed my contract with P&R Publishing on this book and will be researching and writing in parallel with the Ligonier biography on Knox.

• NEW BOOK ON THE PSALMS: I was asked to participate in the PSALM PROJECT at Union University last March. Sponsored by The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and funded by a Lilly Foundation Grant, a number of men were brought to the campus to deliver chapel messages on the importance of Psalmody in worship. Each of our messages have been reformatted into chapters for a forthcoming book on recovering the Psalms in worship. Watch for more updates on this project.
• ANGLO-SAXON, 7th century tale of the clash of cultures in early medieval Britain after the fashion of Hostage Lands, one of Bond's best selling historical novels... Book ideas are stewing away in their juices. Publisher likes the idea. I have signed my contract for this book but have other things ahead of it. Join my blog for updates www.douglasbondbooks.blogspot.com
• A THIRD VOLUME IN THE FATHERS & SONS series? (Write) FAST... Based on how well STAND FAST and HOLD FAST have been received, P&R Publishing has asked Bond to consider this... Watch for updates and ideas here and at www.douglasbondbooks.blogspot.com
• JOB'S HARD JOB, a children's picture book in verse that features highlights from the difficult task God called Job to endure, recorded in the Book of Job in the Bible. P&R recently approached me with the idea of making this the first in a series of poetic retellings of OT books named for the main character (Ruth, Jonah, Daniel, Esther...)

Knox's life is a furiously exciting one and would connect to my C&C trilogy, especially as I would use the historical character, and author of Old Hundredth, William Kethe, as my lens to Knox. It would follow Betrayal well, which I'm told is selling well.

Thundering Scot, comes of age in turbulent, corrupt Scotland in the 16th century. Body guard of George Wishart, Knox finds himself a wanted man, besieged in St. Andrews Castle, siezed by the French at its fall, made a galley slave, released, then made fiery preacher of Reformation in Geneva, Frankfurt, and later his beloved Scotland. Intrepid before the lovely Mary Queen of Scots, Knox is unflinching before assassins and death in his stand for the gospel of grace in Christ alone.

Set in turbulent 16th century Scotland, the story opens with young John Knox taking up a two-fisted broadsword in defense of George Wishart, fugitive of Cardinal Beaton, who has accused Wishart of attempting to assassinate him. The action rises as Wishart is betrayed and arrested, imprisoned in the infamous bottle dungeon of St.Andrew's Castle, given a mock trial, convicted, and burned in a slow fire, the Cardinal looking on from his velvet cushioned window seat in the castle. Knox is caught up in the zealous rage of the Scottish supporters of Wishart, many of them new converts to Christ. The castle falls. Men are executed. Knox is made a galley slave where he suffers extraordinary deprivations for 19 months. Released, he is invited to join the English Reformers, offered a bishopric and a pulpit in London.

Knox develops impassioned preaching skills, early converts  being his future mother in law and wife. When Edward VI dies and Bloody Mary begins her Protestant purge of her new realm, Knox flees to Calvin's Geneva (overlapping episodes will hint of The Betrayal). Trained, equipped, inspired, Knox returns for commando preaching in Scotland in 1555, staying one step ahead of Bloody Mary and the Queen Regent of Scotland, both intent on having his blood. Many converted to Christ. When Mary dies, Knox returns to Scotland in 1559, writes the Scots Confession 1560, comes to blows with French royal troops supporting young Mary Queen of Scots, finally triumphs with Parlimentary support of Reformation. Preaching, decrying public sins, standing boldly before murdering and immoral monarchs, assassins make attempts on his life, Knox at last prevails in Christ, dying in 1572.