New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/17/2013 -- While most debut authors release a book simply to test the literary waters, New York’s Stephen Morris hits the book scene with gusto as he makes his mark with a fantastical and compelling trilogy. With all three books already on the market and garnering a growing audience, Morris is making it clear that he’s a literary force to be reckoned with.
‘Come Hell or High Water’ boasts a gripping plot that is allowing each book to rival with the best-sellers.
Series Synopsis (‘Part One: Wellspring’, ‘Part Two: Rising’ and ‘Part Three: Deluge’):
An old crone is bound to a stake in the Old Town Square of Prague and consumed by flames in 1356, her vengeful words setting in motion a series of dark events that unfold across the centuries, culminating in the historic flood of August 2002 that threatens to destroy the city.
The novel alternates chapters set in medieval Prague and contemporary Prague (summer 2002). The chapters set in 1356-1357 incorporate a number of local Prague folktales and legends. These 1356 events alert Nadezhda that something very wrong indeed is afoot in Prague. Together with an elderly rabbi from Prague’s famous Jewish Quarter, she sets out to avert the impending disaster.
In the summer of 2002, two academics attending a conference at the university – a Jesuit priest and a beautiful Irish professor (who is also a voracious Irish vampire-like creature known as the Dearg-due) – develop their own nefarious agendas. To access the enormous potential power to which the dead witch holds the key, they dupe a secretary into helping destroy the city by unravelling the protective magic built into the Charles Bridge itself that has defended the city since its construction. A small group of academics at that same university conference discover the threat and are forced by circumstances to practice the folk magic they have previously merely researched. They battle the Jesuit, the Dearg-due, the unwitting secretary and the forces of evil that threaten to destroy the city. The academics realize that once free, these forces will unleash a dark power that could undermine all of western civilization. The final confrontation occurs as the historic flood of Prague in 2002 is conjured to destroy the magical Charles Bridge which has protected the city for centuries.
As the author explains, his narrative is intricately laced with all manner of magic and lore.
“Each book is a medley of authentic magical practices, as well as medieval and modern detective work. Interacting with both the living and the dead, readers are in for more than a few surprises,” says Morris.
Continuing, “There’s also a big focus on Prague and its associated culture. The area’s magic and allure was well-researched and creeps into every page. Staying true to the area is important to give the book the validity it needs to compete in today’s market.”
Since its release, the series has attracted a consistent string of rave reviews. For example, one reader comments, “I loved this! When someone really knows their subject it shows and this guy knows Prague, its history and mythology, inside out. Anyone who has been there will recognise the places he describes and be fascinated by the stories attached to them. The blend of the modern and the medieval worked really well and it reminded me of Peter Ackroyd's Hawksmoor.”
With each book’s popularity rapidly increasing, interested readers are urged to purchase their copies as soon as possible.
‘Come Hell or High Water’ is available now. For more information, visit the author’s official website: http://www.stephenmorrisauthor.com/
About the Author:
Stephen has degrees in medieval history and theology from Yale and St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Academy. A former priest, he served as the Eastern Orthodox chaplain at Columbia University. His previous academic writing has dealt primarily with Late Antiquity and Byzantine church life.
He is also the Chair of the CORE Executive of Inter-disciplinary.net and organizes annual conferences on aspects of the supernatural, evil and wickedness, and related subjects. It was an I-D.net project that took him to Prague for the first time in 2001 and he immediately fell in love with the city! He has been back many, MANY times!
Stephen, a Seattle native, is now a long-time New York resident and currently lives in Manhattan with his partner, Elliot.