September 12, 2019
By: Dwayne Page
Justin Potter Library will host a book signing on Thursday, September 26th featuring Mark Francis author of a new book called “Fallen Kingdom, Anna’s Call”.
Come meet Francis and pick up a copy of his signed book that day from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.
Francis’s first experience as a storyteller was as a young child trying to get out of trouble. Little did he know that forty years later, this skill would come in handy again as he crafted bedtime stories for his newly adopted three-year-old daughter, and eventually lead him into his calling as a writer. Mark Francis lives with his wife and two of his three children in Middle Tennessee. Over the years, his children have given him extensive practice in storytelling—a skill he now puts to use in his debut novel, Anna’s Call. He also writes non-fiction works on biblical topics. His book Fallen Kingdoms, published by Deep River Books, was released on August 15, 2019.
About the book:
All her life, Anna’s mother and Old Marta have groomed her to join the ranks of the Viszudar: a diplomatic corps of women who work to preserve the unity of the four kingdoms that arose from the rubble of a once-perfect world. But is ability destiny? When her call to formal training finally comes, Anna is torn between a simpler and safer future or the uncertainty and danger of serving her Dovarsha, the female ruler of her kingdom.
As Anna struggles through her own dilemma, an ominous threat surfaces in the distance. Historically, the unique characteristics of the four kingdoms both benefitted and balanced each other, enabling a long, though-sometimes-fragile peace to exist among them. But when a dramatic innovation in the Kishtar Kingdom tips the balance ever so slightly, Anna’s father unintentionally breathes new life into an ancient evil.
As the power of the evil grows, Anna and her fellow trainees find themselves caught in situations much more complex than they’ve ever faced. Though many can see Anna’s ability, she doubts whether she is up to the task. Now, trained but untested, Anna realizes she must face this oldest of adversaries alone.
Prepare to enter an entirely new and unique world of kingdoms in conflict, royal advisors with extraordinary abilities, an ancient yet unrelenting evil, and the young woman who finds herself in the midst of it all. In a vivid world that evokes Middle Earth or Narnia, this powerful allegory teaches the value of courage heritage, generosity, and innovation, while countering the prevailing messages in Young Adult fiction that glorify evil, victimhood, and rebellion.