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The Evangelist
This is a Christian book that takes place outside of the church walls and deals with real subjects and people. The main idea for the book came about when I heard someone state that Christians are mass delusional. So, two characters are an Evangelist and a Psychiatrist dealing with this question amongst their other issues. Both want to help each other, without wanting to accept help from each other. Hypocrisy, faith, and repentance are subjects that both characters have to deal with as they deal with each other. THE EVANGELIST is a modern time Christian fiction novel for adults written to be real with situations and language.
419 pages, Paperback
Published July 27, 2016
11 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 30, 2017
Having read the other 2 reviews: yes I agree it didn't flow however it was a fantastic idea and storyline
I personally found it easy to get into but then it got progressively harder as I literally cannot stand the main character's wife, Jessica. While halfway in we find out why she's become the way she has it didn't warrant her becoming this way.
She's like a very spoilt selfish person who clearly doesn't like being refused.
Religion wise, it was like a debate between Christian and Atheist therefore a very thought provoking subject.
I feel it took too long to get to who Tracey is and why she did what she did when she shot Phillip.
The whole asylum scene that was set is realistic and descriptive.
On the whole, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it, with the advice "persevere" as it is worthy of a read if you can be objective enough.
I personally found it easy to get into but then it got progressively harder as I literally cannot stand the main character's wife, Jessica. While halfway in we find out why she's become the way she has it didn't warrant her becoming this way.
She's like a very spoilt selfish person who clearly doesn't like being refused.
Religion wise, it was like a debate between Christian and Atheist therefore a very thought provoking subject.
I feel it took too long to get to who Tracey is and why she did what she did when she shot Phillip.
The whole asylum scene that was set is realistic and descriptive.
On the whole, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it, with the advice "persevere" as it is worthy of a read if you can be objective enough.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2018
A thought provoking book for christian and non christian alike. It takes some time reading it before the story grabs you and it becomes a page turner.
August 16, 2017
A thought provoking story that will have you re-examine the way you look at other peoples lives. Even though I'm not Christian, I found this book to be hard to put down (except for when technology failed me), and it's definitely on my to read again list - in a hard copy!
June 11, 2017
The Evangelist is a book written by independent author, William R King. I was more intrigued about the author initially than I was about the book’s description. I, too, have wrestled with an idea to write a book, but I have made several attempts. Yet each time I begin to write, I wonder if I am writing the book God intends for me to write so I hang back from writing a little longer. Thankfully, Mr. King did not hang back from attempting to write the book he believed God wanted him to write.
The description of the book from Amazon reads:
“Three lives are caught in a storm: One endures the storm and trusts God, one curse their storm and blames God, and the last is a storm and thinks they are God.
Phillip Ashby, a well-known traveling evangelist, is shot by a woman who knows him, but he does not remember her. Jessica Ashby’s faith collapses when her identity and security in her husband is threatened. Ethan Pitney, a psychiatrist who does not believe in God, becomes entangled in the scandal while helping Phillip Ashby.
The storm rains on everyone: the just and the unjust. ”
As a Christian, I wanted to LOVE this book, but instead I can honestly say as a reader, I liked it.
The reason I liked it instead of loving it wasn’t because of the story, but that the story needs editing and polishing by a good publisher. I found myself struggling to feel anything for all the characters in the beginning of the story and the transitions between scenes left me frustrated and exasperated. Reading in between the lines in this book, I sensed that this was a great story willing itself to be told. A good editor would be able to help the author develop the characters and smooth out the edges with patient pacing for better storytelling.
Word from the Author
At the end of the book, Mr. King asks the reader for their help in three simple ways.
1. Write a review on Amazon/Goodreads/etc.., even if it is just reviewing the story by giving it stars.
2. Tell your friends about the book and share it on social media/blog.
3. This has been a labor of love and to contact him via Twitter: @TheEvangelistWK and Facebook at https:/www.facebook.com/TheEvangelistWillKing
Independent authors like Mr. King are trying to attract the attention of a publisher. Without the proper skills and marketing budget, independent authors may never see their story be read by people who can be inspired by stories like The Evangelist.
So, on behalf of Mr. King, I am asking for a fourth way to help: Pray.
Again, from Amazon’s description of The Evangelist:
“THE EVANGELIST is a modern time Christian fiction novel for adults aimed at Christian and non-Christians without being “Christiany” in nature. The book is written to be real with situations and language.”
In my opinion, whether you are a Christian or non-Christian, the description could do without the phrase, “without being ‘Christiany’ in nature.” Why? Because good storytelling doesn’t need to be defended and that’s why I am praying for Mr. King to attract a publisher who can help him turn my “like” rating of 3 Stars into a “love” rating of 5 Stars.
The description of the book from Amazon reads:
“Three lives are caught in a storm: One endures the storm and trusts God, one curse their storm and blames God, and the last is a storm and thinks they are God.
Phillip Ashby, a well-known traveling evangelist, is shot by a woman who knows him, but he does not remember her. Jessica Ashby’s faith collapses when her identity and security in her husband is threatened. Ethan Pitney, a psychiatrist who does not believe in God, becomes entangled in the scandal while helping Phillip Ashby.
The storm rains on everyone: the just and the unjust. ”
As a Christian, I wanted to LOVE this book, but instead I can honestly say as a reader, I liked it.
The reason I liked it instead of loving it wasn’t because of the story, but that the story needs editing and polishing by a good publisher. I found myself struggling to feel anything for all the characters in the beginning of the story and the transitions between scenes left me frustrated and exasperated. Reading in between the lines in this book, I sensed that this was a great story willing itself to be told. A good editor would be able to help the author develop the characters and smooth out the edges with patient pacing for better storytelling.
Word from the Author
At the end of the book, Mr. King asks the reader for their help in three simple ways.
1. Write a review on Amazon/Goodreads/etc.., even if it is just reviewing the story by giving it stars.
2. Tell your friends about the book and share it on social media/blog.
3. This has been a labor of love and to contact him via Twitter: @TheEvangelistWK and Facebook at https:/www.facebook.com/TheEvangelistWillKing
Independent authors like Mr. King are trying to attract the attention of a publisher. Without the proper skills and marketing budget, independent authors may never see their story be read by people who can be inspired by stories like The Evangelist.
So, on behalf of Mr. King, I am asking for a fourth way to help: Pray.
Again, from Amazon’s description of The Evangelist:
“THE EVANGELIST is a modern time Christian fiction novel for adults aimed at Christian and non-Christians without being “Christiany” in nature. The book is written to be real with situations and language.”
In my opinion, whether you are a Christian or non-Christian, the description could do without the phrase, “without being ‘Christiany’ in nature.” Why? Because good storytelling doesn’t need to be defended and that’s why I am praying for Mr. King to attract a publisher who can help him turn my “like” rating of 3 Stars into a “love” rating of 5 Stars.
April 26, 2018
This was a tough read for me--very tedious, especially in the middle of the book, which I will call the Christian Head-games section. I found myself trying to speed-read/skim through this, maybe because as a Christian myself, I have heard it all ad nauseam. There is a plot and interesting and somewhat realistic--but predictable characters--but just way too much proselytizing, bantering and introspection. The foundation of the book is fine, but I feel that shaving off about 100-150 pages might have actually made it better. Also, as others have stated, the book is riddled with grammatical errors and is in desperate need of a really good editor. There are some quite awkward and sometimes nonsensical similes/metaphors/comparisons that give the tale and amateurish quality. For example: "He looked back at his paperwork and scowled. He knew he'd have to deal with it sometime throughout the day so he shuffled through it for low hanging fruit." There is also a reference to Philip's (the evangelist) early introduction to sexual sin which I found rather implausible. He refers to having had sex with his female cousins prior to age 6. Hmmm...
To be fair though, the latter part of the tale is the strongest and most interesting, with many of the characters transforming from scarred to victorious.
Also, it is evident that the author has a tremendous grasp of Christianity, the way in which many in the world view Christianity, the real day to day struggles of Christian individuals and families and the the persecution coming from within and without the Christian community. For this alone the book has merit and a potential audience of believers and non-believers.
To be fair though, the latter part of the tale is the strongest and most interesting, with many of the characters transforming from scarred to victorious.
Also, it is evident that the author has a tremendous grasp of Christianity, the way in which many in the world view Christianity, the real day to day struggles of Christian individuals and families and the the persecution coming from within and without the Christian community. For this alone the book has merit and a potential audience of believers and non-believers.
November 23, 2017
"This book was free in exchange for a review."
Flannery O'Connor pointed out that as believers, we like finding an answer instantly, but the beauty of fiction is that it is a mystery. This book tries, like many Christian novels and movies, to deliver that instant answer, which is disappointing - not all stories are able to wrap up happily.
There were numerous spelling and grammatical mistakes, the characters are flat and stereotypical, and the book is far too long. The sentence structure was wooden at best, brittle at worst - and dialogue was far too precisely delivered to sound authentic. These problems could be fixed with a lot of editing, though.
The tone veered between a sermon and a Hallmark movie, and the backstory reveals were oddly timed. The backstory was one of the more well-done parts, but more of that would have been nice. The cast was much too large, but the main characters felt real and authentic, which is good - that was what kept me moving forward.
Flannery O'Connor pointed out that as believers, we like finding an answer instantly, but the beauty of fiction is that it is a mystery. This book tries, like many Christian novels and movies, to deliver that instant answer, which is disappointing - not all stories are able to wrap up happily.
There were numerous spelling and grammatical mistakes, the characters are flat and stereotypical, and the book is far too long. The sentence structure was wooden at best, brittle at worst - and dialogue was far too precisely delivered to sound authentic. These problems could be fixed with a lot of editing, though.
The tone veered between a sermon and a Hallmark movie, and the backstory reveals were oddly timed. The backstory was one of the more well-done parts, but more of that would have been nice. The cast was much too large, but the main characters felt real and authentic, which is good - that was what kept me moving forward.
August 8, 2018
This was a promising storyline that ended up being a rough read. There were editorial issues throughout, but looking past that, the writing style was not enjoyable. Instead of painting a picture and leading readers to draw conclusions, the conclusions were very evidently predetermined for the reader. Characters were good in concept but the development was too overt and forced. Dialogue felt unnatural. Word choice was often difficult and felt as though the writer looked for the fanciest word to use rather than the best word for the job it needed to do.
I really wanted to like this. The basic idea was intriguing. However, I cannot recommend this book to other readers without additional editing for content, development, and overall basic syntax/diction.
I really wanted to like this. The basic idea was intriguing. However, I cannot recommend this book to other readers without additional editing for content, development, and overall basic syntax/diction.
May 21, 2018
God words are pearls, if you serial them together, you will get the perfect lady wearing a NECKLACE, if you through them on a sand you will see an image that is so perfect you will be joyed forever if you plant them with a book like this you will get introduced.
January 28, 2020
No proofreading!
This could have been a good book if it was both proofread and edited. Very bad grammar mistakes distracted me from the story, so I have up. Pity because it had potential.
This could have been a good book if it was both proofread and edited. Very bad grammar mistakes distracted me from the story, so I have up. Pity because it had potential.
October 24, 2018
I received a PDF copy of this book from the author for review. I thought it was a thriller but it reads more like a road map to salvation.
I would have given it a higher rating but it always seemed like the action was happening someplace else.
Most of the book is set in a mental Ward of a hospital but there is some type of clandestine assassination plot happening elsewhere. I never could get a handle on that story line. That being said I enjoyed the book.
I would have given it a higher rating but it always seemed like the action was happening someplace else.
Most of the book is set in a mental Ward of a hospital but there is some type of clandestine assassination plot happening elsewhere. I never could get a handle on that story line. That being said I enjoyed the book.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews