Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Alcuin Letter by Jeff Raymond, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: The Alcuin Letter
Series: International Intrigue Series #2
Author: Jeff Raymond
Publisher: Winged Publications
Release Date: July 11, 2024
Genre: Christian Mystery/Suspense
What price success?
When a tragedy sparked by a medieval letter brings Matt and Camilla together in London, they never could have imagined the death and peril that would accompany their search for answers. The letter, rumored to lead to a relic of Biblical importance, holds ancient clues that others are also desperate to uncover.
Amidst the pressure and danger of the hunt, Matt and Camilla must confront their past heartbreaks and battle their inner doubts and beliefs. But even if they are successful, what will it mean for their faith? And what will it mean for their budding relationship?
From a quaint antique shop in Frankfort to a grand cathedral in Geneva to a secluded Swiss abbey, the pursuit of answers takes the pair on a harrowing ride. With success in their grasp, the journey culminates with a decision that will test their convictions.
Enhanced with historical figures, locations, and facts, The Alcuin Letter is a gripping tale that will entertain while prompting readers to examine their own faith. Come and join Matt and Camilla on their exciting journey.
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More Books in This Series
Excerpt
From Chapter 26Camilla noticed the gunman at the same time I did and screamed, “Matt, watch out!” just as we found cover behind a statue of Charlemagne standing outside the cathedral’s gate. Another bullet bounced off the bronze figure as we huddled together behind its concrete base.
By this point, others in the area were yelling, screaming, and searching for places of cover. I peeked around the statue and could see the gunman walking directly toward us, gun hand extended straight out, simply waiting for his opportunity. He was wearing black jeans and a dark button-down shirt, with wrap-around sunglasses hiding his eyes. He had jet black hair, cut very short. I could see a large tattoo extending above his collar and up his neck.
He fired again, the bullet chipping the concrete only inches from my head. Another shot hit the sidewalk just to our left and then another on the right. I think he was enjoying this, effectively preventing us from fleeing until he managed to finish the job. My overloaded mind failed to come up with a plan of action that had any chance of success. This was the end. I pulled Camilla into me and held her tight, bringing a quick reflection of our similar experience in the burning house. We were miraculously saved once, but….
Camilla suddenly pushed herself away from me and bolted to our right. Startled, I looked that way and noticed a small girl curled up, crying loudly only fifteen feet away. Camilla’s instinct was to protect the child. She would need only four or five steps to reach the girl, but it took the gunman just two of those steps to zero in and squeeze the trigger. After one shot missed behind her, the next hit Camilla in the side, jolting her into the wall a few feet short of her goal. She fell to the ground awkwardly, managing to reach out her hand as she came to rest with an audible groan. The young girl stretched to put her small fingers into the offered hand just as Camilla’s eyes flickered shut.
Overflowing with emotion and rage, I yelled something unintelligible as I stood and tried to move toward Camilla. The man advanced with a silenced gun pointed at my head, blocking my path. A curl of a smile appeared on his thin lips as he looked me over, appraising his conquered prey. It was a smile projecting confidence, success, and superiority.
I hoped he sensed something other than fear in my eyes as I glared back at him. The Bible says I am supposed to love my enemy. Reality, though, is a challenging teacher and, in this instance, I am probably flunking the test.
About the Author
Jeff Raymond comes from a publication-oriented family, as both his father and older brother had accomplished careers in the newspaper business. He has had numerous articles published and has won awards for both writing and publication design. His debut novel, The Medici Quest, was honored with a Pencraft Award for Best Christian Fiction Book in the summer of 2024. Raymond graduated from Taylor University in Indiana, where he was a member of the track team. He also spent a year writing for the university newspaper and worked as a color commentator for basketball broadcasts. He went on to earn a Master’s degree from the University of Georgia. In addition to writing, Raymond has an interest in history, including Biblical history and the origins of the Bible. He has a growing collection of Olympic Games memorabilia, is a member of his church’s Worship Team. His interest in travel has allowed him to visit several international locations, both as a tourist and as part of short-term mission trips.
Connect with Jeff by visiting
jeffraymondfiction.com to follow him on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.
Author Interview
Q: What inspired you to write The Alcuin Letter?
Jeff: My love for history has grown as I’ve gotten older and, while I didn’t want to write historical fiction, I knew I could use historical information to set up a modern mystery. Even though the story is a bit of an adventure with danger and drama, I wanted my protagonists to be everyday people. I didn’t want a trained agent (FBI, CIA, etc.), but had a desire to explore how common people respond to very uncommon and stressful situations.
Q: How long did it take to write this book?
Jeff: From the first words to the final draft was probably close to ten years. The initial draft of The Alcuin Letter was the first novel I completed, although it is now the second book in my International Intrigue Series. The story remained buried on a computer drive until I pulled it out about eight months ago to work on significant re-writes and editing. The first book in the series, The Medici Quest, took me approximately a year to complete the initial draft and another few months for editing.
Q: What surprised you while researching/writing this novel?
Jeff: I started with the historical figure of Charlemagne to set the stage for the novel, but my research found more and more connections with other figures from history. On the surface, some of the locations in the book may seem random but were all picked to align with actual historical facts.
Q: Do you have a favorite quote from The Alcuin Letter?
Jeff: The plot of the book includes a search for a priceless Biblical artifact. When the search is nearing its end, a priest has this to say to the novel’s protagonists (substituting “artifact” for the object as I don’t want to give too much away.)
“The (artifact) has been hidden for twelve hundred years and during that time the word of our Lord has reached the far corners of the Earth. The (artifact) had nothing to do with that. Many wars have been fought in the name of religion and millions have died. Many great acts of selflessness have also been performed because of the faith of the followers of Christ. The (artifact) had nothing to do with the good or the bad.
“The (artifact) is an object; maybe something to be admired, but certainly nothing to be worshiped. If faith comes only by seeing, is it truly faith? The (artifact) might inspire some to seek faith in Christ, but as you have seen in recent days, it can also inspire selfishness, greed, and faith in earthly treasures.
“The only advice this old priest can give is to pray, wait for the Lord’s answer, and then follow His leading.”
Q: When did you first know you wanted to be an author?
Jeff: I first wrote a series of sports-related devotionals shortly after college. Part of my “real” job for over 15 years was writing about sports and sporting events. During that time I began to feel the desire to write a full novel. There were several starts and stops for at least a decade and I probably have the first few chapters written to four or five novels filed away in a drawer. Finishing the first draft of The Alcuin Letter felt like a huge accomplishment, even though the final product wouldn’t be published for several years.
Q: Would you share something about yourself that most readers wouldn’t know?
Jeff: I collect Olympic memorabilia. It’s a hobby that started when I was able to attend the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, and has allowed me to collect tickets, programs, and other items from virtually every modern Summer Olympic Games from 1896 to the present. My wife and I recently returned from a bucket-list trip to the 2024 Olympics in Paris. (5ringscollecting.com)
Q: What are you currently reading?
Jeff: Red Star Falling (Steve Berry and Grant Blackwood), A Death in Cornwell (Daniel Silva), A Calamity of Souls (David Baldacci)
Q: What is your favorite genre to read?
Jeff: Mystery/Suspense… especially those with international locations
Q: What is your favorite hobby?
Jeff: As mentioned above, I collect Olympic Games memorabilia. I also serve as a certified official for many high school and college track and field events.
Q: What is your favorite season and why?
Jeff: This is kind of an unfair question, as I now live in Santa Barbara, California where the weather is nice pretty much year around. However, I grew up and have spent a large portion of my life living in the Midwest, where I experienced all the seasons, including many cold and snowy winters. To put it bluntly, I don’t miss the Midwest winters. Being able to be outside at almost any time (without multiple layers of clothing) is a fantastic benefit to living in Santa Barbara.
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will win a print copy of each book in this series - The Medici Quest & The Alcuin Letter!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight August 26, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on September 2, 2024. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Enter Giveaway
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
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