The Messenger
Is Senator Peters a prophet, a con man, neither, both?
United States Senator John Peters vaults to worldwide fame and political prominence following his first speech from the Senate floor. According to Senator Peters, he delivered his speech in English, but according to amazed listeners from around the world, he could be understood by all who heard him, no matter what their language. Some hail Peters as a prophet; others call him a fraud; most dismiss the incident as a practical joke. But when the "tongues"phenomenon recurs, several figures, ranging from a political power broker to an archbishop, seek to appropriate the apparent miracles for their own purposes. Peters downplays any religious significance to the incidents, fearing they will undercut his efforts to be taken seriously as a politician, but exploits his newfound fame by declaring himself a candidate for his party's Presidential nomination. Meanwhile, two men following different trains of thought reach an identical conclusion: the Senator must die. Lurking in the background, a centuries old society known as the Order of Mani keeps watch. The Order believes that it alone holds the secret to the Messenger's true purpose, and it is determined to stop it.
Miracles on the Senate Floor?
The Washington Gazette, October 15
Do you believe in miracles? Not the U.S. Hockey team, garden-variety, once-in-a-century sports upset, but the hair-raising, water-into-wine, this can't be happening kind?
If you don't, you soon may.
Freshman Senator John Peters, a soft-spoken man from the hills of North Carolina, walked into a nearly empty Senate chamber yesterday morning to give his first speech. The topic, income tax reform, was hardly heavenly. But the way he delivered it? - God only knows.
According to his office, Senator Peters delivered his speech in English. According to his office, English is the only language Senator Peters speaks.
But according to hundreds of amazed people from around the world, he gave his speech in every language in the world, all at the same time.
Many would consider the ability to clearly explain tax reform to even one non-tax person a pretty miraculous accomplishment. But when people who speak Kurdish, Swedish, French, Chinese and Russian all claim to have understood Senator Peters, it's Cecil B. DeMille time.
Some claim it's all just a hoax. A great practical joke made possible by clever software programs and the Internet.
Some claim it's clever politics designed to make Senator Peters a national figure.
Some believe he is the Second Coming.
As for me, my parents named me Thomas.
An Action-Packed Novel of Mystery and Intrigue
ForeWord Magazine's Clarion Review calls The Messenger "perfect for a cozy day of reading" and "certain to provide entertainment and conversation," with "clear, comprehensive characters" that carry "the plot line to a satisfying end. Readers who like books like The DaVinci Code will appreciate the braiding of religious theory with the fast-paced story of political assassins."
TCM Reviews praises The Messenger as "highly original...grabs [you] from the very first page" and keeps you "turning the pages like lightning, desperate to find out what will happen next!"
Born to Deaf parents, Andrew E. Shipley learned to sign before he could talk. His upbringing instilled in him a life-long fascination with how people acquire and use language. In The Messenger, he blends that interest with a startlingly original look at the interplay between faith and politics, the meaning of free will and the nature of good and evil.
Andrew Shipley practices law in the Washington, DC area. He obtained a journalism degree from the University of Maryland and his law degree from Harvard Law School. He writes and speaks regularly about issues affecting the legal community. The Messenger is his first novel.