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Showing posts with label Jim Baton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jim Baton. Show all posts

Friday, June 26, 2020

NEW RELEASE by Award-Winning Author JIM BATON - Hope Trilogy #3




NEW RELEASE by award-winning author JIM BATON
Hope Trilogy #3
June 16, 2020
          In the HOPE Trilogy, teenagers Kelsey and Harmonie solve mysteries, fight for justice, experience the supernatural, and find their place in God’s destiny for their town of Hope, Colorado.
Available at Amazon, iBooks, Nook and others
From the back cover:
The tension in the town of Hope builds to a climax in this thrilling conclusion to the Hope Trilogy. A major setback for those pursuing a citywide transformation drives them back to the House of Prayer and opens them to new partnerships with others. Change begins to infiltrate the spheres of business, education, media and the arts, resulting in all-out war with a corrupt government. Teenagers Kelsey and Harmonie are once again at the epicenter of shaking their city as they investigate a murder and fight for social justice, determined to see their town finally come into its destiny.
The Hope Trilogy is written for those who are hungry for God’s revival and transformation of their communities.

“Jim Baton is a master storyteller…Every one of these books is a page-turner.”
Carolyn Klaus, Christian book reviewer

JIM BATON has spent the last 20 years in the world's largest Muslim nation, building bridges between Muslims and Christians who both desire peace. His speaking and writing call people out of fear and into authentic friendships that can change the world.

Visit Jim Baton’s Amazon Page or his blog to learn more.

Books In This Series (3 Books)
Complete Series
Kindle Edition


Friday, May 22, 2020

Award-Winning Author Jim Baton's Second Book in Hope Trilogy Series, Hope in the Balance, Is Now Available



NEW RELEASE by award-winning author JIM BATON
Hope Trilogy #2
May 11, 2020
          In the HOPE Trilogy, teenagers Kelsey and Harmonie solve mysteries, fight for justice, experience the supernatural, and find their place in God’s destiny for their town of Hope, Colorado.
Available at Amazon, iBooks, Nook and others
From the back cover:
The small town of Hope is shaken when teenagers Kelsey and Harmonie uncover its skeletons of the past. Will those secrets tear the town apart, or will they become a path to healing? Meanwhile, it appears someone is willing to use any means necessary to take over their town. The girls look for new allies to save Hope. A House of Prayer arises to confront demonic forces, leading to glimpses of angelic activity. As the intensity of the warfare increases, people on all sides are being pushed past their limits. The future of Hope hangs in the balance.
The Hope Trilogy is written for those who are hungry for God’s revival and transformation of their communities.


Readers’ comments on the Hope Trilogy—
“Very good example of redemptive Christian fiction.” –Nike Chillemi, Christian mystery author
“Gripping…I read it in one day…I could not put it down.” –Carol Brown, Christian author
I instantly fell in love with the characters Kelsey and Harmonie. Every time I thought I had the answer, I'd find out a new twist which would lead me in a different direction. I loved every minute of it!” –Tiffany Hersh, Christian book reviewer

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Biography


JIM BATON has spent the last 20 years in the world’s largest Muslim nation building bridges between Muslims and Christians who both desire peace. His speaking and writing call people out of fear and into authentic friendships that can change the world.

To learn more about Jim Baton's work, visit his website by clicking here: https://jimbaton.com/

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Interview of Award-Winning Author Jim Baton by John3:16 Marketing Network Founder Lorilyn Roberts



Author Interview with Jim Baton

Lorilyn:  How did you get into writing books, and did you know you wanted to be an author?

Jim:  My two children loved my goodnight stories, even into junior high. I let each of them pick a character, so one night I’d tell how Mickey Mouse and Hello Kitty solved a mystery, the next night Winnie the Pooh and Scooby-Doo learned about forgiveness. I even tried to imitate all their voices.

One day in the House of Prayer, the Lord told me, “I gave your father a writing gift, but he passed away before it could bear fruit. It’s part of your inheritance if you want it.”

“I want it!” I replied.

“Will you submit it to me?”

“Yes.” And that began my writing journey. The partnership I feel with God when I write, sometimes feeling His revelation flowing through me, is one of the great pleasures of my life.

Lorilyn:  Do you have any favorite authors that have influenced your writing?

Jim:  Some readers will notice shades of Frank Peretti or Ted Dekker in my books. I love reading the novels of David Baldacci and Gregg Hurwitz for their adrenaline-rush plots, and Dick Francis and Jonathan Kellerman for their brilliant characters.

Lorilyn:  Do you draw on personal experiences in your books, or is your imagination what drives your plots?

Jim:  It’s really a combination of personal experiences, research, and imagination. Most of my characters are loosely based on real people. 

CLICK TO TWEET:  Many of the supernatural phenomena I write about are also based on real experiences—whether angelic or demonic, miracles or dreams. In fact, several of the supernatural dreams my characters experience are based on real dreams that my wife, my friends, or myself have had. And we’ve been blessed to see God do many, many extraordinary miracles, far more than we could ever include in my books.

Some of them have been so extraordinary that the phrase “truth is stranger than fiction” applies.

All that to say, writing about terrorists or angels or dreams or revival has required very little of my imagination. Because of this, I think my readers catch the authenticity of the stories.


Lorilyn:  Your books have won several awards. Can you tell us about those?

Jim:  It’s encouraging when others recognize the quality of my craft, but honestly, the most rewarding aspect of writing to me is when my readers share that my novel completely changed their perspective on _____. Every book I write begins with a message I feel God has given me for this moment. I fully embrace the power of the storyteller to change paradigms.

Lorilyn:  You have lived in some very faraway places. Where is your favorite “home away from home”?

Jim:  We’ve been blessed to live over 20 years in the Muslim world and blessed to travel and share about our work in many different nations. As a result, the concept of “home” is somewhat fluid for me. I guess I feel most at home wherever my family is gathered, or on a soccer field, or in a House of Prayer.✙✙✙✙✙

Lorilyn:  Where can readers find your books?

Jim:  All my novels are available on all the online platforms: Amazon (for paperback), Kindle, iBooks, Nook, etc.



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Enjoy a Preview of Jim's latest book from the Hope Trilogy Series


Thursday, February 27, 2020

NEW RELEASE by Award-Winning Author JIM BATON




In the HOPE Trilogy, teenagers Kelsey and Harmonie solve mysteries, fight for justice, experience the supernatural, and find their place in God’s destiny for their town of Hope, Colorado.
Purchase at Amazon: Hope is a Dangerous Place
For iBooks: click here and Nook: click here
Also available on Kobo, Scribd, 24 Symbols, etc. here
From the back cover of the book:
Seventy-five years ago, fifteen-year-old Hope McCormick disappeared. To remember her, the newly incorporated town was named “Hope.” 
When high school friends Kelsey and Harmonie begin looking into this unsolved mystery, they discover that someone will do anything to make sure the town’s secrets never come to light. 
Which neighbors are allies, and which face masks a violent enemy? And what will it take for their struggling town to fulfill its original destiny of hope?
The Hope Trilogy is written for those who are hungry for God’s revival and transformation of their communities. Learn more at www.jimbaton.com.
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“All over the world, radical lovers of God are rising up to reform their communities. We’re about to see entire cities and nations experience supernatural kingdom transformation. Jim Baton’s HOPE Trilogy captures in riveting narrative what it could look like.”
-Johnny Enlow, founder of RISE, author of The Seven Mountain Renaissance: Vision and Strategy through 2050 and Rainbow God: The Seven Colors of Love 

Thursday, March 2, 2017

Book Review by Lorilyn Roberts of "A Violent Light," by Jim Baton


After reading the first two books in the Peace Trilogy Series, I couldn’t wait to read A Violent Light.  Sometimes when you immensely enjoy the first two books in a trilogy, you are disappointed in the final book, but A Violent Light is Jim Baton’s best writing of all three books in the series.

Mr. Baton has been an advocate for peace between Muslims and Christians in Indonesia for many years, and his first two books in the Peace Trilogy Series focus on that part of the world. So I was quite surprised AND DELIGHTED when I discovered A Violent Light takes place in my little corner of the United States—Atlanta, Georgia, and the North Georgia Mountains. I lived in Atlanta from age 4 to 22, and spent many summers in the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains attending Girl Scout Camp.



The story grabbed my attention from page one. I was reminded that many people in America oppose all Muslims because of radical Islam, without recognizing that some “Christian cult groups” are as dangerous and as unacceptable as is radical Islam. Not only that, but A Violent Light, vividly displays what happens when “wrong thinking” takes over. 

Hate-filled propaganda will never build bridges. We need to pray for all those who have developed that kind of carnal enmity and who are entrenched in such diabolical thinking. Ignorance and arrogance lead to unachievable dialog.


The eye-opening plot of A Violent Light is riveting and suspenseful. The reader will be confronted with uncomfortable questions concerning relations between Christians and Muslims. I was terrified at times; yet, I could not put this book down. I read it in only two or three sittings.


I highly recommend everyone read A Violent Light if for no other reason than to bring illumination to how God’s Word can be twisted and perverted. 



Only through Jesus Christ can true reconciliation happen. If you want a suspense-filled book that is cutting edge in religious fiction, I highly recommend A Violent Light.

Friday, January 20, 2017

Jim Baton and A Violent Light

A Violent Light (Peace Trilogy #3)

A Violent Light, Peace Trilogy, Book #3
Jim Baton

US$5.99
US$15.99

Buy on Amazon US CA AU
Buy on Barnes and Noble US

About the Book
The Youth For Peace Fresh Start Initiative gathers ten Muslim and ten Christian youth from ten nations around the world to learn new paths to peace. But the camp staff have some highly unorthodox teaching techniques. And when one by one the youth start disappearing, some of them wonder if the staff might not have an entirely different agenda. Those left behind must work together to solve the mystery before they also disappear. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to them, the entire world is watching... 

Lisa's Review
It’s an international peace conference gone horribly wrong. Young adults who have shown initiatives in peace ventures in their communities, who are actively involved in promoting peace, reconciliation, and acceptance of Christian and Muslim cultures living side by side have been invited to the United States to share with each other and learn new methods of reaching out. Most of them don’t realize how far they have to go until they are forced to unite in order to survive.

A Violent Light is the third book in a series, however each of the books is capable of standing on its own. I read the second book before the first, and while the author follows the story of Sari, a young Indonesian Christian, it’s not crucial to know what goes on before. While the characters are well planned, as in most thrillers the story is plot-driven with events that propel the reader to turn pages, cringe, and cheer. And pray. A lot. This story is unfortunately too real, told by someone who has experienced these issues. On one hand, I can’t believe humanity can overcome our differences; on the other, Baton’s dream of rising above our sinful natures is mine, too. I can hurt for those who are stuck in mental illness because I know being earthbound is only temporary and I long for the better country.

I read fiction mostly for entertainment. I’m not honestly certain that I would have picked up this book on a whim, but the author’s background as a missionary in Indonesia makes the first and second stories pop. While it’s necessary for the evil in this third book set in the US to be somewhat cliché, the author has also shown an understanding of the difference between shock value and those who truly believe they are on the right hand of God and will murder to prove it. I still call such skewed devotion mental illness. Stellar writing is important to me, and this author has done another excellent work.


Those who love controversy, action, gruesome realities, and a good mystery thrill ride with action jumping between scenes will like Baton’s books. They are a true torn from the headlines look at the world today, and with A Violent Light, at America and its rotten layer of racism and biblical misinterpretation that must be overcome by the true power of dignity and self-sacrifice and love.

About the Author
JIM BATON has spent the last 20 years in the world’s largest Muslim nation, building bridges between Muslims and Christians who both desire peace. His speaking and writing call people out of fear and into authentic friendships that can change the world.

Read other Reviews in the John 316 Network

A Way Out of Hell  Lorilyn  Lisa
Somebody Has to Die  Lisa  Lorilyn

Monday, December 19, 2016

"A Way Out of Hell," by Jim Baton - Book Review by Lorilyn Roberts




A Way Out of Hell by Jim Baton is the second book in the Peace Trilogy Series and picks up where Someone Has to Die left off.

As an American attempting to understand Islam, the series has helped me to understand a side of Islam that is often overlooked: Muslims are people just like me, trying to raise their families, pay their bills, and worship according to their beliefs. A Way Out of Hell shows that radical Islamic groups like ISIS are as much a threat to Muslim society as they are to Christians and Jews.

Can Christians and Muslims live side by side, respect each others' beliefs, share each others' hopes, and even pray together? Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." 

In a world where there is so little love, so little hope, and so little tolerance, maybe this series offers a glimpse of what is possible. I have many personal questions after reading the first two books. For example, can I love that much? 

In my heart, I want to show Muslims the love of Christ. Jesus Christ died for them too, but before we can expect Muslims to listen to us, or to me, we must love them first. Earn their friendship. I remind myself, Jesus loves Muslims more than I ever could because He loves perfectly. 

Our best ability to love will never be like Jesus Christ, but if we commit our minds and hearts to trying, will that not please our heavenly Father? John 13:35 says: By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

The Peace Trilogy Series has shown me some things that aren't always obvious at first. Perhaps one reason why Jesus Christ taught using parables is because stories teach us things we can't learn any other way. When we read stories, we develop an intimacy with the characters. We feel their emotions. 

The scholarship of a nonfiction book remains in the intellect. Stories reach the heart. Love, hate, hopelessness, and redemption, I felt all those emotions in the Peace Trilogy Series. I even felt pity for the antagonists who had become radicalizedThey were misled, perhaps demonically possessed in one instance, but they still had souls. They weren't beyond redemption.  



It only takes one person to make a difference, to bring peace to a village, a community, a school, or a country, and the Peace Trilogy Series provides an example of how reconciliation is possible. I look forward to reading the third and final book in the series, A Violent Light.

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