The Jericho Deception: A Novel (51 page)

She stood, pushed her chair back, and straddled his legs. “Thank you.” She lowered herself onto his lap, grabbed his neck, and kissed him.

The weight of her body sent a jolt of electricity through him. The softness of her lips gave way to the urgency of the kiss. Her arms tightened around his neck while he entwined his fingers in her hair. They kissed as if trying to make up for time lost. After several minutes, he was startled when the memory of Natalie flashed through his mind. For the first time, however, he felt neither the pain of loss nor the emptiness of regret. Their time together would always be part of him, but it no longer blocked him from moving forward. His sadness over Elijah’s and Chris’s deaths seemed to dissolve as
well. He felt liberated, like the shackles he’d never realized were binding him had been removed.

Rachel leaned back and brushed her bangs from her eyes. “Oh, when Sanchez heard the university offered me a place in the PhD program, she practically begged me to stay. Said she couldn’t see running the lab without me.”

“Well, I will need help with animal trials when I develop my new protocol.”

“Exactly.” A smile started at her mouth and spread to her eyes. “And I certainly don’t trust you around my monkeys without me there.”

The depth in Rachel’s eyes that Ethan had first noticed when she sat in the front row of his class drew him in, but now he no longer resisted the feeling. He felt connected to her in a way he sensed but could not describe. The connection possessed the same quality that his two visions revealing a hidden dimension and structure to reality had.

Love
, he thought. Ethan now understood in his very soul that a depth to being existed that neither science nor religion could fully encompass or explain. The everyday realities of matter and energy, the joy and the suffering of humanity, and the finitude of life itself were not the end of the story.

A
lthough
The Jericho Deception
is completely fictional, the genesis of my novel came from the fascinating research of three scientists I have never met. First, over a decade ago, Dr. Michael Persinger, a neuropsychologist at Laurentian University in Ontario, experimented with a device that came to be known as the “God helmet.” Persinger claimed that, like the Logos, his device, which stimulated the temporal lobes of the brain with electromagnetic waves, produced mystical sensations in his subjects. Subsequent research by other scientists with this technology, however, yielded inconsistent results. I am also indebted to the research of University of Pennsylvania’s Professor Andrew Newberg, one of the pioneers in the field of neurotheology, the study of the interrelation of the mind and religious experience. The experiments exploring the neurological similarities of Buddhist meditation and Christian contemplative prayer that Ethan and Elijah discuss in my novel are real studies performed on monks and nuns by Dr. Newberg, which he describes in his excellent books. Finally, my interest in the psychology of mystical experiences was first piqued by the grandfather of this field, Harvard Professor William James. His 1902 masterpiece,
The Varieties of Religious Experience,
which describes the commonalities of mystical experiences across religious traditions, is still one of the most important treatises in this field.

I am also deeply grateful for the interview Yale Professor and Director of CapLab Laurie Santos allowed me to conduct with her in New Haven over a cup of coffee at Koffee (Ethan and Rachel’s hangout), as well as the medical
advice and background provided by neurologist and good friend Dr. Art Schiff. All inaccuracies in the novel relating to their fields are either my own mistakes or the purposeful result of my creative license as a fiction writer!

My greatest inspiration, however, comes from the two most important women in my life. My brilliant and beautiful wife, Alison, has an uncanny knack of handing me an article or pointing me to a documentary and saying, “This could make an interesting book.” A
Wired Magazine
piece on Dr. Persinger that she gave me sparked my idea for this novel, while a Discovery Channel show on the mystery of the missing years in the life of Jesus led me to the plot of
The Breath of God.
My insightful and talented daughter, Ella, has a voracious appetite for thrillers that makes me wish I could write faster. For their love and infinite patience, I am forever grateful.

I’m also thankful for the unlimited understanding and support of my parents, Jeff and Eileen, and my forum friends—Malon, John, Reed, Jim, Greg, Rob, and Jay—all of whom have encouraged me to pursue my passion of writing.

Once again, I would like to thank Mark Bernstein, my publisher, and the folks at West Hills/Hundreds of Heads and PGW for making my dream a reality. My novel would also be vastly inferior without the guidance and prodding of my editors—Brooke Warner and Caitlin Alexander—both of whom challenge me to become a better writer.

Finally, to the wonderful fans of my first novel,
The Breath of God,
who have been eagerly awaiting this book: I cannot express how touched I have been by your enthusiasm. Thank you!

J
effrey Small is the author of the critically acclaimed novel,
The Breath of God,
which won the Nautilus Book Award Gold Medal for Best Fiction and was hailed as a “thought-provoking masterpiece” by RT Book Reviews, “visionary fiction” by Library Journal, and “a fast-paced adventure” by Kirkus. Jeffrey is also a popular speaker on religion and spirituality in the 21st century. He graduated
summa cum laude from Yale University, magna cum laude
from Harvard Law School, and he holds a Masters in the Study of Religions from Oxford University in England. Active in the Episcopal Church, Jeffrey has also studied Yoga in India, practiced Buddhist meditation in Bhutan, explored the ancient temples in Egypt, and journeyed throughout the Holy Land. He lives in Atlanta with his wife, daughter, and a lovable Newfoundland that looks like a giant black bear. For more information or to contact Jeffrey, please visit
www.JeffreySmall.com

“This meticulously researched, thought-provoking masterpiece is filled with high adventure and intrigue. Based on an actual document from 1887, Small’s stunning debut reveals the impact of such a find. RT Rating: 4 1/2 stars TOP PICK!”

—RT Book Reviews

“This tale is for fans of Dan Brown’s thrillers as well as readers who enjoy visionary fiction.”

—Library Journal

“A fast-paced adventure with a deep backdrop of religious scholarship.”

—Kirkus

“Jeffrey Small, a Harvard/Yale/Oxford-educated speaker on religion and spirituality, makes an impressive literary debut with a thriller . . . Small’s themes, such as the common ground of the world’s religions, are timely.”

—Atlanta Magazine

“Winner of the 2012 Gold Medal for Best Fiction”

—Nautilus Book Awards

“Winner of the 2012 Gold Medal for Best Adventure Fiction”

—Living Now Book Awards

“Silver Medal for Best Regional Fiction (Southeast) 2012”

—Independent Publisher Book Awards

“There is nothing better than reading a novel that exceeds expectation.
The Breath of God
is a spectacular thriller that spans the world, history, and the limits of imagination; an epic adventure that left me yearning for more.”

—Richard Doetsch, author of
The Thieves of Darkness
and
The 13th Hour

“Jeffrey Small explodes on the writing scene with his first novel and this book has Best Seller written all over it!
The Breath of God
is a riveting novel that grips the reader from the first chapter and does not let go until the last paragraph.”

—FeatureMe2 Reviews

“In this gripping tale—played out against an intriguing international setting—East meets West, mystery meets romance, the human spirit meets the divine spirit, and the reader meets a novelist of the first caliber.”

—The Honorable Raymond Seitz, Former US Ambassador to Great Britain

“A spellbinding novel, full of suspense as well as the thrills of a lifetime. Very hard to put down. It also brings religion to the forefront of the reader’s mind, no matter what faith he or she follows, raising questions that have not been asked before, as well as bringing other parts of the world into the living room. Not to be missed.”

—
Bookloons.com

“
The Breath of God
is sure to create controversy while exploring the plausibility of an ancient legend that could tie the world’s religions to each other. Mr. Small paints a colorful and realistic depiction of India that reflects the multi-faceted environment of daily existence in that country. A must-read for those that love suspense and mystery; also for those who wish to expand their knowledge of the world’s religions, check out this novel.”

—The Universal Learning Series Radio Show