Pastor Stephen Grant?

Stephen Grant is the pastor at St. Mary’s Lutheran Church on eastern Long Island. Grant is one of the more unique second-career clergy around, as he once worked for the CIA. Besides theology, his interests include archery, golf, writing, classic films, the beach, poker, baseball, and history. Grant also knows his wines, champagnes and brews. Oh yes, he generally dislikes politicians, and happens to be an expert marksman with a handgun and a rifle, while being pretty handy with a combat knife as well.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

A Top 10 Christian Novelist Presents a Kick-Butt Lutheran Pastor


Looking for an entertaining thriller that embraces your Christian faith and values, while not insulting your intelligence – oh yes, and features a kick-butt Lutheran pastor who used to be with the CIA?

Check out Ray Keating’s latest thriller THE RIVER: A PASTOR STEPHEN GRANT NOVEL.

Ray Keating has been called “a great novelist” by the host of KFUO’s “BookTalk” radio, and Amazon.com reviewers have compared his thrillers to the works of Clancy, Ludlum, Grisham, Cussler, Griffin and Morrell.

The editor-in-chief of WORLD magazine, Marvin Olasky, wrote in the June 28, 2014, issue: “Most of my favorite detective or spy novel authors have written series of books. As it’s hard to declare one particular book in a series to be best of show, I’ll simply list 10 secular and 10 Christian authors.” And among his top 10 Christian novelists? Ray Keating, author of the Pastor Stephen Grant series – WARRIOR MONK, ROOT OF ALL EVIL?, AN ADVENT FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY, and the latest, THE RIVER.

Like Stephen Grant, Kenneth V. Blanchard was with the CIA and is now a pastor. In a Washington Times review of THE RIVER, Blanchard wrote: “Mr. Keating's storytelling is so lifelike that I almost thought I had worked with him when I was at Langley. Like the fictitious pastor, I actually spent 20 years working for the U.S. intelligence community, and once I started reading ‘The River,’ I had to keep reading because it was so well-crafted and easy to follow and because it depicted a personal struggle that I knew all too well. I simply could not put it down… What Ian Fleming's 007 series has probably done for ex-MI-6 agents and Tom Clancy has done for retired CIA officers, Mr. Keating has done for the minority of former CIA agents who have served their country by working in the intelligence community, but now wish to serve God.”

Get all four PASTOR STEPHEN GRANT NOVELS – WARRIOR MONK, ROOT OF ALL EVIL?, AN ADVENT FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY, and THE RIVER – at Amazon.com


THE RIVER: A PASTOR STEPHEN GRANT NOVEL has earned an average Amazon.com reviewer rating of 4.3 stars out of 5.



WARRIOR MONK: A PASTOR STEPHEN GRANT NOVEL has earned an average Amazon.com reviewer rating of 4.3 stars out of 5, and was ranked as a Top 10 book on a WORLD magazine June 2013 list.



ROOT OF ALL EVIL? A PASTOR STEPHEN GRANT NOVEL has earned an average Amazon.com reviewer rating of 4.6 stars out of 5.



AN ADVENT FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY: A PASTOR STEPHEN GRANT NOVEL has earned an average Amazon.com reviewer rating of 4.3 stars out of 5.



Check out our website at www.pastorstephengrant.com.

Please “Like” the Pastor Stephen Grant Novels Facebook page at:


Follow Ray Keating, the creator of Pastor Stephen Grant, on Twitter @RevGrantNovel

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

40% Off Kindle Version of "Root of All Evil?"


Huge 40% Off Kindle eBook Sale: Get Ray Keating’s ROOT OF ALL EVIL? A PASTOR STEPHEN GRANT NOVEL for just $2.99 – that’s 40 percent off the usual price – now through Sunday ONLY. Ray Keating has been called “a great novelist” by the host of “BookTalk” radio, and Amazon.com reviewers have compared his thrillers to the works of Clancy, Ludlum, Grisham, Cussler, and Morrell. Best-selling novelist Paul Maier says, “ROOT OF ALL EVIL? is an extraordinarily good read.” ROOT OF ALL EVIL? is a fast-paced thriller involving drug traffickers, politicians, the CIA, a shadowy foreign regime, the Church, and money. Grab your copy during this limited sale event, and enjoy!

Get the Kindle version of ROOT OF ALL EVIL? at
http://www.amazon.com/Root-Pastor-Stephen-Grant-Novel-ebook/dp/B008Z7E39Y/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=

Monday, September 8, 2014

Top San Diego Chargers Fans in Fiction?

With the San Diego Chargers kicking off their season on Monday Night Football (September 8), who are the biggest Chargers fans in the realm of fiction? Consider this excerpt from An Advent for Religious Liberty: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel by Ray Keating:


   Stephen had not seen Mike Vanacore in a while, noting that the young, billionaire video game entrepreneur, and leading supporter of parochial education, was still sporting thick blond hair and Clark Kent glasses. Vanacore was from, and still lived in California, but also had a house on Long Island, He was an active member at St. Bart’s. His football preferences were clear from his San Diego Chargers jersey.
   But it was the fourth person in the group who drew Stephen’s attention. He whispered to Tom, “Who is that with Mike? She looks familiar.”
   Stephen was referring to a tall, thin, beautiful woman with long, straight blond hair. She also had a Chargers jersey on, though cut to reveal her stomach and belly button, along with Capri-style jeans and white sneakers.
   Tom answered, “Familiar? Really? Does Jen know that?” Stephen said, “Meaning what?” Tom continued, “That’s Melissa Ambler. I guess there’s
no other way to put it: She’s a supermodel. She and Mike have been dating for a bit. I believe she was in the most recent SI swimsuit issue.”
   Stephen retorted, “And how would you know that? And does Maggie know?”
   “Touché. She’s also been in some cosmetics commercials.”
   “Interesting.”
   Tom added, “That’s not all. She’s got an MBA. Mike constantly mentions her business smarts.”
   They stopped and looked at each other.
   Stephen smirked and said, “Her business smarts. That’s what he talks about constantly?”
   Tom replied, “Yes, and what are you possibly implying?” His fake outrage lasted mere seconds, when they laughed, clinked their bottles, and drank some beer.

Friday, September 5, 2014

From 5-Star Reviews of "The River" by Pastors


Among the reviews of THE RIVER: A PASTOR STEPHEN GRANT NOVEL by Ray Keating, it turns out that four pastors each give 5 stars to this exciting page-turner.

From these 5-star reviews, consider…

• “Ray Keating does a good job... a very good job in combining faith, adventure, guns, and a real world relationship, that ends where it begins, united to Christ, and to His family. Of the Grant novels, I think this is Keating's best. Enjoy.”

• “Pastor Grant undergoes serious character development, showing the anguish of the soul that knows right, loves right, loves God, and yet wants and does evil. Lutherans speak of it as the 'simul' and it is too often over simplified, but author Ray Keating gives it a healthy fleshing out in the novel without making it sound contrived or overly dogmatic. The things I've come to love about Pastor Stephen Grant novels are all here - friendly jokes amidst the characters, smooth integration of theology into the lives of the characters, and a thrilling plot!”

• “I couldn't put this book down. I truly enjoy the intrigue… The explanation on communion was also interesting and uplifting.”

• “I've read all of Ray Keating's books so far. This is the best! … As a Lutheran pastor and retired FBI chaplain I can say that this is about as real as it gets.”

THE RIVER: A PASTOR STEPHEN GRANT NOVEL is available from Amazon.com at

Thursday, September 4, 2014

What Are They Saying About Ray Keating's Thrillers?

Ray Keating has been called “a great novelist” by the host of “BookTalk” radio, and Amazon.com reviewers have compared his thrillers to the works of Clancy, Ludlum, Grisham, Cussler, Griffin, and Morrell.

Not bad.

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

“Ray Keating's latest novel, ‘The River,’ takes you on an intriguing summer ride...” – The Washington Times


A very special book reviewer at THE WASHINGTON TIMES has served up a fantastic review of Ray Keating’s THE RIVER: A PASTOR STEPHEN GRANT NOVEL. Like Stephen Grant, this reviewer, Kenneth V. Blanchard, was with the CIA and is now a pastor.

Blanchard writes: “How do you handle being a former CIA adrenaline junkie turned pastor? Ray Keating's latest novel, ‘The River,’ takes you on an intriguing summer ride from Langley to the Vatican with Stephen Grant, a former CIA agent who leaves his intelligence career behind and becomes a pastor of St. Mary's Lutheran Church on East Long Island. Mr. Keating's storytelling is so lifelike that I almost thought I had worked with him when I was at Langley. Like the fictitious pastor, I actually spent 20 years working for the U.S. intelligence community, and once I started reading ‘The River,’ I had to keep reading because it was so well-crafted and easy to follow and because it depicted a personal struggle that I knew all too well. I simply could not put it down.”

Blanchard adds: “What Ian Fleming's 007 series has probably done for ex-MI-6 agents and Tom Clancy has done for retired CIA officers, Mr. Keating has done for the minority of former CIA agents who have served their country by working in the intelligence community, but now wish to serve God.”

In addition, he points out: “‘The River’ takes us to the core of moral principle; that is the battle between good versus evil, right versus wrong and the differences between one's past and present lives, leaving the reader in deep reflection about the blurred lines that inspire inner conflict in anyone who has a past that they must reconcile with… Mr. Keating also allows you to discover how each of his characters tick in a style and tone reminiscent of some of the best loved books of all time. The details and descriptions of ‘The River’ brought me back into the secret corridors of the agency.”

Blanchard concludes: “Many spy-novel authors try to appeal to members of the intelligence community as well as the average American looking for a little international intrigue and James Bond excitement. With Mr. Keating's Pastor Grant, he has touched upon a small fraternity within the intelligence community of those who have wanted to serve both God and country — but necessarily in that order.”

Read the full review at


THE RIVER: A PASTOR STEPHEN GRANT NOVEL is available from Amazon.com at


And don’t forget about the first three PASTOR STEPHEN GRANT NOVELS…

WARRIOR MONK: A PASTOR STEPHEN GRANT NOVEL has earned an average Amazon.com reviewer rating of 4.3 stars out of 5, and was ranked as a Top 10 book on a WORLD magazine June 2013 list.



ROOT OF ALL EVIL? A PASTOR STEPHEN GRANT NOVEL has earned an average Amazon.com reviewer rating of 4.6 stars out of 5.



AN ADVENT FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY: A PASTOR STEPHEN GRANT NOVEL has earned an average Amazon.com reviewer rating of 4.4 stars out of 5.