Pastor Stephen Grant Rooting for the Cincinnati Bengals

 Pastor Stephen Grant was born and raised in the Cincinnati area. And yes, he is a Bengals fan, and excited about Sunday’s AFC Championship game against the Chiefs.

Here are a few Bengals moments from the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries…

 

      A couple of hours later, Grant was sitting on the couch in the plane’s cabin next to Jessica West. On the other side of him, Chase Axelrod was in a separate seat. They were gathered in front of a large screen, with the Super Bowl kickoff just a few minutes away. 

      Axelrod asked, “Do you have a dog in this fight, Stephen?” 

      “No, unfortunately, I’m a Bengals fan.”
      “Bengals?”
      Grant nodded. “I grew up in the Cincinnati area. The Reds and Bengals are in my blood, you could say. What about you two?” He glanced at Axelrod and West. 

 

- from Reagan Country

 

      After slipping on a pair of dark sweatpants, a t-shirt, a hoodie with a zip front, and a Cincinnati Bengals knit hat, with a rather wild pom-pom sitting atop, he stepped out the front door of St. Mark’s parsonage. Fortunately, the crisp air was unusually still for early February. Grant stretched, and in a few minutes, was at full stride. 

 

- from Lionhearts

 

      The relative quiet of their discussion was broken by Stephen bolting upright on the couch, disturbing Jennifer’s head that had been resting on his shoulder. “Go, yes, go!” 

      Everyone in the room turned to look at the television screen that had captured Stephen’s attention. The Bengals kick returner found a hole, faked around two members of the Seahawks special teams, and now was sprinting by Seattle’s helpless kicker to return the second half kickoff 104 yards for a touchdown. 

 

- from An Advent for Religious Liberty

 

      Glenn asked Jennifer, “Does he always sulk like this?” 

      “Actually, Glenn, the only time my take-the-hill husband sulks is when it comes to the Reds and Bengals.” 

      Stephen smiled, kissed Jennifer on the cheek, and said, “True enough.” 

 

- from Wine Into Water

 

Reviewers Bestow Accolades on the Pastor Stephen Grant Thrillers & Mysteries! A Unique Series Featuring a Former Navy SEAL, Onetime CIA Operative and Now a Lutheran Pastor

 

Kirkus Reviews has called Ray Keating’s Pastor Stephen Grant “an engaging and multifaceted character” and “a consistently entertaining hero.” Lutheran Book Review says, “I miss Tom Clancy. Keating fills that void for me.” The retired host of KFUO radio’s BookTalk declares, “Ray Keating is a great novelist.” David Keene of The Washington Times calls these novels “great reads.”  Another reviewer observes, “How I'd love to see Pastor Grant on Netflix!” 

 

And BookSeriesinOrder.com declares, “Many noteworthy critics have given rave reviews to books of the series and have applauded the efforts of author Ray Keating in coming up with such an exciting series and unique character. Ray Keating has also received praise from his fellow writers for his mind-blowing work in the series. The first book of the series has succeeded in making it to the top 10 self-published books of the year by the World magazine. Other novels also followed and achieved great success. The worldwide success of this series helped Ray Keating in establishing himself in the ranks of the noteworthy authors of the spy thriller/espionage genre.”

 

And in an article titled “If James Bond Became a Pastor,” author and columnist Gene Veith notes, “Mr. Keating knows how to tell an exciting story. And these books, like the James Bond novels, are ridiculously entertaining. As for larger themes, there is vocation, of course. I see these books as honoring the pastoral ministry. Because in real life, pastors are heroes engaged in saving the world.”

 

Finally, in a 5-star Amazon review: “I've had the pleasure of reading four of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels, with others on my nightstand waiting to be read. I've thoroughly enjoyed reading each of these books thus far, with The River being my absolute favorite as of this writing. But I would be remiss if I did not give props to Warrior Monk, the first book in the series. Honestly, I was intrigued by the basic concept. A CIA operative turned Lutheran pastor finding himself being pulled back to his old skills seems to blend the James Bond thrillers with the Father Brown stories penned by G K Chesterton. Keating combines interesting theological concepts with action and personal interest, all the while taking the time to engage the reader with current events filtered through a Christian perspective. These elements come together to create a pitch-perfect novel, and as a fledgling author myself, I am envious that I hadn't written it first.” 

 

15 page-turners and counting…

Feast of St. Ambrose and WARRIOR MONK

Today, December 7, we give thanks for St. Ambrose of Milan, born in AD 340. Much of the action in WARRIOR MONK: A PASTOR STEPHEN GRANT NOVEL takes place at the St. Ambrose Retreat House on Long Island’s North Shore. Here’s an excerpt from the book with Pastor Grant and Pope Augustine:

 

     

Grant was now following the pope, his aides and security entourage up the staircase in the castle’s main lobby. 

     Augustine stopped at the statue of St. Ambrose, and gazed at it. As this continued for several seconds, a silence descended in the large chamber. The pope said, “He was interesting, St. Ambrose. During a tumultuous time of disagreement in the latter part of the fourth century, he tried to keep peace among Christians in Milan. And he was not even baptized when clergy and the people called for him to become the bishop. He did not want the job, but finally acquiesced, was baptized, and eight days later became the bishop. He would be one of the great Latin Doctors of the Church. And as we talk about the Church’s role in the public arena now, it is worth recalling that Ambrose previously was a lawyer and politician who came to be a powerful voice in the Church for celibacy and voluntary poverty. If that happened today, few, I think, would doubt the transformative power of faith in our Lord.” The pope smiled, and most everyone else joined in with his infectious laugh. 

     That would be a miracle [thought Grant.]

     With Cardinal Santos leading the way, the pope continued up the stairs to the left of Ambrose…

 

Grab WARRIOR MONK and the rest of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries here.

Hearing from Real-Life Pastor Stephen Grants

PRESS CLUB C Podcast with Ray Keating – Episode #66 (Book Stuff 2): Hearing from “Pastor Stephen Grants”? – Ray talks about people he has heard from who have experiences rather similar to the life of the fictional Pastor Stephen Grant – the former Navy SEAL, onetime CIA operative, and now a pastor. 

“The Lutheran Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution” Helps With Getting Organized, While Keeping Proper Perspective

 Daily Reflections from Holy Scripture and Christian Thinkers Provide Encouragement, Inspiration and Consolation from the Christian Faith

We all need to get things done each day, and plan our coming week, month or year. At the same time, each of us needs to keep such matters in proper perspective. The Lutheran Planner 2022: The To Do List Solution is meant to be a tool in this ongoing endeavor. And, no, you don't have to be a Lutheran to use this planner!

 

Get organized and set goals using Ray Keating’s TO DO List Solution, while enjoying and reflecting upon quotes from Holy Scripture, Church fathers, and other Christian thinkers. In addition, feasts, festivals and commemorations throughout the Church year are marked.

 

The Lutheran Planner 2022: The To Do List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done – using monthly, weekly and daily to-do lists – with encouragement, inspiration and consolation from the Christian faith. 

 

The Lutheran Planner 2022: The To Do List Solution comes with a handy spiral binding for easy use, and is available at https://raykeatingonline.com/products/lutheranplanner2022.

 

Ray Keating, who also is the author of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, explains: “We all seem to be busy these days no matter what happens to be our calling or vocation in life. As a Christian – of the Lutheran variety – I try to stay on track with daily devotional readings and prayer. Unfortunately, I often falter along the way. The various quotes each day in this planner help, giving me pause for further reflection.”

 

Keating adds, “Using ‘The TO DO List Solution’ also provides benefits by requiring reflection on goals; prioritization; being more realistic about time management; and serious thought on how to best get things done.”

 

The Lutheran Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution is one of two TO DO List Solution 2022 planners from Ray Keating. The other is The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution.

 

Review copies, and author interviews and appearances are available upon request. 

 

Contact: Ray Keating

E-mail: raykeating@keatingreports.com

Facebook: @FreeEnterpriseEconomics 

Twitter: @KeatingNovels

RayKeatingOnline.com

Who is Pastor Stephen Grant?

PRESS CLUB C Podcast with Ray Keating – Episode #64 (Book Stuff 1): Who is Pastor Stephen Grant? – Ray talks about the main protagonist in his series of Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, that is, Stephen Grant. What’s the deal with a character about which some have said: Think James Bond as your pastor or priest? Tune in here!

THE TRAITOR: A Thriller Torn from Today's Headlines

Get caught up this fall on all of the Pastor Stephen Grant adventures? Paperbacks and Kindle editions at Amazon via https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08P1S5R26 and signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com.

Vatican Shadows - Find Out More About this Page-Turner

 

Get caught up this fall on all of the Pastor Stephen Grant adventures? Paperbacks and Kindle editions at Amazon via https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08P1S5R26 and signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com.

Check Out ROOT OF ALL EVIL? by Ray Keating

 

Get caught up this fall on all of the Pastor Stephen Grant adventures? Paperbacks and Kindle editions at Amazon via https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08P1S5R26 and signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com.

Details and Reviews on WARRIOR MONK by Ray Keating

Get caught up this fall on all of the Pastor Stephen Grant adventures? Paperbacks and Kindle editions at Amazon via https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08P1S5R26 and signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com. 

If James Bond Became a Pastor?

 

Check out an article by author and columnist Gene Veith about Ray Keating’s Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries series. The piece is titled “If James Bond Became a Pastor.” Read the article right here.

“What’s Lost?” is the Latest Pastor Stephen Grant Thriller from Award-Winning Novelist Ray Keating

 Gripping Tale Told in Pastor Grant’s Own Words

 

What’s Lost? A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story is an edge of-your-seat page-turner by Ray Keating that is torn from the pages of Grant’s own journal.

Pastor Stephen Grant tells a riveting mystery involving deception, betrayal, sacrifice and friendship, along with plenty of action and questions about what we truly can know about others. Grant takes us on a personal journey across decades and around the world, from Long Island to Vietnam.

 

This is the second Pastor Stephen Grant thriller by Ray Keating told from Grant’s own viewpoint, unfolding each day in the pages of his journal.

 

In a 4-star review of What’s Lost?, Self-Publishing Review said, “The Pastor Stephen Grant universe grows a bit wider and more fascinating with Ray Keating's latest short story release. This gripping tale of deception, retribution, and redemption is filled with espionage, action, and a good deal of enticing mystery. Keating's original twists and singular protagonist result in another solid ride.”

 

For good measure, Kirkus Reviews has called Ray Keating’s Pastor Stephen Grant “an engaging and multifaceted character” and “a consistently entertaining hero.” 

 

Ray Keating said, “Like Past Lives, What’s Lost? is an adventure written from a first-person point of view. Grant tells the story through his journal entries. And while this is a ‘short story,’ it’s packed with action, mystery and revelations about relationships.” 

 

What’s Lost? comes after the recent publication of Past Lives: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Storyand Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel, which have earned widespread praise. 

 

Paperbacks and the Kindle edition of What’s Lost? A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story are at Amazon via https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094GQN6PG and signed books are at https://raykeatingonline.com/products/whatslost.

 

About Keating and his Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, Kirkus Reviews simply says “exhilarating.” Lutheran Book Review says, “I miss Tom Clancy. Keating fills that void for me.” The retired host of KFUO radio’s BookTalk declares, “Ray Keating is a great novelist.” David Keene of The Washington Times calls these novels “great reads.”  And another reviewer observes, “How I'd love to see Pastor Grant on Netflix!”

 

Keating’s previous Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers/mysteries – Past Lives (2021), Vatican Shadows(2020), The Traitor (2019), Deep Rough (2019), Shifting Sands (2018), Heroes and Villains (2018), Reagan Country (2018), Lionhearts (2017), Wine Into Water (2016), Murderer’s Row (2015), The River (2014), An Advent For Religious Liberty (2012), Root of All Evil? (Second Edition 2020), andWarrior Monk (Second Edition 2019) – have received widespread praise from all kinds of readers. 

 

Review copies, and author interviews and appearances are available upon request. 

 

Contact: Ray Keating

E-mail: raykeating@keatingreports.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/PastorStephenGrantNovels

Twitter: @KeatingNovels

PastorStephenGrant.com

RayKeatingOnline.com

The Masters and DEEP ROUGH: Book Excerpt

 The Masters – golf’s first major – is here. In DEEP ROUGH: A PASTOR STEPHEN GRANT NOVEL, Grant – a Lutheran pastor, a former Navy SEAL and onetime CIA operative – is in the midst of the action on and off the course at the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and more! Kirkus Reviews says, “... when the action does hit, it's exhilarating, and Stephen proves once again he's as capable in fights as he is in quieter times of prayer and worship. A fast-paced, exuberant outing for the virtuoso clergyman and his numerous comrades.”

Grab DEEP ROUGH at Amazon via https://www.amazon.com/dp/107308843X and enjoy the following excerpt from the book…

 

     Each hole at Augusta National was named for a flowering and/or aromatic tree or shrub. This was a tip of the hat to the fact that the course was laid out on what previously had been a plant nursery. 

     The 11th hole, named “White Dogwood,” stretched out to a long, 505-yard par 4. Traditionally the second most difficult hole, it marked the beginning of “Amen Corner” – a name coined by Herbert Warren Wind in a 1958 issue of Sports Illustrated – which covered the 11th, 12th and 13th holes. 

     Chen launched a perfectly-shaped, left-to-right drive, but then badly misplayed his approach shot to the right of the green, leaving a long, tricky pitch. The gallery erupted when Chen’s pitch shot sped toward the hole, hit the stick and dropped into the hole. Chen pumped his fist, and then high- fived Grant. 

     As they made the short walk over to the 12th hole, Grant asked, “Doing your Larry Mize impression?” From a similar spot, Mize had chipped in during a playoff to beat Gregg Norman. 

     Chen replied, “The 1987 Masters? How old are you, Stephen?” 

     “Wow. That didn’t seem necessary.” 

     The two men laughed, and stopped near the next tee. The wind tended to swirl in “Amen Corner,” but fortunately the air was calm. Grant had his hand on the head of Chen’s nine iron, waiting for Xin’s decision on what club he’d choose for the 155-yard, par-3 12th hole – or “Golden Bell.” When Chen requested the nine, Grant was pleased with himself. 

     The narrow green was well guarded, by Rae’s Creek and a bunker in the front, and two bunkers behind the putting surface. Chen would hit first among the threesome, and his high nine iron shot came up short, with the ball plummeting into the front bunker. 

     As the next two players went through their respective routines and hit their shots, Grant once again casually scanned the gallery. Two faces caught his attention. They were a few people deep from the rope line behind the tee. A man and woman stood next to each other. They were both tall, and had light brown hair. The man sported a scar above his left eye. For some reason, they struck Grant as being out of place. 

 

“Zack Snyder’s Justice League,” “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” and "Heroes and Villains"

 With the arrival of Zack Snyder’s Justice League and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on Disney+, what’s the ideal read to join these tales of superheroes? Consider Ray Keating’s Heroes and Villains: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story.

Stephen Grant, onetime Navy SEAL, former CIA operative and current Lutheran pastor, finds himself in an entirely unfamiliar setting – a comic book, science fiction and fantasy convention. But he still joins forces with a unique set of heroes in an attempt to foil a villainous plot against one of the all-time great comic book writers and artists. Reviewers love the adventure...

 

“An entertaining, immersive jaunt with a formidable protagonist.”  - Kirkus Reviews

 

“Keating's creativity and storytelling ability remain on point, for a fun and different take on Pastor Grant, and one that's just as satisfying as longer books in the series.”  - Self-Publishing Review

 

“Heroes and Villains … is an enjoyable romp complete with the gritty realism of the Burton Batman films, the camp of the Adam West adventures of the 60's, and the modern humor of LEGO Batman. If you know the adventures of the Avengers from the movies or the pages, dream of the day of decent DC films, or love the experience of Comic-Con, Heroes and Villains is the read for you! … How I'd love to see Pastor Grant on Netflix!”  - Lutheran Book Review

 

“This is a fantastic novel... If you are a comic book fan who is fed up with the political correctness that's going on, you have got to pick up Heroes and Villains... I highly recommend this book... I'm definitely going to be paying more attention to Ray Keating, and getting more of his novels.”  - Jacob Airey, host of StudioJake