Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Need a great beach book?

 Wondering what to read this summer? 

How about some action-packed page-turners, exciting stories from a Christian worldview? Both adults and teens will find these tales fascinating. You won’t have to wash your brains out after reading one of these exciting novels—but you will find it hard to put them down. Of his novels Cobb says, “If I don’t make you miss your bedtime, I’m not doing my job.” All titles are available locally (Greenville, OH) at the Bread of Life Bookstore, or on Amazon in print and Kindle format. You can find Cobb at chcobb.com.


Falcon Down

(military/espionage thriller, book one of four)

Sometimes what you don’t know can hurt you!

The chief test pilot for a highly classified F-16 weapons-development project, Major Jacob “Falcon” Kelly is shot down and captured by the Soviet Union in a hi-tech kidnapping during the Cold War. They intend to interrogate him to learn the secrets of the new weapon. His captors have detained him at a secret GRU facility in Siberia. Holding on to him might prove difficult, however, because Kelly has some skills of which they are unaware . . .

Kirkus Reviews: “Cobb has clearly done his research on multiple counts and, like Tom Clancy or Dale Brown, masterly intertwines military technology and behavior into a tightly plotted narrative in which every development follows logically and smoothly from what came before. This deft touch extends to the characters . . .”


The Candidate

(political thriller)

It began as a blog. It became a political firestorm.

Henry Marshall is a principled Christian conservative blogger who is convinced that both major parties have abandoned the Constitution. His intention is to be nothing more than a political gadfly, but his friends won’t allow him to stay on the sidelines, and his enemies don’t intend to allow him to live.

Journalist/author TJ Martinell: “Penned before the 2016 election cycle . . . , The Candidate is a political thriller that unwittingly earns a place within the alternative history genre for its exploration of how far a man can go armed only with a message – and how far those within the establishment will go to stop him. . . . [M]any of the aspects of the plot seem prophetic, rather than slightly fanciful.

A pastor by trade, Cobb’s writing reflects extensive background knowledge of mainstream media, political strategy, the military, and of course constitutional history; . . . . The technical preciseness gives vital story subplots a sense of authenticity and realism.”


Outlander Chronicles: Phoenix

(post-apocalyptic action/adventure, book one of three)

From the ashes of a world past . . .

Eighty years after a smallpox pandemic has reduced the global population to eight million, a young man (Jacen Chester) experiences the tragic deaths of his entire family and community. Wrestling with grief and anger, he commits himself to establishing a new community (Phoenix) that will advance beyond merely subsisting on the remains of the former world.

He meets a mysterious wanderer who decides to help him accomplish his dream. Together the two gather a small community and set their sights on the empty interior of the continent—1800 miles away—where they can escape the murderous gangs of the east and pursue their project in peace.

But hatred and bitterness from within and lethal attacks from without threaten to destroy the growing Phoenix community. A painful lesson in forgiveness and tolerance is required to save Phoenix from itself.

Captivated Reading Book Blog: “With two incredibly strong main characters, Phoenix tells a story of a world lost and people who are desperate . . . I was completely enthralled in this story from beginning to end.”

Amazon Reader Review:I loved reading this book and I can't wait for more of the story! It gave me so much to think about, which I love in a book, and it was an exciting read, too! It raised ideas I had never thought about before, as well as presenting familiar ones in a new way. Cobb is very effective at evoking a world that is both radically different from our own, and also not so distant in possibility. . . . Although I disagree with most of Cobb's views as I ascertain them from the story, I really enjoyed the debates and discussions the characters have, which I think says a lot about Cobb's talent as a writer as well as his even-handedness as a thinker. . . . Bring out a sequel, please!!!”


A Prayer of Moses: A Devotional Commentary of Psalm 90

(non-fiction)

The Church has rendered God safe.

His wrath is a matter relegated to days of antiquity. It seems rare that we connect the brevity and frailty of this existence with His overflowing anger at sin. Unfortunately, having dispensed with His wrath we’ve also diminished His holiness and His majesty, and made the Cross less necessary.

This study invites the reader to take a second look at God and His wrath—and His Christ—through the eyes of Moses. Suitable for individuals or groups.

John L. Marshall, Ph.D, Christian Studies/History Department, Eastern University: Pastor Cobb's exposition of Psalm 90 combines two sets of ingredients that make it a joy to read: on the one hand, exegetical precision together with the sweep of redemptive history; on the other, technical mastery with warm, personal application. There are Scriptural studies in which the author maintains a safe distance from the reader. Pastor Cobb allows us to get to know him along with the text he is expounding. This, in my opinion, is the best way to do pastoral theology.”