C. David Belt's Blog, page 4

In this last installment of The Witch of White Lady Hollow trilogy, C. David Belt has again delivered a gripping, intense, and mind-bending read.  In The Witch, the Warlock, and the Siren of the Damned, we find Josh, now an Air Force pilot, confronted daily with tests of his intelligence, ingenuity, and instincts.  Flying B-52’s is not for the faint of heart, but Josh is up to the task.  He also successfully maintains his high moral standards in the face of ridicule, opportunity, and uncertainty.  These experiences have prepared him for the ultimate test of his character, his expertise, and his faith as he is suddenly thrust into an alien and alluring island of temptation and evil masquerading as welcoming and inviting.

Tabitha continues to use the Power to protect her children from danger, strengthen her ties to Josh, and help those around her.  Now she is faced with the most dangerous and demanding test of all: to find and rescue Josh; and if she is successful, she will also help to save millions from annihilation.

Magnetism is a predominant theme in this book: magnets of temptation, of iron, and most especially the magnetic Power of love, loyalty, faith, and determination.  When conventional magnets fail – fuel gauge, compass, etc. our heroes must rely on the rock-solid foundation of their commitment to each other, to their family, and to their fellow man.

The Witch, the Warlock, and the Siren of the Damned is a compelling, fascinating, and captivating tale.  Mature LDS readers will be hooked from the first chapter and drawn into a complex, riveting world of characters from Greek mythology along with modern-day heroes.

Leslie Whatcott – St. George, Utah

It wasn’t supposed to be a big deal, but to someone, it was.

Last night, Cindy, my mother, and I were in the Provo City Center Temple, doing sealings. We were acting as living proxies for the dead. Cindy and I were sealed as proxies for time and eternity for married couples who have passed on so that, if they choose, they may be together as husband and wife forever. My mother had the opportunity to serve as a proxy in sealings as well with an elderly gentleman who was in the session without his eternal companion. (I assumed his sweet companion is currently on the other side of the veil, as is my father, waiting for the glorious and joyful day of reunion.) Each of us were also able to serve as proxies for the sealings of sons and daughters to parents. The sealing ordinance is the pinnacle of service in the temple, the culmination of all the work that has been done before (baptisms, confirmations, ordinations, washings, anointings, and endowments). This final, glorious ordinance is the uniting of husbands and wives and families for eternity.

It’s my favorite thing to do in the temple. And when I get to kneel at the altar, holding hands with my sweetheart, looking into her eyes… In other faiths and traditions, couples renew their wedding vows. This is something like that, only while doing so, we get to reunite other couples who have passed beyond the veil of this mortal life. It is a sweet service, and it is a joy to serve with my sweet, lovely eternal companion.

But that isn’t what I wish to share about being in the temple yesterday. (At least, not all that I wish to share.)

After we finished our first sealing session, we volunteered to do a second session. Sometimes, that’s not possible, either because the next session is full or because of our own time constraints. But we had that opportunity last night, and so we took it.

And I’m so glad we did.

In the second sealing session, there was a young man sitting alone, i.e., without his wife. I don’t know the circumstances that brought him to the temple alone last night. (As for how young he is, we found out that he was in his early forties, but, hey, almost everyone looks young to me.) He kept staring at Cindy and me and grinning.

Now, the temple is not usually a place where unnecessary conversations occur. It is a place of silent prayer, of contemplation, of communing with God. It’s not that it’s improper to talk (except during the ordinances themselves), it just doesn’t happen a lot—and rarely above a whisper.

However, after the second sealing session was complete, this young man introduced himself and said, “I was a missionary twenty-two years ago, and you had us over to your home for dinner. I remember, Brother Belt, you were reading scriptures with your children during dinner, and I was so impressed by that. And you had a parrot on your shoulder. I was going through a rough patch on my mission, and that experience really helped me through it. Thank you.”

It wasn’t a big deal. We just did what we always did. We read scriptures as a family almost every night at dinner. It’s a habit Cindy and I established early in our lives as parents. Sometimes, with six children, reading scriptures at dinner wasn’t always a spiritual experience. Sometimes, it was chaotic. Like herding cats. But we made it a habit and have carried that habit through to this day. (Though, I readily admit it is easier with just Cindy, my mother, and myself.)

It was just a small thing. An everyday thing. But somehow, it made a difference in that young elder’s life.

You never know who you are going to touch, just by your everyday, sometimes chaotic attempts to live the gospel.

It wasn’t supposed to be a big deal, but to someone, it was.

C. David Belt has again delivered an engrossing, intriguing, and at times terrifying read.  Best understood after reading Book 1 of the trilogy (The Witch of White Lady Hollow), this second book once again follows Tabitha Moonshadow (now Kilmore), along with husband, Josh, and adorable baby Joseph.  The Kilmores are poor college students, living on love and dreams.  They embrace each other and their shared use of The Power.  It saves them, yet it also leads them into the very heart of evil.  As they draw on this Power to save themselves and those around them from the forces that would destroy, they also turn to their faith and trust in God to help them in their battle.  As the story unfolds, we find amazing contrasts of innocence vs. malice, faith vs. despair, and love vs. lust.

One predominant theme in this book is that of masks.  Masks, both literal and figurative, add to the suspense of the story.  Who can be trusted? What are people hiding? Who is good and who is unspeakably evil?  Even the best of intentions can be hidden behind a mask in the face of uncertainty.  As we see some of these masks slipping at times, we understand more fully what people may be concealing: fear of being judged; fear of being rejected; fear of feelings exposed that might be better left covered up; and even the most depraved intentions behind a mask of goodness and apparent goodwill. 

Recommended for the mature LDS reader, caution for paranormal, depravity, violence, sexual assault, suspense, and language.

Leslie Whatcott – St. George, Utah

Belt’s book kept me on the edge of my seat as he masterfully took us into the journey of a B-52 pilot in the midst of a nuclear crisis. I was found rooting for the heroes of the story and intrigued by all the twists and turns. If you like horror but want a hero that has strong morals, read his book.

Marie Woodward – author of Between Here and Zion

This book… had me guessing from the start. Familiar characters we’ve already fallen for and are invested in, danger at every turn, and a twist at the end. There’s another mission to save the earth, even if it means never returning to the ones you love. Belt will keep you guessing till the very end.

Jenny Flake Rabe, sweet romance author

David Belt does it again. Tabitha Moonshadow is now Tabitha Kilmore, with a hansom Air Force ROTC husband, and an adorable little son. As students at BYU, they lead a normal student life. Well—a not so normal life with C. David Belt at the computer, controlling the scenes. Dave is a master at laying out a horror story and telling you what is going on and still popping up surprises, especially at the end.

Someone is kidnapping young women, and Tabitha realizes that, because of her power, they are after her. Can she and her husband, Josh, keep her and little Joseph safe? And can they help the police stop the killer? Follow their hair-raising twisting-turning adventures in the horror novel, The Witch and the Devourer of Souls. 5-star reading for any horror story fan. And we haven’t heard the last from Dave. More exciting reading to come. He hasn’t run out of villains yet.

Jim Harrison – Blackfoot, Idaho

I have literally waited YEARS for this to be released! We recorded this so long, long ago, in a tabernacle far, far away…

Paul Harvey used to tell wonderful, true stories on the radio. At the end of each story, there would be a twist, a bit of truth that changed everything. He would always conclude with, “And now you know… the rest of the story.”

There was a particular occasion, many years ago, where I repeated a derogatory story about the new CEO of my company to a coworker. The story came from a trusted source, someone I highly respected. The trusted source sincerely believed what he had told me. And the story was true. It was, on the surface, damning. But it was not the whole truth.

After the story had spread through the company, I learned that I only knew half (or perhaps less than half) of the story. When I learned that there was indeed more to it, when I learned the part that changed everything, I was heartsick. I went to my immediate supervisor (who was married to the CEO) and confessed and apologized. Then I offered my resignation. I couldn’t afford to be out of work at the time—I had a young and growing family to support, and honestly, there has never been a time I could afford to be out of work—but I had committed a wrong, and I had to correct it. I needed to repent.

My supervisor looked at me for a long moment, then said something I did NOT expect: “You impress me.”

Then she flatly rejected my resignation.

I next went to the CEO and apologized to him. His reaction was quite gracious as well.

I did not lose my job that day, even though I think I deserved to.

I did everything in my power to correct my mistake, but I doubt I was able to repair all the damage.

And yet, the CEO and his wife frankly forgave me. We worked together for a few years before a corporate merger forced them both out. In that time, I came to greatly respect them both and cherish their friendship.

In one of my favorite hymns, Susan Evans McCloud wrote, “In the quiet heart is hidden sorrow that the eye can’t see.”

We never know what burdens another may be carrying. When we think we know the whole story, most of the time, we actually don’t. There is only one perfect Judge, and I am not He.