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Upcoming Books/Survey Results: What do you want to read next?

Dayo Benson

Image result for SURVEYI created a survey a last year asking you guys what you want me to write next. Thank you very much to everyone who responded!!! It looks like I have my work cut out for me over the next 2-3 years. Here are the results of the survey:

Answer Choices Responses
More books about Crystal, Juda and the team 70.71%
A series like the Beauty for Ashes Series (Lexi & Jace) 47.47%
A completely new romantic fiction series 39.39%
Something with supernatural elements like the Crystal series 38.38%
A series about Luke Lincoln’s other sons 30.30%
A standalone book that isn’t part of a series 28.28%
A series like the Pure Passion Series (Lust, Bondage & Purity) 19.19%
A series like the Drew Ashley Series (Breaking Point & Blurred Vision) 16.16%
Something with no supernatural elements 12.12%

Just in case you’re wondering, the results add up to more than 100 because you were allowed to select more than one option 🙂

I’ve decided to do anything that’s gotten over 30% of votes because that’s roughly a third of my readers and a third is still significant.

So…I cannot believe that 70% of you still want to read more about Crystal and her buddies. I wasn’t entirely sure anyone would make it through the whole 9 books of the Crystal series, never mind wanting more.

Here’s what’s going to happen:

More books about Crystal, Juda and the team (70% of votes)

I’ll be writing a season 2 series. You know the way TV shows are in series? Well I’ve decided that the Crystal series is just season 1. Season 2 is tentatively titled The Crystal Chronicles. I’m excited about it because I’ve been brainstorming and I already have some awesome ideas and a rough overview of what each book will be about. It won’t be out for a while though. I think we all need a little break so that when season 2 comes out it’ll be nice and exciting for us (absence makes the heart fonder and all that 🙂 ) Besides I need time to write it. I’m going to keep brainstorming, but I’ve scheduled the actual writing of the books for next year. I’ve already done my writing schedule for 2017 which is really exciting. I’m hoping to get all the season 2 books written next year then release them all in quick succession in 2018.

A series like the Beauty for Ashes Series (47% of votes)

This one is pretty easy. I figured I could dash it off without too much trouble so I’ve already written book 1. It’s called The Dare. It has a lot of the same elements as the Beauty for Ashes series, but it’s also pretty different, and a lot more gritty (I think). Apart from the drama in the main relationship in the book there’s drama with the hero and heroine’s parents too. I’ll tell you more about this series soon, since the first book is already in editing and will be out pretty soon.

A completely new romantic fiction series (39% of votes)

I’m really excited about this one. I don’t want to say too much, because it won’t be out for a while, but it’s in the works.

Something with supernatural elements like the Crystal series (38% of votes)

This one is very exciting. For someone who can’t stand to watch or read anything ‘scary’ or too intense, I can’t believe how much fun I have writing this supernatural thriller stuff. Obviously I wouldn’t have so much fun doing it if it wasn’t deeply romantic too :-). This one is set in the world of the Crystal series and stars Angel, one of Yelissa Neir’s protégés. You met her in Legacy (Crystal 9). I think Trixie, Crystal’s awful ex-best friend, is going to feature as one of the villains.

A series about Luke Lincoln’s other sons (30% of votes)

This is in the works too. In fact I’ll be ready to release book 1 soon. It’s a prequel that introduces you to all the brothers. Each brother is going to have his own book. Think the current billionaire bad boy romance trend but with a big dose of Jesus and some supernatural elements 🙂 I’m being careful not to make the boys all clones of Juda. Jared, the eldest, is pretty similar to Juda (before Juda was saved) but the other boys have their own personalities and are very different. I’ll blog more about this series over the next few weeks and should be able to do a cover reveal for the first book, The Lincoln Manifesto, very soon.

***

So, I hope you’re satisfied that I listened to your opinion and will act upon your feedback. It’s going to take me a while to get through all these projects, but rest assured that they’re coming.

God bless,

Dayo xx

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My Summer Round-Up

Dayo Benson

I can’t believe how quickly this summer has flown by. It’s been very busy for me as I’m sure it has been for you, too. I’m doing some reevaluating as we go into into the last few months of the year, which is so much fun for me as I love introspection and evaluation (typical introvert). And I’m working on a Life Plan. I totally recommend it. It’s great for thinking about where you are and where you want to be 🙂 Anyway, I’ve been a little quiet since publishing Pressure (Pure Passion 4), so here’s a rundown of what I’ve been up to this summer (apart from my regular writing duties of course):

Publishing Pressure

PRESSURE COMPLETEI was a little worried about how Pressure would be received because it was the first thing I published after the Crystal series. I hoped people wouldn’t find it boring since there’s no ‘missions’, danger or supernatural stuff. However, I received some lovely feedback about it. My favourite was an email that said: ‘James (the hero in Pressure) has replaced Juda for me’.

I was like, ‘are you kidding me?’ I put in so much effort to make Juda mysterious and enigmatic and appealing in that dark, dangerous way of his. But it was great to hear that a lot of my readers are happy to move on from the Crystal series and are excited about new characters. I wrote Pressure in 2013 and couldn’t really remember much of what it was about until I dug it out to edit it. I think the way you feel when writing a book sometimes affects how you view the book. I was really unwell back when I wrote it, and I even spent a few days in hospital, so I’ve always thought it’s not a great book. But it’s actually pretty good (if an author is allowed to say that about their own book).

Weddings

20160709_112126.jpgSo many people I know got married. There was a wedding like every weekend in July. This is me at one of them. Some lady tied my head-wrap for me in the toilets because I had no idea how to do it but I really wanted to fit in with all the other women, ha ha. Believe me, the headache I had when I took it off at the end of the day was no joke.

The Olympics

Mobot Christ our Redeemer.jpgCongratulations to the USA for winning, but how awesome were Team GB? I couldn’t believe how well we did. For such a small nation to come second and do so well made me so proud. I’m still in shock. There were so many things I learned from the Olympics. Life Lessons. I won’t bore you with them all, but here are a few.

Lutalo Muhammad – He was about to win a gold for Great Britain in Taekwondo but his opponent somehow managed to kick him in the head in the dying second of the fight. It was heartbreaking to watch Lutalo’s interview after it. He was crying and saying it was a low point in his life. I got on my soap box and preached at my husband for like ten minutes about how we have to be focused and fight until the very end. That interview was so heartbreaking because Lutalo was crying like his whole world was crumbling when everyone back home was so proud of him. A silver medal is pretty awesome. So I changed tack and started preaching at my husband about how we’re so hard on ourselves when we should just take a step back and see how awesome we are and how much we’ve achieved. It was so inspiring to see how much Lutalo wanted that gold. How much it meant to him. True hero.

I wasn’t sure what I thought of Shaunae Miller diving at the finish line in the women’s 400m, but if you want something that badly I guess you just have to go for it. The women’s triathlon was another thing that had me just staring at the TV in awe. Goodness gracious it looked painful. But it was also so inspiring to see their endurance and how they were pushing beyond the pain, pushing themselves past their limits.

Not to mention the ‘greats’: Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps & Mo Farah, who are just dominating in their respective sports. I think it’s awesome that they are older athletes, too. They’re not ‘old’ by any stretch of the imagination, but they are older athletes and they’re still swiping all the golds. It’s just amazing to watch these people. I get the same feeling of awe when I see Serena Williams still winning grand slams. Regardless of these people’s nationalities, pretty much the whole world supports them and likes to see them win. If I can be half as good at writing as Usain, Michael and Mo are at what they do, I’ll be a very happy author. I watched a documentary about Mo Farah, called the Road to Rio. The sacrifices he makes to be the best are astonishing. He couldn’t even speak English properly when he moved to the UK as a child. Imagine the self belief and discipline it took for him to get where he is. It got me thinking about how seriously I approach my writing, how good I am at fending off distractions and having just one focus, and my personal discipline.

“And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible” (1 Corinthians 9:25 – KJV).

I like the NLT for this verse: “All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.”

There’s another life lesson right there.

 

I did a 5K

IMG-20160813-WA0013 (2).jpgMy daughters think I’m an Olympian and won gold, ha ha. Let me preface this by saying I have NEVER done anything like this before. It was one of my New Year goals to live a healthier lifestyle, so I got two of my friends on board and we did it together. It was so much fun that we’re signing up to do it again next year. We’re thinking of signing up our husbands for a 10k. I’ve been dropping hints to my husband about it but he’s not taking the bait at all, ha ha.

Church Stuff

ablazelogowip.gifEarlier this month we had our annual youth conference, Ablaze 2016, which was so much fun. My husband made the cool Ablaze gif to the left. The highlights for me were:

– My brother’s talk on salvation. I was wondering how he was going to approach it since it’s been done a zillion times and our youth group has heard it all before, but somehow he managed to make it fresh and inspiring and I really got a lot from the talk.

– The talent show. There’s so much talent out there. God has given it out so liberally. If in just my youth group there are singers who’d give Beyonce a run for her money, rappers who can write their own lyrics, artists who can look at a picture of Jesus and draw it perfectly, guys and girls who can create a whole indie movie, and much more, then how about the rest of the planet??? What are we doing folks? We all need to start using our talents.

I also just got back from a national church conference yesterday, at which I spoke to the young adult section about choosing a career. I used to work in HR and I have now quit my job to focus full-time on writing, so I have a lot to say about careers and success (it’s my second-favourite topic to speak on after purity 🙂 ) It was a lot of fun. Even more flattering was the fact that they all thought I was their age (19 – 21) Until I mentioned my husband and children, then they were all gasping in shock. Great for my ego, ha ha.

Anyway, summer is over now, so it’s back to serious work. I’m hoping to publish six books before the end of this year. I’ll try very hard to do it. I’m praying for God to help me to have more discipline. More about those books in a later post.

So, enough about me. How was your summer?

God bless.

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Out Now: Pressure/Pure Passion Boxed-Set

Dayo Benson

PRESSURE COMPLETEHowdy all,

How are you enjoying your summer? We’ve had a lovely heatwave here in the UK, which is great. Even better, it’s wedding season 🙂 There are five Saturdays this month, and on each one of them someone I know is getting married. My husband and I decided to only attend two of the weddings. As much as I would like to go to all five weddings, I just can’t go to a wedding every Saturday for a month :-S

Speaking of weddings and romance, if you read my last blog post you’ll know that I’ve been cleansing my palate from all the high-octane stuff of the Crystal series with some sweet romance. It’s been so much fun for me to work on Pressure (Pure Passion 4). If you enjoyed Lust, Bondage and Purity, you’ll love this new installment of the Pure Passion series.

Brooke, a preacher’s kid, is a crushed young woman who runs away the night before her wedding. James, a Formula One driver, has been burned in the past, literally left waiting at the altar on his wedding day. Can he love a woman who has jilted someone else the way he was jilted? If he can, will his love cause her to rethink her decision to turn her back on God? Throw in some lessons about overcoming fear through faith and you have a sweet romantic read perfect for the long summer evenings 🙂

Get your copy of Pressure: Amazon UK, Amazon US, B&N, Kobo, Smashwords.

 

Pure Passion Series Boxed Set
box set pps.pngIf you haven’t started the Pure Passion series, or you’ve only read one or two of the books, I’ve compiled a boxed-set of all four books in the series. You can get the boxed-set for a special launch price of $5.49 (or £4.99) which is a saving of over 50%.
Instead of getting Pressure alone, why not load all four books onto your e-reader for a hefty discount, and enjoy a romance binge. Everyone loves a romance binge 🙂

Get your copy of the Pure Passion Boxed-Set: Amazon UK, Amazon US, Kobo, Smashwords.

 

Enjoy your weekend 🙂

Dayo.

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Cleansing my Palate – Pressure (Pure Passion 4)

Dayo Benson

PRESSURE COMPLETE.jpgHowdy guys,

I’m in that funny little place where I’m between writing projects and I don’t quite know what to do with myself. Well, actually I do know what I should be doing. I should be editing the four books that are sitting on my laptop waiting to be released. But I don’t like editing. Writing is much more fun.

I have done some editing, though. I finished editing Pressure (Pure Passion 4) last week, and even sent it on to an editor, which is pretty exciting. The Crystal series was quite intense, so it was nice to work on something a little milder. It totally cleansed my palate. I think I’ll release that next so that you all can cleanse your palates too.

I have lots of thrillers lined up to write, and also lots of sweet romances. It’s hard to decide what to write next. Today, I asked myself ‘What kind of writer do you want to be remembered as?’ Someone who wrote sweet, run of the mill Christian romance, or someone who wrote books that were deep and thought provoking and made people pause to think. I do like writing sweet romance, and romance can be powerful and meaningful. But thrillers are really growing on me. The best is when both genres are combined as romantic thrillers. I think that adding some romance into a thriller (especially if it’s an agonizing romance, like Juda’s and Crystal’s was to begin with) makes for addictive reading. And it means I don’t get bored with writing 🙂

Do you ever feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day for all the things you want to do? My best friend asked me last week if I have any more books planned. I was like, “girl I have 175 books on my ‘to be written’ spreadsheet.” She probably thought I was joking. I wasn’t. And I feel a sense of urgency about writing them, because I don’t want to spend the rest of my life looking at that spreadsheet. I want to write all those books by the time I’m 40. My husband just shook his head at me when I told him that. To be honest, I know it’s crazy, but there’s no harm in trying. If I miss my goal, I’ll settle for 45. Or 50. Nah, 40 would be ideal. (No questions about my age please :-))

Anyway, so I’m taking a break from practitioners and craft and light vs. darkness (:-) ). Pressure, a contemporary Christian romance that I wrote back in 2013, will be next. I’ll release once I get it back from the editor and I’ve had a quick look over his amendments. (Yes, my editor is a dude this time. I just hope reading all the romantic elements of Pressure isn’t too torturous for him, ha ha).

Here’s the back cover blurb for Pressure:

A woman in despair.

Brooke Chandler has lived with the guilt of her brother’s death for nine years. Despite her efforts to put the loss behind her, it still haunts her. It doesn’t help that her parents blame her, or that they see her guilt as an excuse to control her.

On the eve of her wedding to a man selected by her parents, Brooke runs away. Never mind that her fiancé is the son of the biggest preacher in the city, or the fact that as a preacher’s kid herself, she is supposed to follow the rules.

James Cassidy knows a thing or two about pain, having been jilted by the love of his life two years ago. He didn’t think he was ready for love again, but there’s something about Brooke that stirs him the way no other woman ever has. But can he love a woman who has jilted another man, just as he was jilted?

Even if he can, Brooke’s heart is surrounded with seemingly insurmountable walls.

When Brooke decided to leave, she didn’t expect to run straight into the hands of a new man. And she didn’t expect to fall in love.

Can James’ faith cause Brooke to rethink her decision to turn her back on God? And can his love bring her healing?

Pressure is a compelling love story of faith overcoming fear, and freedom from guilt.

***

I’m terrible at writing book descriptions. Some of you have told me that in the past (thanks for that feedback, ha ha). I really tried hard with this one. It might change. I’ll see if my editor has anything to say about it.

Ciao xx

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Out Now: Legacy (Crystal 9)

Dayo Benson

legacyLegacy is out people 🙂 🙂 🙂 Finally!!!

Get your copy at:

Amazon UK, Amazon US, iTunes & Smashwords

I’m super excited. I can’t wait for you to read it and find out how it all ends. It’s been a long adventure, and I’m so grateful to everyone who has stuck with the Crystal series for all nine books. You’re amazing.

The Crystal series is like my manifesto; my statement of faith about how God is greater than anyone else, how He’s more powerful than the enemy, and how Christians need to be bolder about what they believe. I often struggle with boldness myself, so writing the series really made me look inward and do a lot of soul-searching. Jesus came that we may have abundant life, but we often give in to fear and intimidation rather than walking in the authority He has given us. We have awesome power and authority, and I hope Legacy reinforces that for you 🙂

Here’s the back cover blurb:

A powerful wizard is destroying America, one city at a time, and it’s up to Crystal and her friends to stop her.
It’s been a year since Luke and the SOT fell, but the battle is far from over. There are deadlier, more ruthless, practitioners out there. Practitioners who want to see the Enlightenment Agenda implemented.

Crystal has faced many challenges, but now she faces the greatest personal test yet. How far will she go to protect the people she loves?
How far she will go to survive?

Judgment Day has arrived.
Juda has spent the past year in jail, awaiting trial for crimes Luke made him commit. Crystal and her family may have shown him mercy, but it is certain that a court of law will give him only justice. With a new practitioner on the loose, Juda is released to fight one more mission with the team. But the success of the mission will mean the end of his freedom.

How will he cope when justice is served?

Legacy is the intensely gripping conclusion to the Crystal series.

The links to Legacy again:

Amazon UK, Amazon US, iTunes, Smashwords

***

P.S.  Have you read Jailbreak (Crystal 8.5)? In Jailbreak, Crystal and Juda have an adventure that sets Legacy up nicely so you won’t want to miss it. Get Jailbreak at Amazon US, Amazon UK, iTunes, Kobo, Smashwords.

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The Crystal Series: Writing about Jesus, God and Angels

Dayo Benson

Jesus

I’ve just hit publish on Legacy (Crystal 9), which is very exciting. It’ll be out by tomorrow. I’m feeling particularly happy and grateful 🙂 You guys have been so amazing. I really didn’t expect the support that the Crystal series has received. This is my final post for the Legacy launch, and what better way to finish than with a discussion about our great and awesome God?

When I first started the Crystal series, I didn’t know that Jesus, God and angels were going to be in it. Neither did I know that God was going to work in me personally in so many awesome ways. I’d like to take you behind the scenes, so step into my office for a moment and let’s talk. Okay, so I don’t actually have an office as of the time I’m writing this. I write in my living room. My husband kindly bought a desk and chair and set it in the second half of the room (it’s a pretty big living room). Please ignore all the toys on the floor, and sorry about how hot the room is. My mum says I roast myself. My husband says I barbecue myself. I just like to be nice and warm. (I don’t know why the saying goes ‘the best thing since sliced bread’. It should be ‘the best thing since central heating’ as heating is my favourite invention; apart from laptops, internet and Indie publishing—but I digress).

So, take a seat in my chair. Don’t worry I’ll just sit on my daughter’s toy car 🙂 Cup of tea? Coffee? Comfortable? Okay, so…

Jesus in Powerful Enemies

I was actually a little reluctant to have Jesus as an on-screen character in Powerful Enemies. I felt kind’a like it might be wrong of me to put Him in a book alongside fictional characters. Another issue I had was ‘what if I don’t do Him justice?’ What if I write Him into a scene but it doesn’t fill readers with any awe? I didn’t want to just toss Him in there just to have Him in the mix, I wanted to get a reaction. I wanted my Jesus scene to be like an artist’s impression, with me as the artist giving you my take on Him. I wanted my interpretation of Him to fill people with awe, illustrate His love and goodness and majesty, and make people love Him more. Obviously, I got over these issues and just went for it. Believe me, my heart was in my mouth as I wrote that scene. The reason I thought it was necessary was, the book is called Powerful Enemies, and every single one of us has powerful enemies (the devil and all his agents) but we have no reason to be afraid because we have a Powerful Friend. Powerful Enemies could have been called Powerful Friend to be honest, but that doesn’t sound as dramatic, ha ha.

Jesus is an expression of God’s love (God so loved the world that He gave us Jesus). So, I wanted the whole scene to illustrate Jesus’ love. That’s why I had Him appear to Luke, who is pretty much the most evil person in the book. Yet, he is the one Jesus appears to. Not Crystal, not Pastor Dan, not any of the Christians. It’s easy to love your friends, but Jesus said ‘love your enemies’ so I wanted to show Him loving an enemy. I wanted to show Him seeking a lost soul. By the way, we were all His enemies when He died for us. And He knew that despite Him dying for us, many of us would still reject Him and never become His friends. But He died in our place anyway. Isn’t He awesome?

God in Legacy

In Legacy, God the Father is an on-screen character. That was particularly awesome to write. It was so different to writing about Jesus, because I wrote about Jesus from Luke’s POV. Not from Jesus’ own POV. In Legacy I write from God’s own POV. I had to resist the urge to use ‘thou’ and ‘thy’. It was so cool. When my friend read it, she texted me to say how moved she was at reading that scene. She’s one of my closest friends so I take her opinion seriously and I know she would never just try to flatter me. So mission accomplished. At least I know it had the desired impact on one person :-). I used Isaiah 6 as my guide for that scene. Jesus and the Holy Spirit are also present. I was also careful about using ‘I’ preferring ‘we’ and ‘us’ because that was how God spoke in the Creation account and at the Tower of Babel, although there are many other instances in the Bible where He uses ‘I.’

Angel’s POV in Legacy

I was a little worried about writing about angels in Powerful Enemies, but not as worried as I was about writing about Jesus. By Legacy I was totally cool with it. In Legacy, I write from an Angel’s POV, which was a little more challenging than I thought it would be. I read about Daniel’s encounters with angels and tried to base things from that angle. It was fun.

***

Friends, if you want to go deeper with God I totally recommend writing to you as a means to that end 🙂 (not that there’s ever an end since God is infinite). Writing is cathartic, it encourages introspection, and it makes you dig deep into your own beliefs. I have learned so much through writing the Crystal series. God has taught me a lot about Himself, and He’s challenged me about being real. Not just going to church on Sundays and spouting clichés to my Christian friends. What’s the point of having the form but not the power, being religious but not righteous, or saying I’m a Christian but taking God for granted? I really don’t want to be like that.

I don’t like watching the news because the horrific things going on in this world are disturbing and so depressing. But the news is just a snippet of all the horrors and atrocities. However, God doesn’t get a snippet. He sees it all. Remember Genesis 6 where it says God looked down on the earth and was grieved? Well I would like Him to be happy when He sees me. I want to be like Noah. Faithful, living right, putting a smile on God’s face. Not being a hypocrite or just drifting through life or, God forbid, being part of the problem. Writing the Crystal series has made me think about my attitude to God. Do I love Him no matter what? Do I stand up for Him and refuse to compromise? Is my life a witness? Do I influence others for Him? It’s made me think about what God thinks of me. Is He happy when He looks at me? Am I living out His love?

The Crystal series also made me put the devil in his place, so to speak. I made his human followers very powerful in the Crystal series. Maybe more powerful than they are in real life. But that was because I wanted to show that it doesn’t matter how powerful the devil and his people are. Even the ‘smallest’ of Christians has authority over them, because God is greater.

So, thank you for your support with the Crystal series. I often pray for those who read it to experience God. I definitely experienced God while writing it. I’m much better at worshipping Him now than I used to be. And I’m more conscious of His presence around me (I don’t know if Christians really do have fire around them but I used fire as God’s stamp upon His people in the Crystal series–who knows, maybe we do). I hope you are too.

Whatever am I going to write next???

God bless 🙂

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An Interview with Dan Black (Crystal Series)

Dayo Benson

The parking lot outside the church is packed, as though it’s Sunday morning. It’s eleven a.m. on a Tuesday. Inside, the main hall is jam packed with scores of people. I peep over at the youth hall. That too is filled—with young people. I enter the main hall. People are scattered all over the hall, some sitting, some kneeling, some standing, a few on the floor. People are in clusters of four or five, praying together. There are people moving around, praying with people.

A lady approaches me as I stand just inside the doorway, watching: Hi, how can we help you?

Dayo Benson: What’s going on in here?

Lady: We’re praying with people who want to become Christians.

Dayo Benson: There are so many people in here.

Lady: Yes. Are you here seeking prayer?

She gives me an assessing look

Lady: A good number of the people seeking prayer are practitioners who desire to leave the occult.

Dayo Benson: Wow!

Lady: Are you by any chance a practitioner?

Dayo Benson: No, no. I’m here to interview Pastor Dan.

Lady: Oh?

Dayo Benson: Could you show me to his office?

Lady: He’s in here.

She points towards a tall, dark-haired man in a black t-shirt and faded jeans. He’s praying with two men. One has tattoos covering both arms and his neck. The other has dreadlocks down to his waist and piercings pretty much everywhere.

I sit down a little distance away waiting for them to finish. Around me, the sound of prayer and praise fills the air. I try not to stare as people break down in tears every couple of seconds, and others lift their hands in joy. A few minutes later, Dan leaves the two men praying together and looks like he’s about to move on to a group of women. I jump to my feet.

Dayo Benson: Pastor Dan.

He looks my way and shoots me a grin: Hi. You want to be prayed with?

Dayo Benson: No, I’d like to talk to you for a few minutes.

Dan’s easy grin is still in place: That’s fine. You know my name, but I don’t know yours…

Dayo Benson: I’m Dayo. I can’t believe how many people are in here on a Tuesday morning.

Dan: Yeah. This has been happening for the past year. It’s pretty amazing. Are you a Christian?

Dayo Benson: I am. I’ve heard about the revival going on here so I’ve come to witness it for myself.

Dan smiles: Since all that happened last year with Luke, and with God moving to defend us, our nation has seen an amazing revival. Thousands of people have become Christians. Scores of practitioners are exiting the occult. They’re all contacting our church wanting to speak to Crystal or someone on her team, wanting help and advice.

Dayo Benson: That’s incredible. Do you allow them to speak to Crystal?

Dan: Of course not. We try to direct them to a church in their local area, but many still come here daily seeking help, deliverance from the occult, or just wanting to know more about God. We’ve had people come here from all over the country.

Dayo Benson: So, do you just pray with them?

Dan: We hold exit counseling, three sessions a day: morning, afternoon, and evening. We also hold prayer meetings, warfare sessions, and intercession. There are Bible study classes. Some of these people are completely ignorant of the teachings of the Bible, some have never even heard of the Ten Commandments, or any of the things that we as Christians consider to be common knowledge. Most practitioners are familiar with the Bible but interpret it almost backwards. It takes a lot to change the way they interpret it.

Dan waves to a group of men who enter the hall just then: Some people come in every day for a few hours. We just keep our doors open for whoever wants help.

Dayo Benson: How on earth are you able to attend to them all?

Dan: Our full time ministry team are on hand nine to five, and we have volunteers who come in the evening.

Dayo Benson: I’m absolutely fascinated.

Dan grins: Let me show you what’s going on in the back office.

I follow him out of the hall and down a corridor. He stops at a door and peers in through a window. I peer in too. There are about a dozen people on phones, like a call center.

Dan: They’re answering all the phone calls we’re getting, and praying with people over the phone. We have an anonymous counseling line for practitioners who want to leave the occult but are afraid.

He steps away and looks through the window of another door. I look in too. There are two women and a man tapping away at computers.

Dayo Benson: What are they doing?

Dan: Responding to emails. We’re getting a lot of emails from practitioners and other people who want more information about God. I’ve also been recording video tutorials, Bible teaching and podcasts so that people don’t have to come here. They can get help without leaving the comfort of their own home.

Dayo Benson: That’s awesome.

Dan: It is. It’s great to see what God is doing. I feel so honored to be a part of it.

The door at the end of the hallway opens and a man pops his head around the door. He looks at Dan: Dan! We need you.

I take a step back: You’re obviously very busy here, so I’ll release you. It’s been a pleasure talking to you and I’d like to say that you are such an inspiration. Keep up the good work.

Dan holds out a hand: Thanks. Nice to meet you.

I shake it: You too.

***

I was going to interview Trixie next, but I think I’ll delay it until after Legacy is out. Less than 3 days to go now…

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The Craft of the Crystal Series (4/4)

Dayo Benson

Incense-And-Candles.jpgWell, this is the last post in my little blog series on the Craft of the Crystal Series. I hope you’ve found it interesting to read about. There were times when I was writing the Crystal series that I was covering myself in the blood of Jesus and doing spiritual warfare as I typed, lol. I’m definitely looking forward to writing some much lighter material.

The Centrality of death/ Sacrifices

The Bible talks about us, as Christians, being living sacrifices to God. And God doesn’t force us into being living sacrifices. He asks us to present/offer ourselves as living sacrifices unto Him (Romans 12:1). The devil on the other hand is all about death. Like Jesus said, his agenda is to steal, kill and destroy, while God died so that we can have abundant life (John 10:10). The SOT is big on death. In response for killing the practitioners receive more ‘energy’. Well, they think it’s more ‘energy.’ Really they’re just going into deeper bondage. They get more power from the enemy when they kill, but the more power they get, the more power he has over them, and the tighter his grip on them.

Incense

I did try to stay true to the different meanings that different kinds/flavours of incense have. However, I had to go on some dodgy websites to find out the uses (they were dodgy to me because they seemed so dark and occult). I think I mentioned Basil incense the most in the Crystal series. Basil incense is for ‘concentration, assertiveness, decisiveness, trust, integrity, enthusiasm, mental clarity, cheerfulness, confidence, courage to attract fidelity, love, good luck, sympathy, and wealth.’ I figured that covered all the bases of what practitioners would want. I know some Christians still burn incense today. I’m not exactly sure why. If you are an incense burning Christian I would like to know the reasoning behind it. Please leave a comment or email me.

Ascension

So, this one is a big deal in the Crystal series. Basically it’s a state of enlightenment that only the most dedicated and masterful of practitioners are eligible to attain, and is based loosely on ‘ascended masters’ (a real life thing that you can read about online if you want, but I’d say don’t bother). However, I also made it a point of no return. I was thinking along the lines of the unpardonable sin in the Bible. Some people say the unpardonable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, but there are other schools of thought. However, in Powerful Enemies, Jesus says, “Your ascension is called a point of no return, not because I won’t receive you if you come to Me, but because you become too hardened to come to Me.”

There had to be a ‘point of no return’ in the craft in order to create more tension for Crystal’s and Juda’s relationship, because if he ascends there’s no hope they’ll ever be together. Ascension is used as a threat to Crystal and Juda’s relationship, and then as a threat to America (when Luke ascends and becomes almost indestructible).

So, that’s it for the Craft of the Crystal Series. I hope you enjoyed reading about some of my logic in creating the whole system, and I hope it answers some of your questions.

God bless.

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An Interview with Juda Lincoln

Dayo Benson

So, I managed to obtain permission to interview Juda in jail. (Thank you General Peters). I should have known everyone would want me to interview Juda next. Thanks for all the interview questions you guys sent me. I just hope Juda will answer them. He’s not the chattiest of people, you know? Hopefully he won’t just give me stony looks and refuse to speak…

As I am led down the echoing hallways towards Juda’s cell, I realise that I have never been inside a prison before. The prison officer unlocks a sturdy-looking iron door. On the other side is a wide open space. In the middle of that space is a large cage surrounded by bars. I figure it’s supposed to be a room. I can see someone lying on the bed inside the cage.

I look around as I am led over. There are no windows. And it’s dead quiet in here. As I approach, the figure on the bed sits up quickly. It’s Juda Lincoln. The hope on his face is unmistakable. So is the disappointment in his eyes when his gaze settles on me.

He lies back down.

Prison officer: Your interviewer has arrived Mr. Lincoln.

Juda doesn’t respond.

Dayo Benson: Am I allowed to go inside?

The prison officer looks at me like I’m nuts: You can interview him from here. He’s dangerous. And he’s a practitioner.

Juda: I’m a Christian.

His voice sounds like a growl.

The prison officer rolls his eyes. He leans against the wall and looks at me: Just hurry and interview him.

I clear my throat and offer my best smile.

Dayo Benson: Good morning, Juda. It’s great to meet you.

I move closer to the cage and reach a hand through the bars, inviting him to shake my hand.

Juda looks at my hand like it’s covered in mold: I thought it was Crystal.

Dayo Benson: Oh. Sorry to disappoint you.

I decide to withdraw my hand since he’s not shaking it.

Dayo Benson: So, how are you?

No answer.

Dayo Benson: How are you, Juda?

Still no answer.

Dayo Benson: Um, I would appreciate it if you would get up and come closer, and talk to me. I’m not like the other journalists who just want to tear you down. I’m doing this interview to try and make you more sympathetic to the general public. I would like to portray you in a positive light, so help me out here.

Juda: Why should I believe that?

Dayo Benson: Because I believe that God can change anybody, and that everybody deserves a second chance if they are truly reformed.

Juda sighs. He stands from the bed and walks over. It hits me just how big he is as he stops less than a foot away from me, only the bars between us. With the formidable frown on his face, and his narrowed gaze he’s a pretty intimidating sight.

Dayo Benson: So, I asked ‘how are you’?

Juda’s gaze narrows further: I’m fine.

Dayo Benson: Really?

Now his dark brows knit in a deep frown.

It’s then that I notice his eyes. He’s not wearing his contacts. Maybe he’s not allowed to wear them in jail.

Dayo Benson: Can we talk about your blue eyes. They’re unusual but pretty nice.

Juda glowers at me now.

Dayo Benson: Why are they such a sore topic?

Juda: Ask another question.

Dayo Benson: I spoke to Alejandro a few days ago. He made some comments…

Juda lifts one brow.

Dayo Benson: He said that the Bible talks about the joy of the Lord and the joy of salvation, but you don’t seem to be a very joyful person even now that you’re saved.

Juda just looks at me. It’s pretty unnerving being on the end of that quiet scrutiny.

Dayo Benson: Are you joyful?

Juda: Very.

I almost snort, but I catch myself in time.

Dayo Benson: You don’t look very joyful.

Juda: Joy is not laughter and smiling.

Dayo Benson: Then what is it?

Juda: An inner state of well-being

Dayo Benson: So, you have an inner state of well-being?

Juda: I do.

Dayo Benson: Right. Describe a typical day in jail.

Juda crosses his arms across his chest: There’s nothing much to say. I’m locked up most of the time. There are mealtimes. I get to make phonecalls.

Dayo Benson: You’re a loner so you must be fine with the loneliness.

Juda just looks at me.

Dayo Benson: Are you fine with the loneliness?

Juda: No. However, I busy myself with prayer and studying the Bible.

Dayo Benson: You mentioned mealtimes. Does the prison offer you your preferred restricted diet?

Juda: No.

Dayo Benson: Do you miss your fruit peel, enzyme yogurts and nuts and seeds.

Juda: Food is the last thing on my mind.

Dayo Benson: What is on your mind?

Juda’s expression darkens. I wait for him to answer, but after a few moments, it’s obvious that he’s not going to.

Dayo Benson: Is your trial on your mind?

Again, Juda says nothing.

Dayo Benson: What will you do if you are sentenced to capital punishment?

Juda: Die.

Dayo Benson: Well, obviously. I mean… Never mind. What will you do if you don’t get capital punishment?

Juda: I’ll thank God.

Dayo Benson: How will you celebrate?

Juda: I don’t know.

Dayo Benson: You have pleaded ‘not guilty.’ Do you not consider yourself guilty?

Juda’s eyes become flinty.

Dayo Benson. Okay, you don’t have to answer that question. Um, let’s see. What’s the best thing that ever happened to you?

Juda: Jesus and Crystal.

Dayo Benson: Explain.

Juda just stares at me. Once again, it’s pretty unnerving.

Dayo Benson: How sweet that you consider Crystal one of the best things that ever happened to you. You’re quite the Mr. Romantic aren’t you. I loved the way you proposed, and your crazy love for Crystal, and how sweet you are with her.

Juda is just looking at me. I decide to move on to the next question.

Dayo Benson: Uh, what’s the worst thing that ever happened to you?

Juda: Do you have all day?

I look at my watch.

Dayo Benson: No, but I have ten minutes.

Juda says nothing.

Dayo Benson: I’m waiting.

He still says nothing.

Dayo Benson: Are you always this chatty?

A muscle works in his jaw, suggesting that he’s clenching his teeth.

I decide that this interview is going nowhere. He’s obviously not in the mood to talk.

Dayo Benson: Well, it’s been a pleasure to meet you Juda. I have no idea why people find you intimidating. You’re so personable and friendly.

Juda grins.

I totally understand why Crystal is smitten with his smile. It’s surprisingly beautiful. His whole face transforms. However, I am taken aback.

Dayo Benson: Did I say something funny?

Juda: No.

Dayo Benson: Then why are you smiling?

Juda: Because you sound like you’re about to leave.

I’m semi-offended so I reach through the bars and slap his arm.

Juda: Don’t touch me.

Dayo Benson: Oops. Already did.

Juda’s smile is gone. He’s glowering again.

Dayo Benson: Can you teach me how to glower like that?

He says nothing.

Dayo Benson: Well, have a nice day. All the best with your trial.

Juda: Where is your accent from?

Dayo Benson: I’m British.

Juda: I’ve heard British accents before. You sound different.

Dayo Benson: I’m from up North. It’s a great accent isn’t it? Yours is nice too.

Juda holds out a hand.

I look at it, a little suspicious.

Dayo Benson: I thought you said I shouldn’t touch you.

His hand remains between us.

I slip my own hand through the bars and shake it.

Juda: You’re not scared of me.

Dayo Benson: Maybe because I created you.

Juda frowns: Are you trying to sound like Luke?

Dayo Benson: No, really. I created you.

Juda gives me an odd look: Right. Are they all as creepy as you in the UK?

Dayo Benson: Only if they’re writers.

A ghost of a smile passes over his features. It looks like he’s lightening up, so I look through my questions and decide to ask a few more.

Dayo Benson: You mentioned that you spend your time reading the Bible and praying. Now that you’re in jail do you regret your decision to become a Christian? If you were still a practitioner you could escape. In fact Abha tried to help you to escape. Surely you have considered escaping? You must have had low moments when you’ve felt so lonely and afraid that you wished you could get your practitioner power back and escape?

Juda eyes me: That was like fifty questions. Which do you want me to answer?

Dayo Benson: All of them.

Juda: I don’t regret becoming a Christian. Jesus’ yoke is easy, and His burden is light. The yoke of the devil is very heavy.

The words are spoken softly in that gravelly voice of his. They’re profound. So much food for thought there.

Dayo Benson: So, how are you dealing with…everything?

Juda shrugs: God is helping me.

Dayo Benson: Your fans want me to ask you about Crystal.

Juda’s jaw locks again.

Dayo Benson: Please answer. They’ve enjoyed watching your romance unfold.

A muscle works in his jaw.

Dayo Benson: When did you first realize that you were in love with Crystal? And how did your love grow?

Juda: I knew I was in love the day she yelled at me over President McCarthy’s assassination.

Dayo Benson: Really?

Silence.

Dayo Benson: Please elaborate.

Juda: Nobody yells at me. Well, not when I was a practitioner. But no matter what Crystal did to me, it didn’t cross my mind to hurt her.

Dayo Benson: So, that’s when you realized you were in love?

I’m not sure if it’s my eyes, but there seems to be a faint hint of colour in Juda’s cheeks.

Dayo Benson: So, how did your love grow?

Juda: I don’t know. What kind of question is that?

Dayo Benson: Your fans want to know.

Juda: The more I was around her, the more I wanted her around. I began to really fear the day that the team would go their separate ways because it would mean I would be without her. I’d never thought about getting married before, but all of a sudden I was thinking about it. But she was a Christian and I was an occult practitioner, so I didn’t know how it would work. I would have married her despite our different beliefs, but I knew she wouldn’t marry me.

Dayo Benson: Is that partly why you became a Christian?

Juda: What does 1 Corinthians 12:3 say?

Dayo Benson: Uh, you expect me to know off the top of my head?

Juda: Aren’t you a student of the Bible?

Dayo Benson: I am, but…hey, what’s that got to do with the question I asked you? And, I’m the one asking questions here.

Juda: It says that nobody can confess that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. And John 6:44 says that nobody can come to Jesus except the Father draws him. I am a Christian today because the Father drew me. The Holy Spirit reached out to me. If I did it just to be with Crystal, I would have given up by now. Jail isn’t easy. Neither will my trial be easy. I could even lose Crystal. I’m a Christian because there’s power in the Name and the blood of Jesus to save even the chief of sinners, which I am.

Dayo Benson: What are your plans for the future? If you don’t get capital punishment.

Juda: To be a Godly man. (Juda pauses, and then he grins and winks) And to make Crystal never regret marrying me.

Prison officer: Time up!

Dayo Benson: Just when things were getting interesting.

***

Hope you enjoyed the interview guys. I’m interviewing either Dan Black or Trixie next. Leave a comment or email me: dayo@dayobenson.com, to let me know which of the two of them you prefer, and what questions should I ask them xx

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The Craft of the Crystal Series (3/4)

Dayo Benson

man in hoodHi all,

Can I just say I still cannot believe I wrote the Crystal series? It’s so not ‘me.’ The romance is right up my alley, but all this ‘craft’ and scary stuff is just not how I usually roll. I don’t read or watch dark stuff because I hate it, even if it’s ‘Christian’. I’ve been told the Crystal series, and my book Bondage (Pure Passion Series) are similar to some of Frank Peretti’s books, so I’ve been wanting check him out and see. I downloaded ‘This Present Darkness’ months ago, but still can’t bring myself to read it. Yet I’ve been writing about practitioners and craft and angels and demons. Go figure.

Today we’re talking about:

  • Craft of Different Nations
  • SOT Hierarchy vs. other craft within the world of the Crystal series/Robe Colour
  • Energy release

Craft of Different Nations

I felt it was realistic to make different nations have different forms of craft. The way practitioners in the Crystal series practice their craft is influenced by their culture. This is the case with most things in life. For example, cultures with a ‘respect culture’ tend to be very respectful towards their politicians, pastors, or anyone in a position of power. While here in the UK, where we don’t really have a culture of respect for elders etc., we treat people in power in ways that people with a respect culture would find shocking. That’s just one example of how culture affects behaviors and practices. Juda learns his ‘superior’ craft in India, where he undergoes intense training and discipline. Shola Cardoso mixes and matches craft techniques from many different nations. This made Juda a tough opponent for anybody unfamiliar with his Indian craft, and it enabled Shola to sneak around behind Luke’s back.

SOT Hierarchy vs. other craft within the world of the Crystal series/Robe Colour

The SOT Hierarchy, from highest position to lowest, is:

Grandmaster

Principal

Spirit Ruler

Dark Lord

Obviously, Luke was a Grandmaster. Other crafts in the world of the Crystal series have different hierarchies. Because of the nature of the SOT craft, practitioners within the SOT graduate to a white robe faster than they would in other crafts. In most crafts of the Crystal series, people stay at the black robe for much longer and some never attain to the white robe. This is because the SOT craft is big on death and blood covenants. A white robe is a sign of being an elite practitioner of uncommon discipline and submission to the occult. I didn’t want the fact that there are so many white-robed practitioners in the SOT to make the white robe seem common, or easy to attain. Rather, I wanted it to portray the fact that those in the SOT are very high level practitioners and make incredible sacrifices for their power and position in society.  Crystal gets a white robe after making a blood covenant and taking an oath.

Regarding robe colour, I wanted a way to make the hierarchy of the craft visual. Rather than saying someone is a deeper/more powerful practitioner than another person, this fact is automatically conveyed to the reader by the color of the robe they wear. By the way I only mentioned black, white and red robes in the Crystal series, but there are other colors too (purple, gold etc.)—not in real life. Just in my fictional Crystal series world 🙂

Energy release

There is a lot of talk of conserving energy, and mental energy, and energy release, among practitioners of the Crystal series. This was a way of limiting the practitioners. Just because they have occult power doesn’t mean they are invincible. Just as the strongest man in the world gets tired if he exerts too much energy and may be overcome while tired, so also the practitioners get tired if they exert their craft muscles too much.

Anyway, I hope you’re having a good week. The closer we get to launch day, the more excited I get 🙂

God bless.