Age of the Fallen: Origins - Friends in Arms

(Age of the Fallen: Origins Series)

Okay, I'm going attempt to tell you about the characters without spoiling the plot of the book. Some of my most fun moments in writing AGE OF THE FALLEN was creating the personalities of the teens that would interact with each other throughout the story.

My goal was to show that regardless of your group in school, when you are united behind the Master (Jesus Christ), all those labels and boundaries disappear. So a confident baseball player (Yes, I had to do that!) partners with a computer game playing chess champion, an intense soccer girl pairs with a shy dancer, and two brothers who work for their parents and fight constantly become an incredible team in spiritual combat. There are more...but I'll let you have the joy of discovering them. They are all united by Aiko who is a leader plain and simple. She is passionate, loving, wise, and very driven.


While I wrote part of the book in Japan I scanned the crowds for my characters. And I found them! (And some for the next book too!). I would see a teenage guy walk in and think, "That's Takumi!" I did that for all of the characters except one. I never found an Aiko. Why? Because she is very unique.

She burns with an intensity and passion for truth. She is intense and very focused on each mission, but compassionate, caring, and self-sacrificing. Her eyes would beam with love and determination but at times would show weariness and questions for her God. She is also a "called" one and bears that mantle with humility and wreckless abandon.

When the team comes together, they forget all labels and become a unit under the direction of their Master. Aiko leads and they fight in "twos" and become a force to be reckoned with. In the end, it's their love and loyalty to one another that gets them to the end (most of them?). I hope you enjoy their friendships as much as I enjoyed writing the bantering, eating, teasing, and working together during intense spiritual combat.

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Age of the Fallen: Origins - Teenagers ROCK!

(Age of the Fallen: Origin Series)
The main characters of AGE OF THE FALLEN range in age from 14-18. There is one eighth grader who hangs out with older high school friends. They are led by a Senior, Aiko, who has already suffered more than most people do in their life time. Together, they are a bantering, snack food eating, computer game playing, cell phone wielding, group of powerful spiritual warriors. (more on them in next blog)

Why teenagers? Because when it comes to spiritual things, they are down right dangerous! It's true. They have this energy and passion for life. They are curious and excited and processing new freedom and hope for the future. They are dreamers who are too naive to be pessistic or realistic. You combine that with real, authentic faith...and they become powerful followers of Christ. They are wonderfully foolish enough to ask Him for big things!

Some of the most committed kingdom builders I have ever met in 32 years of ministry have been teenagers. And I believe that Satan is afraid of what they can do if they believe and unite. That's why he works overtime to distract them or to destroy them before they can pick up the banner for their generation.

Let's remember that our teens can be a force in the spiritual war that rages every day. Encourage them to choose sides, team up, and make a difference!

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Age of the Fallen: Origins - Why Japan??

(Age of the Fallen: Origins Series) When I heard about the spiritual condition in Japan my heart truly broke for that country. I spent many train rides watching Japanese young people and wondering how to plant a seed of truth in their hearts and minds.

Then I started to notice that they LOVED to read. So many of them had open books in the train while they were traveling from place to place. So God planted a seed in my heart to write something that they would enjoy reading and a story that would convey truth to them as well.

That's when I started to look at the genre that was popular in Japan and started to read what I could find in english. After skimming through a few stories I knew that AGE OF THE FALLEN had a unique place. Because it is anchored in Biblical truth it would give the story a strong foundation to build upon.

And it would also touch issues that were close to their hearts like suicide, friendship, teamwork, loyalty, self-sacrifice, and love. My hope is that the book will do well in the U.S. and then be able to get published in Japanese and find it's way into their hands. I also hope to see it made into a movie (it would be GREAT!). I actually wrote it with a movie in mind. Hint: When you read it be sure to have the Transformers, Chronicles of Narnia, and Pirates of the Caribbean soundtracks playing loud!

In the end, I hope a generation of young people around the world see what a difference they can make when they "choose sides" and do what God wants them to do...at all costs.

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Age of the Fallen: Origins

(New Series of Blogs on the Origins and Inspiration for AGE OF THE FALLEN by Mark Olmos, a spiritual thriller)

"No doubt, the first ideas for this book came from the temptation of Jesus by Satan in the wilderness. In Matt. 4:1-11 Jesus faces three temptations from the devil and in response to each attack Jesus quotes scripture. Since the Bible is called the "sword of the Spirit" elsewhere in the New Testament I saw the whole episode as a sword fight between them.

So one day I sat at Starbucks and wrote a paraphrase of the passage making it out to be a samurai sword fight between Jesus and Satan. Although this sword fight doesn't appear in the first book (there are two more coming), it lays the foundation for what Aiko and her friends have to do to push back the evil that is trying to take over their city.

In it's most simple form, what you will find in AGE OF THE FALLEN is the battle between truth and lies. Satan and his demons work in lies and the followers of the Master wield truth. And when they oppose each other...the sparks start to fly!

Pre-order your book today at: http://spiritualswordsman.com/devotions.htm

JOY

When you know God you can experience an unshakable JOY!

It's not like happiness which is based on what's "happening" around you. It's a deep rooted JOY that is based on the truth that God is real, He loves you, and no matter what is going on in your life right now, God promises to be with you.

He will strengthen you in hard times. Heal you in broken times. Provide for you in sparse times. Love you in lonely times. And when you feel discouraged and alone, He will reach down and help you dance again!

Nothing can steal the JOY that God gives you. How do you get there? Look up! Take some time to read the Bible and remember how powerful He is. Listen to worship music that lifts your soul and is filled with the truth about God's greatness and power. Take your eyes off the temporary things of the world and realize Who God is and how much he cares for you.

I'm in a real season of JOY. I'm so thankful for God's leadership in my life and how He provides for all of my needs. Don't miss out on His JOY! It's unshakable.