Local Author Offers Thriller Set in the Future

Travis Thrasher has written everything from children's books to suspense novels to cowriting with big stars; he's lived all over the United States as well as Munich and Australia. And now he's settled in West Michigan and written a novel set in the near-time future that pits Big Tech against the forces of God.

"My editor at WaterBrook sent an email to me and other authors asking for proposals for novels dealing with the persecuted church," said Thrasher, who lives with his family in the Grandville area. "I had tons of ideas; this one grew into something organic. It's a standalone, but there are storylines not tied up so there could be other novels."

Thrasher will talk about and sign copies of "American Omens: The Coming Fight for Faith" at 7 pm Thursday, Feb. 21, at Baker Book House in Grand Rapids.

The novel, with myriad characters and threads, is mostly set in Chicagoland in 2038. Acatour, owned by Jackson Heyford, controls almost all of the technology that people use every day. By controlling their tech, he controls them. Believers in God have been disappearing for years, with even talking about God or faith a punishable offense.

But God will not be controlled. He has a host of followers who are implementing God's plan to reveal himself to Heyford, Acatour, and the world. An algorithm genius, a former bookstore owner, a rap star, a professor, and a host of others are moving behind the technology to put the plan into place, but Heyford is after them with intent to kill. His biggest enemy, he thinks, is the mysterious Reckoner; but God is the one with true power.

"The intensity of my dad shows up in the Reckoner and in the message to 'Wake up, people!'" said Thrasher. "My dad was a salesman type, and he became a believer. His lifelong mission was to urge people to wake up."

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Thrasher admits the book isn't subtle in terms of characters, who are constantly talking about their faith. "I didn't worry about how much or how little of the faith element I put in; if we're dealing with the persecuted church, faith is part of that," he said.

He was more careful to avoid political statements, easier because the book is set in the future.

"I'm not going to have that debate, especially in a book like this," he said. "What I imagined is if the pendulum swings way anti-Christian. I tried to base the book on something already happening, but magnified to what that could look like down the road."

"This isn't an End Time book or about the rapture; it's about a future that doesn't get better for Christians," said Thrasher. "It's more about asking the average Christian how grounded they are in the faith, and asking 'Where is our urgency about our Christian faith?'"

If you go:

Travis Thrasher will speak and sign copies of "American Omens."
When: 7 pm Thursday, Feb. 21
Where: Baker Book House, 2768 E. Paris Ave SE, Grand Rapids
Details: Books will be available for purchase at the store.

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