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Friday, June 11, 2021

Virtual Book Tour: The Jesus Nut by John Prather #blogtour #interview #fiction #satire #giveaway #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours @JohnPrather3

 

 

Contemporary Adult Fiction/Satire

Date Published: June 1, 2021

Publisher: Atmosphere Press



The Jesus Nut tells the parallel stories of three unlikely pilgrims—a reviled professor, a delusional homeless veteran, and a priest who loves strip clubs—searching for the greatest religious relic of the 21st century. Thrown together after a raucous showdown with evangelists, they decide to ignore their differences and work as a team in pursuit of their holy purpose. Their journey to New York City leads to a fateful encounter with a former advertising executive, whose mad ramblings suggest he might be the very oracle to help them fulfill their destiny.

A quirky, subversive novel that addresses timely issues and lampoons evangelical hypocrisy, The Jesus Nut ultimately reveals itself to be a story of second chances and agape love. Along the way, you'll meet self-righteous academics, a curious and ambitious stripper, a farmer with a remarkable peanut, a trucker fascinated by the constellations, a profane church maintenance crew, and more. Prepare for an irreverent journey which will remind you of the value of friends and the miraculous power of faith.




Advanced Praise

Jerry MacNeil, author of Rules of Thumb "Three people share a life-changing adventure. Pilgrimages are more rewarding during the journey than at the destination, and The Jesus Nut is a great ride." 


"Masterful raconteur Prather pulls out all the heretical stops... A highly original mix of belief and balderdash."




Excerpt

What is the hardest part of writing your books?

 

Slowing down. Sometimes, especially when I’m really enjoying a particular part of the story, I tend to rush through it, neglecting the sensory description necessary to make it work for the reader. There are times I’ve written pages of crackling dialog only to find out that nobody in the conversation actually did anything, forcing me to go back and add body language attributions or descriptions of the scenery or whatever in order to enrich the scene.

 

What songs are most played on your Ipod?

 

Lots of Led Zeppelin these days. Frank Sinatra is a mainstay. And, as always, classic soul—Marvin Gaye, Barry White, the Chi-Lights, etc. That’s what I listened to as a kid, and it still makes me happy.

 

Do you have critique partners or beta readers?

 

I was fortunate to have tons of support. I had three beta readers who offered some fantastic ideas that made the book significantly better. Then, after revision, I joined a writer’s group in San Diego, which enabled me to receive chapter-by-chapter critiques of the final third of my novel.

 

There is a maxim in law that says, “A lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client.” I’d say that concept is true of most occupations, and certainly valid for writers. Honestly, I think anyone who does not avail themselves of critique partners is either foolish or an infinitely better writer than I am, or both.

 

What book are you reading now?

 

At this very moment, none. My Booklife review suggested The Jesus Nut would be great for fans of Christopher Moore’s Lamb (which I loved) and Roland Merullo’s Breakfast With Buddha, so I’ll check that out soon. The review also said, “Prather on occasion unleashes the scathing incredulity of a merciless satirist like Carl Hiaasen”—which I consider exquisite praise—so I’ll read some more Hiaasen this summer. Finally, Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs, and Steel and Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens remain at the top of my pile. 

 

How did you start your writing career?

 

I wrote a few stories as a kid and wrote weird, funny dialogs in my high school Spanish class so I didn’t have to do the boring ones in the textbook. A big push was becoming friends with Michael Petryni, at the time the film critic for the Arizona Republic, which got me into film. From there, I went to the University of Texas for an MA in screenwriting and, I guess, the ball was rolling.

 

Tell us about your next release.

 

My summer project is the screenplay of The Jesus Nut. I don’t have any interest from a production company yet, but since I was a screenwriter before I was a novelist, I’d like to write the adaptation so that my lawyer and I can pursue actors or a director in an attempt to sell the rights to Hollywood. Many of my readers and one of my pre-release reviews noted that the story is very cinematic.

 

After that, I’m not sure what’s next. I have a few ideas in various stages of outline, so we’ll see which one inspires me the most.


About the Author


John Prather is a baseball fan, satire aficionado, mustard enthusiast, and film noir devotee. Now retired from teaching and coaching, he lives in Carlsbad, California with his long-suffering wife, extraordinary teenage son, and neurotic Bichon/Poodle mix. He once ran, a lot. His favorite color is orange. He has broken his nose 15 times. Visit him at JohnPratherWriter.com.


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