Beliefnet News

Beliefnet News

Bestselling novelist Frank Peretti’s “Illusion” is a love letter to Barbara, his wife for 40 years

If there’s a message in bestselling author Frank Peretti’s new book Illusion, it’s a thank-you card, he says, or maybe a romantic note to his wife – as well as a celebration of marriage.

Frank Peretti

“It’s a tribute,” he says from his home in rural Idaho, “to my own relationship with my wife, Barbara. I’m 61 now and I’m looking back at 40 years of marriage. This book is an exploration of just what kind of people make that sort of commitment and enjoy the sort of devotion to stick together through thick and thin for four decades.”

With more than 15 million books in print, Peretti has been nothing short of a publishing phenomenon since the 1980s, His international bestsellers This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness were surprise hits by a tiny publishing company. But they were championed by evangelical icons of the day such as songwriter Michael W. Smith, whose “Ashton” on his platinum album “i2(Eye)” in 1988 alerted teens to the book, and Amy Grant, who during concerts would just mention “a really great book I just read,” prompting a rash of sales.

Peretti could be called the father of modern Christian fiction with his 21 titles, including the The Oath and The Visitation – as well as a number of books and videos for kids. Unlike his early bestsellers, Illusion is not about spiritual warfare. In a departure from the good vs. evil plots for which he is famous, Peretti tells the story of a married, middle-aged couple of show-biz, Vaudeville-type illusionists. 

In Illusions‘s 512 pages and 150,000 or so words, there’s no – continued on Page 2



You Might Also Like...
Previous Posts

Confessions of a Preacher’s Daughter
She’s the star of “This Is Our Time.” She played Kirk Cameron’s wife in the surprise blockbuster “Fireproof.” But she grew up as the pastor’s kid at a megachurch. Was Erin Bethea the stereotypical fast-driving, hard-drinking, boy-teasing, cigar-smoking preacher’s daughter? After all,

posted 12:04:02pm Apr. 23, 2013 | read full post »

Focus on the Family’s President Says It’s Time to “Refocus”
 It’s tough out there in the culture wars and Jim Daly has the battle scars to prove it. But does the top executive of Focus on the Family believe he can ever successfully declare

posted 10:24:18am Mar. 14, 2013 | read full post »

5-week Bible special a labor of love for famous TV producer and 'Touched by an Angel' wife
It’s a passion project. The new 10-hour mini-series The Bible is “a story of enduring love,” says Mark Burnett, producer of TV mega-hits Survivor (CBS), The Voice (NBC), The Celebrity Apprentice (NBC), and Shark Tank (ABC). “It’s many, many stories that have endured over thousands of ye

posted 4:47:19am Feb. 21, 2013 | read full post »

Who should be allowed to pray for Obama?
It seems preposterous, but there’s a major debate over who is worthy to invoke the presence and blessing of the Almighty on the leaders of this land we love! So, who is qu

posted 1:59:32pm Jan. 15, 2013 | read full post »

Do parents have a say in what schools teach?
Should a Hindu foundation be allowed to finance yoga instruction in California grade schools – despite vehement parental objections? Should a student production featuring cross-dressing and gender confusion go ahead in Utah despite protests from furious parents? [caption id="attachment_12003" a

posted 4:11:31pm Jan. 07, 2013 | read full post »

Advertisement
Comments Post the First Comment »
post a comment

Post a Comment

By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.





Report as Inappropriate

You are reporting this content because it violates the Terms of Service.

All reported content is logged for investigation.