Reading through my posts it should be abundantly clear that I have a fascination for the apocalypse. My favorite fictional book is Damnation Alley, I loved the Mad Max movies (the original ones not the reboot), and my first two published novels are about the events leading up to the end of the world. 
     When Russian positioned themselves to move against the Ukraine, I gave myself a little pat on the back for having guessed that one correctly. With so many world-ending scenarios to pick from my plotting for the series is like playing the death-lotto. We have the crazy leader of North Korea who could plunge the world into destructive chaos over an imagined slight. The disputed island in the South China sea has all sorts of potential to escalate out of control, dragging in nation-after-nation. Then, of course, we have the ever popular and extremely volatile Middle-East. The number of scenarios in that region alone provide the fodder for dozens of plotlines.
     On Friday, 129 people died in Paris from terrorist attacks launched by ISIS. I didn't see that one coming. Maybe my mind is stuck in a different era where countries declare war on countries rather than a global war of ideologies. And maybe I should have seen it. 
     France quickly retaliated against the terrorist attacks with bombing runs from 12 of its Mirage fighters, the U.S. has pounded Syria with airstrikes, even Anonymous declared war on these monsters. The terrorist threaten to attack Washington next. Is that an empty threat or an escalation of war?
     This tragedy has affected me in the same way I imagine it has affected most of the world; shocked, sickened, outraged, and more than a little bit concerned about what lies ahead. So today, I'm reminded that this is how the end of the world actually feels.
     My prayers go out to those who are experiencing it firsthand.

          Both The Gathering: Beginning's End and Call to Arms: Nations Fall have questions in the back to help guide book clubs as they discuss the novels. I decided to post ten more questions to get all of you really thinking about what you would do if the events in the books really happened.

1. Do you look at the events which are to come as great or terrible?

2. How far would you go to feed your family, or yourself, if the grocery stores closed for a week? If they closed for a month? If they closed permanently?

3. How would you defend yourself, your family, and your home if the police and the military were no longer in place?

4. What would you say to a friend in the Church who decided to ignore the Prophet's call to gather?

5. Would you rather be part of the group of Saints who struggle to build the city of New Jerusalem or stay behind in the comfort of your home and support those who do?

6. If you were allowed to invite one person to join you in the gathering who would it be and how would you go about asking them?

7. Do you secretly hope that the terrible events of the Second Coming will happen to another generation?

8. If a movie was made about the actual events prior to the Second Coming, what famous actor would play you?

9. If your community faced an attack from a roaming band of pillagers what would you suggest as a course of action?

10. What song should be the theme song of the apocalypse?