Joel Rosenberg - #TheFirstHostage hits #13 on Publishers Weekly bestseller list. Today Show says it’s “fantastic.”

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

#TheFirstHostage hits #13 on Publishers Weekly bestseller list. Today Show says it’s “fantastic” and “just so prescient.” by joelcrosenberg (Washington, D.C.) -- We just got the news that The First Hostage has hit #13 on the Publishers Weekly hardcover fiction best-seller list. Given that we're up against the biggest novel writers of our time -- John Grisham, Stephen King, James Patterson, Nicholas Sparks, David Baldacci, Mitch Albom, Harper Lee, Dean Koontz, Janet Evanovich, and more -- I'm amazed we made the list at all! Thank you so much to all of my readers who've been so enthusiastic and supportive of this new one. Thanks, too, for all the word-of-mouth you've been doing, writing about and reviewing The First Hostage on Facebook, Twitter and all kinds of other social media. I couldn't be more grateful. and please keep it up! Also, in case you missed it, here's the video of my appearance on the Today Showon Friday morning with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb. It's brief, but I was so encouraged by how enthusiastic Kathie Lee was about The First Hostage and my ten other novels. She's read them all and wanted to introduce me to her audience. She and Hoda have been so kind -- love those two. Watch by clicking here -- or read the transcript: GIFFORD: Before we go, I want to introduce you to my friend, Joel C. Rosenberg. He's a New York Times best-selling author who has written a new book called, The First Hostage, the second in a series that is just so prescient. It's unbelievable! KOTB: You've been raving about his books, by the way, Kath. GIFFORD: I've read every one -- how many have you written? -- because I've read them all. ROSENBERG: This is the eleventh. GIFFORD: This is the eleventh, yeah. He sends them to me in galley form before they're out now because I want to know -- I can't wait. ROSENBERG: I didn't know until the last book that you even liked them, I didn't know. So -- or that you even read them. GIFFORD: I do. I read them and I love them because they're geopolitical, historical -- well, they're happening now kinda thing -- they're scenarios that could happen. ROSENBERG: They could happen -- ISIS captures chemical weapons, tries to assassinate or capture the President of the United States. These are the kind of things you do not want to happen, but they make for good fiction. KOTB: Well, you're very first one [The Last Jihad] was a best-seller, and they've all been since. GIFFORD: They've all been. KOTB: And I have a feeling this one will be, too. ROSENBERG: They have all been best-sellers, and that's crazy, right? GIFFORD: For our Joel! Thank you for coming by and being with us. KOTB: Thank you, Joel! GIFFORD: Fantastic book! ————– Order The First Hostage today — it’s now available in hardcover, e-book and audio formats. Read the first chapter of The First Hostage right now The first reviews of #TheFirstHostage are in: “one of the final must-read novels of 2015,” “impeccably crafted,” “I simply could not stop reading” ——————- Subscribe (free) to the RSS feed (click here) and receive every new posting on this blog directly via email. Order THE THIRD TARGET today , the first in this new series — now out in paperback — the New York Times best-selling novel about ISIS capturing chemical weapons in Syria and plotting genocidal attacks. Make an investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net), our non-profit organization to help Christians care for Syrian refugees, educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, and strengthen the Church in the epicenter. Read our latest Donor Report, and make a tax deductible, secure, on-line contribution before the end of the year. Follow on Twitter — @joelcrosenberg joelcrosenberg | January 9, 2016 at 1:09 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL:http://wp.me/piWZ7-3Nx

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog #TheFirstHostage will be featured on the TODAY Show on Friday, Jan. 8, 2016, thanks to Kathie Lee Gifford.

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

#TheFirstHostage will be featured on the TODAY Show on Friday, Jan. 8, 2016, thanks to Kathie Lee Gifford. Here’s how that came about. (Also: novel hits #21 on USA Today bestseller list.) by joelcrosenberg (New York, New York) -- One of the fun parts of being a novelist is meeting all kinds of different people all over the country and all over the world who read your books. Most of the people I meet at speeches, conferences and book signings are not famous, of course. They're salt-of-the-earth folks who just love great stories, and I love them for it! Every now and then, I have the opportunity to meet government leaders and generals and intelligence experts and the like who are drawn not just to thrillers but those with realistic geopolitical scenarios. And I always enjoy such meetings. But today was different. Very different. It turns out that Kathie Lee Gifford, the long-time co-host of the Regis & Kathie Lee show, and now one of the co-hosts of the TODAY Show, is a fan of my novels. She reached out to me last year and we've corresponded by email. She also had me on her podcast last year for The Third Target release, so we had spoken by phone. But we'd never met in person. Recently, however, she read an advance copy of The First Hostage and loved it. Next thing I know, she sent me a note inviting me to come to by the NBC Studios at Rockefeller Center to tape a segment with her and her partner-in-crime on the show, Hoda Kotb, plugging the book. I'd never been on the TODAY Show, and I was so honored that she asked, and I immediately said yes. So late Wednesday night, I boarded a flight in Tel Aviv, Israel, flew twelve hours, landed in Newark around 4 o'clock this morning, and checked into a hotel in Manhattan to shower, shave and change. Then I headed over to NBC and we pre-taped the segment. It will air on Friday, January 8th, and I hope you'll tune in, if you have a moment. The segment itself isn't long, but I have to say in all honesty that this was the most fun book events I've ever done (and we've done some really wonderful ones over the years). Both Kathie Lee and Hoda were lovely, warm, gracious, and hilarious. I felt like I'd known them for years, and we had a great time together. Hoda gave me a big hug the moment we met, saying that Kathie Lee is always raving about my books. That was certainly fun to hear, but it was also fun that Hoda just released her own book this week -- Where We Belong: Journeys That Show Us The Way -- so we signed and swapped copies for each other. Then Kathie and her brother, Dave -- a wonderful Evangelical Christian pastor in Manhattan whom I've known for several years (and have had the honor of preaching to his congregation several times) -- went out to amazing restaurant (Neary's, on East 57th Street) for a thoroughly scrumptious lunch of lamp chops, creamy mashed potatoes, spinach, corn, and wine from Kathie Lee's private label. Wow -- incredible! Really. I have a new favorite restaurant in New York. Now, all that would have been wonderful enough. But Kathie Lee, also a devout Evangelical, invited a dear Christian friend of hers to join us, a truly fascinating guy, Chris Clarke, who is a marketing genius from Australia and also produces movies. At the moment, Chris is developing and co-producing a major motion picture for Warner Brothers about the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul  The film will star Hugh Jackman as Saul of Tarsus, the Rabbi and Pharisee who is trying to destroy the early Church but suddenly as a vision of Christ on the road to Damascus and  becomes a follower of Christ and one of the greatest evangelists, church planters, and apostles of all time. Also signed on for key roles in the film are Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. So, as you might imagine, that was a conversation right up my alley. Chris was also interested in my novels and how I got into writing and why I chose to write this particular series about ISIS. I gave him a copy of The First Hostage (which we've just learned has hit #21 on the USA Today best-seller list), and, unfortunately, we all had to go our separate ways. It was a conversation I didn't want to end. It was a very fun day -- a great way to kick off a new book tour -- and I just want to say a special word of gratitude to Kathie Lee for her personal kindness and her enthusiasm about my writing and my faith. Five months ago, she lost her beloved husband, Frank, who passed away very suddenly on a Sunday morning, just before they went to church. So this hasn't exactly been an easy season for her. But Frank loved Christ and is in heaven. She's comforted by this truth, and she has a true joy within her that I found very encouraging. Please keep her and her entire family in your prayers. I certainly will, and I look forward to seeing them again soon. That's all for now. It's nearly 9pm here in the Big Apple, which nearly 4am in Israel, so jet lag is killing me right now.  But I wanted to give you a snap shot of Day One of the book tour. Tomorrow, in addition to being on the TODAY Show, I'm doing a series of other interviews, including with Stuart Varney on the Fox Business Channel. Please follow me on Twitter for updates. Thanks, God bless you, and good night! ————– Order The First Hostage today — it’s now available in hardcover, e-book and audio formats. Read the first chapter of The First Hostage right now The first reviews of #TheFirstHostage are in: “one of the final must-read novels of 2015,” “impeccably crafted,” “I simply could not stop reading” ——————- Subscribe (free) to the RSS feed (click here) and receive every new posting on this blog directly via email. Order THE THIRD TARGET today , the first in this new series — now out in paperback — the New York Times best-selling novel about ISIS capturing chemical weapons in Syria and plotting genocidal attacks. Make an investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net), our non-profit organization to help Christians care for Syrian refugees, educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, and strengthen the Church in the epicenter. Read our latest Donor Report, and make a tax deductible, secure, on-line contribution before the end of the year. Follow on Twitter — @joelcrosenberg joelcrosenberg | January 8, 2016 at 1:57 am | Categories: Uncategorized | URL:http://wp.me/piWZ7-3KZ

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog - What the next US president will need to know about Iran and Islamic State

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

What the next US president will need to know about Iran and Islamic State. (My column in the Jerusalem Post) by joelcrosenberg (New York, New York) -- Just landed in New York this morning to begin a month-long book tour for The First Hostage. It's great to be back in the U.S., especially at such a critical moment. Given the darkness that is falling over the Middle East, and the high stakes American elections that are about to kick off, I'm looking forward to discussing the novel's themes, from the growing threat of catastrophic ISIS attacks against the American people and our leaders, to the threat posed to the entire Middle East by an American president who is abandoning Israel, our Sunni Arab allies, and all common sense. To that end, I'm grateful that The Jerusalem Post has just published the first column I've ever written for them. I hope you'll read it in its entirely, post your comments on our Epicenter Team page on Facebook, and share it through social media with others. Thanks so much. What the next US president will need to know about Iran and Islamic State  By Joel C. Rosenberg, Jerusalem Post, January 7, 2015 In less than a month voters in Iowa will cast their ballots, officially setting the 2016 presidential election in motion. The big question: Will Americans choose a leader who will truly be ready on Day One to face the enormous global challenges that lie ahead, particularly those in the Middle East? Above all, the next president of the United States must understand that the greatest challenge facing the Western alliance in the Middle East is not simply the threat of radical Islam, but that of apocalyptic Islam. Unfortunately, most candidates and voters are still not adequately familiar with such distinctions. But they need to be. Why? Because while adherents of radical Islam (such as al-Qaida, the Taliban, Hamas, etc.,) use violent acts hoping to drive the US, Israel and other “infidels” out of what they regard as their holy lands, adherents of apocalyptic Islam seek to use genocide to annihilate all infidels and establish a global Islamic kingdom known as the caliphate. For the first time in human history, the leaders of two nation states are being driven by eschatology. The rulers of the Islamic Republic of Iran are consumed by ancient Islamic prophecies that predict the end of the world as we know it. So are the rulers of Islamic State (IS). The former are Shi’ite. The latter are Sunni. Yet both believe their messiah – known as the “Mahdi” (and to the Shi’tes as the “Twelfth Imam” or “Hidden Imam”) – will appear on Earth at any moment. Both believe he will usher in the End of Days. Both are determined to hasten his coming. But each has very different strategies to get there. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the IS leader, believes his mission is to immediately build the caliphate in the Levant (Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian-controlled territories) and slaughter all who refuse to convert to his brand of Islam. He wants to draw the Western powers (“the forces of Rome”) into an apocalyptic battle in the Syrian town of Dabiq, because that’s where he believes Islamic prophecy has promised a great victory. Then he believes the Mahdi will arrive to expand the caliphate’s reach around the globe. “Rush, O Muslims, to your state,” al-Baghdadi proclaimed in a July 2014 audio recording. “It is your state. Syria is not for Syrians and Iraq is not for Iraqis. The land is for the Muslims, all Muslims....This is my advice to you. If you hold to it you will conquer Rome and own the world, if Allah wills.” By contrast, Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his close advisers believe the priority is not building the caliphate but rather building the infrastructure to create an arsenal of nuclear weapons. When they are ready to commit genocide on an epic scale..... [to read the full column, please click here] To read a fact sheet on the Islamic State's apocalyptic beliefs, please click here To read a fact sheet on the Iranian leadership's apocalyptic beliefs, please click here To read a recent blog column, "Eerie front-page NYT story examines ISIS prophecies about an apocalyptic showdown in Syrian town of Dabiq," please click here To read a recent blog column, “ISIS plotting ‘to slaughter thousands’ in 2016 in bid to spark huge final battle,” reads U.K. headline seemingly ripped from THE FIRST HOSTAGE. Also: ISIS leader vows to attack Israel & Saudi Arabia soon. But mainstream media slow to report significance of Islamic eschatology., please click here. ————– Order The First Hostage today — it’s now available in hardcover, e-book and audio formats. Read the first chapter of The First Hostage right now The first reviews of #TheFirstHostage are in: “one of the final must-read novels of 2015,” “impeccably crafted,” “I simply could not stop reading” ——————- Subscribe (free) to the RSS feed (click here) and receive every new posting on this blog directly via email. Order THE THIRD TARGET today , the first in this new series — now out in paperback — the New York Times best-selling novel about ISIS capturing chemical weapons in Syria and plotting genocidal attacks. Make an investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net), our non-profit organization to help Christians care for Syrian refugees, educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, and strengthen the Church in the epicenter. Read our latest Donor Report, and make a tax deductible, secure, on-line contribution before the end of the year. Follow on Twitter — @joelcrosenberg joelcrosenberg | January 7, 2016 at 1:13 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL:http://wp.me/piWZ7-3JQ

Joel C. Rosenberg - What if ISIS tries to capture or kill presidential candidates or attack campaign events?

New post on Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

What if ISIS tries to capture or kill presidential candidates or attack campaign events? Some thoughts on a very real threat. by joelcrosenberg With fewer than thirty days remaining until the Iowa caucuses -- and the  cancer of the Islamic State and other jihadists metastasizing across the globe in attacks like we've seen in Paris and San Bernardino -- I am become increasingly concerned about the possibility of an attack by the Islamic State on the campaign trail. What if ISIS operatives or loyalists (or jihadists affiliated with other terror groups) try to assassinate one or more of the presidential candidates, try to kidnap one or more of them, and/or try to bomb, strafe or otherwise attack a campaign event filled with hundreds or thousands of people? A terrorist attack against a presidential contender or his/her campaign event would be huge news, reverberating across the nation and around the globe. It would also be chilling to the political process because it could scare people away from attending campaign events as the caucuses and primaries are getting closer. Most of the presidential candidates -- both Democrats and Republicans -- are vulnerable because they are so accessible to the public. While local police may provide crowd and traffic control at larger campaign events in certain circumstances, historically they haven't actually been tasked primarily with protecting the candidates and their families and staffs, or with preventing a terror attack. Only a handful of the candidates currently have Secret Service protection. Hillary Clinton does as a former First Lady. Donald Trump does as a frontrunner who is drawing specific credible threats. Dr. Ben Carson also has federal protection due to credible threats made against him. (I'm not sure about former Gov. Jeb Bush). While I was writing my new thriller, The First Hostage, I spent a lot of time thinking about why and how ISIS might try to assassinate or kidnap the President of the United States and other world leaders, and use such attacks to humiliate the American people and recruit more foreign fighters to their apocalyptic cause. Such threats are central to the plot of The Third Target as well as The First Hostage. At the same time, however, I couldn't help but think of the tragic assassination of Sen. Bobby Kennedy, the Democrat presidential candidate, during the 1968 campaign. Kennedy was shot by a Palestinian extremist, Sirhan Sirhan, during a campaign visit at a California hotel. Who's to say such a tragedy couldn't happen again in this campaign cycle? FBI officials say they are currently running more than 900 investigations into suspected ISIS terrorists operating inside the U.S. In fact, there are active cases in all fifty states at present. Over the past two years the FBI has arrested at least 66 people in the U.S. on suspicion of ISIS terror activities. If this weren’t troubling enough, at least 250 Americans are believed to have gone to fight with ISIS in Syria and Iraq. What will happen when those who aren’t killed on the battlefield return to the U.S. with their American passports? What if they aren’t detected and stopped by federal authorities in time? Will they target candidates and campaign events? These are not normal times, or normal threats. The Secret Service is stretched quite thin right now. I'm not confident they have the manpower to cover all eleven Republican presidential candidates, plus each of the Democrat candidates. But the Secret Service should be working extra closely with the FBI and other federal, state and local law enforcement leaders to develop specific new guidelines on how best to keep the American campaign trail safe. Congressional leaders who oversee Homeland Security should insist that every safeguard is put into place in the next few months in the gap of time until the nominees are determined and comprehensive Secret Service protection is afforded to both nominees. "My view is that the candidates should use campaign funds to hire federal accredited security personnel," one highly-experienced national security expert told me. "The Department of Justice should provide a general set of Rules of Engagement for these security personnel. The Feds should ensure that all relevant intelligence is going to the security personnel of every candidate and every local law enforcement jurisdiction that candidates appear in. When the field narrows, and we have no more than six to eight total candidates, then it may be feasible to use a combination of Secret Service and Federal Marshals to protect them. This is going to be expensive, but it's a reasonable action given the seriousness of the threat."     Let's pray that none of these worst-case scenarios come to pass. But let's press our leaders to insist that every precaution is taken, as well. The stakes are very high. ————– Order The First Hostage today — it’s now available in hardcover, e-book and audio formats. Read the first chapter of The First Hostage right now The first reviews of #TheFirstHostage are in: “one of the final must-read novels of 2015,” “impeccably crafted,” “I simply could not stop reading” ——————- Subscribe (free) to the RSS feed (click here) and receive every new posting on this blog directly via email. Order THE THIRD TARGET today , the first in this new series — now out in paperback — the New York Times best-selling novel about ISIS capturing chemical weapons in Syria and plotting genocidal attacks. Make an investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net), our non-profit organization to help Christians care for Syrian refugees, educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, and strengthen the Church in the epicenter. Read our latest Donor Report, and make a tax deductible, secure, on-line contribution before the end of the year. Follow on Twitter — @joelcrosenberg joelcrosenberg | January 5, 2016 at 3:17 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL:http://wp.me/piWZ7-3Hd

Joel Rosenberg - #TheFirstHostage is now available in hardcover, e-book & audio formats!

#TheFirstHostage is now available in hardcover, e-book & audio formats! (And here are details of the book tour.) by joelcrosenberg

What if the leaders of the world were blind-sided by a catastrophic attack by an Apocalyptic Islamic terror group they didn't see coming?

What if the Islamic State (aka, ISIS) launched a massive, carefully-coordinated plot to assassinate or capture the President of the United States, the Prime Minister of Israel, the President of Egypt and the King of Jordan, in the hopes to trigger a war that would bring about the End of Days?

How might such a war unfold? What would happen next? How would the world respond?

I pray to God such a chilling scenario never comes to pass, but this is the premise of my latest novel -- THE FIRST HOSTAGE -- which picks up six seconds after the end of The Third Target.

The novel was launched this morning in hardcover and audio in North America. You can buy it at any of your favorite general market or Christian bookstores. You can also download it immediately starting today in e-book formats (like Nook and Kindle) in North America and all over the globe.

Where are you reading THE FIRST HOSTAGE? Already, we're getting messages from readers in Thailand, Canada, Holland, Israel and beyond. Please Tweet me or post a message on our "Epicenter Team Page" on Facebook and let me know. Also, please post a review on Facebook and other social media the moment you finish the book.

For the next two weeks, I'll be doing interviews, writing articles and blogging about the novel from here in Israel. But in early January, we'll launch a month-long media and speaking tour throughout the United States. Dates, cities and locations are below. We'll post more details about each event as needed as we get closer.

Please make plans to join us at one of these events. We'll usually be doing book signings, and at some locations we'll be doing Q&A. I would be honored to meet you and your friends, and I'm so grateful for your enthusiastic support for this new thriller.

BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE:

• Tuesday, December 29 -- The First Hostage is available in hardcover and e-book in all of your favorite bookstores and through online retailers. You can also listen to the unabridged version on CD (click here or here or here) or by downloading it to your mobile phone or laptop through Audible (click here).
• Tues, Dec 29 through Mon, Jan 11 -- Radio/TV/digital/print interviews and book reviews.
  • Listen to the audio of the interview about the novel that I did with Tony Perkins (broadcast on 12/28)
  • Read great review published by "The Real Book Spy" blog, which reviews thrillers and spy novels.
  • Read wonderful review published by BookReporter.com.
• Tuesday, January 12 -- Appear on Christian Broadcasting Network's "700 Club," tape other CBN interviews, and speak at CBN headquarters in Virginia Beach.
• Sunday, Jan 17 -- Join Pastor Greg Laurie and address Harvest Christian Fellowship Orange County and Harvest Riverside (all morning services, both campuses) in southern California
• Tuesday, Jan 19 -- Speak at luncheon for Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas
• Wednesday, Jan 20 -- Speak at evening event at Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas
• Thursday, Jan 21 -- Speak at evening event at Life Austin Church in Austin, Texas
• Saturday/Sunday, Jan 23-24 -- Preach at all weekend services at Prestonwood Baptist Church, Dallas/Plano, Texas
• Wednesday, Jan 27 --
  • Speak to National Day of Prayer leadership event, Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU) headquarters, Kissimmee, Florida (morning)
  • Preach at First Assembly of God Church Ft. Myers (evening service), Ft. Myers, Florida
• Radio/TV/digital/print media -- TBD

--------------

• Order The First Hostage today -- it's now available in hardcover, e-book and audio formats.
• Read the first chapter of The First Hostage right now
• Eerie front-page NYT story examines ISIS prophecies about an apocalyptic showdown in Syrian town of Dabiq. (Story looks ripped from THE FIRST HOSTAGE, my forthcoming novel about a showdown over Dabiq.)

——————-

• Subscribe (free) to the RSS feed (click here) and receive every new posting on this blog directly via email.
• Order THE THIRD TARGET today , the first in this new series — now out in paperback — the New York Times best-selling novel about ISIS capturing chemical weapons in Syria and plotting genocidal attacks.
• Order Implosion: Can American Recover From Its Economic & Spiritual Challenges In Time?
• Make a year-end investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net), our non-profit organization to help Christians care for Syrian refugees, educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, and strengthen the Church in the epicenter. Read our latest Donor Report, and make a tax deductible, secure, on-line contribution before the end of the year.
• Follow on Twitter — @joelcrosenbergReceive every blog post automatically via the RSS feed.

joelcrosenberg | December 29, 2015 at 1:34 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL:http://wp.me/piWZ7-3B2

New post on Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

The first reviews of #TheFirstHostage are in: “one of the final must-read novels of 2015,” “impeccably crafted,” “I simply could not stop reading” by joelcrosenberg The first reviews of The First Hostage are in..... "The First Hostage is one of the final must-read novels of 2015, and a rip-roaring thriller that dares you set it down because it knows you won’t be able to. I absolutely loved this book, refusing to go to sleep until I had it finished....Rosenberg keeps the reader engaged with excellent pacing and an explosive story. Just when you think you have things figured out, he leads you down another path in a totally different direction. Everything leads to a fascinating final quarter of the novel that puts J.B Collins, and the reader, on the front lines of the battle against ISIS." -- excerpt from the "Book Spy" review "With an uncanny ability to evaluate current world events and create a story based on what might happen next, Rosenberg’s thrillers are always impeccably crafted and compelling reads. THE FIRST HOSTAGE is the second in the J. B. Collins series, following the equally exciting events of THE THIRD TARGET. I recommend that you get your hands on both books and settle in for an enthralling reading experience." -- excerpt from the "BookReporter.com" review "Wow. Joel C. Rosenberg’s The First Hostage has no shortage of fast-paced action, thrills, and suspense....I simply could not stop reading until I knew what would happen in the end...The First Hostage is a fascinating political read." -- excerpt from the "Book By Book" review -------------- READ THIS BOOK BY THE GUY WHO HAD THE ISLAMIC STATE FIGURED OUT BEFORE ANYONE ELSE (Here's the full review from the "Book Spy" blog, minus some spoilers, which I have removed, though you can read them by clicking here): In many interviews, author Brad Thor has quoted his friend (and fellow author) Brad Meltzer by saying “a thriller writer’s job is to beat the headlines.” While both Brad Thor and Brad Meltzer have been fantastic at beating headlines in their own bestselling novels over the years, I would argue that nobody has been a better headliner-beater than author Joel C Rosenberg. Back in 2002, Rosenberg opened his debut novel, The Last Jihad, with a scene where Muslim extremists use an airplane in a kamikaze attack on the President of the United States. Incredibly, Rosenberg actually wrote that scene before 9/11. It was for headline-beating scenarios like this that U.S. News and World Report coined Rosenberg a “modern day Nostradamus.” But the incredible predictions in his novels didn’t stop there. Part of the central plot to The Last Jihad is Israel’s newfound discovery of oil. at the time, that idea seemed outlandish. Yet recently we’ve seen headlines such as “Potentially game-changing oil reserves discovered in Israel” from Fox News and other media outlets alike. In his second novel series, beginning with The Twelfth Imam (2010), Rosenberg – who has written several nonfiction books as well – tells a story about a young CIA operative who uncovers a shocking truth about Iran’s nuclear capabilities. That series, which spans over three books, (The Twelfth Imam, The Tehran Initiative, and Damascus Countdown) deals with the realities and dangers that a nuclear Iran poses to both Israel, and America. Most of the questions surrounding the central plot to that series, such as: should Israel launch a preemptive strike on Iran, are currently being analyzed by talk show hosts across the country. It’s debated in congress too, as part of the nuclear agreement America has entered into with Iran. Rosenberg had already proven to have his finger firmly on the pulse of world events and geopolitics long before this year’s book came out. Yet in January, with the release of The Third Target, Rosenberg once again seems to have peered into his crystal ball and seen events before they actually happened. The Third Target (released in January of 2015) was the first novel in Rosenberg’s new series about a New York Times reporter who chases a story about ISIS. J.B. Collins sets out to confirm a rumor he’s heard suggesting that the terrorist group smuggled weapons of mass destruction out of Syria, and he’ll stop at nothing to get the scoop – including sneaking into Syria to meet with the leaders of The Islamic State.... The First Hostage picks up just seconds after where The Third Target ends, thank goodness, thrusting the reader into immediate nonstop-action. Collins in on the ground in Jordan talking to his editor, giving him a rundown of everything that’s just happened since the surprise attack by ISIS. From there, J.B. is invited by the King of Jordan into a secure military bunker, where he’s given exclusive access to cover all the events as they unfold, including the search for the American president. Collins soon discovers that he doesn’t quite have the freedom to report on whatever he wants, as he’s subjected to censorship from the Jordanian government. While not a fan of censorship, he makes do with what he has. That is until a twist in the story flips things upside down, shaking Collins to his very core. Rosenberg keeps the reader engaged with excellent pacing and an explosive story. Just when you think you have things figured out, he leads you down another path in a totally different direction. Everything leads to a fascinating final quarter of the novel that puts J.B Collins, and the reader, on the front lines of the battle against ISIS. The First Hostage is one of the final must-read novels of 2015, and a rip-roaring thriller that dares you set it down because it knows you won’t be able to. I absolutely loved this book, refusing to go to sleep until I had it finished.... With his history of beating headlines, if you want an idea of what future attacks from ISIS might look like, read this book from the guy who had The Islamic State figured out before anyone else -- Joel Rosenberg! ————– Order The First Hostage today — it’s now available in hardcover, e-book and audio formats. Read the first chapter of The First Hostage right now Eerie front-page NYT story examines ISIS prophecies about an apocalyptic showdown in Syrian town of Dabiq. (Story looks ripped from THE FIRST HOSTAGE, my forthcoming novel about a showdown over Dabiq.) ——————- Subscribe (free) to the RSS feed (click here) and receive every new posting on this blog directly via email. Order THE THIRD TARGET today , the first in this new series — now out in paperback — the New York Times best-selling novel about ISIS capturing chemical weapons in Syria and plotting genocidal attacks. Order Implosion: Can American Recover From Its Economic & Spiritual Challenges In Time? Make a year-end investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net), our non-profit organization to help Christians care for Syrian refugees, educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, and strengthen the Church in the epicenter. Read our latest Donor Report, and make a tax deductible, secure, on-line contribution before the end of the year. Follow on Twitter — @joelcrosenbergReceive every blog post automatically via the RSS feed. joelcrosenberg | December 29, 2015 at 2:18 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL:http://wp.me/piWZ7-3Dw