About the author
A proud native of northeast Ohio, Creston has been writing professionally for almost 30 years.
He earned his degree in Magazine Journalism from Bowling Green State University in 1983.
After working as a reporter and photographer for newspapers in Florida and Ohio, Creston became a corporate copywriter, then a creative director, before starting his own freelance writing business 20 years ago.
Since then, he has written marketing and magazine copy for fine organizations such as Chick-fil-A, Coca-Cola, The Weather Channel, ABC-TV, Oracle Corporation, TNT Sports, BellSouth, Focus on the Family, Hockey News, and Random House.
Creston has edited and ghost-written a growing list of non-fiction books, and has penned three contemporary suspense novels for Waterbrook-Multnomah, a divison of Random House. All three of Creston's novels are available in e-Book format and have been printed in Dutch. He has finished a fourth novel and is working on a fifth. Visit www.crestonmapes.com for more.
Dark Star
Can Fame, Wealth, and Power Buy Happiness?
Everett Lester and his band, DeathStroke, ride the crest of a wave to superstardom. But the deeper they become immersed in fame, wealth, and power, the more likely they are to be swallowed alive by the drugs, alcohol, and discontentment that have become their only friends. Everett is headed down a perilous road of no apparent return when he's charged with the murder of his personal psychic. The only hope he can cling to comes from Topeka, Kansas , and the letters written by a prayerful young lady who lives there. Consistent and persistent, the notes cut straight to Everett 's empty heart, offering a fulfillment he's never grasped before. But what if he's found guilty of murder? Will he recognize the spiritual battle that's raging for his soul?
Endora Crystal was my rock...
As I staggered through the chaos of rock 'n' roll fame-the drugs and alcohol, the selfishness and turmoil-Endora was the gentle voice in my ear telling me I was special. Telling me I was adored. She was my personal psychic, and she said I had a unique purpose, a calling to give my fans happiness. To be their god.
My band, DeathStroke, dominated the world of rock. Yet strife ruled our inner circle. My family didn't know me. I loved no one but myself.
And yet Karen Bayliss was praying for me, that I would come to know the love of God and the lordship of Jesus Christ. She was not a fan. Didn't care for my music. Karen just wanted me to know peace.
Now Endora is dead, and I've been charged with first-degree murder.
Everett Lester is headed down a perilous road of no apparent return. Will he recognize the spiritual battle that's raging for his soul?
Full Tilt
I ONCE SOWED DESTRUCTION.
Now those I love are reaping pain.
The media hype is fading and my life is no longer that of a glamorous celebrity. I'm Everett Lester, former lead singer of DeathStroke, acquitted last year of first-degree murder, now married, a Christian, and ready to take my story to the masses through music. Problem is, the turmoil of my past didn't end when the reporters left.
My wife Karen and I have received news that has rocked our world. My brother Eddie's gambling is so far out of control that the mob practically owns him. And Eddie's son, Wesley--who blames me for his brother's death--is mixed up with meth, a psychotic named Tony Badino, and a satanic voice that's urging him to take me out.
Will my Living Water tour ever hit the road? Will former fans stop hissing long enough to hear about the transforming power of Christ's love? Satan once used me for evil--only through God's power can I be used for good. The question is: will my loved ones and I be able to survive the aftermath of a rock star's life?
Everett Lester faces enemies both human and supernatural. Satan won't give up his hold on Everett, his family, or his fans without a vicious fight. God's victory is certain in the supernatural realm, but will Everett survive the earthly battle that's threatening to obliterate him?
Nobody
American Christian Fiction Writers: "Book of the Month"
They said, "He's a nobody."
They were dead wrong.
When reporter Hudson Ambrose hears an early morning call on his police scanner about an injured person at a bus stop on Las Vegas Boulevard, he rushes to the scene to get the scoop.
His world is blown off its axis when he discovers a murdered homeless man with a bankbook in his pocket showing a balance of almost one million dollars. Should he wait for the police, knowing the case will get lost in reams of red tape, or swipe the bankbook and take the investigation--and perhaps a chunk of the money--into his own hands?
With sirens bearing down on the scene, Hudson makes an impulse decision that whisks him on a frantic search for answers, not only about the mysterious man in the black Converse high-tops, but about the lost soul lurking within himself.
My Review:
My Rating: 4 out of 10 stars
I never actually finished any of these books. It wasn't that they were bad or anything, it was just not my type of book. I had a hard time getting into them to begin with, and found myself getting bored after just a chapter or two. Character development hardly existed and after being a little ways into the first book, I still didn't feel like I knew the main character at all. But this was just something that I personally would find annoying, as a lot of what I base my interest in a book on is the character's personalities and lives.
I think a lot of people would love these books a whole lot -- I even think my brothers would enjoy them, but for me they just didn't make the cut.
But, if you like curious, sometimes suspenseful, modern books than these are right for you!
