The Belial Ring (The Belial Series 3) (45 page)

There are, however, snippets
from the Bible that suggest the possibility of immortality. But I think I’ll save that discussion for a different book. :)

Vulcan Death Grip
. Anyone who has ever watched the original
Star Trek
is familiar with the Vulcan death grip. Dr. Spock could merely grip someone on the side of the neck and knock them out. I always thought that was Hollywood’s imagination. Then I went to a weekend seminar with Guro Dan Inosanto.

For those
who aren’t familiar, Guro Inosanto is one of the most recognizable people in martial arts today. He was also one of Bruce Lee’s early students. During the seminar, Guro Inosanto recounted a time when someone had performed the technique on him. Twice. Knocked him out for hours both times.

Guro Inosanto still hasn
’t figured out how it was done to him. So, does it exist? According to Guro Inosanto, it does. And I’m certainly not going to disagree with him!

Reincarnation Research.
The research in reincarnation in
The Belial Ring
is fact. For example, Dr. Ian Stevenson did indeed conduct research that linked a child’s birthmarks with injuries from a previous life. And Cayce did do a past life reading for Henry Ford, who, according to Cayce, was alive during the time of Atlantis. Cayce did contend that in his Atlantis life, Henry Ford was an inventor. And all the famous people said to have been proponents of reincarnation really were proponents: including Henry Ford, Mahatma Gandhi, Socrates, Napoleon, and Friedrich Nietzsche.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

T
hank you for reading
The Belial Ring
. I hope you enjoyed it.
The Belial Ring
is the fastest book I’ve written to date. And it’s not because I was rushing. This story has been in my mind since I first started developing the Belial series. But I needed to lay the groundwork before we got here.

In fact, the next few books have been in my mind in various forms for years,
and I am thrilled that they are finally coming to light.

Whenever I write one of these books, I always start with Laney, Jake, and Henry and then I add in the history and archaeology. And once I started thinking about Laney’s past lives, women from history started running through my mind. But the one who stood out most was Helen of Troy. The problem was, all I knew about her was the adultery. So I started doing a little research. And as I did, she got more and more interesting. Helen of Sparta—now
that
is a woman much more well rounded than Helen of Troy.

Stephen King says that stories are like fossils: you chip away at them, gradually revealing more and more, delving deeper and deeper. That’s what seems to be happening with the Belial series.
              Every time I think of another angle, something from history or archaeology appears that seems to fit. Take the necropolis in Saqqara, with its giant-sized granite coffins. I couldn’t have imagined something more perfect. And I didn’t have to, because it already existed.

Thank you for reading. I hope you’re enjoying the series. If you get a chance, please consider leaving a review. And if you want to know about upcoming publications, you can sign up on my website (
http://desperateforagoodbook.com
) or drop me an email ([email protected]).

Until next time,

R.D.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

R
.D. Brady is a criminologist who lives in upstate New York. When she’s not writing, she can be found studying Jeet Kune Do, reading, or trying to find more hours in the day.

For more information on R.D., her upcoming publications, or what she’s currently reading, check out her blog:
http://desperateforagoodbook.com
.
There’s a sign-up on her website if you are interested in being notified about upcoming publications. Or send her an email ([email protected]). She’d love to hear from you.

T
here are a lot of great people who helped make
The Belial Ring
a reality. First and foremost, I’d like to thank all the special critters who have read and re-read multiple drafts of this work. Every week, you helped me iron out the mistakes and find a better way to explain my ideas. I am forever grateful.

Special thanks in particular to Dana Griffin and C.K. Raggio. You guys kept me going by offering support, insight, and the occasional kick in the butt. I couldn’t have done it without you.

I’d also like to thank my group of beta readers, who helped make this version of
The Belial Ring
a much cleaner copy. Thank you for reading. And thank you for all your work.

Thanks to my family and friends who have supported my efforts along the way.

Thank you to the people who helped with the editing and cover design. Alexis and Damonza, thank you for all your incredible work. And a special thank-you to David Gatewood for all the time you put in.  I am extremely grateful.

Thanks to my favorite beta reader, Elizabeth McCartan.  Thank you for reading the first draft and for everything else you do.

To my three little ones who constantly ask me how my books are doing and whether they’re done yet. And who occasionally give me some book suggestions for the future. But most importantly, they make me smile and appreciate how good life can be. I can’t thank them enough for that.

Thank you to my husband Tae. Thank you for always being there, always supporting me, and always having my back. I never would have had the courage to go down this path without you walking next to me, so my success is without a doubt the result of you being in my life. Thank you.

And finally, thank you to all the readers who have been kind enough to drop me a line and tell me how much you are enjoying the series. I haven’t been able to respond directly to all of you, but I have read every note. And they urge me on and give me a little spring in my step. Thank you for taking the time to write. It does mean a lot.

COMING SOON

________

The Belial Children

________