Pure Vision by Perri Birney

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Author Name:  Perri Birney

Author’s Website: www.purevision.us

Story Description: 

Genre:  Fiction, Action/Adventure, Thriller

The Spear of Longinus is stolen . . .

An ancient document is moved . . .

A journey to find the Grail unfolds . . .

New York Times reporter Maggie Seline has written an explosive book that offers a controversial solution to the Middle East crisis. During a live radio interview, a kidnapping attempt is made and Maggie vanishes. Her disappearance sets in motion a worldwide women's march toward Jerusalem that threatens the status quo and parallels a frantic race to possess ancient talismans.

The Spear of Longinus and the Holy Grail are sought by men who will stop at nothing to increase their power—over religion, governments, and the planet's energy sources. An upcoming peace conference hides the true motivation of Giovanni Mabus, outgoing president of the European Commission, who intends to exploit an ancient mythological connection between the two legendary treasures. In league with the clandestine pseudo-Masonic group, Propaganda Due, he sets in motion events aimed at furthering political and military chaos in the Middle East in order to accomplish his aims. Meanwhile, Maggie and Dead Sea Scrolls scholar Michael Sonada race to thwart the sinister plot. Spurred to action by the journal writings of Walter Stein, the Viennese philosopher who worked with British Intelligence against the Nazis, their race takes them into the forbidden regions of Nepal to make an earth-shattering discovery.

Bio:

PERRI BIRNEY is the writing team of Angelina Perri Birney and Lawrence Birney.

With a Master’s degree in English Education from NYU and a B.A. in Writing and Communications, Angelina Perri Birney has also been trained in the Tibetan Buddhist lama tradition and completed a three-year retreat. While traveling extensively throughout Tibet, Nepal and India, she experienced the rich cultures and spiritual traditions practiced in these lands. She received teachings on the various myths explored within Pure Vision, in particular that of Shambhala, from several eminent teachers including the Dalai Lama. Angelina is also an alumna of the White House Project, an organization which promotes women’s advancement and leadership. She is the author of Powerful Women Changing the World, a blog dedicated to women’s influence on world affairs. Angelina’s work has also been published in the McGraw-Hill anthology, Women: Images and Realities (2011).

Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Lawrence lived there for ten years before moving with his family to Libya. In Tripoli, surrounded by antiquities from the Roman era through World War II, he gained first-hand knowledge of Arab culture and its historical position on the world stage. His exploration of the underground tunnels used by Erwin Rommel’s Panzerarmee Afrika is a foundational element within Pure Vision. Lawrence studied Modern European History and Economics at the Institute for European Affairs in Lugano, Switzerland before returning to the U.S. and pursuing a degree in Electrical Engineering from Bridgeport Engineering Institute in Connecticut. He is a student of both Christian and Eastern mysticism.

Interview with Perri Birney

What will readers like about your book? 

PURE VISION has a unique storyline weaving myth, history, and political intrigue. It also introduces a strong and powerful female character, Maggie Seline, who is persecuted for of her beliefs. My husband, Lawrence, and I began writing the book ten years ago, and it metamorphosized dramatically along the way. There’s plenty of unexpected twists to the plot, so it’s entertaining, and yet at the same time it really inspires you to think and envision something greater. The book sets you on an adventure — women from all over the world march toward creating an international peace zone — so plenty of actionagainst a backdrop of current and historical events.

Why did you self publish?

Upon finishing the novel, I went the usual route of trying to find a literary agent. I came to find that many agents fear their relationships with publishers, so they usually stick with subjects that have been tried and true for them. Most of them tend to shy away from taking risks on books that look controversial. I decided not to play the waiting game and published PURE VISION myself. If you believe you’ve got something to say, then no one and nothing is going to stop readers from finding your work.

What is your writing process like?

Coffee, chocolate and silence. As you can tell from my answer, I like to stimulate my senses and then get quiet. As for the technical aspects, PURE VISION involved a great deal of research. So there were a few years where I was reading a lot, gathering information and gaining more understanding about subjects that were included in the book. Those were the years where I had to be patient, which was really hard to do. But it was a very important period since all of the material you’re gathering is kind of brewing inside of you. It’s as if you’re cooking with a huge pot, adding all sorts of ingredients to the mix, including the flavoring and the spices. You keep going until you have this incredible meal, and every single aspect that went into it is important to the whole.

What inspired you to write this particular story?

So much of the conflict we’re seeing around the world makes you stop and think about how we can all make a difference. When I hear about and see people hurt by the ravages of war, there’s a part of me that knows I can’t just bury my head in the sand. In my own case, I know I can communicate a story in an entertaining way and be able to reach a wide audience. So that’s how it started. I felt the need to express powerful ideals in a way that gave everyone room to think. When I actually started writing, I was inspired by the stories of great leaders — men and women such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and more currently, Leymah Gbowee of Liberia, who stood against all odds because they had a vision of peace and decency.

What is it that you’re trying to accomplish in the novel and who are you trying to reach?

There’s a real need in the world for strong women characters, in everyday life and in fiction. I believe PURE VISION fulfills that need by providing an intelligent, resourceful, larger-than-life female protagonist who is a force to be reckoned with. On a grander scale, I believe the novel recognizes that feminine energy needs to be embraced — whether we’re male or female — in order to create a more balanced world. The novel also creates a space where we can look at our problems in a new light. Instead of using old, worn-out methods like political divides and military force to attain resolution, we need to include spiritual or higher-minded means in our efforts. Also, art is such a powerful tool and artists are always using it to create change. My hope is that PURE VISION makes its mark and transforms readers, inspiring them to support an ideal beyond division and blame — a vision of peace.

PURE VISION: The Magdalene Revelation

By weaving myth, history and international intrigue, my novel PURE VISION: The Magdalene Revelation addresses the Middle East imbroglio through the eyes of a woman determined to discover the truth.

Pure Vision poses a challenging resolution to the Middle East crisis — the internationalization of the old city of Jerusalem — an idea initially proposed in 1947 by a fledgling UN. Although a controversial resolution, the novel presents the notion that purely political and military solutions will lead to nothing but more dead ends. Instead a spiritual leap is necessary to create peace.  The novel also poses a question: Where are women in the peace process, and how is subjugation and violence against women around the globe directly connected to furthering conflicts and tensions, creating even more danger and instability.

Sixty years after Eleanor Roosevelt helped establish the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the UN, the struggle for international rights continues. As far as female activists are concerned, that long and arduous road has led to the modern-day heroine — a dedicated, passionate woman who understands that her involvement with the world’s struggle for peace and equality isn’t just a choice. It’s a must. The days of listening to devastating news reports and simply shaking our heads is over. It’s time for all of us to put our hearts on the front line.

Nicole Kidman and Angelina Jolie, academy award-winning actresses, prove over and over again that they are in touch with the world and are prime examples of front line activists, not hesitating to use their superstar status to voice their concerns. Global citizens, both women work tirelessly as UN Goodwill Ambassadors. So what about the rest of us? It’s not necessary for us to be celebrities to make a difference. We just need to have some heart, the desire to help, and the courage to go beyond our fear.

Pure Vision asserts it’s within our reach. The novel maintains that feminine wisdom is playing a huge part in creating a new paradigm. By connecting the powerful Magdalene energy with two ancient myths from the East and the West — the Wish-fulfilling Jewel and the Grail – the novel encourages a look at the spiritual forces that infuse the world’s political battles.

If you thrive on unraveling mysteries and discovering threatening secrets like those found in Holy Blood, Holy Grail and The Da Vinci Code, then Pure Visionis a must read. The novel’s additional ingredient of social conscience and an ending that stimulates readers to create a new paradigm makes it all the more powerful and explosive — a contemporary statement meant to move you out of your mind and onto the street.

REVIEWS:

"A thrill ride in the vein of The Da Vinci Code but with a much larger vision for all of us. The alchemy is part historic fiction, part spiritual adventure, and a variety of interfaith metaphysics that metamorphosize into a golden vision of world peace . . . a page turner." -- Paul Hertel, Whole Living

"Presents a fascinating story full of intrigue and history. Birney's fiction seamlessly blends science and religion into a tale worthy of Indiana Jones . . . The book left this reader confident that idealism is not dead and that, sometimes, it can be the road map by which we might save ourselves."-- Cynthia Warren, Daily Freeman

"Birney infuses this epic novel with feminine echoes of The Da Vinci Code and The Red Tent, with her eyes on the prize of world peace. Reporter Maggie Seline courts controversy by championing an international Jerusalem . . . when she disappears, women around the globe march for peace . . . powerful men vie for two ancient artifacts." -- Chronogram