Feature: Don Mardak, author of Armageddon and the 4th Timeline

  "Armageddon" Trailer Link  -  http://youtu.be/x9ZKKwIvXFo

Blurb

 

In a world faced with violence and the potential of cataclysmic annihilation, what if the only means to save mankind existed in an alternate reality?

We live in uncertain times. The underlying threat of nuclear proliferation and the probable spread of weapons of mass destruction exist throughout the world. Add to that a collective consciousness that doesn't always agree on religion and the nature of existence, and you have the potential for conflict ending in disaster. Author Don Mardak wrote Armageddon and the 4th Timeline to convince mankind that we do have the power to prevent such an outcome.

Armageddon and the 4th Timeline, is a fast-paced mystical fantasy with three thought-provoking themes: the war on terror and the potential of a nuclear holocaust; travel through time to alter future events; and new-age spiritual principles that affect the way mankind coexists.
Armageddon, Don Mardak's second exciting novel, is a fast-paced adventure through time and space, as mankind faces the enormous specter of uncontrollable and calamitous extinction. The book is a must-read for Truth seekers and those who have been searching for answers to the most basic questions about life and the nature of ultimate reality.

Excerpts from some of the more than 30 five-star reviews.

 

One of the best books I’ve ever read!

I’m Speechless …

This really is an amazing story.

I haven’t seen such creative expression from an author in a very long time.

WOW!!!

This book was wonderful … it kept me alive.

This is the kind of book you have to experience for yourself.

Beyond Excellent!

This truly is a mind-bending story!

Armageddon and the 4^th Timeline is by far one of my favorite books now.

Simply Incredible!

Don Mardak works wonders with his words.

Great Book!

Fantasy intertwined in reality, this book doesn’t seem too far from the truth.

It doesn’t feel like just a book but like a new scroll of some kind.

Mind-boggling!

I would recommend this book to everyone!

This is a well-crafted piece of fiction.

This book will change your way of thinking and maybe even the way you live your life.

The author undoubtedly seems to have his finger on the pulse of humanity. He has the uncanny ability to express our fears in this absolutely mind-blowing fiction … or is it? I guess with Quantum Physics, anything is possible!

Incredible from start to finish!

Awe inspiring!

Thrilling like a roller-coaster ride with many twists and turns.

A highly recommended read! It’s not that often I’m caught off guard … but this story definitely had me engaged from the beginning.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

 

What inspired you to write this book?

It is a sequel to an earlier book I had written. The title of that one is "An Adventure in Mysticism - featuring The GOSPEL According to I AM."

Also, I have always been intrigued by the subject of time travel. A few years ago, the idea for a scene from the past came to me. This became the basis for chapter 9 in "Armageddon." After I had written that chapter, I knew that I could not create a complete book unless I could come up with a way to accomplish the time travel that was logical and did not seem silly, as so many other fictional time-travel methods do. When the idea of how to do that came to me, the rest of the book just unfolded seamlessly.

 

Can you give us an interesting fact about your book that isn't in the blurb?

"Armageddon and the 4th Timeline," combined with the first book, "An Adventure in Mysticism." produces a modern-day story of the Christ. Some parallels are: The primary character, Eric, gets separated from his parents in Jerusalem when he is twelve years old and spends his time with some enlightened masters, his father is a carpenter by trade, he becomes a teacher of spiritual wisdom and, at the end of "Armageddon," Eric saves the world.

 

How did you choose your title?

The "Armageddon" part was obvious, because the story deals with the potential for a nuclear holocaust. And since Eric makes three trips to the past—each time creating a new timeline, or an alternate reality—his last journey creates the 4th timeline.

 

Tell us about the cover and how it came to be.

The designer was Sylvia Salmon, a very talented young lady who works as a graphics designer for my business. She and I had several discussions during which I told her I wanted what appeared as a fiery inferno set against a background of outer space. We were both quite pleased with the final result.

 

Did you self-publish or publish traditionally and why?

I self-published. At first, I tried to find an agent who would represent me with a major publisher, but received the usual rejection letters. Not because of the quality of the book, since none of them read it, but just because they were too busy, or it was not in their genre of expertise, or any of the other myriad reasons agents don't respond. I could see that I was wasting time, so I just self-published.

But this also provided me with the opportunity to do all the promotion I want without having to wait for someone else to do it.

 

What do you consider the most important part of a good story?

Obviously, a strong plot that is unique and entices the reader right from the first few pages, along with a powerful ending. I believe that "Armageddon and the 4th Timeline" has both.

 

What is your writing process?

I never decided to write a book. Each of my three published works came as a spiritual unfoldment. As a matter of fact, the storyline for "Armageddon" came so naturally that it felt as though I was taking dictation.

 

How long have you been writing?

I finished the original version of "An Adventure in Mysticism" in 1996. Since then I have made major revisions to the book and have recently released the updated edition.

 

How did you get started writing?

About eighteen years ago, I was mowing the lawn at our home when a scene flashed into my mind. It was the episode where a young boy became separated from his parents on a trip to Jerusalem and found himself with some very wise men.

I then told my wife to take the lawn mower, because I had to go into the house to write something down. From that humble and unexpected beginning an entire novel was born.

 

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I do very little plotting or preparation for my books, because the storyline just unfolds as I go along. In most cases, I don't even know where it is going, or what the ending is going to be. I attribute this to the many hours I have spent in meditation.

 

What part of the writing process is the hardest for you?

Writing comes easily, because it not forced or pre-determined. As I mentioned above, the storylines just unfold. So the most difficult aspect of the whole process is marketing.

 

What tips can you give on how to get through writers block?

That has never been an issue for me, so it is difficult to give any tips. I guess my best answer would be to just sit quietly in contemplation and see what results from that.

 

What kind of music do you like to listen to while you write?

I only listen to classical music, or the music from the Great American Songbook—mostly pre-1965. But I do not even listen to those when I am writing. If anything, I want to hear the music of the symphony of Soul while I am writing.

 

Who is your favorite author?

Joel S. Goldsmith and Richard Bach on spiritual matters.

For novels, I like the writings of David Baldacci, John Grisham, Dan Brown, Lawrence Sanders, and others.

 

Who is your favorite character from a book?

Any character of substance who serves a useful purpose for the storyline and is well-developed.

 

What is your favorite book?

"A Parenthesis in Eternity" by Joel S. Goldsmith

 

Read anything good lately?

I enjoyed and learned a lot from "Who Wrote the Bible?" Also have read a few novels by the authors listed above.

 

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I still am the Chairman of the Board of a company that I founded in the barter business. That takes a good deal of my time, and I enjoy seeing the fruitage of my years of work there. But I also spend quite a bit of time at my computer, putting out spiritual messages and marketing my books.

 

What advice would you give an author just starting out?

Always write on subjects about which you are passionate, or on ideas that motivate you.

 

Have you had anything else published?

I have self-published the two novels mentioned above: "An Adventure in Mysticism" and "Armageddon and the 4th Timeline," and I also have self-published my personal textbook on spirituality and mysticism. It is titled "Spiritual Healing for Today, Tomorrow & Beyond."

 

What's your next project?

I am writing a sequel to "Armageddon." This one is titled, "The Search for the Scrolls and the Final Timeline." When that book is finished I will have completed what I refer to as the Grand Circle Trilogy.

 

All hard copies of my books can be purchased at my website www.donmardak.com, at Mystics of the World, and at HenschelHAUS Publishing. All hard copies and Kindle editions can be purchased at Amazon.com. "Spiritual Healing for Today, Tomorrow & Beyond" is also available at DeVorss and Company.

Biography

 

Don Mardak has been a student of Christian mysticism and the Infinite Way writings of Joel S. Goldsmith for more than four decades. He also has conducted classes on Living the Mystical Life, and has been a successful entrepreneur for most of his working years. As the President, CEO, and Chairman of a small public company-International Monetary Systems, or IMS Barter-Mr. Mardak always tried to apply the mystical principles outlined in his books and on his website in his business dealings and relationships. The results have been quite astonishing as, very often, without taking thought, or striving for a specific result, the proper person appeared, or a meaningful event occurred, which made each day a divine spiritual unfoldment. Mr. Mardak tries to communicate these principles in his three books: An Adventure In Mysticism, Armageddon and the 4th Timeline, and Spiritual Healing for Today, Tomorrow, & Beyond. His greatest desire is that those of you who truly are receptive to this message will open yourselves up to the inflow of the Spirit. In that process, you will find answers to your deepest questions which, then, will lead you to your own search for Truth, and ultimately, your personal spiritual destiny. Mr. Mardak lives with his wife Judy in Wisconsin and Florida. They have two grown children and four grandchildren.

Website: http://donmardak.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/don.mardak     

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Donmardak