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The Shepherds' Prayer: A Christmas Novel By Richard M. Barry

A New Christmas Classic that Tells the Nativity Story from a Fresh Perspective

One Man's Quest to Find
His True Identity

DENVER, Colorado, August 10, 2007 – More books have been written about Jesus Christ than any other person in history. Yet in his new novel, The Shepherd's Prayer , author and publisher Richard M. Barry approaches the familiar story from a fresh angle. Using King Herod's massacre of the infant boys of Bethlehem as his jumping off point, Barry spins an intriguing, inspiring story that is part personal quest, part historical mystery, and suffused with faith and hope.

The main character is a 30-year-old man named Anam. Orphaned as an infant and adopted by strangers, he does not know who his parents were or where his people come from. In a society where bloodlines mean everything, Anam is a perpetual outsider. The only clue to his identity is a lambskin blanket bearing a cryptic message about a child born in a Bethlehem stable. When he travels to Bethlehem, hoping to learn his true identity, none of the villagers will help him. His only hope lies with a band of shepherds outside town who remember the massacre, and may know something about the mystery child.

“The Shepherds' Prayer is a story that reminds us of two things,” reflected Prison Fellowship Founder, Chuck Colson. “First, we remember that the humble will be lifted up and confound the wisdom of the wise. Secondly, Barry's novel reminds us of perhaps how we often react to the difficult and painful circumstances in our lives. ”

The success of the 2006 film “Nativity Story” and Anne Rice's novel Out of Egypt , demonstrates that audiences respond to books and movies that combine imaginative storytelling with carefully researched historical details. By following that successful formula in The Shepherd's Prayer, Richard Barry helps a new generation rediscover the power of the Christmas message.

To request a review copy of The Shepherds' Prayer, contact Schicker at 404-610-8871 or cschicker@maximusmg.com .

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The Shepherds' Prayer

The Shepherds' Prayer Site:
www.ChristmasBook.com