From left, Lesley Smith, Candy Barnett and Susan Ashcraft
Lee University’s Dr. Susan Ashcraft is set to release the third book in her series, The Sorcha Books. The new book, “Vanquish,” will release this May on Amazon in paperback and Kindle format. It will also be available on Barnes and Noble.
The first two volumes in the series, “Awaken” and “Unite,” ranked as Amazon Bestsellers, have also appeared on Amazon’s Top Ten list of Christian Fantasy Fiction Books.
The book series is authored and illustrated by Dr. Ashcraft and her two sisters, Lesley Smith and Candy Barnett. The sisters grew up listening to their grandparents’ stories about encounters with angels and demons as well as the incredible power of spiritual gifts. This background gave rise to the series.
“As believers in Christ, we know that we are living in a world where both the natural and supernatural coexist and impact each other,” said Dr. Ashcraft. “We also understand that from the beginning of time good and evil, light and darkness have opposed one another. We live in the tension between these worlds. In Ephesians 6:12, we are told that we don't wrestle against flesh and blood in this fight for light but against the powers and rulers of the darkness.”
The Sorcha series follows 12 young men and women, descendants of the disciples of Christ, who share an extraordinary secret. Each was chosen and gifted with a supernatural power beyond their imagining, and they wield the divine power of “the light.” They are known as the Sorcha. When the 12 unite their gifts, incredible miracles and events begin to unfold. The light within them is the only thing that can defeat the darkness which threatens to consume the earth.
To win their battle against these demonic forces, the Sorcha must locate an ancient text, written by one of the original disciples, Simon the Zealot. The book, lost for centuries, contains the secret to the destruction of the darkness. An army of demons will stop at nothing to make sure the Sorcha are not successful in their quest, but the Sorcha are not alone in their fight. Guarding the 12 light-bearers and aiding them in their fight is a league of warrior angels, known as the Dionadain. The series is built around the Sorcha’s quest to find the text before time runs out and to discover the secret to wielding their gifts in an epic battle with demonic forces.
“Putting on the full armor of God and using the spiritual gifts that God has given us, we can not only fight the battle but win it as well,” said Dr. Ashcraft. “We are all participants in this supernatural fight whether we know it or not. These truths are at the heart of the Sorcha Books trilogy.”
According to Dr. Ashcraft, stories like “Hunger Games,” “Divergent,” and the Harry Potter series create incredible fantasy worlds for their readers by showing young people overcoming obstacles and fighting against evil, but such works are fiction. She added that the Sorcha Books are grounded within the stories and truths of Bible.
“Our hope is that after reading our story, the reader will realize that they are a hero, a warrior, and that they have a role to play in the only story that really matters - God's story,” said Dr. Ashcraft.
Dr. Ashcraft joined Lee’s Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences in 2001 and currently serves as a professor of psychology and human development. She is a published author and researcher in the areas of child and adolescent sexuality and marriage/family relationships. Her current field of research deals with the integration of faith and learning in human sexuality courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level as well as best practices in sexuality education for churches and schools.
She received her Doctor of Philosophy in human development and family studies from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, her Master of Education in counselor education and counseling psychology from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and her Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Lee.
Ms. Smith, co-author, and her husband pastor at Influencers Church, Kennesaw. She resides in Atlanta, Georgia, with her family.
Ms. Barnett, a freelance artist and graphic designer, created the book’s illustrations. She lives in Cleveland, Tennessee, with her husband, a Lee University professor, and her family.