Author Description

"A tremendous story that needs to be passed on to the next generation." -Compass Book Ratings It's A. D. 65. After the Great Fire of Rome, the Emperor Nero places the blame on the Christians, a people whose faith in the crucified and risen Jesus Christ of Nazareth carries them through the worst of persecutions. In their home in Jerusalem, Jesse and his sister, Abigail, hear of the persecution in faraway Rome. Then suddenly it's not so far away anymore. Jesse and Abigail's parents are killed for their faith in a Roman Circus. After the death of their parents, Abigail clings to her faith in Christ. But Jesse is angry. He's angry at the Romans and angry at God. More than anything, he wants revenge on the Romans, yet he feels helpless to do anything against them. Then one fateful day, Jesse and Abigail find themselves captives on a voyage to Rome. And what awaits them there? Slavery or death? The first book in A Torch in the Empire Series, The Fire and the Trial, is a story of faith, hope, and courage in the midst of darkness. Weaving together fictional characters with real historical persons and events, this series takes you back to first-century Rome when the early church faced the worst of persecutions under Emperor Nero. Inspired by classics of biblical fiction such as Twice Freed by Patricia St. John and Glaucia the Greek Slave by Emma Leslie.