"full tilt" by creston mapes

About the book (provided by Litfuse): 

I ONCE SOWED DESTRUCTION.

Now those I love are reaping pain.

The media hype is fading and my life is no longer that of a glamorous celebrity. I'm Everett Lester, former lead singer of DeathStroke, acquitted last year of first-degree murder, now married, a Christian, and ready to take my story to the masses through music. Problem is, the turmoil of my past didn't end when the reporters left.

My wife Karen and I have received news that has rocked our world. My brother Eddie's gambling is so far out of control that the mob practically owns him. And Eddie's son, Wesley--who blames me for his brother's death--is mixed up with meth, a psychotic named Tony Badino, and a satanic voice that's urging him to take me out.

Will my Living Water tour ever hit the road? Will former fans stop hissing long enough to hear about the transforming power of Christ's love? Satan once used me for evil--only through God's power can I be used for good. The question is: will my loved ones and I be able to survive the aftermath of a rock star's life?

Everett Lester faces enemies both human and supernatural. Satan won't give up his hold on Everett, his family, or his fans without a vicious fight. God's victory is certain in the supernatural realm, but will Everett survive the earthly battle that's threatening to obliterate him?

My take: Full Tilt picks up one year after the events chronicled in Dark Star. Everett and Karen are married and living in New York, close to Everett's brother's family. They are preparing to embark on the Living Water tour, a free Christian concert/evangelistic tour with Everett's new band. But Satan will do anything to stop Everett from sharing the gospel on such a public stage.

Full Tilt is an excellent continuation of the Rock Star Chronicles, which began with Dark Star. Whereas Dark Star solely followed Everett—and read like his memoirs—Full Tilt is written in third person and follows several people. While this allowed more of the story to be told—and it is a fascinating story—it doesn't feel as intimate as Dark Star and not quite so compelling.

However, Mapes is a master storyteller, so even though Full Tilt isn't quite as spectacular as Dark Star, it's still better than 90% of what I read. It also offers powerful warnings against meth and gambling and shows the hope and peace that can only be found in Christ. 4-1/2 stars.

Full Tilt is one of three Mapes books I'm reviewing for the Litfuse tour. You can buy it in print here or for the Kindle here. (Amazon Prime members can borrow the Kindle file for free.) See my reviews of Dark Star and Nobody, the other two books being toured, here and here.

About the author: A proud native of northeast Ohio, Creston has been writing professionally for almost 30 years. He earned his degree in Magazine Journalism from Bowling Green State University in 1983.

After working as a reporter and photographer for newspapers in Florida and Ohio, Creston became a corporate copywriter, then a creative director, before starting his own freelance writing business 20 years ago. Since then, he has written marketing and magazine copy for fine organizations such as Chick-fil-A, Coca-Cola, The Weather Channel, ABC-TV, Oracle Corporation, TNT Sports, BellSouth, Focus on the Family, Hockey News, and Random House. 

Creston has edited and ghost-written a growing list of non-fiction books, and has penned three contemporary suspense novels for Waterbrook-Multnomah, a divison of Random House. All three of Creston's novels are available in e-Book format and have been printed in Dutch. He has finished a fourth novel and is working on a fifth. Learn more at crestonmapes.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."