A STAR'S LEGACY

You kept me up well past midnight for a week, but I made it in the end. I loved A Star's Legacy. You wove a wonderful web with the story line and the characters all became alive in the reader's eyes. I can't wait for the next volume to see how Joshua becomes Jesus. This book has somehow to get the market it truly deserves. — Derek Mann,Cape Cod, Massachussets

In A Star's Legacy,- the first book in the Magdala Trilogy - Peter Longley sets out to weave the tale of one of the most familiar, yet least-known women of history: Mary Magdalene. In much the same way that Marion Zimmer Bradley reconstructed the Arthurian legend in The Mists of Avalon, Longley blends a fantastic mixture of historical and fictional figures and events to narrate the early lives of Joshua, (also known as Jesus of Nazareth,) Maria, (also known as Mary Magdalene,) and Linus Flavius, (son of a high-ranking Roman official.) Using simple, effective prose, Longley tells an engaging tale that offers plausible explanations of those well-known stories of the miraculous, such as the virgin birth and the turning of water into wine. Overall, Longley tells an intriguing story in a setting that is both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. - Sacramento and San Francisco Book Reviews, California 

Your feeling for the Roman and Israel point of view is superb. -  Dorothy Thompson, Scotland

I very much enjoy your interpretation of the life of Jesus and feel it is much more logical than the accepted version. I have always had a fascination with Mary Magdalene and her life as well. I found this book to be very interesting. I liked it very much. Nothing I have read on Mary Magdalene has had the same sort of story line including her mother. Thank you! - Cheryl Huffman, Missouri

I spent Christmas and the New Year at Mount Washington and spent my non skiing hours reading Beyond the Olive Grove. What a wonderful web you weave with the characters and the description of Christ's last hours is a masterpiece.— Barsham, Massachussets

A very enjoyable read. The dialogue between your characters is easy and lively and I like the way the chapters are nicely divided into relatively short sections. In your story you stir in your versions of the traditional Jesus stories with your fictitious Roman family with great effect to illustrate your vision of Mary Magdalene and her relationship with Jesus. Your story may seem plausible and will very likely persuade many of your readers that this is the truth.- A Reader from Paris, France 

Having now read both A Star's Legacy and Beyond the Olive Grove I feel certain from the descriptive nature of the places that the author has personal knowledge of these important First Century sites giving authenticity to his work often missing in Biblical narratives. - Beecher, Springfield, Missouri  

Joshua of Nazareth has been many things; stone mason, carpenter, vinekeeper. But now it's time for him to accept the greatest title of his life - that of Messiah. From the tiny village of Bethany, to the fishing community of Galilee, to the holy city of Jerusalem, Joshua spreads his message to rich and poor alike. Along with his twelve chosen disciples, Joshua also gathers a circle of close friends, including Maria of Magdala, known as a whore and an adulteress. Maria's very presence and the obvious love between her and Joshua slowly begins dividing Joshua's followers, threatening the very heart of his ministry. In Beyond the Olive Grove - the second book in the Magdala Trilogy - Longley continues the stories of Joshua, Maria, and Linus Flavius as they travel along the paths that destiny has laid out for them. Longley continues his story with the same simple and direct prose that characterized his first book - A Star's Legacy. His style matures slightly as well, becoming more descriptive and a little less abrupt. His unique interpretations of the life of the Messiah, along with his interesting and plausible explanations of miraculous events and his indications that Maria of Magdala played a vital role in the ministry of God's son, make for a fascinating and intriguing story and increases anticipation for the third and final book in the series - San Francisco and Sacramento Book Reviews, California     

Your book is superb! I agree with almost all your first century scenarios - only with Judas Iscariot I disagree. I don't think he ever existed, and have put out the case some years ago (before Bishop Spong!) It was one of the conclusions I reached when I translated the New Testament in contemporary English and put the writings in chronological order - I don't think Barrabas existed either, etc. - Dr. Jim Veitch, Department of Religious Studies, Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand.

I spent the weekend reading your book, which I found most intriguing and interesting and look forward to discussing this with you. - Dr. Maureen Garing, Producer - Spiritual Programmes, Radio New Zealand.

Greatly enjoyed reading your book Two Thousand Years Later. I am sure copies will not be on our shelves much longer. - Harmony Books, Australia.

Extraordinary - a message on every page just as music soars to change our consciousness.- Lorin Hollander, World-renowned Concert Pianist, New York.

Finished your book. WOW! WOW! I'm now waiting for The Magdala Trilogy. - Helen Logvinov, Brentwood, Tennessee.

An inquiring search for truth, worthy of serious examination, utilizing another view of Jesus that challenges contemporary Christian thinking. - The Venerable Canon Robert N. Willing, Archdeacon Emeritus, New York.

This novel provides a valuable insight for people of all faiths to find the godly in themselves and each other. - Rabbi Norman T. Mendel, Vice President Director, Institute for Applied Health Care Ethics, California.

Good book, well written, intriguing. I personally think it could go the way of The Celestine Prophecy. — Dr. Dana Moses, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

I am not a religious person and may have missed many of the nuances in your novel. I neither believe nor disbelieve in reincarnation, but I do accept the possibility. I am far from a literary critic. Having said all that, I find your novel fascinating. It has a powerful start, with the picture of a huge cruise ship being tossed around by the elements. You present a fascinating cast of characters and are able to blend them in different periods of time. Your novel, to me, is well written, contains excitement, romance, love, and adventure. It above all challenges rigid religious beliefs, which remain more comfortable unchallenged. - Herb Kaplan, Psychiatrist, Connecticut.

You have made me extremely curious to read The Magdala Trilogy. I have a feeling the following works are going to be very controversial and make a few good discussions and arguments. - Agnes Thompson, East Linton, Scotland.

Longley gives us an alternative message of Jesus appropriate for the cosmic thinking of the millennium that is based on sound scholarship shared from his background as a Cambridge theologian within the thinking of the Historical Jesus movement. - The Edge, Minneapolis, August 1997 Edition.

This is the story of two worlds that merge when a sophisticated circle of 20th century friends, through separate visions of the 1st Century, find themselves reincarnated into the world of Jesus and Mary Magdalena. They find that it is not the world the writers of the New Testament have created for us and that we have accepted over the centuries. Jesus (Joshua) is a man of his time - his divinity is tempered with a warm, sensuous love for Mary Magdalena by whom he has a son. This is the jolting assertion that the reader must accept. The way the writer has developed it makes the book fascinating because it is backed with an extensive knowledge of this biblical time. The colors and sounds of this 1st Century come alive because they are presented with the eye of the artist-writer Peter Longley. Instead of painting on canvas he is painting with words. His descriptive powers are considerable and he brings to life the birds, animals and trees of this timeless land. But the greatest test is how he has created the person of Joshua. This is the real triumph of the writer. He has made him a man of his time whilst still a son of God. It is done sincerely, humbly and with absolute conviction - perhaps the best writing of the book. It reveals the solid, scholarly research that must lie behind such a radical statement and without which the premiss would be merely sensational and without weight. The author also introduces the conviction that sexual intimacy is a part of the natural expression of a devotional love of God - there is no separation of the body and the spirit as the Church has preached for many years. A most radical and interesting book for modern readers. - Helen Robertson, Winnipeg, Canada.

I personally want to thank Peter Longley for his rip roaring, can't put it down page-turner, Two Thousand Years Later, which just about says it all!— Bob Vestigo, Farmingdale, New York.

I just read your bookTwo Thousand Years Later and I have to admit it was fascinating. This book is really special; I have never before read something even remotely similar. If all history and geography books were written this way I'd be an expert. - Peter, Slovenia, Eastern Europe.

I just last night finished devouring your marvelous book, Two Thousand Years Later. WOW! What a book! What an experience! Thank you so very much! You're a gifted author! I quite literally had trouble putting the book down. I read it in two sittings — reading into the early morning hours, on work nights, no less. Am now most anxious to read your trilogy, The Magdala Trilogy. I look forward to purchasing my copies as soon as they are available. Again, I appreciate your sharing Two Thousand Years Later with eager interested readers such as myself. My mind is still reflecting on and savoring it. — Karen Anderson, Knoxville, Tennessee.

I came across your web page on the Internet and I ordered your book Two Thousand Years Later through amazon.com a mail-order bookshop over the Internet. I wanted to try the service from this Middle Eastern country. I was blessed because your book arrived before I had to go on a two-week recruiting trip to India and I was able to take it with me to read during the trip! I enjoyed your book very much. I think there are several levels at which Two Thousand Years Later reaches me. It is immensely readable. First, the story — the relationship between David and Clarissa is absolutely beautiful. Then, actually thinking through the reincarnation of 'Jesus' and what 'his' future incarnations may have been, as well as other characters, is one of the most challenging concepts in the book. It challenges me on the level of what degree of spiritual growth we may achieve in any one lifetime and where that may take us for future lifetimes. It is startling to think of what other individuals, whom are considered spiritually advanced, may achieve in one lifetime and many lifetimes. Finally, the focus on divine love is wonderful. I am so pleased when I see this coming out more and more today. The opportunity for people to think about 'coincidences' in their lives, and the exploration of reincarnation is always one of my favorite topics. I am not a thoroughly analytical person and am writing to you my responses and pleasure in reading your book. I thoroughly enjoyed Two Thousand Years Later and will share it with friends who may be interested. - Cindy F. Davis, Qatar, Middle East.

I could not put Two Thousand Years Later down. - Vivien Arcoleo, Sunbury, England.

I have just finished Two Thousand Years Later and am compelled to touch bases with you. I am so glad I read the 'Author's Note' before proceeding too far into the book. To begin with I wondered, "Where is he going with this and why?" Then I came across that final addition and could proceed with a guiding light. The more I read, the more engrossed I became, clearly visualizing all the characters. I regret having to leave them behind. Your book boldly explores the "possibilities" inherent with Jesus being a real first century human. Two Thousand Years Later opens up a channel, which, like living on a flood plain, allows rushing waters of thought to gush forth in spring. I hope we will meet one day, but if not, 310 pages bound us together for a few days and they opened my receptive imagination to the even greater mysteries of the Jesus whom I have learned to know and love. - Loni Chandler, Evergreen, Colorado.

Clarissa, a concert pianist, and David, chief purser of the cruise ship Prince Regent, are newlyweds who find it "hard to sense the spirituality in conventional Christianity." In their travels, they make an ever-widening group of friends with whom they develop a "strange interconnecting bond... that seems to move from the present back two thousand years to a first century past." This past-life association reframes their relationship (and the lives of those in the group) as Clarissa/Maria and David/Linus focus on karma and a quest to understand the true meaning of Christ, not just in today's world but when he was alive. What grounds the story are timely references to the everyday: cappuccino, scotch, and canned soup all make cameo appearances. Two Thousand Years Later deals with jealousy, trust, and friendship in a spirit of camaraderie and reconciliation, noting that "we are all God's people. All of us have the divine spark within us." - HR, Napra Review Vol. 10, No. 12

I bought Two Thousand Years Later on Friday and could not put it down! Excellent subject. Okay! You've got me hooked! - Bishop Theodora Weber, President of The College of Seminarians, Federation of St. Thomas Christians.

Thought provoking! Not only did I enjoy reading this book but the provocative theories in the book gave me pause that my assumptions about Jesus of Nazareth was the complete truth about his life. Peter Longley's book is controversial but well worth the ride. - A Reader in Minnesota.

Great Concept! Thank you for writing this wonderful adventure novel! A delight to read! - A Reader from Georgia.

A Thinking man's book! Buy and read this book if you dare. The author pulls no punches with his book. Thank you for having the courage to write and give a different viewpoint on a subject most would have stayed away from for fear of offending those who need to believe. Thank you. - A Reader from California.

On the edge! This book is provocative, scary, makes one want to read on, an interesting page turner with a writing style that is precise. I recommend it for any individual who wants to expand his or her view of what most consider to be truth. - A Reader from Minnesota.

Wow! You'll never see Christianity the same again. An intriguing story that is totally contemporary, but subtly shatters the illusions of two thousand years. I love the way the author weaves between his modern day characters and their First Century past lives. The characters are so well defined that the reader is compelled to believe in their experiences and thus is drawn in to a much deeper message giving revelations about Jesus quite different from those taught by conventional Christianity. This is a brave foray into a new concept of thinking about God and morality that brings Christianity into the Twenty-First Century. On the surface, however, this book is a cracking good adventure romance full of intrigue, jealousy, passion and love. It takes place against a backdrop of world travel that encompasses almost all areas of our planet with the most beautiful descriptive passages. Apart from being spiritually challenged and uplifted by the conclusions this book draws on Jesus and his times, you will feel that you know our planet better and can love it more in these troubled times. Two Thousand Years Later by Peter Longley is a masterful blend of metaphysics, scholarship and storytelling that is as real in its presentation of the First Century AD as it is of our own times. Bravo! Two thumbs up! - Dr. J. Crow, Georgia.

I finished reading Two Thousand Years Later and from a Jewish perspective I enjoyed the story and the way you told it very much. I do agree that the goodness that we all must experience is within each of us. While I can not accept the concept that Jesus was other than a somewhat rebellious Jew of his time, I agree that his preaching was to reach for that inner goodness. I also agree with your comments that the various Christian churches would have a problem with the story. Let me know when your next book will be available. - Stan Seeman, U.S.A.

Soul Searching! I have recently read, and thoroughly enjoyed Peter Longley's absolutely magnificent book Two Thousand Years Later. This is truly an eye-opening experience, which takes the reader on a whole new level of thinking. It is certainly refreshing to see how well the authors able to capture his readers' attention, and to allow him/her to think deeply and strongly about their own personal belief systems. While the characters in the book are considered to be fictitious, I really found them all to be charming! The story itself would make for a truly entertaining full-length feature film as well! Two Thousand Years Later is a novel which has a very profound message, and I realize that for some it may appear to be convulted, if not downright crazy, but I firmly believe that anyone who has interest in personal growth and wants to continue expanding their consciousness will find this book most enlightening! While I am not going into the specifics of the story line here, I really feel strongly that in light of the recent global events, we need to take comfort and solace in knowing that there are authors out there, like Peter Longley, who truly embrace the value of being able to help their readers feel that there is still hope and purpose in the chaotic world which we live in today! This book certainly deserves a 5-star gold rating, and I hope that there will be more people interested and curious enough to want to take the personal growth challenge and read it for themselves! Many accolades to Peter Longley for such an outstanding book! I would highly recommend this book to all of my friends, and it's certainly worth the time to really sit back and ponder the messages found in this delightful story! - Allison Chapman, California.

As a Jew I have come to embrace the basic message of Yeshua as a son of God — as we are all sons and daughters of God, as summarized in Two Thousand Years Later. I believe Yeshua never intended to start a new religion, but was a reformer whose message was twisted and distorted by those who came after him. I often wonder what kind of a human being he was, and what it would have been like to know him. In many ways my life has paralleled what I imagine the author of Two Thousand Years Later to have been and I identify with Peter Longley very strongly through his book. While Peter's journey began in a theological context, I started out as a quite traditional psychiatrist. Over the years I became more and more of a heretic, as I involved myself in 'crazy' ideas like past lives, re-incarnation, psychic power etc. My wife, too, has great spiritual sensitivity. She is able to see auras. And when we visited Ephesus for the first time she knew her way around that First Century city feeling that she had lived there in ancient times. - Barry Kaplan, Aventura, Florida

I really enjoyed your book Two Thousand Years Later. It was nice to read a story again, instead of just lots of information like in so many spiritually based books. It does lead one to want to read the other books just to see what more is remembered. Many of the things within your book are true within others memories and some are differ. I must say this book was very entertaining and kept me reading. I read the book in like 4-5 hours in two sittings, so it kept my interest and I am sure it will and has for others. Christ Consciousness, the message of your book, is what matters. I would love to read your other books. - Laura Lynn, Marco Island, Florida.

Beautiful and thought provoking. - Elizabeth Sargeant, England.

Outstanding Research; Outstanding Writer. Although written as a novel, Longley's research into the subject of the historical Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and other biblical characters not as well known, is obvious and enhances the appeal of the story. As a student of the historical Jesus, I quickly realized that Longley had combined biblical references with other ancient materials and historical accounts of the time to construct a picture of Jesus that may come much closer to the truth than many might like to believe. Fast paced, exciting, romantic, and original, I found it difficult to put the book down. I'm now anxiously awaiting the next in the series. - Paula Gott, Highlandville, Missouri.

Interesting and intriguing. The idea of the book is fascinating and calls for one to stretch beyond the traditional way of thinking. - Jack and Mariah, California.

I have had Two Thousand Years Later for some time but was prompted to read it this week. Once I started to read, I couldn't put it down. - Gwen Rust, Fargo, North Dakota.

Two Thousand Years Later is a very well written book that fascinated me. Starting with life on board a big cruise liner and shipboard romance, it describes magnificent places around the world and is a beautiful love story. Then, it merges into research of what happened two thousand years ago in the Middle East and reincarnation and what it is all about--souls live forever. Peter Longley combines effectively past and present time. It is a new way of thinking and it definitely has a message This is what we are all wondering about. I found his interpretation of the gospel very interesting. I note the setence: "the consciousness of Joshua equates with the light of God within us." That is something to think about--the goodness in every human being. In my opinion this id the guiding principle of the whole story. I could hardly put it down until I had finished. I look forward to the next book. -  Maila Bersaas, Eidsvaag, Norway.

LOVE IS WHERE YOUR ROSEMARY GROWS　

I particularly liked the portions of the book that talked about gardening - Sam Picikering, Connecticut. 　

It made me cry, cry and sob and weep. I couldn't tear myself away. I loved it. You took me to a place I wasn't sure of. You held my hand through it and brought me out the other side. - Leslie Manning, Coffeeville, Mississippi.

A sad story very well written. - A Reader from Paris, France.

I enjoyed this book very much. I love the way you describe the Norwegian fjords and coast. I live 50 km from Adalsnes. From Chapter 6 I could hardly put the book down, very romantic story and easy reading, even if the last part was sad. Lots of tears both for the wild girl and her sick mother. In a way it came close to me. I lost my mother to lung cancer 3 years ago. A terrible sickness. I think you are a very good writer and I was so fascinated by this book, I will probably read it all over again! I have ordered another book by you and hope they can get it in Norway - Maila Haugen Bersaas, Norway.