Shinar 54 by D. Corey Sanders

by Cindy R. Williams

I met Corey Sanders, the author of Shinar 54, at a book signing in Thatcher, AZ this past Spring.  Sitting across from him, I saw a quiet and thoughtful man with a ready smile. Sanders wears many hats. He serves as a Judge and a Stake President. As I asked him about his book, he became animated as he described the Shinar society. Our visit was fascinating. I expected the book to be full of surprises, much like the man. I was not disapointed. Shinar 54 has many story strings, each intertwining and bringing intrigue to the fabric of the book.

Here's the back of the book blurb:
Jona MaCracken is a broken ex-Marine with PTSD and a host of other personal issues. He stumbles upon a website promising relief from all his ills. The only catch is that he must immigrate to Shinar 54, a Utopian city in the Nevada desert to obtain the wonder cure and to meet Lisa, his enchanting recruiter.

Shinar is the enclosed haven for millions of people who have overcome sickness and pain. The outside world believes Shinar is a powerful and dangerous doomsday cult. Shinar prepares its people for the next life with a singularity of purpose that impoverishes the United States and sets the two nations on a collision course. As the political and economic tensions ratchet up, the world spirals down into an epidemic of fear, bigotry, and propaganda. World war is imminent. Jona and Lisa find themselves in the middle of it.

Marco Frano, Jona's friend and confidant is on his own mission to rescue his younger sister,(Keniesha) from certain death. Can he do it through intrigue and alliances?

Set in the not-too-distant future, Shinar 54 is a story of conflict between good and evil, truth and lies, and the clash of opposing values. Ultimately, it is a tale of renewal, redemption and reconciliation.

How to categorize this book? A book review of Shinar 54 on Smashwords labeled it: mystical, fantasy, apocalypse, cult, dystopia, allegorical, truth, utopia, allegory, apocalyptic, end of the world, good vs evil, escape, conservatism, liberalism, moderate, yin yang, political ideology. Like I said, the book is many things.

Shinar 54 is available at Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.