BeauSeigneur, James 1953-

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BeauSEIGNEUR, James 1953-

PERSONAL:

Born 1953, in Waltham, MA; married; wife's name, Geri; children: Faith, Abigail. Education: B.A.; also attended graduate school at Middle Tennessee State University and the University of Tennessee—Knoxville. Politics: Republican. Religion: Christian.

ADDRESSES:

Agent—c/o Author Mail, Warner Books, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

CAREER:

Novelist and writing consultant. Has also worked as a political science instructor, technical writer, political campaign manager, lobbyist, and newspaper publisher. Military service: Served in U.S. Army, including assignment as an intelligence analyst for the National Security Agency, 1976-1981.

WRITINGS:

In His Image (book one of "Christ Clone" trilogy), Selective House Publishers (Rockville, MD), 1997, Warner Books (New York, NY), 2003.

Birth of an Age (book two of "Christ Clone" trilogy), Selective House Publishers (Rockville, MD), 1997, Warner Books (New York, NY), 2003.

Acts of God (book three of "Christ Clone" trilogy), Warner Books (New York, NY), 2003.

Has written many newspaper and magazine articles, and published manuals Military Avionics, 1985, and Strategic Defense, 1986. Has written lyrics for published songs.

ADAPTATIONS:

In His Image was adapted for audio cassette, read by Pete Bradbury, Recorded Books, 2001.

WORK IN PROGRESS:

A collection of biographies.

SIDELIGHTS:

James BeauSeigneur is a former U.S. Army intelligence analyst who now works as a writing consultant to the federal government. He once ran for U.S. Congress against Al Gore, but eventually left politics, seeking a more stable life for his family. Turning to technical writing for a regular income, he sought creative satisfaction in fiction writing. This pursuit resulted in the publication of the "Christ Clone" trilogy, a series of novels that blend science fiction and theology. The author describes his religious awakening during the early 1970s as starting amongst the hippie Christians who were known as "Jesus Freaks." He has said that he hopes that his fiction writing will connect non-Christians with the Gospel.

Originally self-published, the trilogy earned an enthusiastic following for its unusual blend of science, inside view of government, and apocalyptic speculation. The first installment, In His Image, introduces biochemist Harold Goodman and his former student, who is now a journalist, Decker Hawthorne. Goodman is part of a team testing the Shroud of Turinfor authenticity. He discovers live skin cells in the cloth and uses them to secretly create a human clone. Only Hawthorne knows the origins of the scientist's "son" Christopher. When a plague kills millions of people and war in the Middle East escalates, the young man becomes an important negotiator. The later volumes in the trilogy are Birth of an Age and Acts of God, in which Christopher becomes a powerful figure in the United Nations and is revealed to be the Anti-Christ.

The first episode, however, leaves readers wondering if Christopher is in fact the son of Christ. A reviewer for Publishers Weekly noted that the author "warns his audience to read the entire trilogy before judging." Commenting on BeauSeigneur's creation, the writer said that he "awkwardly mixes religion, geopolitics and preposterous plot twists." A Kirkus Reviews contributor described the thriller as "silly, cheap, and fun: a garden-variety potboiler with a neat gimmick thrown in." Booklist's John Mort credited the book's popularity to the fact that BeauSeigneur "knows how to write, deploying a tough, driving style in perfect cadence." Remarking on the timing of Warner's publication of the trilogy in 2003, he said, "the paranoia [BeauSeigneur] evokes is a perfect fit for these times of religious hatred and political terror." Jackie Alnor commented in a review for the Christian Sentinel that BeauSeigneur is "a compelling storyteller" and "writes with a sophistication that makes it very believable." She remarked that the trilogy "does not read preachy with gospel messages."