Overview

It''s C. S. Lewis (The Screwtape Letters) meets Christopher Moore (Lamb) in this quirkyfable about human aspirations and the nature of temptation.

About the protagonist

Timothy McFarland is a failed theology student turned gift book writer. His 101 Good Things about Christmas has sold millions. But Timothy finds that his success has changed nothing; in fact, he seems more stuck in his life than ever.

The story

Wanting to be more than a rich hack, he is confronted by Lucifer, a Wagner-loving devil who offers to mold Timothy into a serious writer by teaching him to take a colder look at life. And it works. Timothy is published in the right literary and commercial venues, and there''s talk of The Great American Novel.

Along the way, Timothy and the devil are having a grand time, talking religion, catching bad Elvis impersonators at the casinos, and watching devil-cam, Lucifer''s ultimate home video network. But there''s a final step Timothy must take.

The final challenge

Can he write coolly about a tragedy that unfolds before his eyes, as the devil urges? Will he take on the full weight of the devil''s writing gift and make it his own? All he has to do is change who he really is.