When psychologist Elena Burroughs, best-selling author of a book about dream interpretation, takes on a new patient troubled by repeated nightmares, she is drawn into an expanding web of international intrigue that eventually threatens her very life. Her oldest and dearest friend presents her with a mysterious ancient book with the cryptic instructions of “Do not turn the page until God speaks to you through the first one.” As Elena seeks the Lord, she is rewarded with visions and impressions that direct her and an expanding group of people as they endeavor to combat the evil masterminds behind another imminent financial disaster. It is only when they surrender everything to the direction of God that they begin to make a difference.<\/p>\n
There were so many incidents in this book that touched my heart, particularly Elena’s spiritual encounters. I liked the way the mysterious aspects of “the book” played an important role in the story but was so glad that Elena reached the same conclusions that I did about it’s actual function.<\/p>\n
I was finishing reading Book of Dreams<\/em> this morning before church and ran across the following passage. Knowing that we would be celebrating the Lord’s Supper in our service, it was particularly meaningful and helped prepare my heart. I thought it was just beautiful and have to share it.<\/p>\n When Brian gave the formal invitation to join in the Communion, her entire being seemed to resonate with the vicar’s words. “Come to this table, not because you must but because you may. Not because you are strong, but because you are weak. Come, not because any goodness of your own gives you a right to come, but because you need mercy and help. Come, because you love the Lord a little and would like to love him more.”<\/p>\n –page 265<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u00a0Book of Dreams<\/em> <\/em>is another prime example of the excellent fiction I have come to expect from Davis Bunn. Not only does he write suspenseful and intriguing novels but they are almost always relevant to current events and\/or culture and also convey a strong message of faith. Book of Dreams<\/strong><\/em> is no exception. <\/em>It is one of those books that even though you know it is fiction will make you wonder just how much of it is fact. I know that I will never take our financial system for granted again. So, if you love a good novel of intrigue that also challenges your faith, you should really pick up a copy of Book of Dreams<\/em>. I don’t believe you will regret it if you do.<\/p>\n This book was provided for review by Howard Books, a Division of Simon & Schuster.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n ABOUT BOOK OF DREAMS:<\/strong><\/p>\n Then a new patient arrives, one so private only her first name is given. Impeccably dressed and escorted by two bodyguards, Sandra recounts a frightening series of recurrent nightmares. Elena agrees to consider her case more carefully, convinced that something ominous may be at work here.<\/p>\n Elena’s interpretation of Sandra\u2019s dreams confirms that, indeed, the new patient and her family confront a powerful global network of dangerous forces. As the story unfolds, they face a key question of the Christian life: How do you understand and fulfill the will of God?<\/p>\n Trade Paperback ISBN: 9781416556701<\/p>\n eBook ISBN: 9781451610550<\/p>\n $14.99; 352 pp.<\/p>\n October 2011 from Howard Books, a Division of Simon & Schuster<\/p>\n Read Chapter 1 of Book of Dreams for free HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n ABOUT DAVIS BUNN:<\/strong><\/p>\n Davis came to faith at age 28, and began writing two weeks later.\u00a0Before that point, he had never written anything longer than a business report.\u00a0He wrote for nine years and completed seven novels before the first was accepted for publication.\u00a0That book was The Presence<\/em>, released by Bethany House in 1991. Davis and his wife, Isabella, make their home in Florida for some of each year, and spend the rest near Oxford, England, where they each teach and write. Visit Davis at www.davisbunn.com<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0Q & A with Davis Bunn\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Your novels usually have a very strong sense of place, and Book of Dreams<\/em> is no exception. Why did you set this story in Oxford?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>When it became possible for us to live from the writing, Isabella and I moved to Oxford. She had been offered a position to do her doctorate here in Christian ethics and law.<\/p>\n I did not particularly want to come, but she was so instrumental in making my own dreams of becoming a writer take wing and fly. Her dream for years had been to obtain her PhD and teach. That\u2019s just the kind of mind she has.<\/p>\n The city and the university have become a true gift to us both, with amazing opportunities for service and personal growth. I have wanted to place a story here for a long time.<\/p>\n In Book of Dreams<\/em>, you revisit a theme from one of your earlier books, The Warning<\/em>. Why did you write about the crisis in the banking industry?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>The Warning<\/em>, published in 2003, focused on the then-current financial crisis. It was about a man who felt called by God to warn people that financial upheaval was coming, and the difficulties he had in getting his message across. That book was in the top five on the CBA (Christian Booksellers Association) best-seller list for 14 months.<\/p>\n The week I started writing Book of Dreams<\/em>, the news broke that not one single banker responsible for the mortgage crisis and bank crisis had been convicted of a crime. The banking industry came out of this crisis relatively unscathed while 3 million American families lost their homes \u2014 that\u2019s almost 15 percent of all homeowners in America. That, to me, is just not right.<\/p>\n The banking industry is all about self-interest and making money. The American banking industry spends $1 million a day lobbying Congress, while the international banking industry spends another million per day lobbying the American political system. With that much money on the table, there\u2019s a potential for huge profits \u2013 the banking industry wouldn\u2019t invest that much money for any other reason.<\/p>\n The question became: \u201cWhat could happen that would stymie this self-absorbed lobbying?\u201d<\/p>\n The answer: An independent commission that would oversee these transactions so there\u2019d be nowhere for these people to hide. I built Book of Dreams<\/em> around that premise.<\/p>\n Book of Dreams<\/em><\/strong> explores the question: \u201cWhere does the human psyche end and God begin?\u201d Why did you choose that question as the framework for your story?<\/strong><\/p>\n Psychology has always fascinated me; so much so that it almost became my profession. One question I love to explore is why so many psychologists are vehemently opposed to the idea of a personal faith.<\/p>\n Those in the camp opposed to faith and religion say that psychology is about wrestling with and identifying personal issues, emotions, and things from the past that block one from being happy. Opponents believe that when you insert faith into the situation, it serves as an excuse for not looking at the past, not being honest about one\u2019s emotions, and not taking control of one\u2019s life.<\/p>\n On the other side, there is a deepening within a group of psychologists and psychiatrists who are strong in their faith. Rather than trying to convince the larger group about the value of faith, their goal is to look at things honestly, with God and prayer as components of the healing process.<\/p>\n In my story, the main character, Elena Burroughs, is the world\u2019s foremost authority on dreams. A psychologist who is deeply involved in current trends in human psychology, Elena is also a devoted believer. She is in the process of discovering that the barrier between God and the human psyche does not exist.<\/p>\n Your story explores how God uses dreams and visions to communicate with people. What inspired that idea?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>My wife and I did a wonderful Bible study on the book of Daniel, in which we explored how dreams were one component of Daniel\u2019s gift of prophecy.<\/p>\n When I wrote the book, I tried to build in two key components about communicating with God through dreams or visions. The first is humility. Rather than using a vision or dream for one\u2019s own aggrandizement, I believe that the less the person is involved, the more God can shine through.<\/p>\n The second component is, \u201cHow does this vision tie in to the scriptures?\u201d When I was in the Middle East, I saw beautiful cryptograms of the Lord\u2019s Prayer. It was so telling to see the Lord\u2019s Prayer in terms of artwork. This inspired the idea of a book written in Aramaic \u2013 the language Jesus spoke \u2013 with each verse of Lord\u2019s Prayer on one page of the book.<\/p>\n As I drafted the story, I looked at the Lord\u2019s Prayer one verse at a time and that became my prayer time. It took three months to write the book and I did not finish the Lord\u2019s Prayer in three months. It was a beautiful experience for me.<\/p>\n When the character of Elena follows God\u2019s lead, her life takes a different path than the one she planned or expected. Davis, in what ways does your own dependence on God\u2019s leading take you in surprising directions?\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>It\u2019s remarkable how this question comes up now, because it seems like this entire year has been one of being open to God\u2019s OTHER direction. This has been true both in my creative work and in my walk of service.<\/p>\n Obviously I had no idea what was in store for us when I wrote the Book of Dreams<\/em> (remember, the story is completed between nine and twelve months before its publication). But this really has been a reflection of what the story has tried to reveal \u2013 that sometimes the most important gift is what at first is what we fear.<\/p>\n Change often feels threatening, but so long as we struggle, we can\u2019t see the true divine intention. To arrive at this point, where our prayer becomes one of genuinely seeking God\u2019s call and His illumination, we must first embrace the change that is there in front of us.<\/p>\n Do you write down your prayer requests? In what ways do you recognize and acknowledge God\u2019s power at work in your life?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>What a beautiful question. There are several components to this, and it goes back to the earlier issue of accepting change. There are moments in my prayer life when I feel as though God is speaking the words for me, and my task is first and foremost to treat my heart and mind like an open window. To hold onto nothing except the moment, and allow the spiritual winds to pass through me and on into the world. At these times it is important to write them out, because oft when the moment is past I cannot otherwise even remember what has transpired.<\/p>\n The other segment here is in dealing with change. I often feel in such uncertain moments that I have no real understanding of what is happening, or what God wishes to bring me to, until it is done. Looking back becomes vital, and it is also sometimes rather hard, because the rush of events and the speed of unfolding newness requires all my attention. And yet, if I can pause just for a moment, and reflect upon all the uncertainty and fear I had to wade through in order to simply respond with a simple openhearted \u2018yes\u2019, the wisdom that comes from this moment of backward reflection is a gift, and needs to be recorded.<\/p>\n Too often we seek completion, a sense of drawing everything together into a nice tidy bundle before we stop and draw the prayerful breath. But life is not like this. And here is the third element of discovery that has come through my prayer time during this year of transition. It is important to stop, just for a moment, in the pressure and the fatigue of a day\u2019s end, and give thanks for having made it this far.<\/p>\n For me, when the uncertainty of unfinished work pushes at my every waking moment, there is a great temptation to forget this simple task. But if I can stop and simply affirm the goodness of this incomplete day, this human hour, this imperfect world, my NEXT day is so much fuller, and my vision so much clearer.<\/p>\n Is a sequel for Book of Dreams<\/em> planned? If so, when can we expect it? <\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>I am this very moment completing the sequel, which is entitled Hidden in Dreams<\/em>. Howard\/Simon and Schuster have this slated for release in July 2012.<\/p>\n How can readers find you on the Internet?<\/strong><\/p>\n My website, blog, and interactive discussion<\/strong> group are at www.davisbunn.com<\/a><\/p>\n I update my blog<\/a><\/strong> at least three times per week. To subscribe to my latest posts via your feed reader or via email, click http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/DavisBunn<\/a><\/p>\n Facebook<\/strong>: http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Davis-Bunn-author\/134762129885578<\/a><\/p>\n Twitter<\/strong>: @davisbunn – http:\/\/twitter.com\/davisbunn<\/a><\/p>\n E-Newsletter<\/strong>: My free e-newsletter always includes a giveaway contest for my latest book. To subscribe, fill out the form at www.davisbunn.com<\/a> or send a blank e-mail to davisbunn@aweber.com<\/a>. You\u2019ll receive a confirmation e-mail. Click the link in that e-mail, and you\u2019re all set.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" MY REVIEW: When psychologist Elena Burroughs, best-selling author of a book about dream interpretation, takes on a new patient troubled by repeated nightmares, she is drawn into an expanding web of international intrigue that eventually threatens her very life. Her oldest and dearest friend presents her with a mysterious ancient book with the cryptic instructions […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,60,33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9750","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books","category-contemporary-fiction","category-suspense"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9750","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9750"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9750\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9758,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9750\/revisions\/9758"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9750"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9750"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9750"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"..\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/02\/divider21.jpg\" "\\"divider2\\"")
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<\/a>For Dr. Elena Burroughs, life is divided into two chapters\u2014before and after the death of her husband. Today marks the point that her span of being a wife is equal to her span of being a widow. Even her success as a psychologist and her worldwide acclaim for a book on the interpretation of dreams is dimmed by an unspoken \u201cIf only.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a>Davis Bunn did his undergraduate studies at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, where he earned honors degrees in both economics and psychology. He then travelled to London, where he continued this dual approach, earning a Master of Science degree in both industrial psychology and international economics. After teaching at a Swiss university for a year, he entered into a business career that took him to more than 40 countries in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.<\/p>\n