Sunday, January 14, 2018

"The Second Messiah" by Glenn Meade


The Second Messiah
by Glenn Meade
Simon & Schuster, 2011
Notes by Travis Simpkins

     Fast-paced and hard to put down, The Second Messiah by Glenn Meade has all the checkmarks of a great Thriller. The story concerns archaeologist Jack Cane, who is thrown into a dangerous business when he discovers an ancient parchment at Qumran detailing the existence of two messiahs in the 1st Century A.D. This unsettling find, sure to cause problems for the Church, leads to the death of a professor and the theft of the parchment. Cane is forced on a desperate journey to reveal the truth which leads him from Jerusalem to Rome and back again. Vatican officials and the newly elected Pope mix with black market antiquities smugglers in a disturbing web of lies that stretches back into Cane's past and uncovers a tragic revelation. With wonderfully described settings that range from desert caves and an underground Roman necropolis to the glorious Sistine Chapel and a monastery in Syria, the action is enhanced by the intriguing locales. Well constructed characters and many surprises along the way make for entertaining reading throughout. The book makes for a quick read, contrary to what it's hefty 554 pages would suggest. 



The Second Messiah. Glenn Meade: Jerusalem

The Second Messiah. Glenn Meade: Vatican City

The Second Messiah. Glenn Meade: Sistine Chapel

The Second Messiah. Glenn Meade: Qumran caves

The Second Messiah. Glenn Meade: Dead Sea Scrolls

The Second Messiah. Glenn Meade: Qumran cave

The Second Messiah. Glenn Meade: monastery in Syria

The Second Messiah. Glenn Meade: Rome

The Second Messiah. Glenn Meade: Vatican Secret Archives

The Second Messiah. Glenn Meade: Rome

The Second Messiah. Glenn Meade: Vatican Secret Archives

The Second Messiah. Glenn Meade: L'Eau Vive restaurant

The Second Messiah. Glenn Meade: Vatican Necropolis, Rome

The Second Messiah. Glenn Meade: Vatican Necropolis, Rome

The Second Messiah. Glenn Meade: Vatican Necropolis, Rome

The Second Messiah. Glenn Meade: Trevi Fountain, Rome

The Second Messiah. Glenn Meade: Sistine Chapel

The Second Messiah. Glenn Meade: Vatican City

The Second Messiah. Glenn Meade: Sistine Chapel

Saturday, January 13, 2018

The Masonic Tour Guide Volume 2 by Daniel Hanttula features Author Portrait by Travis Simpkins

The Masonic Tour Guide Volume 2. by Daniel Hanttula. Author Portrait by Travis Simpkins


     I am honored that Daniel Hanttula has included my portrait of him in the jacket design of his new book, "The Masonic Tour Guide Volume 2: Extravaganzas, History-making & Proficiencies." The Special Edition of this useful reference book comes with a gold-embossed hardcover, dust jacket and full-color throughout.


Order the book here:



The Masonic Tour Guide Volume 2. by Daniel Hanttula. Author Portrait by Travis Simpkins

Marshall Trimble. Arizona State Historian. True West Magazine. by Travis Simpkins

Marshall Trimble. Arizona State Historian. True West Magazine. by Travis Simpkins


Portrait Sketch of
Marshall Trimble
Arizona's Official State Historian
Author and Singer
Columnist at True West Magazine
Director of Southwest Studies
Scottsdale Community College
by Travis Simpkins



Marshall Trimble - Arizona State Historian


For more info, please visit:


Marshall Trimble. Arizona State Historian. True West Magazine. by Travis Simpkins