Title: Maximal Reserve
Publisher: Deep River
Cover blurb: WHAT IF OIL ISN’T SCARCE? A secret that can change the balance of the world’s power and finance in a moment is known by the most unlikely of people—and he’s only been employed for a week.
Philip Channing was just an ambitious college graduate who wanted to make his mark on the world. He didn’t know that mark would be the greatest oil discovery of all time—in the wrong place. Philip finds the largest oil reserve in history, a reserve that dwarfs the lucrative reserves in Saudi Arabia and threatens to change the world’s balance of power and wealth in favor of the most unlikely country of all.
But Phil isn’t the only one who’s discovered the reserve—and an alliance of crooked politicians and European terrorists will do anything to keep it secret.
1) How did this story come to you?
I have always been curious about whether or not oil was generated when the dinosaurs died, or if something else provided all this petroleum we burn in our cars every day. As a Christian, I don’t prescribe to the notion that dinosaurs lived 65 million years ago and thus created all the hydrocarbons on our planet in a “geologic instant.” In searching for this answer, I came across a real scientific theory that underpins the Russian Science Academy and the Russian Exploration effort and also endorsed by scientists like Hans Bethe and Freeman Dyson. With that kind of scientific pedigree behind it, I figured I had found something worth writing about.
2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
Maximal Reserve was relatively easy for me to get published. Wayback was a best seller for my publisher, Deep River and I have continued to build my audience (which is the real hard work for an author now days). The Christian publishing market (and actually the entire book market) is going through tumultuous changes right now.
3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I work at Microsoft, I teach computer programming at a Christian High School for an elective, I travelled to Israel back in March, it was amazing to see many of the things I write about (the Lion Gate, Masada, the Dead Sea and the Western Wall) in person.
4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’m working on the sequel to my first book, Wayback. It’s called Insurrection and I’ve rewritten it three times in the hope of getting it “right.” Insurrection picks up where Wayback leaves off and includes quite a number of surprises and twists from the original. The most difficult part of writing a sequel is giving it its own feel and theme to be different, but making it close the original to make it feel like a continuation. In short, it’s not easy. I have a lot of other ideas cooking in my mind, but they have to wait until I get Insurrection out.
5) Parting comments?
Here are some endorsements:
“Maximal Reserve is a fascinating adventure into the depths of God’s earth. Batterman’s book is a combination James Bond movie and Ken Ham seminar—entertaining and educational. And Batterman makes science fun. He presents his theories in an action-packed way that makes it all seem so realistic, I wonder if it isn’t happening this way right now. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the way it made me ponder the great mysteries of this planet.”
---Jill Williamson, Christy Award-winning author of By Darkness Hid
“The world needs oil, and Phil Channing has just discovered the greatest single oil reserve in history. Ripped from the headlines, Sam Batterman’s sophomore techno-thriller is a compelling, fast-paced read that weaves together scientific discovery, biblical prophecy, romance, and action-packed adventure in the Middle East. From the riveting opening to the jaw-dropping conclusion, readers will delight in drilling to the depths of Maximal Reserve. Batterman especially excels at wedding science with biblical truth in Crichton-esque plots. An awesome ride!”
---Adam Blumer, author of Fatal Illusions
“Maximal Reserve has a shockingly intelligent premise, bolstered by equally intelligent research. The stuff truly great techno-thrillers are made of.”
---lan Brown, author of The Firstborn and The Overseer
“A rousing, suspense-fueled thriller that grabs you from page 1, Maximal Reserve is a cautionary tale about the world’s largest oil reserve, found at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, and the terrible price people are willing to pay to get to it.”
---Mike Lynch, author of American Midnight
“Maximal Reserve has an intriguing premise involving fascinating science and relevant history. I love it when a novel not only entertains, but educates.”
---Kerry Nietz, author of A Star Curiously Singing.
“In Maximal Reserve, Sam Batterman ratchets up the tension about Israel’s future. As timely as today’s headlines, this techno-thriller plunges the reader into the struggle for the world’s lifeblood—oil—and combines the need for diminishing resources with end-times prophecy, resulting in a timely novel for the inquiring mind.”
---Diane and David Munson, bestselling authors of Hero’s Ransom
6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
My author site, http://www.sambatterman.com/, or my fan site on Facebook:
Wayback Fan Site (http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=79413287456)
