KATHERINE NEVILLE’S
“As Ye Sow, So Shall Ye Reap” Newsletter
October 14, 2022
The Fire
Today, October 14, marks the 14th anniversary of my book, The Fire, sequel to The Eight. Interestingly, long before one could predict current events, the book’s plot dealt with Russia and Ukraine, as well as the legends of those two birds: the Phoenix, which burns itself up in its own conflagration, and the Firebird, bringer of Light.
The main theme of The Fire is “As Ye Sow, So Shall Ye Reap” — a biblical-sounding phrase that does not actually appear anywhere in the Old or New Testaments! But it does appear at Dumbarton Oaks, here in Washington, DC, where much of the setting and resolution of the story takes place.
DC Mysteriosa
The Fire discloses the mysterious history of the design of Washington, DC as a “sacred altar” in the shape of a chessboard, by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Banneker (the great African American surveyor specifically chosen by Jefferson, who had accompanied his own father, Peter, on his early surveying missions of Virginia.)
The interesting articles and events surrounding my Washington, DC Book Launch, include:
- Book Launch Party, co-hosted with World Chess Champion Susan Polgar and other fun luminaries, at the private Club L2, (which eerily resembled the “Open Hearth” restaurant that I invented where Alexandra Solarin works as a sous chef!) Click for Book Launch Photos
- My private tour of secret spots around Dumbarton Oaks, where much of the dénouement of The Fire occurs, with famous Spanish photographer Chema Conesa (El Mundo) and the NY Times bestselling author, Javier Sierra, (The Secret Supper, Master of the Prado). Click for Article
- My fabulous Spanish Book Launch video (including a few chess moves with young Spanish Chess Champion David Lariño)! Click for Spanish Book Launch Video
