December 1, 2024 • 25 mins
In this episode of the Christian Book Blurb, host Matt McChlery interviews author P.H. Bray about his novel 'Search for the Healing Cloth.' They discuss the inspiration behind the book, the themes of calling and destiny, and the extensive research that went into writing the story. Bray shares insights into his writing process, the characters, and the potential for his work to be adapted into a film or series. The conversation also touches on Bray's personal interests such as stamp collecting and his favourite meal: his wife's chicken tray bake!
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Buy a copy of The Swaddling: Search For Healing Cloth from St Andrew's Bookshop
Visit Matt McChlery's website mattmcchlery.com
Visit P.H.Bray's website theswaddling.com
Takeaways
- The novel explores the significance of the swaddling cloth used for Jesus.
- Bray's research into the Magi led to unique story elements.
- Calling can be a seasonal commitment, not always permanent.
- Destiny feels more secular compared to the concept of calling.
- Bray's character, Melody, feels chosen for her quest.
- Research for the book took nine years to complete.
- The story blends modern adventure with biblical themes.
- Bray's writing style is compared to Dan Brown's thrillers.
- The author enjoys spending time with his grandchildren.
- Bray's books are available for purchase online.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the Christian Book Blurb 01:51 Exploring the Theme of the Healing Cloth 08:29 Understanding Calling and Destiny 14:11 The Research Behind the Story 19:01 Getting to Know the Author 26:11 Where to Find the Books
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
This is Christian Book Blurb brought to you by author and songwriter Matt McChlery Get abehind the scenes glimpse into the lives of some of your favourite Christian authors.
Hear about their books and faith.
Also, why not check out my website, mattmcleary.com.
Hello and welcome to this episode of the Christian Book Blurb where we like to encourageyou in your discipleship one book at a time as we meet some amazing Christian authors and
(00:28):
learn about their books, their lives and...
their faith.
Well, I'm your host, Matt McChlery.
Thanks so much for clicking over here and joining me today.
Now on today's show, I'm going to be talking about calling and destiny with the author,P.H.
Bray.
So let's welcome Phil to the show.
Hi, Phil.
(00:48):
hello, Matt.
How are you?
Yeah, I'm good.
Thank you.
How are you?
Yeah, I'm fine.
Yeah, really good.
And as December has only just begun, I guess I can wish you a Merry Christmas.
think I'm allowed.
Absolutely.
Merry Christmas to you too.
Thank you.
And speaking of Christmas, I just wanted to let the listeners know that as we're at thestart of December, I'm going to be easing us into the Christmas season very gently this
(01:15):
year.
And I'm speaking with PH Bray today about his novel that he's written called
search for the healing cloth and it has some very gentle references to the Christmas storybut in a fictional setting.
So Philip, your story centres around the swaddling that was used to wrap Jesus in afterhis birth.
(01:41):
Why did you choose this as your central theme?
Well, it started with, did a study on angels for a couple of years and I did notice thatduring the nativity period from really the conception of Jesus right the way through that
(02:04):
period, there was a huge amount of angelic activity.
And it just made me think about it in a bit more detail, I'd never noticed it before.
that if this is God's plan for the salvation of humankind, which I believe it is, then hewould have to make sure that it happened and there was sufficient safeguards to make sure
(02:29):
that Jesus was born and survived long enough to be able to accomplish his mission.
And therefore I think that if you were behind the scenes of the Nativity in that spiritualworld,
there would have been a massive amount of angelic activity.
So that was the trigger point for it at beginning.
(02:52):
And whilst I was looking at that in more detail, the Magi came into view.
And it seems such a strange thing because the Magi appear on the scene.
It's almost a cameo appearance and disappear very quickly.
And so I decided to do some research into the Magi.
(03:15):
And whilst I was doing that research, I came across this odd gospel, the first gospel ofthe infancy of Jesus Christ.
It didn't make it into the Bible for very good reason, probably written by the Gnostics.
And some people think it may have even been written by Caiaphas, the high priest.
(03:38):
So that started me searching a bit more.
And in this gospel, of course, Magi present their three gifts to Mary, the goldfrankincense and myrrh.
And she says to them, instead of a blessing, I present you with this gift and give them apiece of the swaddling.
Which is a nice story.
(03:58):
then on their journey home, they discover it actually has healing.
and is indestructible.
They drop it in a fire at one point and it doesn't burn, it doesn't even scorch.
And I remember thinking at one point, just imagine if that was a true story, if thatgospel was true, and there may be the elements of it that are true, then what would that
(04:24):
be like if you discovered it today?
And this whole question really then about, well, if you had the power,
of that swaddling cloth to heal.
Who would you heal?
And perhaps more importantly, who wouldn't you?
How would you choose?
(04:45):
So that was the beginning of it really and that's why it is a novel.
And it's interesting kind of the writings you stumble across as you research certaintopics.
Speaking of Christmas and Babies, your book Search for Healing Cloth, it isn't a childishbook nor is it cliched.
(05:06):
I think it's very well written.
I've just finished reading it myself.
And I find it very fast paced and modern.
There's all sorts of things going on in there just for the listeners.
So there's drones buzzing around, there's militias and car chases and all sorts ofinteresting things going on.
It reminded me a little bit of the style of Dan Brown's writing, you know, the Da VinciCode guy, and he wrote lots of other books as well.
(05:30):
Yeah, it's an adventure and a quest set in a modern setting.
What informed your decision?
to set it and sort of write it in this kind of style.
Well, it's interesting.
You're right.
One of the publishers that I contacted with it described it as a cross between Raiders ofthe Lost Ark and the Da Vinci Code.
(05:51):
Yeah, that came to mind as well, Raiders of the Lost Ark.
there's a bit of that about it.
And it started off really just the
behind the scenes with that nativity period and kept switching over to the Magi.
And the first edit I had was by Mark Stibbe, well-known author.
(06:18):
And he said, he thought it was actually two books.
And so I didn't do anything for about 18 months.
I was quite taken aback by it.
But in the end, I agreed with him and then turned it into two separate books.
you're actually, you've read the second book in the series.
(06:40):
So it's a trilogy.
The first one is The Making of the Magi.
And the second one is Search for the Healing Claw.
And they're both completed.
And the third book is.
part way through now.
That's called the American decision or will be.
So, I think...
(07:01):
I think about God of the long game and we often in our prayers it's about now and tomorrowand it's a very near future thing but this is about the God of the long game whereby you
(07:23):
know 2000 years it's just the blink of an eye to him.
So this
the kind of story developed along those lined rails.
You've already answered a question I was going to ask you later about the series and whichorder this book fell in in the series and things.
that's great.
(07:43):
Thank you for that.
I need to now read the first one to fill in some of the stuff.
But it stands alone as a great book as well, just so listeners know.
Yeah, it was really good.
It says some good, it does have good reviews.
People do say they can't put it down.
Very fast pace.
love it.
Melody, the central character of the novel.
(08:04):
She feels that she's called to uncover the swaddling and it's been hidden for centuries.
So I just wanted to look at with you, if you don't mind, the whole idea and understandingof calling.
and maybe even possibly destiny.
How does calling work?
(08:25):
What is calling?
I know it's a really, it's such a, I mean, I've heard people preach on this many times andit's really difficult.
We're all called to be a witness.
That's the first thing.
Whether we're a good witness or a poor witness, that's another matter.
But we're all called
(08:46):
to be a witness.
Sometimes we're called to do specific things, I think, for a particular period of time.
I was called into youth work about for 15 years for a season, as it were.
I think sometimes we're called to do something for a season.
sometimes it can be quite dramatic for some people.
(09:07):
Other times, I think you've just got to step out in faith and test.
water, if you feel called to do something, to just step out and try that.
Because God will equip you if it really is a genuine calling.
So that's how I feel about calling.
And is it similar to destiny or is destiny something else?
(09:32):
Yes, don't know, word destiny, it feels very secular, word destiny somehow, doesn't it?
Whereas calling feels much more pious.
I'm not, Melody tries to explain, I think at one point she's talking to a professor and heasks them why she's so obsessed with it.
(09:53):
And she rebukes him saying that that's such a negative way of looking at it, that shefeels that this is her destiny, that she's called to do this.
No, more than that, she says at one point, I was chosen.
And again, this fits into that God of the long game that you've kind of been chosen to dothis even before you were born.
(10:16):
Sometimes people are.
So it is a really deep and complicated issue, calling, isn't it?
And Melody feels that.
And it's reinforced by the fact that she has these visions from quite a young age.
the visions are quite troublesome at one point in her younger years.
(10:39):
But as she gets older, she feels that this is actually a calling.
that she has these visions because she's been called to find the swaddling.
How do we know that the great idea in our head is a little bit more than just a greatidea?
Because I felt called to things in the past myself and I start off having lots of greatideas and lots of those ideas don't really go anywhere or I try it out and you know, there
(11:11):
wasn't anything really to it.
It was just, you know.
a passing, fancy, fleeting, fancy type thing.
But then some of the things actually start to grow and develop and then I start to think,actually, you know, and through a lot of prayer and seeking God, start to come to see,
yeah, actually, I might be called to this.
Is that a similar thing in your experience or is it a bit different for you?
(11:34):
No, it's very similar.
And I think what happens is that...
that God puts these things in, puts things in place.
I had no thought about youth work at all.
And then the cura, a new cura came to speak to me and said, look, I think you'd be, Ithink you'd do really well in youth work.
(11:58):
so that made me start to think, and I think that's what God does.
He has these kind of trigger points that
make you then think about it and if it doesn't put a stumbling block in the way then Ithink you can just keep pushing at that door.
If it slams shut then yes it probably isn't a calling at all but I think if you just keeppushing at it and God keeps opening that door more and more by presenting opportunities
(12:31):
then I think that's the
That's been my experience.
That's helpful.
Yeah, thank you.
Your story is very well presented and it's apparent that you've done lots of research intothe topic, including the Magi, or some people call them the wise men, which we talk about
(12:51):
and sing about and have printed on Christmas cards and all sorts of things at this time ofyear.
How much research did you actually do?
There's a huge amount of research.
mean, it has taken, I mean, it's taken nine years, Wow.
Which is a long, long time.
And of course, would have been almost impossible to visit some of these places.
(13:15):
mean, Iran, for instance, I've been very difficult to visit.
It covers so many different countries.
It does.
It has been researched and most of the detail is accurate.
So for instance, when they catch the ferry, it's actually called Korak and there is aferry and it does run across the Caspian Sea.
(13:44):
So the detail is there and it's taken a long time to gather it.
You kind of alluded to the fact that you've actually visited some of the places mentioned.
that accurate?
Or is it just lots of trawling through Google Maps and tourist handbooks to try and figureout road names and that sort of thing?
(14:06):
Because it reads like, you you've been actually there.
It does, it?
Yes.
No, I haven't been there, but it is very accurate and there has been a huge amount ofresearch done into it.
Yes.
interesting.
And would you like to visit some of the countries you've written about?
Yes, that is on my wish list now.
(14:27):
My bucket list.
Every country, or is there a specific one?
Well, I haven't been to the Holy Lands anyway, and so I think that's the first one onthe...
So with these three books, I know you're still in the process of writing.
Are you still writing the third one or has it been written but it's now being edited?
(14:48):
What kind of stage are you at with that?
No, it's probably about halfway through.
So it's not at the editing stage yet.
The first one is complete and it'll depend on how successful this is really.
(15:08):
think about whether the...
publisher will want to print the next one.
Remind us of the two titles that are already out.
The first one will be called The Making of the Magi.
The one that we're talking about now, of course, is Search for the Healing Cloth.
And the third one will be called The American Decision.
(15:32):
Yeah, that's great.
So if people search for those, they should be able to find...
some of them to buy anyway.
I was going to be saying that I enjoyed it so much.
was wondering if you still have the film rights for the story, because I think it would bea great film.
Yeah, I agree with that.
I wonder if it might make a better Netflix series.
(15:55):
something like that.
It would be a really good film.
Someone asked me about it and I said, I think it would actually make a better film than itmakes a book.
Yeah, it works well as a book.
think, I think it works really well.
I really enjoyed it.
It has a really good reviews and you never know, do you?
(16:15):
It's, there is an element of luck about it.
The right person picking you up at the right time.
And so I've just really handed this over to God.
If you're listening to this podcast,
I can highly recommend the Swaddling Search for the Healing Cloth by P.H.
Bray.
If you're looking for a fast paced action adventure as you kind of travel through theChristmas season with a very slight nod to Christmas, but not too sparkly.
(16:44):
It's quite gritty in places.
Do go and check out the Swaddling Search for Healing Cloth.
I don't think you'll regret it if you're into...
fast-paced action fiction, you're gonna love it.
So do grab yourself a copy.
We are going to be back chatting with PH Bray a little bit more about his life and hisfaith just after these.
(17:04):
So stay tuned.
If you enjoy listening to this podcast, you can help keep it on the web.
All you've got to do is buy me a coffee.
Head over to buymeacoffee.com slash Matt McChlery to make a donation.
There is a link in this episode's show notes.
So go on, buy me a coffee today and help this podcast to keep supporting Christian booksand authors.
(17:27):
Hello, welcome back to The Christian Book Blurb.
We are chatting with the author, P.H.
Bray.
And before the break, we've been chatting about his series of novels called The SwaddlingSeries.
And we were talking specifically about the second book in that trilogy called Search forthe Healing Cloth.
Now, Phil, what we like to do in this part of the podcast is get to know the author alittle better.
(17:51):
So I'll start off.
What do you do for fun?
Yeah, that's a good question, isn't it?
And it's varied over the years, I think.
I mean, I've got quite a large collection, I'm a bit of a philatelist.
So I've got a lot of stamps in my collection.
So that's one thing.
I tend to spend a lot of time with grandchildren.
(18:15):
That's probably my greatest joy at the moment.
I've got three sons.
was going to say I had three sons.
I've still got three sons.
We had three boys and so when the granddaughters came along it was a bit of a shock to thesystem.
(18:35):
They were just so different.
So we spent quite some time with the grandchildren.
that's great and you mentioned stamp collecting earlier.
What would you say is the rarest stamp you have in your collection or the most valuablemaybe?
Well, the Penny Black, the first one that was introduced in 1840.
(18:57):
And because they were stamping it with a black, what they call the Maltese cross, it wasvery hard to see at times.
And so eventually they went to the Penny Red and each time each plate has a number.
So it would start at one and then eventually they would break or they would wear andthey'd replace it.
(19:24):
Each time they replaced the plate they would put a fresh number on it.
And you could, you did a magnifying glass to see on each stamp, but it is there.
And there are 220 plates and I've got 218 of them.
(19:46):
of the staff.
218 of the plates.
218 of the penny reds.
I see.
Okay.
Wow.
That's amazing.
The two that I haven't got, they think that one of them, the plate broke on the first day.
And so not many went into circulation.
And so they think there's only probably six copies in the world.
(20:10):
my goodness.
I can't imagine how much it cost.
Yeah, fortunate.
I saw something about a stamp selling for millions the other day on a news program.
Yes, there are some really rare stamps.
You have to write a few more books to buy one of those stamps.
Yeah, it certainly would.
You mentioned that you retired and that also it took you nine years of research to putthese books together.
(20:34):
Do you have time to do anything else?
well, actually I haven't completely retired.
still do some, training, training for Royal Mail.
So if you want to become a postie, then, you'd have to have a half day, driving induction,course to make sure that you are safe on the road.
(20:58):
So have you worked with the post office for a long while?
No, I don't work for the post office.
I was just thinking your, your interest of stamps and sort of your connections.
you'd think so wouldn't you?
No, I was a driving instructor for quite a period of time.
Okay.
And then I went into fleet training.
So that's where I get called in.
(21:19):
Okay.
I see.
All right.
good.
have you got any favorite things to eat?
I probably.
my wife's chicken tray bake is to die for.
It's so good.
That would probably be.
And then second on the list would probably be something like, sausage and mash with oniongravy.
(21:43):
know, kind of, I like that kind of food.
Studgy food.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, that's good.
And we were talking about Netflix earlier and how that.
we think these novels will make a great Netflix series.
What are you watching on Netflix or other platforms at the minute?
I quite like to watch animations.
(22:05):
So I'm a big fan of things like Toy Story, the Despicable Me series and yeah, they reallyget me.
I enjoy those a lot.
I'd spend a lot of time watching documentaries, wildlife documentaries.
Okay.
Yes.
It drives my wife mad.
(22:29):
But she's had 55 years of marriage to me too.
When we watch documentaries, wildlife documentaries at my house, we're so used to hearingDavid Attenborough's voiceover that
When it's somebody else doing it, it feels rather weird.
Yeah.
don't know.
Someone else voicing over a wildlife documentary, you think, Ooh, this doesn't seem quiteright.
(22:55):
I don't know.
Do you get the same kind of feeling or, you know, you're not too bothered who's narratingit?
No, exactly.
I don't feel exactly the same.
And it's interesting because that Asian one has just come out.
Yeah.
I saw the first one of the night and it's fabulous.
Of course he doesn't visit the places anymore.
(23:16):
just does the voices.
Yeah.
great.
very interesting.
Thank you.
Now we've already talked about what you've got coming up soon.
This is the third book you're working on.
So yeah, I really hope it comes to life because it will help to round off the trilogy.
really nicely.
(23:37):
Where can we find your books to buy?
If anyone's interested in buying a copy of Search for Healing Cloth or The Making of theMagi, where can they get it from?
Yes, you can't get The of the Magi yet.
It will depend on the success of the Search for the Healing Cloth as to whether...
(23:58):
so that's the only one you can get at the minute.
Yes.
And the publisher is Malcolm Down.
So you can go to their website, www.malkomdown.co.uk.
You can get it on Amazon.
It's available as well online at Waterstones.
Eden Books, they do it as well.
(24:21):
Or you could visit my website, which is quite a simple one.
It's www.malkomdown.co.uk.
dot the swaddling dot com.
Okay, that's great.
If you visit my website, you can buy it there and you'd get a signed copy as well if youwent to my website.
Yeah, and I know that author sales are often better for the author as well.
(24:45):
So yes, what I'll do is I'll put a link to that website, your website, in the show notesof the episode so people can click over there and get themselves a copy.
I would really like to see book two and book three of the trilogy made, so I'm reallygoing to encourage people to grab themselves a copy of your book, The Swaddling Search for
the Healing Cloth, so do go ahead and have a look at that, especially over Christmas time,because you know it all kind of fits together, so that'll be really good.
(25:16):
Well Phil, thank you so much for giving up your time today and joining me on The ChristianBook Blurb.
It's been fantastic chatting with you.
Thank you, Matt.
It's really been, it's been, yeah, I've enjoyed it.
Thank you.
Good.
Thanks, Phil.
And thank you as well to everyone who's been listening to this episode.
Don't forget, we'll be back again really soon with another episode of The Christian BookBlurb, because it comes out on the first and the 15th of every month.
(25:42):
So I'll be back again really soon speaking to another great Christian author, all abouttheir books, their life and their faith.
Thanks so much for listening.
and I look forward to the pleasure of your company again really soon.
Thank you and goodbye.
This is Christian Book Blurb brought to you by author and songwriter Matt McChlery Get abehind the scenes glimpse into the lives of some of your favourite Christian authors.
Hear about their books and faith.
Also, why not check out my website, mattmcleary.com.
Hello and welcome to this episode of the Christian Book Blurb where we like to encourageyou in your discipleship one book at a time as we meet some amazing Christian authors and
(00:28):
learn about their books, their lives and...
their faith.
Well, I'm your host, Matt McChlery.
Thanks so much for clicking over here and joining me today.
Now on today's show, I'm going to be talking about calling and destiny with the author,P.H.
Bray.
So let's welcome Phil to the show.
Hi, Phil.
(00:48):
hello, Matt.
How are you?
Yeah, I'm good.
Thank you.
How are you?
Yeah, I'm fine.
Yeah, really good.
And as December has only just begun, I guess I can wish you a Merry Christmas.
think I'm allowed.
Absolutely.
Merry Christmas to you too.
Thank you.
And speaking of Christmas, I just wanted to let the listeners know that as we're at thestart of December, I'm going to be easing us into the Christmas season very gently this
(01:15):
year.
And I'm speaking with PH Bray today about his novel that he's written called
search for the healing cloth and it has some very gentle references to the Christmas storybut in a fictional setting.
So Philip, your story centres around the swaddling that was used to wrap Jesus in afterhis birth.
(01:41):
Why did you choose this as your central theme?
Well, it started with, did a study on angels for a couple of years and I did notice thatduring the nativity period from really the conception of Jesus right the way through that
(02:04):
period, there was a huge amount of angelic activity.
And it just made me think about it in a bit more detail, I'd never noticed it before.
that if this is God's plan for the salvation of humankind, which I believe it is, then hewould have to make sure that it happened and there was sufficient safeguards to make sure
(02:29):
that Jesus was born and survived long enough to be able to accomplish his mission.
And therefore I think that if you were behind the scenes of the Nativity in that spiritualworld,
there would have been a massive amount of angelic activity.
So that was the trigger point for it at beginning.
(02:52):
And whilst I was looking at that in more detail, the Magi came into view.
And it seems such a strange thing because the Magi appear on the scene.
It's almost a cameo appearance and disappear very quickly.
And so I decided to do some research into the Magi.
(03:15):
And whilst I was doing that research, I came across this odd gospel, the first gospel ofthe infancy of Jesus Christ.
It didn't make it into the Bible for very good reason, probably written by the Gnostics.
And some people think it may have even been written by Caiaphas, the high priest.
(03:38):
So that started me searching a bit more.
And in this gospel, of course, Magi present their three gifts to Mary, the goldfrankincense and myrrh.
And she says to them, instead of a blessing, I present you with this gift and give them apiece of the swaddling.
Which is a nice story.
(03:58):
then on their journey home, they discover it actually has healing.
and is indestructible.
They drop it in a fire at one point and it doesn't burn, it doesn't even scorch.
And I remember thinking at one point, just imagine if that was a true story, if thatgospel was true, and there may be the elements of it that are true, then what would that
(04:24):
be like if you discovered it today?
And this whole question really then about, well, if you had the power,
of that swaddling cloth to heal.
Who would you heal?
And perhaps more importantly, who wouldn't you?
How would you choose?
(04:45):
So that was the beginning of it really and that's why it is a novel.
And it's interesting kind of the writings you stumble across as you research certaintopics.
Speaking of Christmas and Babies, your book Search for Healing Cloth, it isn't a childishbook nor is it cliched.
(05:06):
I think it's very well written.
I've just finished reading it myself.
And I find it very fast paced and modern.
There's all sorts of things going on in there just for the listeners.
So there's drones buzzing around, there's militias and car chases and all sorts ofinteresting things going on.
It reminded me a little bit of the style of Dan Brown's writing, you know, the Da VinciCode guy, and he wrote lots of other books as well.
(05:30):
Yeah, it's an adventure and a quest set in a modern setting.
What informed your decision?
to set it and sort of write it in this kind of style.
Well, it's interesting.
You're right.
One of the publishers that I contacted with it described it as a cross between Raiders ofthe Lost Ark and the Da Vinci Code.
(05:51):
Yeah, that came to mind as well, Raiders of the Lost Ark.
there's a bit of that about it.
And it started off really just the
behind the scenes with that nativity period and kept switching over to the Magi.
And the first edit I had was by Mark Stibbe, well-known author.
(06:18):
And he said, he thought it was actually two books.
And so I didn't do anything for about 18 months.
I was quite taken aback by it.
But in the end, I agreed with him and then turned it into two separate books.
you're actually, you've read the second book in the series.
(06:40):
So it's a trilogy.
The first one is The Making of the Magi.
And the second one is Search for the Healing Claw.
And they're both completed.
And the third book is.
part way through now.
That's called the American decision or will be.
So, I think...
(07:01):
I think about God of the long game and we often in our prayers it's about now and tomorrowand it's a very near future thing but this is about the God of the long game whereby you
(07:23):
know 2000 years it's just the blink of an eye to him.
So this
the kind of story developed along those lined rails.
You've already answered a question I was going to ask you later about the series and whichorder this book fell in in the series and things.
that's great.
(07:43):
Thank you for that.
I need to now read the first one to fill in some of the stuff.
But it stands alone as a great book as well, just so listeners know.
Yeah, it was really good.
It says some good, it does have good reviews.
People do say they can't put it down.
Very fast pace.
love it.
Melody, the central character of the novel.
(08:04):
She feels that she's called to uncover the swaddling and it's been hidden for centuries.
So I just wanted to look at with you, if you don't mind, the whole idea and understandingof calling.
and maybe even possibly destiny.
How does calling work?
(08:25):
What is calling?
I know it's a really, it's such a, I mean, I've heard people preach on this many times andit's really difficult.
We're all called to be a witness.
That's the first thing.
Whether we're a good witness or a poor witness, that's another matter.
But we're all called
(08:46):
to be a witness.
Sometimes we're called to do specific things, I think, for a particular period of time.
I was called into youth work about for 15 years for a season, as it were.
I think sometimes we're called to do something for a season.
sometimes it can be quite dramatic for some people.
(09:07):
Other times, I think you've just got to step out in faith and test.
water, if you feel called to do something, to just step out and try that.
Because God will equip you if it really is a genuine calling.
So that's how I feel about calling.
And is it similar to destiny or is destiny something else?
(09:32):
Yes, don't know, word destiny, it feels very secular, word destiny somehow, doesn't it?
Whereas calling feels much more pious.
I'm not, Melody tries to explain, I think at one point she's talking to a professor and heasks them why she's so obsessed with it.
(09:53):
And she rebukes him saying that that's such a negative way of looking at it, that shefeels that this is her destiny, that she's called to do this.
No, more than that, she says at one point, I was chosen.
And again, this fits into that God of the long game that you've kind of been chosen to dothis even before you were born.
(10:16):
Sometimes people are.
So it is a really deep and complicated issue, calling, isn't it?
And Melody feels that.
And it's reinforced by the fact that she has these visions from quite a young age.
the visions are quite troublesome at one point in her younger years.
(10:39):
But as she gets older, she feels that this is actually a calling.
that she has these visions because she's been called to find the swaddling.
How do we know that the great idea in our head is a little bit more than just a greatidea?
Because I felt called to things in the past myself and I start off having lots of greatideas and lots of those ideas don't really go anywhere or I try it out and you know, there
(11:11):
wasn't anything really to it.
It was just, you know.
a passing, fancy, fleeting, fancy type thing.
But then some of the things actually start to grow and develop and then I start to think,actually, you know, and through a lot of prayer and seeking God, start to come to see,
yeah, actually, I might be called to this.
Is that a similar thing in your experience or is it a bit different for you?
(11:34):
No, it's very similar.
And I think what happens is that...
that God puts these things in, puts things in place.
I had no thought about youth work at all.
And then the cura, a new cura came to speak to me and said, look, I think you'd be, Ithink you'd do really well in youth work.
(11:58):
so that made me start to think, and I think that's what God does.
He has these kind of trigger points that
make you then think about it and if it doesn't put a stumbling block in the way then Ithink you can just keep pushing at that door.
If it slams shut then yes it probably isn't a calling at all but I think if you just keeppushing at it and God keeps opening that door more and more by presenting opportunities
(12:31):
then I think that's the
That's been my experience.
That's helpful.
Yeah, thank you.
Your story is very well presented and it's apparent that you've done lots of research intothe topic, including the Magi, or some people call them the wise men, which we talk about
(12:51):
and sing about and have printed on Christmas cards and all sorts of things at this time ofyear.
How much research did you actually do?
There's a huge amount of research.
mean, it has taken, I mean, it's taken nine years, Wow.
Which is a long, long time.
And of course, would have been almost impossible to visit some of these places.
(13:15):
mean, Iran, for instance, I've been very difficult to visit.
It covers so many different countries.
It does.
It has been researched and most of the detail is accurate.
So for instance, when they catch the ferry, it's actually called Korak and there is aferry and it does run across the Caspian Sea.
(13:44):
So the detail is there and it's taken a long time to gather it.
You kind of alluded to the fact that you've actually visited some of the places mentioned.
that accurate?
Or is it just lots of trawling through Google Maps and tourist handbooks to try and figureout road names and that sort of thing?
(14:06):
Because it reads like, you you've been actually there.
It does, it?
Yes.
No, I haven't been there, but it is very accurate and there has been a huge amount ofresearch done into it.
Yes.
interesting.
And would you like to visit some of the countries you've written about?
Yes, that is on my wish list now.
(14:27):
My bucket list.
Every country, or is there a specific one?
Well, I haven't been to the Holy Lands anyway, and so I think that's the first one onthe...
So with these three books, I know you're still in the process of writing.
Are you still writing the third one or has it been written but it's now being edited?
(14:48):
What kind of stage are you at with that?
No, it's probably about halfway through.
So it's not at the editing stage yet.
The first one is complete and it'll depend on how successful this is really.
(15:08):
think about whether the...
publisher will want to print the next one.
Remind us of the two titles that are already out.
The first one will be called The Making of the Magi.
The one that we're talking about now, of course, is Search for the Healing Cloth.
And the third one will be called The American Decision.
(15:32):
Yeah, that's great.
So if people search for those, they should be able to find...
some of them to buy anyway.
I was going to be saying that I enjoyed it so much.
was wondering if you still have the film rights for the story, because I think it would bea great film.
Yeah, I agree with that.
I wonder if it might make a better Netflix series.
(15:55):
something like that.
It would be a really good film.
Someone asked me about it and I said, I think it would actually make a better film than itmakes a book.
Yeah, it works well as a book.
think, I think it works really well.
I really enjoyed it.
It has a really good reviews and you never know, do you?
(16:15):
It's, there is an element of luck about it.
The right person picking you up at the right time.
And so I've just really handed this over to God.
If you're listening to this podcast,
I can highly recommend the Swaddling Search for the Healing Cloth by P.H.
Bray.
If you're looking for a fast paced action adventure as you kind of travel through theChristmas season with a very slight nod to Christmas, but not too sparkly.
(16:44):
It's quite gritty in places.
Do go and check out the Swaddling Search for Healing Cloth.
I don't think you'll regret it if you're into...
fast-paced action fiction, you're gonna love it.
So do grab yourself a copy.
We are going to be back chatting with PH Bray a little bit more about his life and hisfaith just after these.
(17:04):
So stay tuned.
If you enjoy listening to this podcast, you can help keep it on the web.
All you've got to do is buy me a coffee.
Head over to buymeacoffee.com slash Matt McChlery to make a donation.
There is a link in this episode's show notes.
So go on, buy me a coffee today and help this podcast to keep supporting Christian booksand authors.
(17:27):
Hello, welcome back to The Christian Book Blurb.
We are chatting with the author, P.H.
Bray.
And before the break, we've been chatting about his series of novels called The SwaddlingSeries.
And we were talking specifically about the second book in that trilogy called Search forthe Healing Cloth.
Now, Phil, what we like to do in this part of the podcast is get to know the author alittle better.
(17:51):
So I'll start off.
What do you do for fun?
Yeah, that's a good question, isn't it?
And it's varied over the years, I think.
I mean, I've got quite a large collection, I'm a bit of a philatelist.
So I've got a lot of stamps in my collection.
So that's one thing.
I tend to spend a lot of time with grandchildren.
(18:15):
That's probably my greatest joy at the moment.
I've got three sons.
was going to say I had three sons.
I've still got three sons.
We had three boys and so when the granddaughters came along it was a bit of a shock to thesystem.
(18:35):
They were just so different.
So we spent quite some time with the grandchildren.
that's great and you mentioned stamp collecting earlier.
What would you say is the rarest stamp you have in your collection or the most valuablemaybe?
Well, the Penny Black, the first one that was introduced in 1840.
(18:57):
And because they were stamping it with a black, what they call the Maltese cross, it wasvery hard to see at times.
And so eventually they went to the Penny Red and each time each plate has a number.
So it would start at one and then eventually they would break or they would wear andthey'd replace it.
(19:24):
Each time they replaced the plate they would put a fresh number on it.
And you could, you did a magnifying glass to see on each stamp, but it is there.
And there are 220 plates and I've got 218 of them.
(19:46):
of the staff.
218 of the plates.
218 of the penny reds.
I see.
Okay.
Wow.
That's amazing.
The two that I haven't got, they think that one of them, the plate broke on the first day.
And so not many went into circulation.
And so they think there's only probably six copies in the world.
(20:10):
my goodness.
I can't imagine how much it cost.
Yeah, fortunate.
I saw something about a stamp selling for millions the other day on a news program.
Yes, there are some really rare stamps.
You have to write a few more books to buy one of those stamps.
Yeah, it certainly would.
You mentioned that you retired and that also it took you nine years of research to putthese books together.
(20:34):
Do you have time to do anything else?
well, actually I haven't completely retired.
still do some, training, training for Royal Mail.
So if you want to become a postie, then, you'd have to have a half day, driving induction,course to make sure that you are safe on the road.
(20:58):
So have you worked with the post office for a long while?
No, I don't work for the post office.
I was just thinking your, your interest of stamps and sort of your connections.
you'd think so wouldn't you?
No, I was a driving instructor for quite a period of time.
Okay.
And then I went into fleet training.
So that's where I get called in.
(21:19):
Okay.
I see.
All right.
good.
have you got any favorite things to eat?
I probably.
my wife's chicken tray bake is to die for.
It's so good.
That would probably be.
And then second on the list would probably be something like, sausage and mash with oniongravy.
(21:43):
know, kind of, I like that kind of food.
Studgy food.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, that's good.
And we were talking about Netflix earlier and how that.
we think these novels will make a great Netflix series.
What are you watching on Netflix or other platforms at the minute?
I quite like to watch animations.
(22:05):
So I'm a big fan of things like Toy Story, the Despicable Me series and yeah, they reallyget me.
I enjoy those a lot.
I'd spend a lot of time watching documentaries, wildlife documentaries.
Okay.
Yes.
It drives my wife mad.
(22:29):
But she's had 55 years of marriage to me too.
When we watch documentaries, wildlife documentaries at my house, we're so used to hearingDavid Attenborough's voiceover that
When it's somebody else doing it, it feels rather weird.
Yeah.
don't know.
Someone else voicing over a wildlife documentary, you think, Ooh, this doesn't seem quiteright.
(22:55):
I don't know.
Do you get the same kind of feeling or, you know, you're not too bothered who's narratingit?
No, exactly.
I don't feel exactly the same.
And it's interesting because that Asian one has just come out.
Yeah.
I saw the first one of the night and it's fabulous.
Of course he doesn't visit the places anymore.
(23:16):
just does the voices.
Yeah.
great.
very interesting.
Thank you.
Now we've already talked about what you've got coming up soon.
This is the third book you're working on.
So yeah, I really hope it comes to life because it will help to round off the trilogy.
really nicely.
(23:37):
Where can we find your books to buy?
If anyone's interested in buying a copy of Search for Healing Cloth or The Making of theMagi, where can they get it from?
Yes, you can't get The of the Magi yet.
It will depend on the success of the Search for the Healing Cloth as to whether...
(23:58):
so that's the only one you can get at the minute.
Yes.
And the publisher is Malcolm Down.
So you can go to their website, www.malkomdown.co.uk.
You can get it on Amazon.
It's available as well online at Waterstones.
Eden Books, they do it as well.
(24:21):
Or you could visit my website, which is quite a simple one.
It's www.malkomdown.co.uk.
dot the swaddling dot com.
Okay, that's great.
If you visit my website, you can buy it there and you'd get a signed copy as well if youwent to my website.
Yeah, and I know that author sales are often better for the author as well.
(24:45):
So yes, what I'll do is I'll put a link to that website, your website, in the show notesof the episode so people can click over there and get themselves a copy.
I would really like to see book two and book three of the trilogy made, so I'm reallygoing to encourage people to grab themselves a copy of your book, The Swaddling Search for
the Healing Cloth, so do go ahead and have a look at that, especially over Christmas time,because you know it all kind of fits together, so that'll be really good.
(25:16):
Well Phil, thank you so much for giving up your time today and joining me on The ChristianBook Blurb.
It's been fantastic chatting with you.
Thank you, Matt.
It's really been, it's been, yeah, I've enjoyed it.
Thank you.
Good.
Thanks, Phil.
And thank you as well to everyone who's been listening to this episode.
Don't forget, we'll be back again really soon with another episode of The Christian BookBlurb, because it comes out on the first and the 15th of every month.
(25:42):
So I'll be back again really soon speaking to another great Christian author, all abouttheir books, their life and their faith.
Thanks so much for listening.
and I look forward to the pleasure of your company again really soon.
Thank you and goodbye.
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