E. R. Barr

E. R. Barr spent his youth wandering around “Conor Country” known better as the “Driftless Area” of the southwest corner of the state of Wisconsin. The Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers and the lands around them, dotted with Indian mounds and filled with stories and legends, fueled his imagination. Not till he started traveling world-wide did he truly begin to see connections between Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the lands where he was born. His forebears came from those ancient nations and settled there in Wisconsin. Always wondering why, he kept searching for answers. A Catholic Priest, a university professor, high school teacher and administrator, a popular speaker on all things Celtic and Tolkienesque, E. R. Barr makes his home in northwest Illinois. He is the author of the urban fantasy series, THE TALES OF CONOR ARCHER including the novels ROAN and SKELLIG. GODS IN THE RUINS is the first in a new series called THE VATICAN ARCHIVES THRILLERS.

ROAN: The Tales of Conor Archer, Volume 1

Fantasy

ORPHANED AND ALONE, Conor Archer comes back to his hometown to find himself the center of attention. With the help of new friends, Jace the captain of the football team and Beth, his twin sister, along with a strange Labrador Retriever named Troubles, Conor has to discover who he really is and how he is tied to the mystery of the 'Dark Ones'. They are the children the town is protecting from an ancient river demon and a shapeshifter in the nearby Indian Burial mound. Into the midst of Conor's hunt for the truth comes DIOGENE, a biogenetics company with a scientist willing to do anything to unravel the mystery of the 'Dark Ones'. Conor finds himself caught in a web of lies where myth and science war for humanity's soul.

SKELLIG: The Tales of Conor Archer, Volume 2

Fantasy

RUMORS OF MAGIC AND MURDER hung over the tragedy at Tinker's Grove which destroyed a town and killed some fine people. Aunt Emily thought sending Conor Archer to Ireland to see his godmother was the solution to keep him safe and out of harm's way.

Conor went, and immediately got himself in trouble with a local landowner, a Japanese war criminal, and a bunch of Otherworld things that wanted to destroy him. Not everyone was an enemy. There were the secretive Travelers--the Tinker folk with legends that tended to come true. Of course, the Roan were there, the People of the Sea, promising to watch over him. But there was something more--an ancient being camped out on the mysterious Skellig Islands, intent on protecting him and the land.

He remembered Aunt Emily slapping an envelope into his pocket saying, "Here's your ticket; have a nice flight; stay safe." Not a chance he thought. Ireland might be a spectacular place, but it was bound to be dangerous. Good thing he had his shapeshifting powers. But would his new found abilities be able to defeat the Dark who wanted him dead?

GODS IN THE RUINS: A Vatican Archives Thriller

Paranormal Thriller

An ancient tomb is discovered in the ruins of Babylon. The Pope sends Vatican archeologist Fr. Daniel Azar and his best friend, Swiss Guard Luca Rohner to Iraq to investigate the tomb’s warning of the end of the world and the terrible beast that will usher in the coming apocalypse. From the start of their journey, the two find their lives threatened by unknown assassins.Meanwhile in Washington, D. C., the Director of the CIA, also aware of the momentous find sends her own team to Iraq to find out whether the United States is in danger because of the discovery. In a race to uncover the truth, the Vatican and the CIA join forces to fight a resurgent ISIS Caliphate and an enemy out of myth and legend. Whoever wins will have the power to bring the world to destruction or prevent the extinction of the human race.

BENEATH THE BISHOP'S BONES: A Vatican Archives Thriller, Vol. 2

Paranormal Action Thriller

The Regale, a mysterious ruby with massive powers, went missing in 1558 when King Henry VIII destroyed Archbishop Thomas Becket’s Shrine. Now Daniel Azar, priest and Vatican Archeologist and his friend Captain Luca Rohner of the Swiss Guard must find the jewel and guard it against an alien threat straight out of the apocalypse. Once known for its healing powers, The Regale is crucial for helping to blunt the chaos and destruction promised by the intruders.

Taking the face of ancient Sumerian gods, the evil menace intends to succeed where it once failed thousands of years ago; namely, in enslaving humanity. The human race is technologically advanced but individuals have little hope or meaning in life. The West has become decadent, and an ancient terror plays on that weakness, striking fear into people’s hearts. It promises to send a Beast from the heavens, whose mouth is fire, whose breath is death, whose will is woe.

Daniel, Luca, and the rest of the VERITAS team recognize the danger and chase the clues to find The Regale. Throughout Europe and the United States, they search, encountering horror and terror along the way. Hoping the jewel is with the missing bones of the long-dead martyr, they discover a ghostly presence in Canterbury, England willing to help them find this relic.

Meanwhile, the Pope is martialing the countries of the world to unite and fight the alien presence which promises to destroy humanity. Aided by the US President and a young King of England, Pope Patrick is determined to head off the destruction of the human race by rallying humanity to defend itself.

Past and present merge in this paranormal thriller where ancient miracles and beliefs come alive again to offer the world hope and healing in the midst of coming destruction. The courage of humankind has diminished. Heroism is absent. Valor gone. Now, only a few remain who possess the ability to uplift the nations in a desperate attempt to rescue civilization. Those few include Daniel, Luca, and their friends. But the question remains: will they be enough to challenge the coming plague of evil?