Sky Zone: A Novel (The Crittendon Files) (29 page)

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• Discussion Questions

 
Sky Zone
: Discussion Questions

1. Do you know any “survivalists” like Brian Shakespeare? Should people prepare for widespread emergencies? How much preparation is too much? Discuss.

2. Discuss how your faith influences the extent to which you prepare for such emergencies.

3. When Jack, Shakespeare, and the rest of the EventPros staff were given the opportunity to go home before the event began at Columbus Festival Arena, should they have left? Why or why not? Would
you
have left?

4. Financial troubles deeply affected Jack and Pam’s relationship in the book. How have financial circumstances impacted your life, marriage, family? Did you learn anything from Jack and Pam’s story that might help you in this area?

5. Who was your favorite character in
Sky Zone
, and why? Least favorite?

6. Did you have suspicions early on about who might be behind the terrorist attack at the arena? Discuss.

7. Pam sure did go through a lot in this book! Put yourself in her shoes for a moment and describe what would have been the most difficult part of this ordeal. How would
you
have dealt with it?

8. The fear of terrorism is a very real and growing problem in our society. Do you worry about acts of terror in your daily life? What are your biggest fears—and how do you overcome them?

9. This is the third book in The Crittendon Files. Did you read all of them? Which was your favorite, and why? Would you like to see more books in this series?

10. Did you recognize any of the characters in
Sky Zone
from Creston’s earlier novels? Fun fact: Everett and Karen Lester were the main characters in Creston’s first two thrillers,
Dark Star: Confessions of a Rock Idol
and
Full Tilt
. You can find out more about those and all of Creston’s books at
CrestonMapes.com
.

11. Did you know that Creston enjoys engaging with readers and book clubs both in person and via Skype and FaceTime? To find out more, contact Creston through his website:
CrestonMapes.com
.

Dear Reader,

Since my first novel was published back in 2005, many of you have been with me on this journey every step of the way. Others have joined in somewhere along the line and have gone back to read all six of my thrillers. To each of you, I want to take a moment to say thank you!

Being an author is a solitary job. For me, it is extremely hard work that comes with hours upon hours of organizing, research, deep concentration, and soul searching. So, when I hear from readers like you, it really makes my day. And the generous way in which you have shared my books with so many people—those in prisons, neighborhoods, drug rehab facilities, and book clubs—really makes it all worthwhile.

As you may know by now, I enjoy connecting with my readers, so don’t hesitate to reach out via my website, Twitter, and Facebook:

www.CrestonMapes.com

www.Twitter.com/CrestonMapes

www.Facebook.com/Creston.Mapes

The most powerful things you can do to help me continue writing tension-filled thrillers are
to share my books with your friends and to post reviews about them on Amazon and Goodreads.

Thank you again for being along for the ride.

Best regards,

Creston Mapes

SKY ZONE

Published by David C Cook

4050 Lee Vance View

Colorado Springs, CO 80918 U.S.A.

David C Cook Distribution Canada

55 Woodslee Avenue, Paris, Ontario, Canada N3L 3E5

David C Cook U.K., Kingsway Communications

Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 6NT, England

The graphic circle C logo is a registered trademark of David C Cook.

All rights reserved. No part of this ebook may be reproduced, scanned, resold, or distributed by or through any print or electronic medium without written permission from the publisher. This ebook is licensed solely for the personal and noncommercial use of the original authorized purchaser, subject to the terms of use under which it was purchased. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

This story is a work of fiction. All characters and events are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is coincidental.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. John 14:27 in chapter 60 is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com.

LCCN 2014934628

ISBN 978-0-7814-0817-2

eISBN 978-0-7814-1162-2

© 2014 Creston Mapes

Published in association with Natasha Kern Literary Agency, PO Box 1069, White Salmon, WA 98672.

The Team: Don Pape, LB Norton, Ingrid Beck, Karen Athen

Cover Design: Amy Konyndyk

Cover Photo: iStockPhoto
Nationwide Arena Photo © James D. DeCamp

First Edition 2014

Photo by Steve Vibert

CRESTON MAPES
is the author of
Poison Town
,
Fear Has a Name
,
Nobody
,
Dark Star
, and
Full Tilt
. A copywriter, editor, and author, he works from his home office in Atlanta. Creston’s early years as a reporter inspire many of his novels.

Visit
DCCeBooks.com
for more great reads.

What people are saying about …

Sky Zone

“Creston Mapes’s fans are in for a treat.
Sky Zone
crackles with Creston at the top of his game. Don’t miss this one.”

Jerry B. Jenkins,
novelist, biographer, and owner of Christian Writers Guild

“Creston Mapes’s
Sky Zone
is a free fall into adventure, suspense, and intrigue.
Sky Zone
is a page-turner that kept me enthralled until the very end.”

Lynette Eason,
bestselling, award-winning author of the Deadly Reunions series

“
Sky Zone
not only hits all the marks for a must-read thriller but sets a whole new bar for Christian suspense. The action never stops and the thrills keep coming. The plot could have been ripped out of the headlines. I dare you to start reading and then put it down. I dare you.”

Wanda Dyson,
bestselling author of
Judgment Day
,
Shepherd’s Fall
, and
Extreme Prejudice

“Mapes’s writing shines in his best novel to date. Don’t miss this riveting, page-turning thriller that will have you up late reading the dramatic, satisfying conclusion of an all-too-real scenario.”

Nora St. Laurent,
The Book Club Network,
www.bookfun.org

“Creston Mapes never fails to write page-turning, heart-touching, must-read fiction. I added him to my ‘auto-buy’ list after reading his very first novel.”

Deborah Raney,
author of
The Face of the Earth
and the Chicory Inn Novels

“
Sky Zone
is a pulse-pounding thriller that’s sure to keep you up late into the night, turning page after page of this mesmerizing story. Creston Mapes has proven once again why he’s one of the top storytellers in the CBA. Highly recommended!”

Mark Mynheir,
former homicide detective and author of
The
Corruptible