American Midnight, published by Silver Leaf Books, is now available! 




What’s the book about? Read the back cover:

At eighteen, Tania Peters still carries deep scars from her mother’s tragic death, and when she’s betrayed by someone close, pain and confusion threaten to swallow her whole.  But underneath all the hurt, she senses the hand of purpose on her life and finds hope in an exciting new political movement.

The Unity Party seems to offer everything —tolerance, compassion, and a plan to unite society. But not everyone sees the movement as good. Tania’s two brothers, Jeremy and Greg, have become bitter enemies over the ideals of the Party, and her father, a church pastor, fears that this promised “unity” is a threat to churches across the country.

Tania doesn’t share her father’s faith and sees no room for a loving God in the world she’s come to know. Instead, she gains strength from her rising celebrity within the Unity Party, finding friendship, acceptance, and even the first traces of romance. But none of these things can save her when her extremist brother plots to bring down the Unity Party in their home town of Midian.

Pitted between the Party’s utopian promises and the Christian friends and families who find themselves on the outside of this new American dream, Tania must choose between her long dormant faith in God and her future with the Party.

...But that one decision could cost her everything—including her life.

What are the reviewers saying...


"From Page One to The End, novelists Brandon Barr and Mike Lynch capture the readers’ attention and holds them spellbound! American Midnight is a gripping, beautifully-written story that will sometimes (literally!) leave you breathless. I’m adding this one to my ‘Keepers’ shelf!"
--Loree Lough, author of 74 award-winning novels, including the recently-released Tales of the Heart and Prevailing Love

"A modern mix of 1984 and The Hiding Place, American Midnight is thought-provoking and chilling, a clarion call for today's culture."
--Chawna Schroeder, Imagination Investigation

“This latest work from Brandon Barr and Mike Lynch fulfills their promise as authors.  AMERICAN MIDNIGHT is a big, panoramic novel rich with right questions for our era and with characters we can both cheer for and learn from.”
--Bruce McAllister, author of Dream Baby

''Barr and Lynch are the new dynamic duo of Christian Suspense! What Tim LaHaye and
Jerry Jenkins did for end times writing, Barr and Lynch surpass with American Midnight.  AM is a must read ripped out of today's headlines and masterfully blended with prophetic overtones. Each chapter takes us ever deeper into a web of intrigue...complex and artistically written.  Bible scholar or not Barr and Lynch provide us with not only a great read but also a story that will provoke you to move beyond what you thought was possible.''
--Lisa Collins, lcollinsauthor.blogspot.com

"Torn from tomorrow's headlines, American Midnight is a fast-paced ride with a touch of romance that is sure to hold you enthralled!"
--Amy Deardon, author of A Lever Long Enough

"A riveting political thriller. Barr and Lynch have crafted a convicting and timely tale that will entrance readers of various genres. Be sure to pick up this page-turner at your earliest opportunity...lest time run out all too soon.
--Melissa Meeks, Bibliophile's Retreat


"With conspiracies on every side, suspense, romance and more, American Midnight is a cautionary tale examining family and what it means to take a stand for God.  It handles some difficult questions, but the answers aren't always as neat and pat as we would like."
--Cathi Hassan, Cathi's Chatter

"American Midnight is a non-stop, compelling read. Several times I was running in the wake of the main character’s footsteps, crying with her and cheering her on."
--Paulette Harris, inspirational writer

Reality mirroring fiction: American Midnight

Do you remember the Christian militia group that burst into the news when federal authorities arrested them for plotting crimes against the government...a truly frightening thought. Christians? Wasn't Jesus the one who said to "love your enemies," and to "turn the other cheek?"

Scriptures can be twisted, and the lesson this Christian militia group leaves with us is this: We must watch our lives and doctrine closely.


In my novel, American Midnight, small groups of Christians take up arms, plot, and prepare in case the need to fight back should arise. The novel explores the psychology of how a Christian might slip into so militant a stance towards government authority? And even worse, what effects their actions might have on all of Christendom.... In a cultural landscape ripe with tension, how will a secular, relativistic culture begin viewing systems of belief who won't budge because of their adherence to absolute truths.


In American Midnight the government begins flirting with the idea of building an American utopia, and the church digs it's toes in against the cultural shift towards relativism. But then there is the small group of militant believers who threaten to draw the two together and make the situation explode...

The cover is here!

Alright, here it is, the long awaited cover for American Midnight...



American Midnight teaser:
"A family torn apart, a country under siege from within, terrorist schemes on many levels, and it's all coming to a head in a quiet little town in Iowa." -Cathi Hassan

I have a whole host of great endorsements that will be featured inside the first page of the book. But I'm going to save those for the publication date...don't want to get anyone too excited when the release date isn't yet here.

When is the release date you ask...all I can say is 2010...that might mean February...or it might mean a later month.

Here's a link to my November blog post where I show other pictures taken for the front cover HERE.

American Midnight photo shoot



Wow, I never thought I'd be involved in a photo shoot...it was a ton of fun. American Midnight is my newest novel, co-authored with Mike Lynch. The reviews I'm getting back on it are really amazing, and it's getting me excited. But I'll save the reviews for another post.

Saturday the 28th we shot the cover girl for the book. Her name is Christine, and she did an absolutely wonderful job!! The photographer was Adam Kazmierski...he's incredibly talented and his work is just amazing. Adam is also putting together the entire cover with additional photographic elements (I'll be posting that some time later in December) You can check out Adam's professional website HERE.

Below are just a smattering of 250 pictures we took...and guess what, we can only pick ONE!







There were dozens more I wanted to put up, but I don't want to overload my blog page. All the pictures above haven't been touched up by Adam, this is just the raw footage...

Shooting the cover

Today we do the model shoot for the front cover of American Midnight. We've hired professional photographer Adam Kazmeirski to create the front cover. He will also be shooting our model, Christine. I'll have the cover up as soon as it's completed...