A native Philadelphian, Alan Joshua (pen name) is a Clinical Psychologist with a background in Forensic Psychology.
His diverse background includes working in a State penitentiary and mental institution, a sleep laboratory, and a pain management center.
Joshua has published many nonfiction journal articles. The Shiva syndrome, his debut fiction novel, is a science fiction/paranormal mystery and thriller.
Always curious about the unknowns of human experience, he is fascinated with creativity and paranormal abilities. This led to his involvement with Psychology and research into Parapsychology while attending Saybrook University.
He has explored paranormal abilities using hypnosis and in-depth interviewing of a wide range of practitioners. Among his prized possessions are a shriveled, mummified banana (a product of one healer’s biopsychokinesis) and a small, curled Austrian teaspoon produced by a German healer while six people sat around him. (see http://alanjoshua.com/biopsychokinesis )
The Shiva Syndrome incorporates his knowledge of Parapsychology and experiences with healers, intuitives, “psychic” sensitives, etc.
Unsurprisingly, he is a science fiction fan and has been influenced by such writers as Asimov, Bradbury, Crichton, Heinlein, Serling, and Phillip Dick.
As an avid Star Trek fan, he is fond of contradicting Gene Roddenberry, believing that human consciousness and its potentials are “the final frontier.”
<p>New from the author of the multiple award-winning fantasy saga, <em>The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky</em>, winner of the <strong>Pinnacle Book Achievement Award, Fall 2014 - Best Book in the Category of FANTASY</strong>....</p><h1><strong><em>The Children of Darkness</em> by David Litwack</strong></h1><p>Evolved Publishing presents the first book in the new dystopian series <em>The Seekers</em>. [DRM-Free]</p><h2><strong>[Dystopian, Science Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic, Religion]</strong></h2><p><em>“But what are we without dreams?”</em></p><p>A thousand years ago the Darkness came—a terrible time of violence, fear, and social collapse when technology ran rampant. But the vicars of the Temple of Light brought peace, ushering in an era of blessed simplicity. For ten centuries they have kept the madness at bay with “temple magic,” and by eliminating forever the rush of progress that nearly caused the destruction of everything.</p><p>Childhood friends, Orah and Nathaniel, have always lived in the tiny village of Little Pond, longing for more from life but unwilling to challenge the rigid status quo. When their friend Thomas returns from the Temple after his “teaching”—the secret coming-of-age ritual that binds young men and women eternally to the Light—they barely recognize the broken and brooding young man the boy has become. Then when Orah is summoned as well, Nathaniel follows in a foolhardy attempt to save her.</p><p>In the prisons of Temple City, they discover a terrible secret that launches the three on a journey to find the forbidden keep, placing their lives in jeopardy, for a truth from the past awaits that threatens the foundation of the Temple. If they reveal that truth, they might once again release the potential of their people.</p><p>Yet they would also incur the Temple’s wrath as it is written: “If there comes among you a prophet saying, ‘Let us return to the darkness,’ you shall stone him, because he has sought to thrust you away from the Light.”</p><p><strong>Be sure to read the second book in this series, <em>The Stuff of Stars</em>, due to release November 30, 2015. And don't miss David's award-winning speculative saga, <em>The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky</em></strong></p>
After immersing myself in parapsychological research, I was staggered by the reality of paranormal abilities and their life-changing potentials. These were powers known to ancient masters, dating back 30,000 years ago, but were lost amidst the disbelief of modern science. But disbelief doesn't negate their reality and the profound realities lying beyond our senses. This is a story of their twenty-first century resurrection and the awesome power they can bestow.
<p><span style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:arial, sans-serif, verdana, helvetica;font-size:13px;line-height:19.5px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);">The SHIVA Syndrome is endorsed by </span><b style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:arial, sans-serif, verdana, helvetica;font-size:13px;line-height:19.5px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);">Dr. Stanley Krippner</b><span style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:arial, sans-serif, verdana, helvetica;font-size:13px;line-height:19.5px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);">, a leading psychologist and parapsychologist:</span><span style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:arial, sans-serif, verdana, helvetica;font-size:13px;line-height:19.5px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);"> "In The SHIVA Syndrome, the author (a clinical psychologist)</span><span style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:arial, sans-serif, verdana, helvetica;font-size:13px;line-height:19.5px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);"> skillfully and ingeniously interweaves altered states of consciousness and parapsychology with genetics, paleontology, mythology, and religion to produce a frightening, brisk, and film-worthy story building to an intense climax."</span><br style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:arial, sans-serif, verdana, helvetica;font-size:13px;line-height:19.5px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);" /><br style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:arial, sans-serif, verdana, helvetica;font-size:13px;line-height:19.5px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);" /><b style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:arial, sans-serif, verdana, helvetica;font-size:13px;line-height:19.5px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);">The Midwest Book Review</b><span style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:arial, sans-serif, verdana, helvetica;font-size:13px;line-height:19.5px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);"> says, "At first glance one would think this to be either a sci-fi saga or perhaps a thriller: technically, that's correct; but it's so much more. Its focus on untapped human potential gone awry in a deadly experiment also lends to its enjoyment by new age readers or any interested in the paranormal - and let's not forget the reader who enjoys political intrigue and a bit of spiritual reflection in their reading. Lots of action, intriguing concepts, and examinations of belief systems and the greatest opportunity in human history to reshape the world: that's the essence of a powerful saga in The Shiva Syndrome, which is not only highly recommended 'as is', but would translate well to the screen."</span><br style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:arial, sans-serif, verdana, helvetica;font-size:13px;line-height:19.5px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);" /><br style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:arial, sans-serif, verdana, helvetica;font-size:13px;line-height:19.5px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);" /><b style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:arial, sans-serif, verdana, helvetica;font-size:13px;line-height:19.5px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);">The Self-Publishing Review</b><span style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:arial, sans-serif, verdana, helvetica;font-size:13px;line-height:19.5px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);"> reports, "Any attempt to describe the book in a single statement is difficult, but the book mixes uncommon palettes and manages a masterpiece with it. If The Andromeda Strain was analyzed in four dimensions, The SHIVA Syndrome might be the result. Such a base comparison is an overall disservice to the unique nature of this book, however. It is a surprising, suspenseful, and utterly superb read from start to end, facing modern mindsets with past, present, and future thinking all at once."</span><br style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:arial, sans-serif, verdana, helvetica;font-size:13px;line-height:19.5px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);" /><br style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:arial, sans-serif, verdana, helvetica;font-size:13px;line-height:19.5px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);" /><b style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:arial, sans-serif, verdana, helvetica;font-size:13px;line-height:19.5px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);">The New Consciousness Review</b><span style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:arial, sans-serif, verdana, helvetica;font-size:13px;line-height:19.5px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);"> opines, [If] I had to categorize it, I would say it is a metaphysical thriller, while knowing that it truly falls under many genres...The Shiva Syndrome is a thrilling read, and I could definitely imagine this in the theater. The author is skilled at putting the pictures in your head without confusion. You find yourself connecting with his characters so that you are vested in their outcome. Would love to see a part two! Highly recommended."</span></p>