Actor, model, and most recently author John T. Prather recently won the Gold Medal in the Christian Thriller category from the Readers' Favorite "International Book Award Contest" for his book "The Nephilim Virus," which released last November via Deep River Books.

In endorsing "The Nephilim Virus," fellow actor Megan Fox has pitched the book as a potential movie story saying it is "a cohesive, fun ride through some of my most beloved topics-science, the supernatural, and the apocalypse." Prather, however, says whatever becomes of the novel in the future, he wants the central message to remain constant.

"All the great themes, like redemption and sacrifice and love, of all the great stories, are just tiny versions of the greatest story, God's story," Prather says. "That is the reason a reader can feel them in his or her soul-regardless if the work is Christian or non-Christian."

"I want readers to connect to the greatest story by reading a book that has little glimpses of that story woven into it," he explains. "The overall theme of 'The Nephilim Virus' is the idea that every human has been infected with a blood disease, but there is a cure. I want readers to be entertained while subconsciously connecting to the truth -sometimes in ways they might not even realize."

Since the book's release, Prather says both believers and non-believers have offered positive reviews of "The Nephilim Virus," which he hopes fulfills the directive of one of his favorite authors.

"C.S. Lewis said something that has always stuck with me. He said, 'What we want is not more little books about Christianity, but more little books by Christians on other subjects--with their Christianity latent,'" Prather reflects. "I hope my book will appeal to believers who like stories that can be taken seriously by the world while still holding deeper truths."

The Readers' Favorite contest honors books in over 140 genres, with genres judged separately. Past winners include New York Times best-sellers J.A. Jance, James Rollins, and No. 1 best-selling author Daniel Silva, as well as celebrity authors such as movie star Jim Carrey, and actor Henry Winkler.

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