L. Neil ThrussellBefore I begin, a quick apology.
I normally send out Heart and Mind Matters on Tuesday, but this week I decided to hold it back by a day.
Hopefully, you are okay with this exception.
I thought this particular occasion deserved it.
Because today, I get to share some very exciting news about Neil.
He is officially releasing his newest work, written under his pen name Nathaniel Theos:
Bloodline of the Grail: The Last Templar’s Oath
This book takes Neil into a completely new genre.
Historical fiction.
Many of you know his work as L. Neil Thrussell, where he has written about the heart, the soul, courage, growth, faith, and the path of the Spiritual Warrior.
Nathaniel Theos gives him a different creative doorway.
A place to explore darker stories, historical mysteries, power, loyalty, secrecy, faith, identity, and the difficult choices people make when they are carrying something bigger than themselves.
And that is exactly where Bloodline of the Grail begins.
The Story Begins in Paris, 1307
The Knights Templar are about to fall.
Grand Master Jacques de Molay senses betrayal closing in around the Paris Temple. King Philip of France and Pope Clement V are moving against the Order.
But there is something more important than saving the Templars themselves.
Something that must survive.
The Grail.
Jacques places that burden into the hands of a young knight, Sir Matthieu de Montrose, and sends him into the night.
His orders are simple.
Protect it.
Disappear.
Trust no one.
What begins as one knight’s desperate escape from Paris becomes the beginning of a hidden bloodline, a sacred oath, and a legacy that will stretch across generations.
At the heart of the story is one powerful question:
How do you protect something sacred when every age invents a new way to corrupt it?
An Excerpt from Bloodline of the Grail
“I believe Pope Clement V has turned against us. The King of France moves with him.”
Matthieu did not react outwardly, but Jacques saw the shift behind his eyes.
“Our Order will be struck,” Jacques continued. “Not in war. In accusation. In chains. In fire. It will destroy us.”
Silence settled between them.
“I will remain,” Jacques said. “I will stand with our brothers. That is my place.”
He stepped closer.
“But yours lies elsewhere.”
From beneath the table, Jacques brought forward the wrapped object. Simple linen. Unmarked. Unadorned. He held it for a final moment before offering it.
“You will take this.”
Matthieu did not reach for it at once. Good. A lesser man would have grabbed at mystery. A frightened man would have recoiled from it. Matthieu waited.
“You will leave the Paris Temple tonight,” Jacques said. “You will take a wagon. You will travel as a merchant.”
Matthieu’s gaze dropped to the object.
“The Grail must not fall into their hands,” Jacques said quietly. “The Church, as it stands, is not what it was meant to be. There are those within it who would use this not for faith, but for control.”
Only then did Matthieu move.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
He took the burden.
Jacques saw the moment its weight entered him. Not only into his hands, but into his soul.
“You will follow the southern trade routes,” Jacques continued. “You will make for Portugal.”
Matthieu nodded once.
No questions.
No hesitation.
Only acceptance.
Jacques looked at him, not as Grand Master to knight, but as one man entrusting another with the fate of something far greater than both.
“From this moment forward,” Jacques said, “you do not ride for the Order.”
Matthieu held his gaze.
“You ride for what must outlive it.”
Today, the Journey Begins
I have watched Neil pour himself into this story, exploring a new voice, a new world, and a very different kind of storytelling.
And I know how excited he is to finally share it.
Thank you, as always, for supporting Neil’s writing, reading his stories, sharing his books, and following along as his creative journey continues to evolve.
This one feels like the beginning of something very special.
With love,
Tina Thrussell
The Order may fall.
The oath must not.
