The Way Back to Eden: Q&A with Kurt Mähler + Giveaway

 

 

About the Book

 

Book: The Way Back to Eden: Book 2 of the Jaguar Oracle Series

Author: Kurt Mähler

Genre: Magical Realism

Release date: February 28, 2025

A Mystical Journey to Restore the Natural Order as Hope Guides the Way

In the lush wilderness of the Rio Grande Valley, a centuries-old prophecy is about to be fulfilled. The jaguars, once the revered rulers of the animal kingdom, have vanished—until a brave jaguar named Oracle begins a journey to summon the scattered tribes and restore their rightful place.

A captivating quest and an unforgettable journey home.

His quest intersects with young Paco and his extraordinary animal companions—a wise horse named Plod, a storytelling toad called Bog, and a clever raccoon named Patch—as they navigate the mystical landscapes of the Texas-Mexico borderlands and Brazos River bottomlands, a quest that weaves through ancient forests, mysterious towers, and sacred sanctuaries.

Guided by ancient wisdom and the enduring loyalty of his animal friends, Oracle’s epic journey leads him through a world on the brink of upheaval. As greedy developers encroach on the land and threaten the delicate balance of nature, Oracle must navigate a tangled web of human greed, betrayal, and violence to find the missing jaguarundi tribe and unite the warring factions of the animal realm.

The fate of the Valley rests on Oracle recovering lost memories and rediscovering the original harmony between man and beast. From vast Texan ranches to ancient palm forests, from well-ordered zoos to untamed wilderness, The Way Back to Eden weaves together a rich tapestry of cultures, legends, and the immutable power of the natural world.

Blending elements of magical realism, environmental advocacy, and pulse-pounding adventure, this sweeping tale transports readers into a vibrant, unforgettable world where Oracle’s quest is to preserve the ancient balance and the interconnectedness of all living things.

The Way Back to Eden, a deeply satisfying and thought-provoking fantasy epic, is the second installment in the six-volume Jaguar Oracle series. Discover the magic that awaits where ancient wildlife sanctuaries hold secrets, where ghosts and tree house hermits guide lost souls home, and where the path back to Eden might just be hidden in plain sight.

Follow the trail. Find the tree. Change the world.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Kurt writes in the prophetic and poetic tradition, inspired by the wonder of creation and the cultures of the nations. Guiding sources for his works include the Hebrew prophets, the Desert Fathers, Dante, Milton, George MacDonald, C.S. Lewis, and Tolkien.

Kurt and his wife, Karen, married since 1993, raised five children in Afghanistan and have spent more than twenty years in forty nations as encouragers in the Christian faith. Their travels led to the discovery of the beauty and wisdom of storytelling. Their roots include the Gulf Coast, Rio Grande Valley, and Heart of Texas.

Kurt writes to give readers courage for their faith journeys, as he believes that no disappointment, however profound, should prevent you from completing it.

More from Kurt

The Way Back to Eden expands the Jaguar Oracle epic into a full-fledged human drama alongside the animal one. Who among the animals do you enjoy? Who among the humans do you identify with? A clue to courage for your calling lies in that intersection.

Brazos Ben is based on a relative who built a three-story treehouse with running water and electricity. Just like we find in the story, he did so on sixty acres of bottomland beside a river, where he let most of his property go wild. It contained an old pecan orchard and an abandoned cabin.

Papá Eli, a member of the old-school “gentleman mafia” of Mexico, is based on the actor Cesar Romero.

Every plant, animal,  moon phase,  and constellation are the work of much research. I use an astronomy app called Starry Night Enthusiast 8, which I learned of from reading the profound scholarly work called The Great Christ Comet by Colin Nicholl, who used this app as a key aid in his attempt to determine the nature and trajectory of the Star of Bethlehem.

While the animal characters are on a journey to “remember their names”—what Adam spoke when he named them—the human characters are on a quest to get “back to Eden.” High-tech rancher Tripp is leveraging money. The hermit Brazos Ben is letting his land go wild. Papá Eli is creating a glass arboretum where he hopes to retire alongside the jaguar. Chase the zoologist is in touch with the omens of creation.

But the jaguar Oracle is on a deeper journey. He is trapped in a “mangarden” far from the Rio Grande Valley. He will need more than mere strength and skill to escape and return; he will need weakness and suffering. Can he drink the cup? Can he return to the Valley and restore the cats to their leadership (the ocelot, the bobcat, and the lost jaguarundi)? Can he bring the animal kingdom into a “final spring in their twilight days this side of Eden”?

Read and discover. Perhaps it will inspire you to drink the cup heaven has offered you, too. His grace is sufficient. His power rests in our weakness. His blood is enough. This is our way back to Eden.

Author Interview

Can you tell us a little bit about what readers can expect from your books? 

 
They will see the world through the eyes of creation. In this magical realism fantasy, all living things have a voice. Humans do too, and alongside the mysterious drama unfolding in the world of wildlife is an equally full-fledged human drama as all, both human and the rest of creation, long to find “the way back to Eden.” 
 
The animals have a poetic storytelling culture, and they often pause to speak poems, prayers, proverbs, parables, and prophecies to one another. 
 
The tale is simple enough for a child to enjoy and deep enough for the parent reading it to discover hidden treasures. 
 

Can you share 5 random facts about this book? 
 
The main character in the Jaguar Oracle is a jaguar who, apparently, has spent time with a lion a lot like Aslan. There is a hermit based on a long lost relative of mine, and there is a cartel operative who is based on Cesar Romero, a Hollywood actor known for his role in the original Batman TV series.  
 
In the audiobook, narrator Zach Lazar Hoffman bases the voice of the jaguar on that of Liam Neeson, and he bases the voice Patch raccoon on that of Tom Hanks.  
 
For all things astronomical in the Jaguar Oracle series I used StarryNight Enthusiast 8, which I learned of from reading The Great Christ Comet by Colin Nicholl. All references to stars, planets, and everything else in the night sky is precisely anchored to its location and a specific date and time in Texas and Mexico during the period of 2016 to 2018.  
 

What was the inspiration behind it? 
 
The idea for The Way Back to Eden and the whole Jaguar Oracle series came from a black-and-white photo and a question.  
 
The photo, dated January 1946, is of farmers and ranchers displaying what they believed to be the last jaguar in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, which they had hunted down and killed. I saw it in a book called El Valle: The Rio Grande River Delta by Seth Patterson.  
 
A few hours after seeing this photo, during a time of prayer about some troublesome matter I no longer remember, the question dropped into me: “What if a jaguar returned to the Rio Grande Valley?” 
 
In The Way Back to Eden, in the chapter called “The Photo,” a main human character sees the photo in that book, and, as a result, is inspired in a dream that night.  
 

What was the most challenging part of bringing this book to life?  
 
Resolving the difficult situations the characters found themselves in. For example, at the beginning of  The Way Back to Eden, Oracle the jaguar, the main character, finds himself in the Waco zoo, hundreds of miles from where he feels called. How will he return there? 
 
The other highly challenging element of the book was the research required to make sure that every single reference to an animal, plant, or astronomical phenomena was completely accurate, for the tale is one of magical realism, taking place as it does in Texas in the period of 2017-2018, and therefore all references to the natural world of Texas must be true to reality.  
 

What do you hope readers will take away from the book? 
 
Courage for their calling.  
 
‘Calling’ is not for clergy alone. It means living as your original self, the one God thought of when He said, “Let there be…” Or, in the words of the animals in the story, calling means to “remember your name.” For them, this is the “word” (the poem, parable, proverb, or prophecy) Adam spoke when he named them. In our case, it is the word our Lord spoke. Our destinies are found in the first things our Creator told us long ago in childhood and before. That is where we will most likely find courage for our calling. 
 
Calling is something deeper than your job description. It is someone you can be within the present limitations of life, whether you’re a paraplegic, on parole, or a single parent with two jobs. It is something constant. Something that remains. Something no person or circumstance can remove from you. But you have to drink the cup, and there is no turning back once you do. 
 
My hope is that these stories, in which are embedded parables, prayers, poems, proverbs, and prophecies, will impart courage for your calling.  
 

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. Before you go, where can readers keep up with what’s next? 
 
They can subscribe to my newsletter for insights on courage, calling, my books, and free offers: kurtmahler.com . Sign up at the link at the bottom of the page.  
 
At kurtmahler.com, you can also explore a wealth of essays for the upbuilding of their faith.  
 
You can follow me on social at @kurtfrederickmahler on Instagram, LinkedIn, and my Facebook author page, @kurtfrederickmahler Courage for Your Calling.  

 

Blog Stops

Vicky Sluiter, March 21 (Author Interview)

Simple Harvest Reads, March 22 (Author Interview)

For the Love of Literature, March 23 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 23

Fiction Book Lover, March 24 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, March 24

Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 25 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 26

Blossoms and Blessings, March 27 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, March 28 (Author Interview)

Stories By Gina, March 29 (Author Interview)

Holly’s Book Corner, March 30

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, March 31 (Author Interview)

A Reader’s Brain , April 1 (Author Interview)

Blogging with Carol, April 2

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, April 3 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Kurt is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card, a high-resolution digital map of the entire six-book tale, a high-resolution cover, and an audiobook copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

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