Descendant of Jesus and Mary Magdalene publishes novel

Those of you who love The Da Vinci Code will be glad to know that a new book more controversial than Dan Brown's best seller will be out in bookstores soon. Titled The Expected One, it is a religious thriller written by none other than a descendant of the union between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Or so, she claims. From USATODAY:

McGowan's novel, like The Da Vinci Code, is replete with conspiracies, hidden documents and a Vatican hierarchy that keeps close watch on individuals searching for secrets hidden for 2,000 years.

But that's where the similarities end. The Expected One is the story of Maureen Paschal, a woman who begins to have visions of Mary Magdalene, discovers she is a descendant of Mary and Jesus and undergoes a dramatic search for a gospel written by Mary that is hidden in southwestern France. In a parallel plot, McGowan tells what she says is the actual story of the marriage and children of Jesus and Mary Magdalene.

The title of the book, she explains, is taken from an ancient prophecy that tells of a woman chosen by divine providence to bring the real story of Mary Magdalene's life to the world.

McGowan calls this a novel but says it mirrors her own life. Maureen's visions, she says, are "verbatim" accounts of her own visions of Mary Magdalene. "Maureen is a fictional character," she says, "but there is a lot of me in Maureen. I know it will be hard for people to accept this, but it's true."

You can read a preview of her book here.