What are the similarities between a fire department that cannot put out fires, a policeman who has a historic cabin fall on him from out of the sky, and an entire family dedicated to a variety of deceased authors?

Where can you find a war hero named Termite with a long knife stuck in his liver, a cook named Hoghead who makes the world's worst coffee, and a supervisor named Pillsbury who nearly gets hung by his employees?

Sequoyah, Georgia is the answer to all three questions. They arise from the relationship between A. J. Longstreet and his best friend since childhood, Eugene Purdue. After a parting of ways due to Eugene's inability to accept the constraints of adulthood, he reenters A.J.'s life with terminal cancer and the dilemma of executing a mercy killing when the time arrives.

Take this gripping journey to Sequoyah, Georgia and witness A.J.'s battle with mortality, euthanasia, and his adventure back to the past and people who made him what he is—and helps him make the decision that will alter his life forever.

"The Front Porch Prophet is a fine piece of southern fiction—by turns poignant and hilarious. Atkins knows his front porches; the rustics who inhabit his novel are real people who walk right off the page, but he's also had some book learning...in the rich, lucid prose, one finds moments of breathtaking elegance.

With a knack for storytelling, a sly sense of humor, and a Faulkneresque sensibility, Ray Atkins enters the literary scene with aplomb, and he plans to stay."
~ Melanie Sumner, author of The School Of Beauty And Charm & Polite Society.

“Raymond Atkins tells a story at once comic and deeply tender, a story of friendship, love, unexpected brotherhood, and redemption. The world he paints is so full of wonderful eccentrics you’ll wish you could stop off for a cup of bad coffee at The Wages of Sin Are Fried Chicken Diner. I don’t have to be a prophet to predict you’ll adore this book.”
~ Man Martin, author of Days Of The Endless Corvette

“Atkins is the new Twain… This is what you get when you blend the best sense of humor in the world and the biggest heart: The Front Porch Prophet.”
~ Ken Anderson, author of Someone Bought The House On The Island and The Statue Of Pan

“In The Front Porch Prophet, Raymond L. Atkins whisks the reader into a world of Southern quirkiness, a world that is well-populated by many novelists and story-tellers from the Deep South. The novel is reminiscent of the longtime favorites coming from such Georgia penners as Erskine Caldwell and Flannery O’Connor but with Atkins’ unique voice leading the way into and through the tradition of quirky characters doing quirky things in quirky ways.”
~ Kenneth Robbins, author of The City Of Churches and Buttermilk Bottoms

“It’s creative and clever beyond comment. I’m simply blown away. I laughed out loud, chuckled, grinned, felt sad, found hope, and burst into tears. That’s pretty powerful writing to my way of thinking.”
~ Terre Gorham, Editor, Memphis Downtowner Magazine

“The Front Porch Prophet is a deep poignant look at friendship in a small Georgia town… Fans will appreciate this insightful glimpse at life in the south where sipping Georgia ice tea on a cabin’s porch might be dangerous as anything can fall from the sky; just ask the cops.”
~ Harriet Klausner, Gotta Write Network

“The Front Porch Prophet is an intriguing and clever tale, highly recommended for community library fiction collections.”
~ Midwest Book Review

“Atkin’s writing is impeccable, and he is clearly in his element with this wonderful piece of Southern fiction.”
~ Literarily

“I really enjoyed this book, and I hated to reach the last page.”
~ Ferris Yawn, North Georgia Living Magazine

“There is much to enjoy in this wonderful book. . . The characters are fascinating, quirky, and they come in and out of the story with ease. The dialogue is some of the best ever written. It is natural, true to character, and so funny in places readers will be hard pressed to stifle their laughter when finishing the book at work because they couldn’t bear to leave the story at home.”
~Maryann Miller, Blogger News Network

“This is an absolutely wonderful novel. . . It is so wildly humorous, so unrealistic, and so down-to-earth at the same time, so gosh darn in-your-face enjoyable.”
~ Brad, B&B Ex Libris

“. . . the funniest book centering on the inevitable death of one of the central characters you will read in a long time. Yes, it’s a book about death, but it’s also about life.”
~ Michael Scott Cain, Rambles.net

“This may very well be my favorite novel of 2008. I can’t recommend it enough.”
~ The Literate Housewife Review (December 2008)

“. . . no one should miss out on this touching tale of friendship, family, and Southern culture.”
~ Brooke Carleton, Apex Reviews

“Atkins writes with a sly wink . . . a wonderful story of friendship, personal growth, sacrifice, and love . . . made me both laugh and cry. . .”
~ Dawn, She Is Too Fond of Books (November 2008)

“Once I was drawn in I had trouble putting The Front Porch Prophet down. I loved the characters; I loved the town . . . I was sad that it was over.”
~ Cam Robbins, NovelSpot