Also interesting, because when I began writing this book my greatest spiritual influence came from my mother’s family, who were Irish pagans! I was very much a child of the goddess, so I wasn’t a practicing Christian at all. When I met my very devout Catholic husband 20 years ago, he was quite sure I was going to Hell.

I began to research a non-fiction book back in 1989 about women who had been maligned and misunderstood in history (‘cause there are plenty of ‘em—I could write that book for the rest of my life. In fact, we all could write that book and still only scratch the surface).

Mary Magdalene was initially only one of the subjects in my research, but she became the focus of it after several years. I receive a lot of mail, and one of my favorites also summed up my own experience: Mary Magdalene brought me to Jesus. So I became a Christian because of this research, I didn’t research because I was a Christian.

Nope, sure can’t. And anyone who tells you that they can is fibbing. Unfortunately, genealogy is a very complicated and imperfect business, and the farther back you go the more imperfect it is. Complex lineages weren’t kept except by the very rich and privileged in the ancient world (time, ink, paper—all were too valuable to waste on such things unless you were a king). Also for our purposes, many of the important French records were destroyed in the Revolution. So definitive tracing just can’t be done, and even if it could it would take years and we all have better things to do.

So, does that seem contrary to my position on being a descendant? Not at all. Read on and you will see (spoiler warning) what I am really saying is that if there is a bloodline descent from Jesus and Mary Magdalene (and there is, because there were two children) then given 2000 years of procreation... do the math. There would be millions of descendants at this stage. THAT is what I think is interesting: the idea that anyone you pass on the street could be related to Jesus. I think that’s the true topic of discussion.

In more concrete terms, there are certain family names that are linked to bloodline legends and lore, and my paternal grandmother’s family, “Paschal,” is one of those names. That’s how I came to know that we had a blood connection to this story, ultimately. Through the traditions of the family and the name. It’s also why I named my character Maureen Paschal.

Eeek. Remember what I was saying above about women who were maligned and misunderstood? I suppose it was my destiny to learn what that feels like first hand, and I most certainly have, both here and in the UK. Unfortunately, there were a number of very sensationalized, tabloidy accounts about this idea from publications that shall remain nameless (cough—USA TODAY—cough) that began this whole firestorm of criticism which had nothing at all to do with my book and its contents, and even less to do with who I am and what I stand for. It was and is very frustrating, because there is a danger that this very important story of a woman who arguably changed the face of the western world is at risk of getting lost behind all of that garbage. This book isn’t about me, it’s about Mary Magdalene. It’s not about the messenger, it’s about the message. But the book was released at a disadvantage because so many people had judged it without reading it, based on a tabloid story that was totally without merit.

The good news is that virtually all of the critics are those who haven’t read the book and have no idea what it is really about. I received a fascinating e-mail yesterday which I just read to my husband, because it sums up this idea. The title of the note was APOLOGY and the gist of it was that this woman hated me and hated my book based on what she believed was my attempt at self-aggrandizement and my bloodline claims. She had written me hate mail two weeks prior to tell me that I was going to hell and that I was a horrible person and an egomaniac, etc. Then for some reason that I still don’t get, she decided to read the book anyway. And she loved it. And she realized that I am a totally different person than she thought, and more importantly, that the book is a truly spiritual and fulfilling journey, far beyond anything she had anticipated.

So I simply ask that people read the book and judge it on its own merits.

But the other side of this is that a lot of people are fascinated by the whole idea of the bloodline, and I also get a lot of e-mail asking me: how do I know if I am or not?? To which my answer is two-fold. If you think you are, and you are driven to find out, then it’s probably because you are. But beyond that, here is the answer that I think really matters: Being a descendant of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, at the end of the day, has nothing to do with biology or chemistry or DNA or blood. It has to do with the spirit. I believe that Jesus and Magdalene were teaching the most beautiful and basic principles of humanity: love each other, have faith (in any form that it pleases you and without judgment on others), care about your community, give to charity, treat people the way you want to be treated, realize that no one is greater than anyone else and we’re all here to learn to live as equals, honor the planet and the life upon it.

If you believe in those ideals, then you ARE a descendant of Jesus and Magdalene, period.