Book Review - Hold the Faith by Susan Preston

by Jeanette O'Hagan  @JeanetteOHagan

The Book

As Benjamin discovers, it is not easy to be the great-grandson of the last living apostle. Every mistake is noticed.

When he is offered the opportunity to accompany his great-grandfather around the fellowships of the region in Asia Minor, he is overjoyed. Everything doesn't go to plan, and his faith is tested with the dangers and difficulties along the way. And another real danger waits for him when he returns home.

Hold the Faith is the first book in Susan Preston's Apostle John 5 book series.

The Author

Susan Preston is a Scot transplanted to Western Australia, and now a widow. This and the loss of a stepson has given depth to her writing that it wouldn’t have otherwise.

Susan M B Preston has won Finalist Awards from Readers’ Favorite and from the Independent Author Network. Now a widow, her main interest is her writing, Skyping with friends and family, and running the occasional beginner’s computer course.

Although she has written other types of books in the past, The Apostle John series of books is Preston’s first foray into the world of Christian, historical fiction. With a few projects to finish off, Susan has her eye on another series, this time set farther back in time. Before that – expect a few novellas about some of the people in the series.

Contact Susan through email (susan@susanprestonauthor.com); her website (http://www.susanprestonauthor.com); Facebook author page (https://www.facebook.com/apostleJohnseries), or Twitter (https://twitter.com/SPrestonPerth)

My Thoughts

Hold the Faith is biblical fiction in a fascinating period, the time when the last living witnesses of Jesus' life, death and resurrection are very old or dead (often martyred), with a new generation without such first hand experiences working out their faith in a difficult environment. It is also a time of increasing persecution from all sides (Jews, Pagans, the Romans) and the emergence of false sects that seek to disrupt the Brethren. 

Susan Preston introduces fictional characters, like young Benjamin, the fictional great-grandson of the Apostle John, as well as his Benjamin's family and others in the fellowship at Ephesus and in surrounding areas. She also references biblical and historical figures such as the Apostle John, Polycarp, and the heretic Cerinthus as well as drawing on John's writings such as the gospel, his letters and Revelation and on early church history.

Her presentation of John is delightful and believable and she does a excellent job of conveying the daily life and first century concerns of the people. As always, there is a degree of interpretation (eg did the early Christians keep the Jewish Sabbath or worship on Sunday, the day of the Lord's resurrection or what was the meaning of 'obtaining from the blood' in the Jerusalem Council in Acts). However, I think Preston does a good job of blending known facts, interpretation and relevance to modern concerns (the nature of faith, the need for young people to make faith their own, how to respond to hostility of non-Christians etc).

I will confess though that I struggled with the use of multiple points of view within scenes, which I found particularly jarring at the start, though the majority of the story is about Benjamin as he seeks to prove and grow his faith. Some parts were a little repetitive as characters discuss events and give opinions in different settings, and, until the end, conflicts were often quickly resolved.

Hold the Faith gives a good portrayal of what life might have been like for early (Jewish) Christians in Ephesus and the surrounding cities. It will be interesting to see how Susan Preston develops both the plot lines and the characters in the the rest of the series as Benjamin confronts the difficulties that face him and the Apostle John defies the might of Rome in his faithful and unswerving witness to Christ.

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Jeanette started spinning tales in the world of Nardva at the age of eight or nine. She enjoys writing secondary world fiction, poetry, blogging and editing. Her Nardvan stories span continents, time and cultures. They involve a mixture of courtly intrigue, adventure, romance and/or shapeshifters and magic users. She has published numerous short stories, poems, two novellas and her debut novel, Akrad's Children and new release Ruhanna's Flight and other stories.

Jeanette has practised medicine, studied communication, history, theology and a Master of Arts (Writing). She loves reading, painting, travel, catching up for coffee with friends, pondering the meaning of life. She lives in Brisbane with her husband and children.

Find her on Facebook or Jeanette O'Hagan Writes or Twitter.

Exploring Genres: Biblical Fiction

by Susan Preston

“Those who call themselves Christians and attempt to follow biblical morality as they understand it are now among the most persecuted religious groups in the world (Newsweek, January 4, 2018). Sadly, this is increasingly true even in nations where “Christianity” is considered the predominant religion.”

So, if Christians are being stopped from sharing their faith with others who are interested how can we fulfill Christ’s commission to ‘go into all the world?’

I heard a minister say, “People prefer their truth wrapped in fiction.”

If that is the case, Christian writers are demonstrating and sharing their faith – not necessarily overtly, which can put some readers of, but by the way they write their characters’ lives.

Where does Biblical fiction fit in to this?

Apostle John series by Susan Preston (new covers)

Because, as Solomon wrote in Eccl 1: 9 “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”

We can be encouraged, inspired and even challenged by the lives of those who have ‘gone before.’

The first Biblical fiction book I read changed the way I understood the Bible. Before reading Lynn Austin’s first book in the Gods and Kings series, much of the writing in the Bible was, to be honest, boring. After that, I never read anything about Hezekiah again without ‘seeing’ him as a person.

I used to run church kids groups and holiday programmes. After several years it was rather ‘ho-hum’ another lesson on a parable.

If it was now, my lessons would be vastly different. In researching for what I thought would be one book, I discovered so much about the life, the times, the challenges and the faith of the people through the centuries.

To include some of this in a story/book/series gives the reader a much better reading experience as pointed out by Debbie Roome in a recent post in a post called Story Telling in 3D.

Many ‘Biblical fiction’ writers appear to be taking research from some of the old movies like Ben Hur and others of that era.

Modern saddles were not invented until 365 AD.[JO2]

“The first saddle is believed to have been invented in 365 AD by the Sarmations. Proud horsemen who used their horses in battle and also sacrificed them to the gods, their saddle creations were brought back to Europe by the Huns.”

They did not include stirrups. This is the history of stirrups –

“The stirrup was invented in China in the first few centuries AD and spread westward through the nomadic peoples of Central Eurasia. The use of paired stirrups is credited to the Chinese Jin Dynasty and came to Europe during the Middle Ages.”

Well-written, and well researched Biblical fiction brings life to the words in the Bible. (Both Testaments.)

When Jesus taught it was from ‘the scriptures’ – there only was an Old Testament, and this was what He taught from. After Him the Apostles used the Old Testament, and the letters of the other Apostles.
 

Understanding the pain

There were many ‘pain-points’ for the people of the Bible.

To the Israelites the Temple was where God dwelt. In many instances the Bible shows that the Temple was what was worshipped, not God.

Understanding this helps a writer of Biblical fiction better bring those people to life.

The day was counted from sunset to sunset, not as with our modern calendars. This was one of the most difficult things for me to ‘get my head around.’ The next day started as soon as the sun set on the previous one.

People, even in New Testament times, did not sit down to a dinner of ‘meat and two veges.’ Meat was only eaten on special occasions. If they were near a sea, or large lake, fish would be part of their diet… but not all the time. In the Old Testament, a time when meat would be eaten by a family was after a ‘peace’ or ‘thank’ offering had been made.

Biblical fiction can be a joy to read

Some writers of Biblical fiction have done the research necessary to make the books authentic. One such – Lynn Austin’s Biblical historical series. (There are two different series.) Jill Eileen Smith gives us a peep at some of the ‘heroines’ of the OT as does Mesu Andrews. 

Nearer the time period I write about, Carol Ashby has done an awesome amount of research on Roman times, and Carlene Havel is a recent discovery of a great writer.

As for me…

Three of my books have won awards, and all had great reviews from Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews.

I put a great deal of research into everything I write, as I imagine other authors do.

Sometimes, I am a slow learner. A long time ago I was told my book covers do not reflect the genre they represent… but I loved the images, four of which were from a Christian friend in Tasmania, a gifted photographer.

Well, I finally listened and had new covers made. Time will tell if they DO reflect the genre.

You can see them here… http://www.susanprestonauthor.com/apostle-john-series-2/

I read other genres, but Biblical fiction is close to my heart now that I have ‘met’ the people behind the words in the Bible.

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Susan Preston’s Christian faith is important to her, but she does not preach in any of the stories, instead, respecting her reader's right to make up their own minds.

She describes herself as a story-teller. Research, fascination and curiosity became a combination of treasure hunt and mystery tour. (She is still researching.)

Susan’s life experiences were not always happy – the death of a son, then in 2013 the death of her husband/best friend. The emotions from all these experiences contribute to her understanding of the people of the stories.

She was a registered Psychiatric nursing sister, a registered computer trainer and assessor, possessor of the Master’s qualification for Microsoft Office 2007 which she says comes in very handy, and has numerous other qualifications.

Susan says, “The ‘people’ in the books have become ‘family’ as I learned to walk in their shoes.”

New Genre Delights

Photo courtesy of super trooper/
FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Contest season is very much upon us and the majority of my fiction reading for the next six months will be consumed by judging entries in various competitions both local and abroad.

One of the reasons I especially love judging is I get “forced” to read stories that I wouldn’t normally read. I typically judge speculative fiction but this is such a catch-all for all sorts of different flavours, two of which: space opera and superhero, Adam Collings covered in Monday’s post. Accordingly, I’m presented with a variety of stories that I wouldn’t typically read.

Read in your genre

This is the old chestnut we’re all familiar with. And for obvious reasons it makes a lot of sense to do so and for many years I found myself only reading in the genres of speculative and thriller/suspense because that’s what I write. However, my flavour of speculative was narrow (supernatural angels and demons) and so I limited myself to such novels.

Certainly there are some flavours of speculative I struggle with, for example, horror and will choose not to read it. But I’ve had the privilege of reading some real beauties. For example, Patrick Carr’s writing is excellent and Billy Coffey has such a unique Southern voice plus a tremendous insight into small town spiritual good and evil.

Sample other delights

Over the past few years both through judging and developing friendships in the industry I’ve spent much of my non-judging half-year reading outside the speculative genre.

History has now become a keen interest. Having not studied a lot of it through my schooling years I’ve always felt a gap in my knowledge with all things historical. Strangely though, like many of us, I grew up devouring 18^th and 19^th century classical literature.

Novels with an historical bent have grabbed my interest. Biblical fiction in particular has become a favourite because of what I learn. Similarly, stories set in WWI and/or WWII have appealed because of what I can learn about the period. I so enjoyed Irma Joubert’s “Girl From the Train” (not to be confused with Paula Hawkins similarly titled recent blockbuster).

Rachel McMillan’s Sherlock Holmes-inspired "Herringford and Watts Mysteries" series has taken me back to the early 1900s in Toronto, Canada. Rachel has such a sophisticated witty voice creating two marvellous lady dectectives while giving the reader a spin around some of the sights of Toronto.

Naturally, I can’t not read some of the various flavours of romance recommended by many on this blog. From contemporary beauties supplied by the likes of our own Kara Isaac and Andrea Grigg to romantic suspense by Lisa Harris and Ronie Kendig to Melissa Tagg’s rom-com there’s a feast of great reading to be had.

What’s a genre or new flavour (sub-genre?) that you’ve recently enjoyed and an example of an author that you never expected to read?

Happy reading, dear friends.

Ian Acheson is an author and strategy consultant based in Northern Sydney. Ian's first novel of speculative fiction, Angelguard, is available in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Angelguard was recognised with the 2014 Selah Award for Speculative Fiction.You can find more about Angelguard at Ian's website, on his author Facebook page and Twitter

Book Review - 'Alabaster' by Chris Aslan

Mariam is stuck in an abusive marriage, living with her in-laws, in a conservative, toxically religious Middle Eastern setting. A few years back, her father was given a jar of priceless perfume by a dying leper and it seemed as if their fortunes would improve, but then Mariam’s father contracted leprosy and was exiled by the village. Mariam and her brother, Eleazar, and sister, Marta, experience the shame and ostracism this brings. The precious jar that was meant to bring them freedom, but it only seems to have brought destruction. But rumours abound concerning a new doctor; perhaps hope is on the horizon…

MY THOUGHTS:

I thought I'd read enough novels based on Bible stories for the time being, but this one slipped past my guard. It's sneaky, since the title, cover and blurb give no indication that that's what this is. Neither do other reviewers, so hopefully I'm not being a spoil sport, or breaking some unwritten code. But I wasn't far into the story when the identities of the two sisters and their brother dawned on me. They are none other than Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Their names have been changed slightly to Mariam, Marta and Eleazar, to reflect their ancient Hebrew roots, but it's them alright.

There was a point around the 80% mark when I lost my impetus just a little. Since there were only a couple of Bible incidents about this family that hadn't been covered yet, I could predict what was coming. That's why I was having a break from biblical retellings in the first place. They're not necessarily page turners, but I was happy enough to pick this one back up in my own time.

It's not a total rehash of what we know already. This novel presents several possible scenarios of its own, including how such a lavish alabaster jar came to such a humble family in the first place. That really highlighted how special it was, and what a huge sacrifice the girls made when they decided what to do with it. There's also Mariam's marriage, their father's plight, and Eleazar's attitude before he thought things through.

The harsh New Testament times are really brought to life. A neighbour's bad fortune leads inevitably to nasty gossip and speculations, as people generally wonder if they've sinned. It's sad to read how the townsfolk use their interpretations of the Holy Scriptures as weapons to justify their mean spirited attitudes. It also highlights the immense desperation sufferers must have felt for their prayers to be answered. On top of whatever grief they were already going through, they had the added pressure of knowing that if no evident relief was forthcoming, they'd look like unworthy sinners. The time was surely ripe for the arrival of Jesus, with his message of grace and his new example of being God's hands and feet. (He was never called by name in Mariam's narrative. It was always just 'the Teacher' or 'the Doctor')

It was nice to see the two sisters depicted as close. I've seen other stories which give the impression that Mary and Martha might have been at loggerheads all the time. This one shows them generally on very loving terms, but Martha's nerves snapped because of the pressure of an unusual day. I like to think that's closer to the truth.

I really wish novels came with fragrance. The description of the spikenard once the jar was opened sounded sublime, and I badly wanted a sniff! Who remembers the old scratch and smell books for children? A story like this makes me want something similar for novels, since there's no way we can indulge our curiosity by going to buy spikenard from the local shop, if we could even afford it. Someone make scratch and smell books for adults, please :) 

Thanks to Lion Hudson and Net Galley for my review copy.

Paula Vince is a South Australian author of contemporary, inspirational fiction. She lives in the beautiful Adelaide Hills, with its four distinct seasons, and loves to use her environment as settings for her stories. Her novel, 'Picking up the Pieces' won the religious fiction section of the International Book Awards in 2011, and 'Best Forgotten' was winner of the CALEB prize the same year. She is also one of the four authors of 'The Greenfield Legacy', Australia's first and only collaborated Christian novel. Her most recent novel, 'Imogen's Chance' was published April 2014. For more of Paula's reflections, you may like to visit her book review blog, The Vince Review

Book Review - 'Miriam' by Mesu Andrews

 
Review by Paula Vince 

The Hebrews call me prophetess, the Egyptians a seer.
But I am neither. I am simply a watcher of Israel
and the messenger of El Shaddai.
When He speaks to me in dreams, I interpret. When He whispers a melody, I sing.

At eighty-six, Miriam had devoted her entire life to loving El Shaddai and serving His people as both midwife and messenger. Yet when her brother Moses returns to Egypt from exile, he brings a disruptive message. God has a new name – Yahweh – and has declared a radical deliverance for the Israelites.

 Miriam and her beloved family face an impossible choice: cling to familiar bondage or embrace uncharted freedom at an unimaginable cost. Even if the Hebrews survive the plagues set to turn the Nile to blood and unleash a maelstrom of frogs and locusts, can they weather the resulting fury of the Pharaoh?

Enter an exotic land where a cruel Pharaoh reigns, pagan priests wield black arts, and the Israelites cry out to a God they only think they know.

MY THOUGHTS
This is a story about one family's attempts to weather the plagues of Egypt, but it's not just any family. It's a well-known Biblical family, including Miriam the prophetess, her brothers, parents and nephew. Since it's easy to think of them as holy and intimidating, I loved this glimpse into their more human sides, and the confused questions which teemed through their minds. One of the main ones happens to be, 'Okay, how do we communicate with an invisible God anyway?'

I enjoyed seeing Moses as the humble and courteous house guest who amazes his family whenever he admits that he's clueless about God's intentions and indignant about his seemingly outrageous demands. He even declares outright that given the choice, he'd rather not be anywhere near there. It's a really thought-provoking portrayal for anybody who assumes that a person's calling is bound to involve something pleasurable which he looks forward to. Moses even rolls up his sleeves to help with the most menial cleaning jobs for his hosts. Good on him.

What captured me most about Miriam's position is the grief she experiences when it becomes clear that her God has taken away the prophetic insights she'd experienced all her life. It's evident to the reader that this has nothing to do with Miriam falling short in any way. It's just that her season for receiving prophetic pictures is over, and God is now doing something different with her brothers as his new instruments. However, I can't help wondering whether I would take it personally in a similar way if I was in Miriam's shoes. It seems natural to take such a loss on board as a chastisement, wondering whether it's your own fault, and feeling envious of the others, rather than simply acknowledging that a precious phase is simply over. (But then, I think I'd look at the burden Moses carried and forget all about envy.)

I found Eleazar the most easy main character to relate to. You might remember him from the Bible as Aaron's third son. At this stage of his life, he serves as personal guard to Ram, one of the Egyptian princes, and the ultimate bad boss. Eleazar is a straightforward guy who never considers himself to be spiritual. His biggest fear is finding himself in situations where he's helpless to protect his loved ones. Of course these can occur at any moment when you work in a court where someone's head can be cut off at a whim.

There are a couple of nice romance threads for those who enjoy them. I don't usually like stories when men pull back from their wives, but in Eleazar's case I can definitely understand why! Just the same, there's a good deal of 'Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus' types of misunderstandings between him and Taliah. Judging by these two, it would seem Professor John Gray's book would have even been valid for those in ancient Egpyt. And Miriam has a romance of her own, in her eighties. Still, she and brothers come across as if they're in their sixties, while Eleazar, in his forties, seems like a fit young guy in his twenties. He really needs that athleticism in his workplace, that's for sure!

I preferred this book to its predecessor in the Treasures of the Nile series, The Pharoah's Daughter. I'm guessing there will be one more novel to make it a trilogy, and that it will take place during the wilderness wanderings. But I wonder who the main characters will be. This novel was chunky enough to take me a fortnight to read, and although I knew what was coming all the way through, there were still enough twists and surprises in this version to keep me hooked. I thought Mesu Andrews did a fantastic job and deserves full marks.

Thanks to WaterBrook Multnomah and Blogging for Books, for giving me a copy through NetGalley.

Paula Vince is a South Australian author of contemporary, inspirational fiction. She lives in the beautiful Adelaide Hills, with its four distinct seasons, and loves to use her environment as settings for her stories. Her novel, 'Picking up the Pieces' won the religious fiction section of the International Book Awards in 2011, and 'Best Forgotten' was winner of the CALEB prize the same year. She is also one of the four authors of 'The Greenfield Legacy', Australia's first and only collaborated Christian novel. Her most recent novel, 'Imogen's Chance' was published April 2014. For more of Paula's reflections, you may like to visit her book review blog, The Vince Review where she also interviews other authors.

Book Review: When Jesus Wept - The Jerusalem Chronicles Book 1 by Bodie and Brock Thoene

Blurb

LAZARUS—the man Jesus raised from the dead in one of the most extraordinary encounters with The Living Savior in all of Scripture. But the life of Lazarus holds interest well beyond this miraculous event. Living in Bethany, near Jerusalem, Lazarus witnessed many of the most important events of Jesus’s life and ministry.

Lazarus owned a vineyard and devoted his life to caring for its vines and fruit. But he encountered another man—Jesus—whose vineyard was the world, its fruit the eternal souls of men. When Lazarus’s story and the story of Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection touch in When Jesus Wept, we are offered a unique vision into the power and comfort of Christ’s love.

Brock and Bodie Thoene’s most powerful and climactic writing project to date, When Jesus Wept, captures the power and the passion of the men and women who lived through the most important days in the history of the world.

My Review

This is the first book I've read from the Thoene's and I expect it won't be my last. I was drawn to reading a fictional account of the time of Jesus and was intrigued how the authors would portray all the well-known people of the Bible.

This story is told through the eyes of Lazarus. It begins with Lazarus mourning the loss of his wife and newborn son. It's not long before we see John the Baptist and then a little later Jesus of Nazareth. Lazarus clearly becomes one of Jesus' other disciples (outside the 12) as he often describes himself both spending a lot of time with Jesus but also with the twelve.

The novel is very easy to read, the pace is steady and for those of us familiar with the Gospels we see many events described first hand that we've read many times before. We get to participate through Lazarus' eyes some of Jesus miracles including His first, the wedding at Cana where He changed the water into wine. Lazarus being a winemaker by trade is naturally keen to taste this very special drop. The feeding of the 5,000 was another miracle that I enjoyed experiencing through the eyes of Lazarus.

I take it the authors have spent considerable time on research and they present some fascinating thoughts on some Biblical events and characters. One that I found really interesting was that Mary of Bethany, Mary Magdalene and the adulterous woman of John 8 are all the same woman. This kinda blew my mind but I understand this is one popular and well-chronicled perspective. I'm keen to research it a little further.

I also appreciated the view of heaven acknowledging this is a work of fiction and we have to allow some license when reading it. From the outset I was curious as to how the authors would portray the four days Lazarus lay dead in the tomb especially when the novel is written in his POV.

I'm looking forward to reading the second in the series. If you enjoy easy reading Biblical fiction I believe you'll find this novel appealing.

Ian Acheson is an author and strategy consultant based in Northern Sydney. Ian's first novel of speculative fiction, Angelguard, is now available in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Angelguard was recognised as the best Speculative Fiction novel at the 2014 Selah Awards. You can find more about Angelguard at Ian's website, on his author Facebook page and Twitter

Author Interview & Giveaway: Kacy Barnett-Gramckow

By Ellie Whyte

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Kacy Barnett-Gramckow is the author of Dawnlight, a Biblical Novel inspired by Matthew 27:52-53, as well as Moody Publisher's THE GENESIS TRILOGY.  Kacy also writes Christian fantasy fiction as R.J. Larson.

Kacy finds research almost as interesting as writing, and she brings a lively knowledge of history to bear on her settings and characters. 

She and her husband, Jerry, have been married for more than thirty years, and they live in Colorado. 

The following is a recent interview with Kacy.

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PLUS! ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

Post a comment about this interview at the end of the blog post and enter the Rafflecopter draw for a Kindle copy of one of Kacy's books - THE HEAVEN'S BEFORE, DAWNLIGHT, or her upcoming Infinite title, EXILES. A valid comment on the blog is an entry requirement into the draw. Contest open to entrants WORLDWIDE, and ends on Saturday, 12 July.

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Tell us a little about yourself. 

I’m an ordinary person who happens to write—my effort to deal with my huge imaginary inner world. Writing allows me to pour my daydreams (and nightmares) into the computer, ridding my mind of its excesses. However, my imagination retaliates by concocting new storylines, which threaten to take over my every waking thought. Not good when I’m working full time and trying to keep track of my busy family! 

Writing is also my quiet ministry. I love to reach people’s hearts and souls with my stories! 


How did you become a novelist, and did you always want to write? 

I never intended to become a writer, but I’ve always had classic author traits. I began imagining stories almost as soon as I could form full sentences. As soon as I learned to read at age five, I read everything.  Vitamin labels, cereal boxes, encyclopedias, the dire warning tags on furniture, and every book my parents handed to me—in addition to all the books I carried home from our local library. 

I simply loved-LOVED to read.

Writing professionally, however, never crossed my mind until my sister-in-law, Kathi Macias, became an editor. I was in my twenties when she showed me a manuscript she was editing. I don’t remember the author’s name or even the book’s subject. I looked at that neat stack of pages with all those words, and I thought, “I can do that!”

I wrote a 300,000 word medieval tome, which is still unpublished, but a terrific apprenticeship. While I was writing, I showed a few chapters to Kathi, and she promptly volunteered me as a contributor to a collection of devotionals. More devotionals followed, and my circle of publishing contacts grew.

One of my editors later became an agent and she asked if I was still writing. By then, I’d moved into the Biblical fiction realm, and offered her a manuscript, The Heavens Before, which was published under my true name. Within five months, Moody Publishers offered me a contract for a three-book series, which is still in print.

What do you think is significant about Christian fiction? 

Christian fiction offers food for the soul, and eternal hope, which is rarely found in secular fiction. Humans are born with the innate need to connect with their universe and to worship—a longing which must be expressed and experienced. This longing to worship often turns inward, with self-worship. Or we worship idols, sometimes in the form of Hollywood stars, or royalty. But for those who are searching—no matter what they believe or worship—fiction helps readers clarify their personal values as they enjoy other lives through the printed word.

This is why soul-inspiring fiction is so vital, and why I pray over each manuscript as I’m working. Fiction provides a neutral realm for readers to sort through many of life’s difficult questions. Moreover, Christian fiction entertains and serves those who believe in the Lord and who seek eternal, Biblical ways to deal with modern problems, or ancient ones.

For writers, that’s a big responsibility. Scary, even….

How do you hope your readers react to the stories you write? 

Above all, I want them to love the characters and react with them as they confront the challenges and fears we all face. I’d also hope that my protagonists will allow readers to explore the ancient Scriptures from new perspectives, offering fresh views on the Book we all love.

What responses to your novels have affected you the most and why? 

When a reader contacts me and writes, “I was in the same situation. I suffered the same hurt,” I always pause and pray.  When a reader writes, “This story made me dig deeper into the Word…” I celebrate!!!

How has being a novelist impacted your relationship with Christ? 

My worship, my adoration of the Lord has deepened.  I have always loved Him and honored Him, but as I noted earlier, I pray over each new story for His will. I’m always amazed by the Lord’s boundless love and grace in every aspect of my life. Writing has been an unexpected gift from my Creator!


Other than writing great novels, what other goals do you have for your life? 

To eventually be the very best worst grandmother in the world. I’m already practicing my line: “Yes, whatever you want, honey!” Not to mention my smile as I hand the kid back to his or her parents! Hehehe!


As a writer, what influences have inspired you the most to write, and continue writing? 

My mother's abiding love of books and my own love of stories proved to be my earliest influences. Our home was filled with books and the instant I learned to read, I routinely raided my mother's bookshelves for novels.

My passion for the written word was so limitless that I began to write at age 23--on a whim at midnight!--and I've never stopped. I'm constantly thinking of stories and characters. The problem is that I don't have the time to type then into the computer!

Every writer struggles with various aspects of their writing journey. What has been the most difficult aspect of writing for you, and what come the most naturally?

Time is my most consistent struggle. I work full-time outside the home, and so my two days off a week are devoted to writing. I have to use my time wisely and focus on my work. Fortunately, my characters are always rattling around in my thoughts, and their unending busy-ness is only hushed when I can pour their storylines from my thoughts into my computers.

What's easiest and most natural is envisioning my characters. I'm a very visual learner and writer. I can see and hear my characters as they're dealing with their none-too-quiet daily lives. Even the smallest, most minor character has a story to tell. The problem is making them all behave and obey my word counts!

What is one piece of advice you would like to give to aspiring writers - either something you adhere to, or something you wish you had known when you started writing?

Take advice and persist! That's actually two pieces of advice, but they work well together. Listen to what industry professionals are telling you--particularly if you hear the same advice more than once--and then put that advice to work, patiently and diligently. You can't write one manuscript, glance it over, and then fling it out into the WorldWideWeb and expect it to gain traction. Good writing is the result of a solid apprenticeship and learning your craft.

As a reader, which stories excite you the most to read, and do you have any favourite novelists?

I read many genres and have many author-friends I love and respect. Off the top, I'd say, Donita K. Paul, Susan Meissner, Siri Mitchell and Tosca Lee.

I love solid, richly detailed historicals, vibrant and active YA--clean, not smutty--and I adore fantasy in most forms. The characters have to be real to me!

Well-researched biographies always draw me in; I've read biographies since third grade, even if I had to keep my thesaurus at hand to look up words.

What are some of your most favourite places on the internet to visit, that help challenge you as a writer, and encourage you as a reader?

Soul Inspirationz is beautiful--perhaps you've heard of it. I love visiting the site during my rare free moments!
http://www.christianfictionsite.com/

Book Fun/Book Club is great and encourages writers to interact with readers: http://www.bookfun.org/

I also visit bookstores online. Not just Amazon, but Christian Book Distributors and others. It helps to see what's selling, and how other authors are writing from year to year. Even if you've been writing for decades, it's important to stay fresh. ACFW is also a wonderful resource and they have great conferences! Even introverts need to step away from their computers and socialize once in awhile. 

What can you tell us about your most recent and upcoming novels?

Right now, I'm finishing up my fantasy series as R. J. Larson. I expect to begin the (thus far) last book of the Infinite series this month. R. J. Larson's Prophet is free through July! https://tinyurl.com/pt39qbd

Exiles and Queen should both be published this year through Elk Lake, which is a new publishing company run by Fred St Laurent of BookFun fame.

As Kacy Barnett-Gramckow, my latest novel Dawnlight (based on Matthew 27:52-53) was published this spring and readers are proclaiming it a multiple-hankie read. Admittedly, I cried through certain scenes, no matter how many times I read them, as I was working on the manuscript, but I didn't intentionally set out to write a handkerchief book. I've been reassured that the joyous ending more than makes up for all the weeping!

I wrote Dawnlight because my very persuasive and persistent youngest brother, Joseph, told me I should. In retaliation, I named one of the characters after him, and then the character immediately took ill. My brother has cheerfully dealt with the matter, but he hasn't suggested any new writing musts for me recently, and no wonder. The character ends well, I promise!


Do you have any parting words?

Thank you, readers! You're so appreciated! Don't hesitate to contact me with any questions; I'd love to hear from you. http://www.gramcoink.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/RJLarson.Writes

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ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

Post a comment about this interview and enter the Rafflecopter draw for a Kindle copy of one of Kacy's books - THE HEAVEN'S BEFORE, DAWNLIGHT, or her upcoming Infinite title, EXILES. A valid comment on the blog is an entry requirement into the draw, followed by the mandatory entry on Rafflecopter. Please indicate in your comment which title you would like to win the most, in order of preference. Contest open to entrants worldwide, and ends on Saturday, 12 July.


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Visit Kacy's Author Portfolio Page at Soul Inspirationz // Christian Fiction Site to find links to her website and other online hangouts, as well as her list of books and a Featured Author Interview.

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ELLIE WHYTE is a long-time supporter of Christian fiction and is the founder and owner/operator of Soul Inspirationz // The Christian Fiction Site which relaunched after a 5-year hiatus in January 2013. Ellie also has aspirations for her own writing career, and has begun working on a project set in New Zealand in the 1850s.  http://soulinspirationz.blogspot.com

Website: http://www.christianfictionsite.com
Blog: http://soulinspirationz.blogspot.com 
Facebook: Soul Inspirationz http://www.facebook.com/soulinspirationz
Twitter: @SoulInspiredNZ http://twitter.com/SoulInspiredNZ

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