Shaun Stevenson's Blog
December 29, 2016
New Series Coming! The Runners of Abra
I am so excited to announce that I have signed on with Crimson Pulse Media to author a serial story in 2017! THE RUNNERS OF ABRA will debut on January 7th on BrockEastman.com!
THE RUNNERS OF ABRA:
When Eric was only thirteen, he was taken from his family and the peaceful rice fields on the island of Jedros to become a Runner. Roaming the five islands of Abra, Runners are tasked with jobs — jobs they must see to the end. Either finish the job or die.
And then a mysterious benefactor arrives w...
October 23, 2016
1 SAMUEL, Chapter 3: The Words Yahweh Spoke
Samuel watched the last tip of sun drift behind the hills to the west. Purple fingers traced over each rivet in the grassy knolls, and Samuel closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, and then turning to step back inside the Tabernacle.
He shut the door behind him. Candlelight flickered from the golden lampstand, casting tiny dancing shadows throughout the chamber. Samuel had always liked the lampstand – it had seven “branches,” with small almond shaped buds at the end of each one. The flames tr...
October 6, 2016
1 SAMUEL: Chapter 2, The Fat the Sons Stole
Hannah spread her hands to the sky and her son clutched her legs as she prayed.
“My heart rejoices in the Lord!
The Lord has made me strong.
Now I have an answer for my enemies;
I rejoice because You rescued me.
No one is holy like the Lord!
There is no one besides You;
there is no Rock like our God.
Stop acting so proud and haughty!
Don’t speak with such arrogance!
For the Lord is a God who knows what you have done;
He will judge your actions.
The bow of the mighty is now broken,
and...
October 3, 2016
1 SAMUEL: Chapter 1, The Boy Yahweh Gave
The tent flap peeled back, and Hannah peeked out. The sun hadn’t risen yet, but it would soon. The hills glowed in a dull orange color, and somewhere the goats still snored away the early morning. Elkanah had already gathered up sacks for each of them the night before. They sat in a neat row beside the tent pole.
She sighed and hugged her arms close, rubbing both elbows to keep the chill at bay. A tent sat across from her, and gentle snores echoed across the small yard between them. Peninnah,...
1 Samuel, An Introduction
Dust to dust
Ash to ash
Page to page
Cover to cover.
I have been thinking a lot about the Bible lately. To some it’s a book that seems old, dusty, and outdated. To others it’s just a fable or a fairytale to fit alongside Snow White and the Seven
Dwarfs and The Little Mermaid. Some say it’s more like guidelines and some say it’s more like a rulebook. It’s only stories
or wise sayings or poems or myths. It’s confusing, contradictory, confounding. There are a million things to be said about th...
July 7, 2016
BOOK REVIEW: Shadow Chaser by Jerel Law
Back for a third entry, Jonah, Eliza, and Jeremiah Stone face their biggest trials yet in Shadow Chaser, book three in the Son of Angels series by Jerel Law.
Shadow Chaser takes off right where Fire Prophet, book two, left off with Jonah and his siblings at Angel School in New York City. Something evil is lurking in the shadows of the convent where the Quarterlings, part humans, part angelic Nephilim, have been living, studying, and growing closer to God. And coming up next? Mid-term exams th...
July 4, 2016
5 Fantasy Authors You Should Be Reading
I’ll admit it: I love reading fantasy stories. There’s just something about the adventure, excitement, quests, monsters, and worlds that are so fascinating and fun to read. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I grew up reading L. Frank Baum’s Oz books from the early 1900’s. Maybe it’s the 1980’s fantasy movies like The Neverending Story and Return to Oz I grew up watching. Either way, fantasy stories are undeniably a good time.
So here are five of my favorite Christian fantasy authors (in n...
June 30, 2016
BOOK REVIEW: Death Weavers by Brandon Mull
A year was a long time to wait for Five Kingdoms: Book 4: Death Weavers, but, a year wait does not disappoint when it comes to Brandon Mull. Mull’s signature high stakes fantasy adventure fills the pages of this next installment, and definitely leaves a few surprises for the very end that had me gasping at the last pages.
Cole and his friends have been through three of the five kingdoms in the Outskirts: Sambria, Elloweer, and the futuristic kingdom of Zeropolis. And now, they have finally ve...
June 27, 2016
5 Tips for Better Bedtime Storytelling
In 2013, School Library Journal asked families: How many parents read bedtime stories to their kids? According to the poll, about “two-thirds of parents don’t read to their kids every night” (Bayliss, 2013).
Bedtime stories were a huge part of my elementary years. I loved it when my parents would come and read me a story before I drifted off to sleep. Those times not only sparked my imagination, but gave me valuable face time with my parents.
The heart behind Reckless was to give parents, gra...
June 23, 2016
BOOK REVIEW: Raising Dragons Graphic Novel by Bryan Davis & James Art Ville
I first discovered Bryan Davis’ Dragons in our Midst series when it released way back in 2004. I remember reading the first book, Raising Dragons, and instantly being drawn in to the story and the characters, and the sheer novelty of a Christian YA fantasy novel that combined dragons, the Bible, and action into one sleek story. Now, over a decade later, Bryan Davis has partnered with James Art Ville to create the graphic novel version of the book that has now grown into three epic dragon-fill...
