C. Kevin Thompson's Blog

Author Behind the Story Blog Series - C. Kevin Thompson

 

It's been a while since we posted an interview with an author. Well near a year, actually. It wasn't part of the plan. It was simply life getting in the way of an author with some medical issues. 

"Hello." (See me waving?) "That would be me."

Yet, despite the absence of new posts, God has been good. We have had over 25,000 views since November 2024. We're on pace to break 30,000 views in a year! All I can say is, "Wow!"

When deciding who I should contact to line up our next interview, it was brought to my attention I had never done one. Of course, this was by design. I started this blog to do two things. First, to showcase other authors. Second, to be a link to any writings I published, like back when I wrote for Seriously Write and other publications. "And since you do not write for those entities any longer," one person said, "readers would like to get to know you too." 

So, after weeks of consideration, and because twelve years of work on The Blake Meyer Thriller Series has come to a close, I was urged to take this time and showcase my writing for a change on this venue as a "reward of sorts" for being faithful to the series and not giving up (and trust me, there were times when I contemplated it).

Therefore, without further ado, I'm going to sit down on the Florida Front Porch, grab a glass of sweet tea in this sweltering heat we are experiencing, and answer a few questions. 

And since interviewing myself seems a bit weird, I'm going to reword the questions a little for you...and me.

I will, however, answer the first I always put to our guests, which is, in fifty words or less, who is C. Kevin Thompson? 

Besides a writer, I am a husband, a father, a grandfather, aminister, a teacher, a school administrator, a drummer, and a sinful slave, whobecame a friend of his Master, and is striving to please HIM by being obedient (John14:14-16).

Before you ever got a notion ofbecoming a writer/author, how old were you, and what were you doing in thattime of your life?

To save time, Iwill allow my story on mywebsite to answer this question. Click on the link to read it.

I’m going to give you a shotgunlist of favorites. List your favorite in each category and then tell us in onesentence why it is your favorite.

 

FavoriteSong of All-Time:  This is atough one. There are so many ones I like. However, the one I keep going back tois Forever by PFR

FavoriteNon-Fiction Book (other than your own & besides the Bible): Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your IdentityIn Christ by John MacArthur – This book has opened up my understanding ofthe entire Bible. Things make so much better sense now.

FavoriteBible Verse:Romans 12:1-2

FavoriteMovie:Hopscotch (featuring Walter Matthau,Glenda Jackson, Sam Waterston, and Herbert Lom). I don’t why I like this movieso much, but I saw it for the first time on TV and really liked the storyline. Ofcourse, being on TV made a big difference. They bleeped out Ned Beatty’s mouth,which was a good thing, but I didn't know it at the time. I bought the DVD years later and was shocked. “Thatwasn’t in the version I saw!” Also, this was a book turned into a movie, and both were written by the author. I haveto admit…the movie was much better.

FavoriteActor or Actress: I don’t really have a favorite, per se, for I have found allactors and actresses play some roles very well and other roles not so much. I favorpicking roles from different actors/actresses.

FavoriteTV Show:This is a tough one too. Blue Bloods,24, The Blacklist, Sherlock, Shetland, Vera, DCI Banks, are a justa few.

FavoriteNovel (other than your own): AChristmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Such a great story in so few words.

FavoriteAuthor (other than you): Fiction: Arthur Conan Doyle & Michael Crichton.  Non-Fiction: John MacArthur and F. F. Bruce

FavoriteSport:College Football. By far. There is not a close second, here, just so we're clear.

FavoriteTeam (Can be any sport, any level): Florida Gators

FavoriteSubject in School Growing Up: If I am being honest? Girls.

FavoriteSubject Now:It is a three-way tie between English, History, and certain subjects withinscience. These come in handy when writing, and I find them fascinating...now.

FavoriteTeacher in School: Mrs. Sue Crumpton – She sparked my love for writing.

FavoriteTime of the Year: Fall – A high of 65 degrees, no clouds in the sky, leavesturning color, and a steady 10-15 mph breeze? I think that will be thetemperature of Heaven, by the way..

FavoritePlace to Vacation: The beach. I could sit on a balcony and listen tothe waves come ashore forever.

FavoriteDrink:Unfortunately, Coca Cola Classic. I’m a recovering Coke-aholic, and I am gladto report I am losing my love for it (for health reasons). Coffee is a closesecond, and there will never be any recovery sought. This keeps me sane.

FavoriteFood:It’s a tie. Pizza (pepperoni) and steak (rib-eye). If I could eat these with noill effect, that’s all I would eat. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sure, I'd add some eggs to the steak for breakfast when I wasn't eating leftover pizza...and now, I'm hungry.

  

What makes youcringe?

Foods that were never intended to be eaten. I saw two videosrecently which had me dry-heaving. One was of a woman who had four large leopardfrogs positioned on a baking sheet. They were sitting on a bed of some kind oflettuce and had been bathed in some kind of oil. She then took live, blackcreatures – I could not tell if they were baby eels or some kind of leach, butbased on how active they were, I believe it was the former – and tossed one ortwo into the open mouths of the four frogs. She then took an egg mixture insome kind of Pyrex mixing bowl and poured it all over the frogs and in theirmouths. (Are you getting ill yet?) She then baked them in a primitive oven,pulled them out, and proceeded to take large tongs, grab one of the frogs, andeat it, starting with the head.

I’m out. I’ll choose starvation. "Lord Jesus, Come."

You know, we had a garden, right? It was beautiful. It had all thefood we would ever need in it (not to mention eternal life!). And I have tothink the whole earth was just like it. As Adam and Eve’s family grew, therewould be a need for more acreage and plant distribution. But instead, we wanted the one piece of fruitthat was off limits. We traded all of the lusciousness of the Garden of Eden in(and eternal life!) for baked leopard frogs. Baked frogs? Really? Oh, and the othervideo? The woman was cooking rats in a pot like gumbo. She pulled one out andstarting eating it like a cob of corn. You see how sin has tricked us intothinking such cuisine is normal? 

Everybody seems tohave a bucket list. Do you? If so, what’s on it? If not, why not?

There are several places on my bucket list I’d like to visit. I’d love totravel the roads, take the boats, and walk the streets the Apostle Paultraversed on his missionary journeys. I’d also like to walk and travel thepaths of Jesus, from Nazareth to Capernaum, from there to Jerusalem, toBethany, to Bethlehem, the Dead Sea, and the Sea of Galilee.

And then there’s Europe, Australia, Hawaii, and Alaska.Better start pinching my pennies, huh?

When you look for a new home, what are the things that are important to you?  

Funny you should ask. Ha! We’re actually doing this right now. We’ve been in the market for a new home for about six months. Although we have: 1) narrowed down the area; 2) continued to scour Realtor.com and the other sites; 3) have decided we’d like a split-plan, a living room big enough to hold the family when they come over, a walk-in shower in the master bath that doesn’t require doors, shower curtains, etc., a decent-sized lanai (pool is optional), a back yard big enough for the grandkids to play, and a kitchen with a sizeable place for food prep, like an island or “bar-type” extension; 4) and as we know floors, paint, etc., can be updated or changed to suit, we also are keeping the Lord's will in mind. When you read about John the Baptist living in the wilderness as a stark dichotomy to the religious erudites of his day, or think of Jesus when He says "the Son of Man doesn't have a place to lay His head," it puts things in perspective. Jesus and John were definitely a contrast to House Hunters.

In addition, those houses containing everything we desire are pricey at current interest rates. If we compromise, then what goes? Since this will probably (?) be our last home, it’s a difficult choice, so we are being patient and continuing to keep our ears to the ground and our eyes on Jesus.  

We are also considering building a house, too, as an option. Another option is to get a cheaper fixer-upper. We know enough people in the construction field to get help, advice, etc. If we do either of these, then we’ll make sure we can get all these things included...eventually. And I can do the flooring, tile work, etc., as that was the family business growing up. Good skills to fall back on, it I ever had to…just not sure the knees can handle it these days.

Do you have afavorite line from a movie or book? If so, what is it and explain why it isspecial to you?

Do you remember the show, Remington Steele? I’m kind of like him. I’m always quoting movies,books, comedians at various times. But some I think of or actually say are: 

     “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” from Jaws.     “Must go faster! Must go faster!” from Jurassic Park.     When people say I’m crazy, I reply: “You’re justgetting that now?” from Sherlock.      “Sleep is a weapon too.” from The Bourne Identity (the book, not themovie).     “I taught Jason Bourne everything he knows, butI didn’t teach him everything I know.” from 30 Days Hath Revenge (Sorry, I know this seems like a shameless plug, but I douse it).

 

If you could go backand have a “do over” concerning something in your life (we’re thinking aboutsomething non-writing related here), what would you have done differently?

When I was in ministry as a pastor, I was young, both inyears and in my walk with the Lord. Because of this, I listened to those aroundme I respected and took their counsel as “gospel.” I wish – and have for yearsnow - I would have followed “my gut” (which I later learned was the HolySpirit) and been obedient to His leading. Instead, it’s been the school of hardknocks, for sure, to get where I am now, to unlearn all that the powers that be taughtme about pragmatism and instead allow God to renew my mind (Romans 12:1-2).

Do you have a crazy,interesting, behind-the-scenes story about the publishing world you’d like totell your readers without boring them to death with industry gobbledygook?

Oh, there’s a few. One involves this very series we arepromoting right now, The Blake Meyer Thriller Series. I write about this alittle in the preface to the first book in the series. The first publisherstarted to go belly up without telling anyone, and when other authors startedto pull their works, it was decided by my agent at the time that I should dothe same, since the life of the contract had officially run its course.

After receiving zero responses from emails, I finally had towrite one to the then current employer of the individual who was still incharge of publishing house. It had become a situation of Christian integrity atthat point for me, and I did not feel the actions of the publishing house were honoringGod, thus having the possibility of bringing reproach on this institution as well. Interestingly, a couple of days later, I received an email from the editor, promising aformal split within thirty days. The statement came, and we signed it.

That entire process took roughly a year from start tofinish. They weren’t a shady enterprise. They came highly recommended. I justthink the company grew too large, too fast, and they were not recoupingfinancially what they were spending on the front end. Then, with losing authors left and right, the ship sunk. 

And did I tell you about the swindler who sent me a contractand then took $300 from me? That was in the infancy of my writing career when Iwas greener than green grass and about a naïve as they come. She’s since been arrested (I did not haveanything to do with her arrest), and for a while, I was receiving restitutionin the form of a check from the prison system in Texas. I’ve got about $5 of itback so far...in 20+ years. Author beware, for sure. I later learned she was on the Preditors and Editors website. Wish I had known that website existed BEFORE I traveled down that hole. Live and learn.

Of all thestories/books you have written, which one is your favorite? And what compelledyou to write this story?

My favorite so far is my first one published, The Serpent’s Grasp. When I was inmiddle school, I had aspirations of becoming a marine biologist. I guess that’swhy I like the beach so much. However, I get
deathly seasick on boats, and whenI learned marine biologists spend months at sea, I knew that wouldn’t work forme. My love for the sea never wavered, though, and The Serpent’s Grasp is proof of it. I’m also proud that it tookFirst Place in the First Fiction category (Debut Novel) in the 2013 SelahAwards, beating out some other titles which have done very well for themselvessince then.

Tell us about whatproject you are currently working on.

I recently finished Devilof a Crime, which is the last book in the six-book Blake Meyer series. It’sbeen thirteen years in the making (because of all the publishing issues Imentioned before and other things). It’s definitely been a labor of love, in away, and I could not just quit and leave Blake and others hanging out there. Toomany readers had invested time and money into the first books.

Once I get past the initial release date and marketingplans, my efforts will turn to a new mystery series. I am really excited about it.I have to admit, this first book just may become my favorite, as I really likethe characters. It’s middle grade fiction, and the books will be a series ofstandalones. It all began actually as an idea I originally wrote as adultfiction. When a friend read the manuscript and said something about the characters neededmore humor and shouldn’t be so serious all the time, I took it to heart and saton it for about fifteen years while I worked on other things. Now, I’ve takenthese two characters and pushed them back in age to middle school. Once I made thechange, the characters came alive. My critique group loves the story and thinksit may be the best thing I’ve written yet. The book is written, although thereare a few tweaks I need to make, but those should not take too long. I plan torelease it this fall (looking at mid-November). The cover art work is all donetoo. 

If you have noticed, I haven’t given away the title, andthat’s for a reason. We will be doing a build up to the cover reveal and thenthe pre-order release date hopefully sometime in mid-to-late September. Be on the lookout!

What surprised youthe most during the research for the series you are finishing up?

The reality of it. What do I mean? As I was writing the Blake Meyer series, article after article came out, along with a couple of books, demonstratingin real time what Colin Murphy and his ensemble of bad actors had cooked up.One such example of many was an article by Meghan Roos in Newsweek that came out in October of 2021, eightyears after 30 Days Hath Revenge waspublished. Eighteen people died from using an aromatherapy spray they purchasedat Walmart, which was produced in India for Better Homes & Gardens. Thespray had a rare but deadly bacteria in it. CDC officials determined thebacteria came from mud in a nearby area close to the production facility. Apparently,workers carried it into the facility on either their hands or feet, and itsomehow got into the spray as it was being produced and packaged. At least,that’s the explanation that came out, which interestingly enough, has vanished fromthe original article. It was a CDC investigation, and it now says that webpagehas moved and is no longer available. It could be all on the up-and-up.However, after reading Ken Alibek’s book, Biohazard,I’m inclined to think there may be more there than meets the eye.

If you had one person you couldmeet (think ONLY Bible characters here) and could spend as much time as youwanted with that individual, who would it be besides Jesus, and why?

Again,a hard decision. However, I think it would be Daniel. He was faithful from ayoung age, was taken into captivity, stood up to the most powerful man in thatday, Nebuchadnezzar, and showed by a righteous life how not only God could andwould honor it, but also how God would protect him. Daniel never stood in frontof the Babylonian ruler’s palace and protested the food like many Christian would do today (Daniel 1). He didn’trefuse to help the evil king, like many Christians would do today. Instead, he was obedient to God and was honoredfor it by interpreting the king’s dreams. As a reward, he was lifted up into aposition of power as chief of the Magi (Daniel 2), which God was able to use toset the stage for Matthew 2 hundreds of years later. Then, when the king wantedeveryone to bow to the image of himself and forbade anyone from honoring anyother god but him, Daniel remained faithful. He didn't protest or write op-ed pieces. He just continued to pray and worship God alone. Evil men plotted against him,tried to use his righteousness against him, and had him ultimately thrown intothe fiery furnace (Daniel 3). You know the rest of the story as the chapter progress.

Danielserved under four different kings and faced many blessings and hardshipsbecause of his faith. Yet, each time Daniel was falsely accused, he stood fastto his faith, and God delivered him. As a result, the kings who attempted totake his life ended the scenes by commanding the entire nation to honor the Godof Daniel. Thus, Daniel lived a Beatitude life for God before the Beatitudeswere the Beatitudes. He thus fulfilled what Jesus said at the end of thoseBeatitudes, speaking of being salt and light, “In the same way, let your lightshine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Fatherin heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Daniel did exactly that, and that would be a man Iwould want to get to know better.

What Bible scripture has impactedyour life the most, and why?

Matthew5:3-12. Jesus lays out what kind of person enters the Kingdom of Heaven inthese verses. They start with the first step, a broken and contrite heart and arealization of who you are (a destitute beggar) in light of who God is (Holyand Righteous). It progresses through each verse, showing us how the heart transformsinto an eventual peacemaker, i.e., one who tells others about Jesus so they,too, can be at peace with God instead of at war with Him (Romans 5:1). And ofcourse, there comes the sharing the gospel part and the hatred and persecutionit brings. But take heart. Our "enemies" are the mission field, andthey hate us because of the Jesus we share with them. It’s not personal,although it feels that way. It’s the devil’s children believing his lies andfeeling the sting and shame of sin when we shine Jesus’s light on their wounds.

Is there anything else you’d liketo share with our readers about you, or anything we didn’t cover?

Ihave more ideas for books than I have time to write them. I good problem tohave, I hear, as some authors struggle to churn out a book a year. Once Iretire, then it will be full speed ahead.

Ihave a book (could be a small series) already foreshadowed in the Blake MeyerThriller Series. It would be a follow-up series, starring Julee Scarfano, witha cameo appearance by Blake. There will be a great deal of research to do forit, so it’s on the back burner currently.

Ialso have Book 2 in the middle grades fiction series mapped out and ready towrite, and this series could have as many as 20-30 books in it before it's over. We'll see. I have some unique plans for it, for sure, that I believe all readers will appreciate. 

AndI have some ideas for another series of adult fiction standalones that wouldrequire me to travel and research areas and their history, which would be awonderful thing. It would be a great tax write-off, too, right? And maybe Icould combine this idea with that bucket list I mentioned earlier…

Alright everybody, I'm done. That wasn't too painful, was it?

If you're interested in following me on social media, through my newsletter (which only comes out when we have a new book release), then you can go to my website @ www.ckevinthompson.com and find all my social media outlets there, which include Bookbub, Facebook, Instagram, X, Amazon, Pinterest, and Goodreads (although I will admit, some of those are more updated than others).

Thanks for stopping by!

Kevin  

 

PS - This interview was done and uploaded on July 12, 2025. On Monday, July 14th, I learned, along with thousands, that Pastor John MacArthur had been hospitalized, and the prognosis was not good. Within hours, Pastor John left this earthly dwelling for his heavenly home. I'm happy for him. He's where we all long to be, and we do not grieve like the word does, for we have hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). However, I am sad to see him go. Even in the last year of preaching, God was giving him fresh insight, and thankfully, he shared it with others just like he did for well over fifty years.

Author Behind the Story Blog Series - Tez Brooks

Elections. Our forefathers obviously thought they would be a good idea. And in light of what they faced - a tyrannical king imposing his will upon masses two thousand miles away - we can understand their reasoning. 

What our forefathers believed, too, was in the general goodness of man. If left to decide, they designed a constitution, allowing the American to always choose the right thing, the right side, and the right candidate. Well, at least the majority will do so, that is. 

What our forefathers failed to understand or believe was Isaiah 5. There a section in that chapter that aptly describes the state of the world as I write. Evil is good. Good is evil. Darkness is Light. Light is Darkness. Bitter is sweet, and sweet is bitter. People are wise in their own sight. Getting drunk is a badge of honor and makes everyone smile (Have you seen the beer commercials?). Wicked people are declared righteous for a bribe. Those who are righteous have their good standing removed. No matter how much you organize mankind into this or that kind of society, his sinful nature will twist that governmental structure into an evil empire run by the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2). 

Said all that to say this: Make sure you are serving the right Kingdom (Matthew 4:17). The Kingdom of Heaven has all of those things listed above correct. Evil is still evil. Good is what God is, and He alone, according to Jesus (Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19). Light is still Light, and darkness comes from the evil one. 

This is where our next guest comes in. He, too, is trying to point people in the direction of the heavenly kingdom. And yes, we know we are a week late in posting this blog interview, as we typically post on the second Wednesday of the month. However, our guest was out of the country, so we cut him a little slack on the deadline.

Welcome with me our next guest to the Author Behind the Story Blog Series, Tez Brooks!

Tez, we need you to kick this interview off in traditional ABTS fashion.  Give us a quick bio.In fifty words or less, who is Tez Brooks? 

A multipleaward-winning author, filmmaker, and speaker, Brooks was recently namedone of the Top Writing Coaches by the Coach Foundation. His work appears inGuideposts, Power for Living, The Upper Room, CBN.com, YouVersion, Focus on theFamily, and more. He and his wife are full-time missionaries with fourchildren.

I’m going to give you a shotgunlist of favorites. List your favorite in each category and then tell us in onesentence why it is your favorite. 

On your mark. Get set. Go!

FavoriteSong of All-Time: “Xanadu” by Olivia Newton-John because it says somuch and makes so much sense.

FavoriteNon-Fiction Book: The 1939 Farmer’s Almanac. It’s life-changing, weatheror not you read it.

FavoriteBible Verse:“Jesus wept.” (Amplified Bible)

FavoriteMovie:“The Swimmer” (1968)starring Burt Lancaster. The plot and the acting will leave you shaking yourhead in wonderment.

FavoriteActor or Actress: Eve Plumb. I am still not sure why she never won anEmmy.

FavoriteTV Show:It’s a toss-up between Teletubbies or Barney and Friends. (Hmmm....)

FavoriteNovel:Farrah Fawcett… oh wait! I thought you said “navel.” (I'm not even going to touch this...both literally and figuratively.)

Favorite Author:  Paul Sheldon

FavoriteSport:I don’t care for sports, I’m not athletic. So let’s say, tic-tac-toe.

FavoriteTeam: Team Edward from Twilight? (I'm getting a little worried about this interview...)

FavoriteSubject in School: Study Hall

FavoriteSubject Now:I’m not in school now.

FavoriteTeacher in School: None of my teachers are in school. They allgraduated decades ago.

FavoriteTime of the Year: 12:17 pm

FavoritePlace to Vacation: Earth…for now

Well, that went well, uh, I mean, not too bad. The "Dad Jokes" crowd will love it. :-)

Everybody seems tohave a bucket list. Do you? If so, what’s on it? If not, why not?

Mylife as a missionary with the Jesus Film Project has taken me all over theworld. So by God’s grace, much of my list is checked off. But I’d like tosee the Egyptian pyramids and walk the Great Wall of China, if the Lord sends methere at some point.

If you had your lifeto live over again, besides being an author (which we guess would be yourobvious answer), what profession would you choose?

I have a long history of acting and directing in the '80s and '90s. If I could have made enough to live on, I would have been afull-time actor. I loved acting in my younger days and the thrill ofperforming, especially in faith-based theater and films.

Besidesstorytelling, what talents do you have? 

I paint (that talent was passed down from mygrandfather) although I'm not as good as he was. I also sing, act, and anythingcreative. One day I‘d like to learn how to play the guitar.

Of all thestories/books you have written, which one is your favorite? And what compelledyou to write this story?  

I think I appreciate “Adult-o-Nomics”the most because it’s filled with wisdom from scripture, myself,
and others.It’s a practical advice book for young people who are just launching out ontheir own for the first time. I had fun compiling it and making it easy toread.

Do you ever receivenegative reviews from readers? If so, how do you respond when you see them?  

Honestly, it doesn’t bother me. I have a thickskin, because I deal with rejection all the time from publishers. So, when areader posts a negative review I remember not everyone has to like me or mybooks. That’s ok. A lot of people didn’t like Jesus either.

Tell us about whatproject you are currently working on. 

I’m working on a book that offers 100 discussionquestions you should ask your fiancé before the wedding. It is an expandedversion of an articleI wrote for Focus on the Family based on the pre-marital counselingI have done with couples as their officiant.

Has your writingcrossed over into other areas? If so, how? If not, will it? 

I have written flash fiction a few times and a fewshort film screenplays that won awards at film festivals. One in particular istitled Jangled.I enjoy writing these because they are quick to complete, and they help medevelop the skills for a longer work of fiction in the future. Creating storyfrom scratch is so much harder than nonfiction. I really admire authors who canwrite engaging stories with interesting characters.

As a writer, what is“success” to you? And has that “definition” changed over time as you havetraveled down the writer’s path? 

It used to mean obtaining a good contract from alarge pub house and selling thousands of books. I was one of those authors whofelt that only traditional publishing through an agent was the way to go. Overthe years, however, my definition of success is “finishing the book and makingit available” to those who need it. If that means self-publishing and onlyselling a few hundred, so be it. We only have a few short decades on this planet, and we each have a lot of valuable information, advice, and stories to pass onto others. Matthew 25 reminds us that if we are to be good stewards of thetalents God has given to us, we must work to invest those, not bury them on ourhard drives.

What’s the craziest thing you haveever done?  

I was going to say skydiving for my 50th birthday but maybe that’snot so crazy these days. A lot of people have done that. So I’ll go with eatinga tarantula and a rat. Yes, you read that correctly. In Cambodia I ate a friedtarantula. And in Africa I ate a BBQ’d rat because someone dared me.

That's why I could not be a world traveler to just anywhere. God banned certain things in the Old Testament for a reason. I'm convinced tarantulas and rats didn't make the cut in Acts 10 when Peter saw the sheet come down from heaven. Just sayin'... 

We know “Readers are leaders, andleaders are readers.” Is there a book you’ve read in the past five years or so thathas helped you become a better you? If so, which one was it, and how did itaffect your life? 

Chosen by God by R.C. Sproul. It changed my entire spiritual life and openedmy eyes to the amazing fact that I can bring nothing to the table when it comesto being born-again. God brought it all, and my salvation is not fragile. If youstruggle with your identity in Christ and your security as his child, this bookis for you.

I love R.C., but I have never read a book by him yet. Guess what's going on my TBR list?

When you look for a new home, whatare the things that are important to you?

I prefer newer homes, because I’m not a fixer-upper kind of guy. I need a greatview from the front or back. I need a room for my writing studio and a spareroom for company. A nice yard is important to me. I need lots of natural lightinside. In my bathroom, I don’t like open floor plans….I need a toilet room witha door please. LOL.

What Bible scripture has impactedyour life the most, and why?  

Phil. 3:12 is my favorite verse. It reminds me how desperately I need Christ tocontinue transforming me.

Isthere anything else you’d like to share with our readers about you, or anythingwe didn’t cover?

I love helping other writers. Teaching at writer’s conferences and sharing myknowledge is fun, and I love spending time with my peeps. When I’m not attendingthose, I enjoy coaching authors through Purple Mountain Literary Services. It’sso life-giving to me to help writers improve their craft and get a leg up by learningabout the industry. I have a few openings for clients, and if any of yourreaders are interested, I’m happy to connect through my website attezbrooks.com  

Okay, readers, you heard him. Looking to improve your writing career? There you go. "Get a wiggle on," as Vera Stanhope would say.

But if not, and you're just looking for more books and articles to read, then check out Tez's website and social media accounts:

TezBrooks.com

Facebook

Twitter

Thanks, Tez, for taking the time to stop by the Florida Front Porch and chat for a while. And to our readers, your numbers are growing! We're almost at 100,000 hits! Thank you for making ABTS and all this blog has to offer a success!

Until next time, which will be in December, May God bless America, and more importantly, may America bless God!

Kevin 

 

PS - And don't miss out on Kevin's latest book, A Pulse of Time (A Blake Meyer Thriller - Book 5 of 6). Book 6 - the final "chapter" - is slated for release Dec. 2024!

 

Author Behind the Story Blog Series - Lynnette Bonner

 

The more I traverse this road we call "Life," the more I realize how little it is about me. Contrary to the mantras of the selfie society we currently live within, and where Narcissus would stand and clap all day long in appreciation of millions of people who believe as he did, I find myself becoming smaller. Not physically, mind you, although I would welcome a little of that, specifically in the weight department. Not psychologically, for I've never felt more alive than I do these days and have no suicidal ideations whatsoever. Not emotionally, as if I'm about to burst into song from the '70s. Not spiritually, beating my back with a whip, chanting "Woe is me."

I've become what the Bible calls a "slave of Jesus Christ." And He is my Master. 

I know. I know. You're probably asking, "Where does it say we're slaves?" You might even be thinking, "We're called "servants" in many instances, but never slaves, unless you're talking about being a 'slave of righteousness.' But to call ourselves 'slaves' is demeaning, offensive, and downright mean in today's society."

I challenge you to do a word study. Look up the word "kurios" in the Greek New Testament. Sit down with a cup of coffee, because it will take a while. It's used 747 times. It's the word "Lord." And it means someone who has complete dominion over another. A ruler, a master, who is supreme over others. It is a reference to Jesus. It is Him by another title. And when you are this kind of person - a Master - it is understood that you have "slaves." You cannot be the master over nobody. And in the world where Jesus, John, Peter, Paul, and the remaining disciples preached and wrote their epistles, they understood this relationship very well. It became the dominant motif, the dominant metaphor in the New Testament. 

The word "slave" is the word "doulos" in the Greek. It is used over 150 times in its various forms. It is unequivocal in its meaning. It means exactly what you probably think it means. A "slave" is owned by his or her master. A slave has no rights. A slave does not get to choose where he or she wishes to work, like a servant does, by the way. A slave was a tool in the days of the Roman Empire. A master could kill his slaves with no repercussions, no reprisals in the courts, nothing.

When one starts to dive into this study and sees the metaphor come alive and thus explain our true relationship to Jesus and God (if you look at the Septuagint), then verses like "You were chosen" come alive. Verses like "You are not your own. You were bought with a price" come alive. Verses like "You cannot serve two masters" come alive. When you start to look at all the verses describing our relationship with Jesus in this way, then the Bible really starts to make sense. 

Unfortunately, throughout the centuries, translators have translated doulos as "servant." There are six Greek words that can be translated "servant," and doulos was never intended to be one of them. Why? Because a servant "works for someone else." A servant can pick and choose who that employer is. A servant can take his daily wage and go home. A servant can resign and move on to "greener pastures," if HE OR SHE CHOOSES to do so. A slave, on the other hand, does not have those luxuries. A slave is totally dominated and owned by the will of another, i.e., his or her master. This is why Jesus says on more than one occasion things like, "Why do you call me 'Lord,' but you do not do what I command you to do?" That's the language of a master to his slaves. Slaves do not get to choose to be OBEDIENT. If the master chose them from the slave market (the slave market of sin, in this case), then He expects them to be obedient. No questions asked. And as they prove their allegiance, then He calls the "friends" (John 14) and shares His Father's Will with them more and more. 

So why do I bring all this up? I do so because of two reasons. One, as I mentioned before, I am becoming smaller. I am doing so as I become "a slave of Jesus," just like the disciples and the apostles were. They often started their epistles by describing themselves as a slave of Christ. They did not see it as offensive. They embraced it, because it was the best and most complete way to describe their relationship to their Lord and Savior. Even Paul said how we must be able to proclaim "Jesus is Lord," in Romans 10:9. To truly declare that, one MUST be a doulos. He cannot be "Lord" (kurios) if you are not His doulos. (This might explain why the church as a whole has so many issues, particularly in America. We like being obedient when it is convenient to be so...just like a servant.)

The second reason is why I started this blog so many years ago. To promote other writers, whether my writing career took off or not. I thought it could become a "database of other writers" readers could discover, and in doing so, maybe find a new "favorite" author. Little did I know how God would bless this blog. We are almost at the one hundred thousand hits milestone. Did you hear that? ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND! I am totally blown away at how He has grown this site from its meager beginnings to what it is today. Over the last couple of months, we've seen over three thousand hits alone. That's a 500% increase from the end of last year. And we don't even post as many authors a year as we used to. We used to do one a month. Now we do one a quarter. Yet, God has blessed less with more. That's sounds biblical, doesn't it?

In keeping in step with Him and the purpose of this blog, I want to welcome our next guest to the Florida Front Porch. So, pull up a chair, grab some sweet tea, and welcome a fellow author I have known for years from afar. We "met" as published authors of a now-defunct traditional publisher and have remained  "virtual" friends over these years since. She's self-published now, with great success, and is an "information hub" when it comes to that world. She was a guest back in 2019, but I'm sure things have changed since then, right? Please welcome once again, Lynnette Bonner!

Lynnette, we always start off with this question. In fifty words or less, who is Lynnette Bonner? 

I was born and raised in the heart of Africa where my parents were missionaries. Without TV, I spent many joyful hours lost in the depths of a book (even if I had to do it with a flashlight after I was supposed to be asleep at boarding school.) I write spellbinding historical romances full of heart-pounding romantic tension that are uplifting, clean, and wholesome! There are no sex scenes or cussing. Each book includes an inspirational faith thread that brings the reader hope and joy.

Are you married? Single? Have kids? 

I’ve been married for over 32 years. We have four kids and two grandkids. Also a Pomeranian Chihuahua mix and a Ragdoll cat who are more work than the kids ever were!

That was smart. You answered the pet question without answering two questions separately. 

When the words aren’t flowing, what is your favorite comfort food and why? 

Chocolate and coffee. Sadly, the older I get, the less chocolate my waist can handle!

Everybody seems to have a bucket list. Do you? If so, what’s on it? If not, why not? 

I’ve always wanted to visit Australia. Haven’t been able to do that yet. I did recently get to fly in a hot air balloon, and that was awesome! It was something I’d been wanting to do for a long time.

Besides storytelling, what talents do you have? 

I’m a graphic artist who has worked on book cover design since 2012. I’ve worked for many wonderful clients over the years, and several publishers, one of which I’m still working for. I recently had to scale this business way back in order to keep up with writing stories.

Do you have a crazy, interesting, behind-the-scenes story about the publishing world you’d like to tell your readers without boring them to death with industry gobbledygook? 

When I was first pitching books to publishers back in the 1990s, I got rejected by all of them. Through the years, between giving birth to three boys and a girl, I worked on my craft, took writing classes, read all the articles and writing-craft books I could find. In the early 2000s we moved from Idaho to Washington. I was homeschooling three boys and had a toddler, and simply had no time for submitting my book to publishers. I remember praying and telling the Lord, “You gave me that story, and if You want it published, You’re going to have to drop a publisher in my lap.” Christmas of 2006 rolled around and on Christmas Eve of that year, my mom (who is also a writer) sent me an email. She said she’d learned of a new publisher that was just opening their doors and sent me the information. They did not require a (much dreaded) proposal, only a cover letter and the full manuscript. The kids were all in bed, not soundly sleeping, but being good because the next day was Christmas. I sent the publisher an email that night. Honestly, I figured it would be another in a long line of rejections. But six months later I got an email that thrills the heart of any author. “We want to publish your book!” God quite literally dropped that publisher in my lap, which is what gave me the confidence to know that I COULD live this dream that I’d had since Junior High. I’ve been an independent author (not through a publisher) since 2012, but that contract was what gave me the courage to start!

Of all the stories/books you have written, which one is your favorite? And what compelled you to write this story? 

If I had to choose, I would say my stand-alone On the Wings of a Whisper. It took me fifteen years to make sure I had the research on that book right. It is set in Africa starting in 1866, during the time of missionary explorer, David Livingstone.

Tell us about what project you are currently working on. 

I’m currently writing a series that starts in Independence, MO, and then continues on the Oregon Trail. I’m loving it! History and romance are my favorite things!

What’s the craziest thing you have ever done? 

That might be a toss up between eating crazy foods like fried flying ants, escargot, or sea turtle and going up in a hot air balloon, depending on what your fears are. 😊

I have a hard time eating vegetables. Flying ants? Snails? Sea turtle? I'll pass. 

When you are looking for a book to read, what are the things that are important to you? 

I love suspense, romance, and history. If it has one of those elements, chances are it will catch my interest. The cover does have to be well done (If the author doesn’t care about the cover, then chances are the writing is also not strong—not always, of course! But this is a truth I’ve noticed over the years.) I tend to read more contemporary romantic suspense verses historical romance like I write. I think that’s because it gives my brain a break from my own genre.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about you, or anything we didn’t
cover? 

Thank you for having me! I’m glad to share a little about myself with your readers. As a pastor’s wife, and entrepreneur who wears too many hats, I don’t do blog posts very often, but Kevin and I go way back to that first publisher I mentioned above. So it’s been fun to chat with you all today!

Thank you, Lynnette, for taking time to connect with our readers. I know they appreciate it.

Dear Readers, if you want to get to know more about Lynnette's writing, you can find her at the media outlets below:

Lynnette's Website: www.lynnettebonner.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/lynnettebonner 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@lynnettebonner

Until Next Time,

Kevin

Author Behind the Story Blog Series - Frank Stanfield

When it comes to this blog, it's hard to believe we've eclipsed 88,000 hits. When it started years ago, It was designed to be place where I was showcasing writing I was doing for various websites. Then, one day, I decided to shift the focus to fellow writers on a similar journey. Now, here we are, multiple authors into the process, with a database readers can visit for the purpose of finding new authors to read. With over 88,000 hits, I'd say it's working.

So here we are now, in March of 2024, waiting for the shoe to drop. It's an election year. The exact same scenario is setting itself up for a repeat performance. Big wigs are building bunkers and selling off stock. It's hard to ascertain why, but in the words of the Navy captain in The Hunt for Red October, played by Fred Thompson (no relation, by the way), these people "don't take a dump without a plan."

We all know what happened in March four years ago. Three months prior, CEOs like Bill Gates were stepping down from their positions. I counted fifteen at one point. Couldn't put my finger on why then. Now, hindsight is 20/20. 

I bring all this up just to say that things are brewing. We'll see it soon enough. I say someone has been reading my Blake Meyer Thriller series and is using it as a playbook. Let's hope not. The contagion Blake is fighting makes COVID looks like the swine flu. Remember that? Neither do a lot of people.

Our next author to be featured on the Florida Front Porch walks in these halls of which we speak. He writes about the news. He tells the stories that sometimes keep us up at night. But he also writes stories of hope too. If you live in central Florida, there is a good chance you have heard of him. He wrote for the Orlando Sentinel for years. Now, he is a regular contributor for the Daily Commercial. His coverage of the vampire cult in Florida that made national headlines has taken him to the set of The Discovery Channel, the Oxygen Channel, CourtTV, and multiple documentaries over the years.

Please welcome my fellow author, brother in Christ, and longtime friend and former neighbor, Frank Stanfield!

It's a tradition to give us a quick bio here in the Florida Front Porch.In fifty words or less, who is Frank Stanfield? 

I have been a newspaper editor and reporter for morethan 40 years, mostly in Florida, where I have covered murder and mayhem,hurricanes, alligator attacks…you name it. I have a good imagination, but youcan’t make this stuff up. It’s too crazy.

Before you ever got a notion ofbecoming a writer/author, how old were you, and what were you doing in thattime of your life? 

Iliked writing and loved reading newspapers, comics, and books, even as a youngchild. When I learned that Clark Kent/Superman worked for the Daily Planet, Iwas in.

That explains your frequent trips to the phone booths in those early days...

What educational background do youhave?

High school teachers in Jacksonville, Florida, took pity on me or wanted me to go away.The Air Force was a real-life education, then a B.A. in political science,University of North Florida, and a master’s in journalism, University of Georgia. Ihad to get away from a terrible job at a Georgia newspaper, and I parachutedinto Bulldog paradise.

No such thing. Red and black are incidentally the colors of Hades. Orange, blue and green, on the other hand, are the colors God gave our beautiful planet when He created it. Just sayin'... (Can you tell there is a rivalry here? - Even though Frank is a Georgia fan, my Christian faith says to forgive him and love him anyway.) 

Okay, enough with the nonsense.

Are you married? Single? Have kids? 

I’mmarried with three daughters and six grandchildren. Talk about real life! Ajoyous real life. Surrounded by females, I know more about women than any otherman – and I still don’t know anything.  

I’m going to give you a shotgunlist of favorites. List your favorite in each category and then tell us in onesentence why it is your favorite. 

 

FavoriteSong of All-Time: My Girl by The Temptations, a sweet love song byone of most exciting groups ever.

FavoriteNon-Fiction Book (other than your own & besides the Bible): TheRight Stuff by Tom Wolfe recounts the early heroes of the space program.

FavoriteBible Verse:Rev. 21:4. God keeps his promises.

FavoriteMovie: Casablanca. Ingrid Bergman’s character is so beautiful, infuriating, and loving.

FavoriteActor or Actress: Humphrey Bogart played tough guys with depth (I loveold movies).

FavoriteTV Show:Keith Morrison must write his own well-crafted scripts on “Dateline.”

FavoriteNovel (other than your own): The Prince of Tides storyline venturesoff, comes back, yet still stays on a soulful track like an elaborate jazztune.

Favorite Author(other than you): Pat Conroy (see above) didn’t run from familytrauma, he weaved it into his stories so he could keep his sanity.            

FavoriteSport:Football is a game of brute force, acrobatics, strategy and controlledchin-strap busting violence. Little brother of war is about your tribe vs.another.

FavoriteTeam (Can be any sport, any level): Is there anything better than 92,000fans losing their minds at a University of Georgia football game? (Yes, about 200 miles south...in Gainesville.)

FavoriteSubject in School Growing Up: English literature is like popping thehood and looking into the soul of humanity.

FavoriteSubject Now:Recess.

FavoriteTeacher in School: I had a mad crush on first-year high school Englishteacher Joyce Wilkins, who was also the student newspaper faculty advisor.

FavoriteTime of the Year: What’s more invigorating than autumn with a nip inthe air, leaves showing their dazzling colors, and college football?

FavoritePlace to Vacation: Savannah keeps its Old World charm and its tablesgroaning with fantastic Low Country food.

FavoriteDrink:Tea should be ice cold and so sweet your tongue almost knocks your brains out.

FavoriteFood:Cheeseburgers are meant to be thick and juicy and topped with Vidalia onions.

 

 

When the words aren’tflowing, what is your favorite comfort food and why? 

Whatever Ican get my hands on.

If your life was astory, and you were the lead character, what kind of role would you play? (Wouldyou be the romantic lead? The comedic sidekick? The stern office manager? Thewarrior? Or what?...based on yourpersonal life story.)

I would be a cynical, sometimes comic homicidedetective.  I always want to know WHY.

For all the petlovers out there, answer this question: Do you have any? 

I’m married to the crazy cat lady.

What makes youcringe? 

Ssssssssnakes make me set the world’s high-jump record.

Everybody seems tohave a bucket list. Do you? If so, what’s on it? If not, why not?

I want to dance at my grandkids’ weddings.   

Do you have afavorite line from a movie or book? If so, what is it? 

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way–in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.” - A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

If you had your lifeto live over again, besides being an author (which we guess would be yourobvious answer), what profession would you choose? 

I don’t look back. Being a newspaperman has been anadventure, but I had a chance to teach at the college level, and I sometimeswonder what that would have been like.

If you could go backand have a “do over” concerning something in your life (we’re thinking aboutsomething non-writing related here), what would you have done differently?

Hopefully, there’s not that many, but I would like togo back and not hurt the people I have burned with an extinguished hot match heador a flaming blow torch.

You're speaking metaphorically, right?

Besides storytelling,what talents do you have? 

When I’m not writing about people beingeviscerated, flayed, or wrecked emotionally, I can make people laugh. I actuallyenjoy public speaking.

If your life was amovie, what movie would you choose? 

How great would it be to be in one of those old MGMmusicals, singing and dancing, getting, losing, and regaining the pretty girlat the end? Happily ever after. The end.

If your life was aTV show, what TV show would you choose? 

“Quantum Leap.” The main character time travels tofix things so history comes out right. How great would it be to avoid mistakes,to be a better person, not waste time on trivial things, to meet THE ONE earlier,and be a Christian sooner.  

Besides the usual things authorsface, has there been an unusual event that changed your perspective about beingan author?

Thereis not one thing that changed me. Life-changing events are links in a chain,the most interesting links are those that threaten to break you, includinglosing those you love.

Of all thestories/books you have written, which one is your favorite? And what compelledyou to write this story? 

If you’re lucky, you get to cover one huge, unforgettablestory that grabs everyone’s attention. The teen vampire cult murder story gave me achance to peer into the bottom of the barrel of human depravity. It’s prettyscary to think about the thin veneer of civilization.

Do you ever receivenegative reviews from readers? If so, how do you respond when you see them? 

One person complained that the stories read like newspaperaccounts, and another said it was too much behind-the-scenes. If you pay toomuch attention to critics you get outside of your self. 

As a writer, if youhad one thing you would do over again, what would it be?

I would be bolder, adding fiction to my body of work. I aminexplicably reluctant to move a novel out of
my desk drawer, to at least tryto get it published, and it’s a pretty good yarn.

Tell us about whatproject you are currently working on. 

My novel is about a veteran who suffers from PTSD who meetsa woman who has her own issues. When I mentioned this recently to anotherwriter he said, “It’s much needed. It could help someone.”  

What surprised youthe most during the research for the book you are currently working on?

I have been surprised by the vast number of peoplewho suffer from PTSD: combat veterans, first-responders, social workers, crimevictims, and others. I joke that I was in the military and covered horrendous crimes, but the only flashbacks I have are from the year I taught in middle school.

Those of us who have taught middle school know EXACTLY what you are talking about. We should have received combat pay.

Knowing what you knownow about writing, publishing, etc., what piece of advice would you give to theperson thinking about writing that novel they have always wanted to pursuesince they were young, or the person who believes they have a non-fiction bookin them that would be helpful to others? 

Write about what you know, even if you’re young and don’tknow much. Every life story is unique. Keep telling yourself that there arereaders who will buy your book, despite what gloomy agents, editors, andpublishers say.

Has your writingcrossed over into other areas? If so, how? If not, will it?

I tell myself that I am too busy doing freelance journalismto write anything else. The truth is, I have a file cabinet stuffed with clippingsthat could be the basis for crime fiction, but the Lazy Boy recliner calls myname every night.

As a writer, what is“success” to you? And has that “definition” changed over time as you havetraveled down the writer’s path? 

Success is having people read your work.

If you had one person you couldmeet (think outside the Bible here) and could spend as much time as you wantedwith that individual, who would it be and why? 

WinstonChurchill saved Western civilization while the rest of the world dithered andfloundered against Nazi Germany. After the war he peeled back layers of historywith bulldog tenacity and keen insight. He was also one of the most eloquentspeakers in history. How did he do it all?

If you had one person you couldmeet (think ONLY Bible characters here) and could spend as much time as youwanted with that individual, who would it be besides Jesus, and why? 

WithoutPaul, the New Testament would be skinnier than a flatbread sandwich. What alife! He went from persecutor to fearless ambassador for Christ.

What’s the craziest thing you haveever done?  

Iwas an airplane mechanic in the Air Force, but I hopped in the back seat of a fightertrainer every chance I got, and the pilots let me fly it.

When you look for a new home, whatare the things that are important to you? 

Ihave a home office and room for a few hundred of my favorite books.

When you look for a new car, whatare the things that are important to you? 

Ihave a new Chevy Equinox painted Georgia Bulldog red with a Dawg license plateframe and an alumni plate on the front.

When you are looking for a book toread, what are the things that are important to you? 

I like to think of myself as a “keen observer of the human condition”journalist. What can I learn from the most stressful times in people’s lives,about good vs. evil, suffering, courage, and cowardice?

What Bible scripture has impactedyour life the most, and why? 

Theworld is a mess, but Rev. 21:4 is a about hope, the hope that only God canpromise.

Frank, it's been fun. And I predicted it. Your answers would be short. It's the newspaper guy in you. Cut, cut, cut that word count, and "just the facts, Ma'am." 

Dear readers, if you're interested in learning more about Frank's writing, check out his digital footprint below!

http://www.frankestanfield.com,

https//www.facebook.com/frank.stanfield

Frank Stanfield •WildBlue Press True Crime Website

You can also find Frank on X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn!

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time,

Kevin

Author Behind the Story Blog Series - M. B. Aznoe

 

This Christmas feels different. For me, for the first time in forever, it's not about the hustle and bustle. It's not about the lights and the presents. It's about God. About what He did, invading our sin-soaked world, evading those who wished to kill Him before He ever spoke one word, and devoting His life, here on earth, for one sole purpose: To pay a penalty we could never repay in a thousand lifetimes. Name one other God who did that. 

You can't. Because none exist. All other gods demand something from the worshipper as payment. A baby son or daughter to burn in the fire. A trek across hot coals. A climb up a gazillion steps on one's hands and knees. A debilitating depravation of food and water. Do these things, and that god or goddess may allow you to enter their presence. They are all "religions of human achievement."

But not Christianity. It is the "religion of Divine accomplishment." Our God came to us. Our God realized there was nothing we could do to earn a seat at His table. Perfect adherence to the Law couldn't do it, because no human could pull it off. So, if our God wanted to be like the other gods, then He would have left us alone, to burn in hell for all eternity. His rightful response to any questions about His lack of love would have been, "All you had to do was follow the one rule of the garden in Eden. It was that simple. Believe in me. Trust my Word. But instead, you believed in the Serpent, believed his lies, and thought me to be the jealous con artist and the crook, trying to keep you from getting all that was coming to you. But you see, it was never about the tree, really. It was about Truth. And what is not the truth. Who you should believe in and who you should not trust. Sadly, you failed the test. You chose the serpent, so with him you shall reside for all eternity."

I am so happy God did not end the story there. From Genesis 3 on, the Bible is a love story about a God - as awesome and fearful as He is - who came down to earth and dwelt among us. Why? So He could redeem those who cannot redeem themselves. Once we accept this gift, then our allegiance changes from one devoted to self to one devoted to God.

The Babe in the manger. The work of the Holy Spirit. The work of God. It's all because of Him, and for Him.

That's what we are celebrating on the Florida Front Porch this holiday season! 

With wind-whipped storms spiraling down from the plains to mini-heatwaves pushing back from the tropics, it's December in Florida, where 359,000 moved to in the last twelve months, according to a report I just read. Soon, the peninsula will break off, because of the weight, and float out into the Atlantic. If it doesn't sink, then all that land becomes island property. And those of us in the interior suddenly have oceanfront views. It's a win-win (wink-wink).

Therefore, to round out the year of 2023, we want to celebrate some Floridian authors, yes, I said authors, who have a unique setup. Please welcome fellow Word Weavers, M. B. Aznoe, better
known to us as the husband and wife writing duo, Matthew and Bethany Aznoe!

In ABTS fashion, give us a quick bio.In fifty words or less, who is M. B. Aznoe? 

Being the writing duo we are, weseek to explore God’s faithfulness through fantasy, because we can wrestle withreal-life struggles without the real-life baggage that often gets in the way.Our main desire is to encourage and challenge people toward a deeper walk withJesus.

Obviously, you are married? Tell us more.  

Yes, we have been married for over twentyyears, and God has blessed us with six children (5 teenage boys, and oneprincess).

Congratulations! Twenty years. A great milestone!

For all the petlovers out there, answer this question: Do you have any?  

In addition to a house full of kids, we have a dognamed Peppermint (a black lab mix who tops the scales at a hundred pounds), acat named Glacier (a stray who graciously adopted us and manages to tolerateour presence), and a hamster named Lachonk (who pretty much just does histhing).

I saw a sign in a veterinarian's office once that read: "Dogs think they're human. Cats think they're God." That is so true! 

 

Do you have afavorite line from a movie or book? If so, what is it and explain why it isspecial to you? 

Since we are two people, we have two lines. 

The first is from the movie, The Two Towers:

            Frodo asksSamwise, “What are we holding onto, Sam?”

Samwise responds, “That there issome good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it's worth fighting for.”

The second is by J.R.R. Tolkien from the book, TheFellowship of the Ring.

             

“I wish it need not havehappened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see suchtimes. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to dowith the time that is given us.”

Sometimes it feels like we are living in one of those timeswhere we really would rather not be. But God has placed each of us here for apurpose. These quotes remind us that we are not only placed here for a purpose,but we are called to fight “the good fight” of faith.

Amen.

Besidesstorytelling, what talents do you have?

We are both musical people. Matt plays thekeyboard, and Bethany plays the bass guitar. We serve on the worship team atour church and like to write songs (some of which have managed to make theirway into our books). Bethany is also an excellent cook and loves experimentingwith new recipes that she creates on the fly. Matt is a skilled softwareengineer and, in addition to his professional work, is working on anapplication to generate chord sheets that he hopes to someday release to thewild.

Tell us about whatproject you are currently working on. 

We are actively working on the fifth and final bookof the Swordflower Saga. It has been a real challenge to complete due to manylife struggles in the past two years. However, the end is in sight, and we feellike we’re finally getting a handle on the complex conclusion to our series.We’re hoping to be done by March of 2024.

Tell us about yourwriting day. How do you go about writing?

We write whenever we can find a spare couple ofhours, sometimes in the morning, sometimes in the evening. Matt works astandard 9-5 day job, and we are both active in our church. These combined withhaving six children who all live at home makes finding those hours a real challengesometimes. We have a writing nook set up in our bedroom with a large monitorthat we can share. We take turns typing while the other offers suggestions orcorrections or does research on their cell phone.

Knowing what you knownow about writing, publishing, etc., what piece of advice would you give to theperson thinking about writing that novel they have always wanted to pursuesince they were young, or the person who believes they have a non-fiction bookin them that would be helpful to others?

Find a good writing group… like Word Weavers!Seriously though, we published our first four books without having one. Therewere many ups and downs and several mistakes we think could have been avoidedif we had been a part of a writing group. A great writing group encourages youand gives helpful feedback on your work-in-progress. It is so rewarding, and itrevives you with renewed energy to get your project done.

This is so true. Writing is one of those professions where encouragement from those "in the know" helps so much.

How do you come upwith the names for your characters?

We get asked this question a lot, especially becauseour character names are often quite exotic. We start with a good understandingof the culture and language of whatever character we are naming in our fantasyworld. Each of the cultures in our books have their own specific sound and feelto the names they use. The Auxlanders have a more guttural, consonant-heavytone and often use the near-silent “h”, while the Jyrye have a more fluid,light feel using a lot of “ya” (female) and “ye” (male). One other trick wehave used in our current series was to use Biblical names that aretransliterated into the native language of that character. For example, Aaronbecame Ahron. David became Davyed. We even devoted a section of our website tosound clips for all of the people, places, and things in our make-believeworld.

On a fun side note, Khomar Tyrinian was originally the nameof an old role-playing character that Matt used back in college. The name wasbrought forward into the series and split into two different characters. Thecharacters themselves are quite a bit different from the original.

What’s thecraziest thing you have ever done?

We live crazy, but not in the way people mighttypically associate with that term. God calls; we follow and leave the rest inHis hands. One instance of this was when we moved to Texas solely because wefelt God would have us attend a specific church there. We lived in a small, 900sq. ft apartment with our (at the time) 5 boys until God provided us a biggerspace to live. Years later, when we were living in Kalispell, MT (near GlacierNational Park), we felt called to pastor a small church in Poplar, MT (on theflat eastern side of the state on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation). So Mattleft his computer
programming job, and we headed east to heed that call.

Why do youlive where you live now?

After pouring ourselves into the church inPoplar, we were approaching burn-out. Matt was called out of the blue by apastor friend of ours, and as he was explaining all that was going on, ourfriend suggested that we come down to Florida to rest for a while. Filled witha peace that this was God’s answer to our prayers, we left for Florida. We didnot have a job lined up nor even a place to live. We just packed our belongingsinto a storage unit and headed south. God not only provided us a job and a homein which to live, but He also gave us a church with a great youth pastor forour kids which was sorely needed. In addition, He led us to Word Weavers ofLake County. They have been a tremendous encouragement. We had been strugglingto write again after our recent experiences, and they gave us the support andenthusiasm we desperately needed.

What Biblescripture has impacted your life the most, and why?

There are so many scriptures that have carriedus through both difficult and amazing circumstances over the years. As aresult, we had a hard time narrowing it down, but we settled on Romans 8:28.

“And we know that all things worktogether for good for those who love God, who are called according to hispurpose.”

Some might find this answer cliché, but for us, it hastruly been a lifeline that we’ve clung to through some pretty dark and tryingtimes. As the old hymn “’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus” says,

 

“Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him.

How I’ve proved him o’er and o’er!

Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus.

Oh for grace to trust Him more!”

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about you, oranything we didn’t cover? 

Our writing journey began after we watched an episodeof Deep Space Nine. We spent over an hour complaining to one another abouttheir inaccurate portrayal of marriage in that particular episode. Finally, westopped and looked at one another as the thought struck us: why were wecomplaining about someone else’s work? We should write our own.

We had been talking about it for years, and each of ushad created separate fantasy worlds, characters, and ideas. We joined themtogether, combining the strongest elements of each, and set to writing acompelling story with a more realistic view of marriage. And thus spawned theSwordflower Saga!

Interesting how each writer has his or her own story about what launched them into the career they have forged.

Well, readers, like always, we encourage you, if interested, to find out more about our guests by checking them out via their social media outlets. You can find M. B. Aznoe in the following locations:

Website:  www.swordflowersaga.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mbaznoe

X, formerly Twitter:  https://twitter.com/mbaznoe

Until next time, Merry Christmas! And a Happy New Year!

Kevin

Author Behind the Story Blog Series - Catherine Goonen (aka C. G. Clark)

I logged in to upload this post and was pleasantly surprised. Last month, this blog logged over 3,500 hits. The most ever. We're not even halfway through the month of September, and we're sitting at almost 2,500 already. On one day alone, we had almost two hundred. 

I am so happy, because that's why I started this blog so many years ago. It's to be a database of authors and other writing of mine from way-back-when as a monthly contributor to Seriously Write, a once-in-a-while contributor to More to Life Magazine, and other online locations.

However, it's always been about the other authors, of which I am just one, and the field of writing in general.

So, thank you, to all of you who have found us and are making history here at ABTS. We hope you are finding some new authors to read as a result of a blog like this. Otherwise, you would never have known they existed.

Now, to keep up our ABTS tradition of introducing new authors, please welcome to the Florida Front Porch another fellow Word Weaver, Catherine Goonen! 

Cathy, have a seat in one of our Adirondack chairs, grab an "Arnold Palmer," and in ABTS style, give us a quick bio.In fifty words or less, who is Catherine Goonen? Or should we call you C. G. Clark? 

Hi. I’m Catherine Goonen, a grandmother of nine, and marriedto a retired military pilot. Writing as C.G. Clark, I’m an award-winning author,and my characters find redemption, restoration, and salvation as they witness thespiritual battle over mankind’s future when their realities collide with theunseen heavenly realm.

Before you ever got a notion ofbecoming a writer/author, how old were you, and what were you doing in thattime of your life?

Myfather was a computer technician in the Air Force. When I was ten years old, wewere living in Great Falls, Montana, and he took me with him to check the computerin one of the missile silos. I didn’t understand the purpose of such anenormous machine, but the flashing lights and strange sounds fascinated me. It filleda room the size of my living room, and it seemed as if the metal, wires, andbulbs had a mind of their own. It was a tangible perspective of a world whererockets launched into space and people walked on the moon, and my imagination beganto take off with them.

Sounds like a scene out of War Games? Remember that movie? Good movie. Lots of blinking lights in the WOPR too.

If you had your lifeto live over again, besides being an author (which we guess would be yourobvious answer), what profession would you choose?

If mathematics had not been such a nemesis, I might have becomean architect. I always wanted to design something that would make a differenceand stand the test of time, like Frank Lloyd Wright did. I also had a seriousinterest in photography, but never had the time or resources to fully pursueit.

Funny you should mention that. I, too, has dreams of being an architect at one point in my life. Interesting...

Of all thestories/books you have written, which one is your favorite? And what compelledyou to write this story?

Of the five books I’ve written so far, I think Restoration is my favorite. It’s thestory in which I took the most risks, especially for Christian fiction. My maincharacter, Rebeka, is someone I aspire to be when I grow up. She’s stubborn,determined, and has a fierce faith that can’t be shaken, no matter how hard theenemy tries. (I’m getting there.)

As a writer, if youhad one thing you would do over again, what would it be?

To be honest, I would not have listened to all thenay-sayers that kept me from pursuing my writing when I was younger. Even withmy first three books, I made mistakes … everywhere … but I took mygranddaughter’s advice and self-published them anyway. After all, I couldalways revise and republish them, which I’ve recently done. I’m not writing tomake money. I’m doing it because the Lord wants me to write, and I trust Hisplan. As long as I do that, I can’t go wrong.

So true.

Knowing what you knownow about writing, publishing, etc., what piece of advice would you give to theperson thinking about writing that novel they have always wanted to pursuesince they were young, or the person who believes they have a non-fiction bookin them that would be helpful to others?

In a word, write. Don’t let fear hold you back. Don’t letother opinions sway you. Pray about it, get your marching orders from the onlyOne that matters, then get to work. That’s the “pep talk” part. As for thepractical part: read, research, write, read, re-write, and write some more.

And edit. And edit...

How do you come upwith the names for your characters?

Good question. I’ve used name catalogs. I’ve researchednames in other languages based on what they
mean. Sometimes, it’s a name I hearin passing. They all end up in a database where I can find them when I needthem.

Now, let's switch gears and talk about you personally. What’s the craziest thing you haveever done?

I’mnot a fan of heights, nor am I a thrill-seeker of any kind. My husband is theone who will happily experience the Sky-Coaster, the Reverse Bungee, orskydiving. I prefer to watch from a secure spot on the ground. But … I took aliteral leap of faith on my 60th birthday. I stepped off the top of theStratosphere Hotel in Las Vegas to drop 855 feet while connected to a cablecontrolling my fall until I slowed to a standing stop at the bottom. It tookapproximately seventeen seconds from the time I stepped off the platform untilI touched down, unhooked, and walked away.

It's never made sense for me to jump from a perfectly good airplane or rooftop. I guess I'm just practical like that...  

For all the pet lovers out there, answer this question: Do you have any?

I have an opinionated, stubborn, far too smart, very vocal, and extremely loyal black cockapoo named Zander.

You know Zander is short for Alexander, right? And Alexander the Great was very much like your dog, so maybe it's all in the name...

Why do you live where you live?

I’velived all over the country, from Maine to California, and Texas to Montana. Iwas born in Cocoa Beach, Florida, and met my husband in Orlando. When wefinally chose where we wanted to build our final home, we chose Clermont, Florida.Despite how it’s grown, it still retains its old-Florida-charm, and has justenough rolling countryside to satisfy the needs of a flatlander wanting achange. We’re almost equal distance from the east and west coast beaches and wenever have to shovel snow. Granted, we may have the occasional hurricane, butwe know it’s coming can board up the house, head up to Missouri to visitfamily, and clean up when we get back.

We know “Readers are leaders, andleaders are readers.” Is there a book you’ve read in the past five years or so thathas helped you become a better you? If so, which one was it, and how did itaffect your life?

CharlesStanley’s The Will of God: Understandingand Pursuing His Ultimate Plan for Your Life. It helped me to decidewhether to publish my first book during a time when I struggled withunderstanding God’s purpose for my life. Even though I know He has a plan for me,sometimes I need to be reminded. This book helped me get back on track.

What Bible scripture has impactedyour life the most, and why?

Idraw inspiration and courage from Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I havefor you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you afuture and a hope.” This scripture that has given me the boldness to forgeahead and do what the Father has called me to do … write.

Is there anything else you’d liketo share with our readers about you, or anything we didn’t cover?

Writingis the perfect occupation. You can write almost anywhere, with or without theinternet. You can even write “old school,” using pen and paper. No matter howor where you do it, you have the ability to bring characters and worlds to lifefor the enjoyment or enlightenment of others. In a way, God has gifted writers withthe ability to create. Perhaps not literally—only He has that power—but itgives us ways to glorify Him that are unique to each author. It’s also a sacredduty, because words have power. They can build up, but they can also tear down.So, handle your gift with care. Foremost, make prayer your constant companionand keep open those lines of communication with He who equips you to do what Hehas asked of you.

Good advice.

Dear Readers, If you wish to get to know Catherine better, here are some place on the web you can find her and her books: 

~ Website link: https://www.cgclarkbooks.com/

~ Facebook page link:  https://www.facebook.com/CGClarkBooks

~ Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/cathygoonen7

~ FictionFinder link:  https://www.fictionfinder.com/author/detail/2352

~Amazon Author Page link: https://www.amazon.com/stores/C.G.-Clark/author/B0849V5K84

Thank you again for stopping by and make ABTS part of your busy day!

Me wearing my granddaughter's 
sunglasses several years ago.

Kevin

Author Behind the Story Blog Series - Tom Hall

There is one thing I've learned in life. I always joke around and say, "If I had nine days a week and seventy-two hours in a day, I might get everything done I need to do and still have enough time to average five hours of sleep." 

I saw a meme recently that said, "I added up all the time needed to complete my current TBR pile. I will officially complete reading all the books on my 842nd birthday."

I know the feeling. 

Of course, I know having enough time if only the days and weeks were longer is fallacy. Someone or something would fill up the time and then some, and we'd still be behind. 

The point is, l i fe is short. The Bible calls it a vapor (James 4:14). Compared to eternity, it truly is. A teenager may look at an old person and think otherwise. However, the old person knows better, for he was once young and ignorant too. 

This is why we must live life to the fullest, and that means living for God daily, hourly, every minute (Luke 9:23-27) by following His Son.

Our next guest on the Florida Front Porch gets this, I believe. I want everyone to welcome another fellow Word Weaver to the ABTS family, Tom Hall!

Tom, we have a tradition here, besides the virtual porch, the virtual sweet tea, the virtual ceiling fans, and the virtual Adirondack chairs. We ask each guest to g ive us a quick bio.In fifty words or less, who is Tom Hall?

I am a retired Marine with over twenty-five years andseveral continents behind me. I am also a retired state law enforcement officerwith over eighteen years and several investigations and trials in the rearviewmirror. I have taught at the elementary, undergraduate, and graduatelevels. 

Before you ever got a notion ofbecoming a writer/author, how old were you, and what were you doing in thattime of your life?

I am the quintessential late bloomer. I didn’t really startwriting seriously until I was 60. Which actually works in my writing. When Idetail a felony arrest in one of my books, I’ve actually done one of thosethings. Further, when I describe the morale on a nuclear submarine, I’ve seenit with my own eyes. I started because frankly, I wasn’t ready to sit on theporch and watch life go by. 

What educational background do youhave?

My educational background mirrors my late-bloomer approachto life. I did not have a college degree until the year before I retired fromthe Marines. A pretty good trick under Department of Navy rules for acommissioned officer. Then I spent ten years in state law enforcement before Igot around to getting a Master’s in Juvenile Psychology. A few years later, Iaccidentally achieved a Ph.D in Criminal Justice. 

I didn’t know you had a doctorate…See?You learn something new every day.

I know you're married. Tell a little about your family.

I am married to the same wonderful woman (Patty) I met overforty-three years ago. Amazingly, she has remained through several worldwidedeployments, being the typical wife waiting on the Trooper to come home, andthrough it all kept the team together. We have a daughter (the lawyer) and twosons (the veterans). 

Does she get a Purple Heart for sticking with you all these years? :-)

For all the petlovers out there, answer this question: Do you have any?

Our home is one of a constantly rotating collection of petsand animals. From horses to cats to dogs. In the middle school years, our kidsseemed to collect an assortment of animals, including a cow for 4H. Our mostendearing pet is Scooby, who is a massive Great Dane (what else would a dognamed Scooby be?). At present we are temporarily hosting an Australian Shepardcalled, Chilli Dog. Also, the world's most arrogant and overweight cat is called….cat.The cat has allowed us to feed her and remain in our home with her.

I saw a sign one timethat read: “Dogs think they’re human. Cats think they’re God.” I have yet tomeet a dog or cat that does not fit that description, so I get it.

You’ve done a greatdeal already, and I’m sure you’ve cross off a lot of items, but remains on yourbucket list? Or do you not have one?

I don’t really have a bucket list. Frankly, any sort ofplanning for this sort of thing really rests with Patty. I kind of aminterested in having her see some of the things I already have. Personally, Iam too busy with the day-to-day business of life to have a bucket list, or toput it another way, the honey-do list tends to occupy my time right now. 

Do you have afavorite line from a movie or book? If so, what is it and explain why it isspecial to you?

My all-time favorite line from a movie is from Jaws. When Roy Schneider’s charactersees the shark for the first time he says, “You’re going to need a biggerboat.” And that goes to my personal delight in seeing, hearing, or readingabout common people placed in extraordinary circumstances. 

If you had your lifeto live over again, besides being an author (which we guess would be yourobvious answer), what profession would you choose?

That’s an interesting question. One for which I do not havea good answer. From a secular level, I must turn to Hunter Thompson: “Life should not be a journey to the grave with theintention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather toskid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out,and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!” From a Christianperspective, whatever the adventure, it must have our Father in mind first and foremost. I don’treally ponder about “Oh what might have been.” I’ve lived a blessed lifestarting with an upbringing that would cause Andy Griffith and Opey to be envious. Myhometown in Michigan was so boring that I couldn’t wait to escape, which is what I did at seventeen when Ileft for the Marines. Subsequently, of course, there are some regrets, like notgetting my formal education prior to becoming a fossil – that would have beennice.  I do admit a small, slight twingeof possible regret the first time I stepped out of a C-130 and parachuted ontothe drop zone at Fort Benning. However, upon a successful landing, I could onlythink, “Wow, what a ride!” I used to think that I was completely in control,but looking back it's evident to me that I was just a common guy tripping throughextraordinary circumstances. I also can see a divine aspect to this having donesome exceptionally dangerous things and through no action on my part managed tosurvive. The bottom line is that I lived the life that I was afforded (orstumbled into) and in the closing years managed to come to an understanding itwasn’t about me, it was about Him. My guardian angel is thinking, “It's abouttime.”

Besidesstorytelling, what talents do you have?

I have developed–or perhaps recognized–a talentfor listening and observing. It has taken me years to learn to shut up andlisten. To stop and observe this wonderful place and time. I really envy one ofthe Word Weavers of Lake County (FL) authors, Tracy Smoak. The talent, the patience,and the skill to capture those wonderful photographs. What she sees andcaptures has eluded me for almost a lifetime. Too busy moving from one point toanother, I forgot to stop and see. However, in keeping with my late-blooming skill sets, I am tryingto see and hear things that used to get lost in the hustle. 

Of all thestories/books you have written, which one is your favorite? And what compelledyou to write this story?

My favorite project so far is my book Liberty’s Echo. It started with a greatidea. I had to teachmy Constitutional law students about how they are part of the American systemof justice. I gave the class the U.S. citizenship test on the first day. Theresults were frightening. Only one student passed, and then barely. I spent acouple of years pondering this and came up with the book to present the ideasof a representative republic to the next generation of young people (old onesalso). I used the idea of a committed communist North Korean general talking toa retired Marine colonel and having a dialogue about their respectivegovernments. I also was able to base it upon the foundations of WesternCivilization and the Bible. This was a great vehicle to insert themes such assacrifice and how all things work for the greater glory of God.  

Do you ever receivenegative reviews from readers? If so, how do you respond when you see them?

Oh goodness, I’ve had some negative reviews. Theydon’t really bother me. I did enjoy the negative comment from someone inEngland who took exception to my description of the events leading up to theBattle of Concord. All I can say is, next time,tell King George to lay off the taxes. Another reader took exception to mynaming the submarine in Liberty’s Echothe USS Concord. His contention wasthat there was no USS Concord. By the way, it is a fictional story.  Wait until he realizes that the supply ship,the USS Duportail doesn’t existeither. You will have to look up the name to see its significance. 

Okay, so I did lookit up. Now, I wonder how many readers will…

As a writer, if youhad one thing you would do over again, what would it be?

As a writer, I think that I probably should have started earlier. However,that works against my writing in the present. Much of what I write is based onmy personal experiences. To be clear, I am not writing autobiographical stuff,but rather using my experience to place common men and women in extraordinaryevents. I would like to think that my background allows me to fully explore thecharacters, how they react, and why they do what they do.

Tell us about whatproject you are currently working on.

My current project(s) are kind of all over the place.  I have several books written but in one case,I need to write the prologue book – one that sets the rest into perspective. Thisis the Elliot (anglicization of the name Elisha) Heston series. The first bookin the series is nearly ready. In this series, biblical truth is applied to areal-world situation. Since you asked, Book One is Ephesian Sunsets, where I deal with the clinical depression of amain character. Book Two is Dining withPharisees, which deals with public corruption and a serial firesetter. BookThree is The Isaiah Decree, aboutartificial intelligence and murder at the Bushnell Technical Institute (only wecentral Floridians will get the humor).

What surprised youthe most during the research for the book you are currently working on?

My research for TheIsaiah Decree led me to the importance of language. This might seem strangecoming from a guy who wants to write novels, but the deeper I dug into thecurrent rage about artificial intelligence the more I realized that “words andtheir meaning” was the key to the evolution of artificial intelligence. Then,looking at the issue biblically, we find – “In the beginning was the Word…” WhenGod escorted Adam around the Garden of Eden, He asked Adam to name the variousitems and plants…the beginning of language. Our perception of reality is tiedto how we describe it. In the end, words matter.

Oh, I have an entiretalk around this topic. As well as with why Adam was tasked with naming all theanimals.

Tell us about yourwriting day. How do you go about writing?

I am an early riser. This comes from years of physicaltraining with the troops, who train typically in the morning before it gets toohot. Also, being an early riser affords me the opportunity to sit and think insome solitude before the mad morning rush.

Knowing what you knownow about writing, publishing, etc., what piece of advice would you give to theperson thinking about writing that novel they have always wanted to pursuesince they were young, or the person who believes they have a non-fiction bookin them that would be helpful to others?

Get a friend, get a beta group, and join Word Weavers. Finally,jump in. 

Has your writingcrossed over into other areas? If so, how? If not, will it?

I have already published in professional and scientificjournals. Most of that work would put most people to sleep. So, my writing hascrossed from academic and scientific work to fiction.  By the way, fiction is much harder. Anotheraspect is that I have had to learn to be descriptive in my writing as opposedto legally accurate. There are no official homicide reports that start out, “Itwas a dark and stormy night.” Interestingly, though, a few of the homicidesthat I investigated did occur on a dark and stormy night.  

How do you come upwith the names for your characters?

They are derivatives of actual person’s names. Those who arein the know, realize that I am using them as my characters. So far, it has beenmet with good acceptance. On a possibly interesting note, the real personbehind Colonel Sutton in Liberty’s Echocalled me to say how disappointed he was to have been killed within the firsttwo paragraphs. We both had a good laugh. Spoiler alert:  Some of my bad guys are people that I havemet, and my appraisal of their character matches their names. If one cared tolook into it, my protagonist in Liberty’sEcho is loosely translated from Korean as “Mangy Wolf.” But these names arenot derivative. They are known only to me. 

As a writer, what is“success” to you? And has that “definition” changed over time as you have traveleddown the writer’s path?

I have found that the hardest thing in life is simplyshowing up. I spent far too much time worrying about what others would thinkabout my writing. Through my association with Word Weavers in Lake County (FL),I became comfortable just admitting that I wrote the book. In the end, I feltthat success—to be authentic—had to be a genuine effort involving quality. Thequantity thing will take care of itself down the road. 

Looking back, haveyou ever wondered if choosing a different genre would have worked better foryou, as a writer? Have you ever thought about switching genres, or writing indifferent genres?

Yes! Writing in the Christian Genre is a very niche market. Writingnon-romance stories in the Christian genre is minuscule. Christian historicalfiction might be another route, and I have some ideas. In the end, to me, it isabout foundational beliefs, not success. I’m pretty sure that every struggling authorhas said something similar, but going back to a previous question, I write fora purpose.

If you had one person you couldmeet (think outside the Bible here) and could spend as much time as you wantedwith that individual, who would it be and why?

Benjamin Franklin. I suspect that Ben was an astuteobserver. We also know that he was an accomplished orator. Most of my studentsthink that Ben and I hung around Philadelphia back in the day. Not saying I’mold or anything. Regardless, to have a sit down with Mr. Franklin and just talkabout what those crazy founding fathers were thinking would be great. Also, Iwould love to drive him around and show him what their efforts resulted in. Couldyou imagine his terror sitting in the front passenger seat on the interstate? Doyou mean you can travel from Philadelphia to Washington D.C. in a singleday? 

If you had one person you couldmeet (think ONLY Bible characters here) and could spend as much time as youwanted with that individual, who would it be besides Jesus, and why?

Iwould pick Thomas. Not because we share a common name, but because I think thatI understand him. I cannot help but think that I also would be skeptical of allthose “sightings” of Jesus after the crucifixion. Yet, when shown the truth(and literally touching it), he went on to become one of the most adamantbelievers. Thomas takes some hits in history for his doubts, but I don’tbelieve that I am any better in the end. 

What’s the craziest thing you haveever done?

Ihave never done anything crazy. I have always carefully analyzed the situation,weighing different aspects of a probable result against harm or injury. See, Itold you I wrote fiction! The real answer is car surfing. That’s an underratedsport of standing on a car roof while the driver speeds down a road. Those thatsurvive go on to do other spectacularly stupid things.

I believe that’s why TikTok wasinvented. To display the “other spectacularly stupid things” people do.

Why do you live where you live?

I live in Floral City, which is probably the last of thecattle country in western Florida. I live here because that’s where the statesent me when I was a trooper. Prior to that, I lived in Brandon, because theMarines sent me to Central Command. Prior to that, we lived in Japan, becausethat’s where the Marines sent me. The fact is, someone else is always tellingme where to go. Particularly those who review my books. Since retirement fromthe Marines, the State, and academia, I kind of like not having to move foronce. So sleepy little Floral City is fine….for now.

When you are looking for a book toread, what are the things that are important to you?

Iam a voracious reader. In that light, I find myself having to limit my searchesto at least four stars and good reviews. 

What Bible scripture has impactedyour life the most, and why?

Romans1:19-20. The universe is a revelation of God. For me, it is a reminder that forall the supposed intelligence we think we have, God and His creation remain atestament to His Glory.  Further, andthis really comes out in my writing, we remain small, minuscule players in amuch larger cosmic drama.  Ernest K. Gannwrote in his book, Fate is the Hunter,“For all our technological prowess we remained small and insignificant men whostink in the sun.”

Tofurther elaborate, my favorite verses change over time with me. Occasionallyone can hear me shout, “Oh, that’s what that means.” It's been a process overtime. 

If you had life to do all overagain, would there be any changes? If so, what would they be?

This is kind of a difficult question for me. If I had to doit all over again, me being a gazillionaire would be kind of cool. But….then Iwould have to give up something I did. I am not sure that I would be willing totrade the places I went or the things I did for something else. On top of that,I would have to relinquish working with and knowing some of the greatest peopleour country has ever produced. I was never a hero, but I met quite a few. Interestingly,the real heroes never bragged about what they did. In fact, they kind of acteda little embarrassed about it. I had adult beverages with Michael Durant who wasthe helicopter pilot shot down and captured by the Somali insurgents. Two DeltaForce operators died and subsequently earned the Medal of Honor for theiractions to save him. This is all detailed in the movie Blackhawk Down. I found him to be thoughtful and humble. A commonman violently thrust into extraordinary circumstances. 

Is there anything else you’d liketo share with our readers about you, or anything we didn’t cover?

My biggestkick in life is helping others. Looking back I see a trend of service to anation, to a state, to a community, to the church, etc. That’s why I reallylike the writing community. I get to read other believers' books, steal theirideas (just kidding) and learn from them. I like the Word Weavers format, andwhile I have no interest in being an editor, I do enjoy beta reading for othersand offering hopefully good advice. To that point, the Word Weavers of LakeCounty (FL) have been one of the best and biggest blessings in my life. Belowgrandkids but certainly above mowing the yard. 

Thisis another weird thing about me. I am not on social media for the mostpart.  But, I can be reached at thomashall887@gmail.com. Ephesian Sunsets will come out laterthis year.

Readers, you can find Tom's books on Amazon, so check them out, and if you have questions, or if you want to find out if and when he will have social media, a newsletter, etc., send him a quick note via email.

Thanks for stopping by, and as always, May God Bless America, but more importantly, May America Bless God first.

Kevin

 

PS - And just in case you didn't know, Kevin's Blake Meyer Thriller series is getting a reboot! Book 1, 30 Days Hath Revenge, came out in April 2023! Book 2, Triple Time, will be out very, very soon (by the middle of June)! Books 3, 4, 5, & 6 will be out this year! You can keep track by visiting his website:  www.ckevinthompson.com !

A Clandestine Mission.
A Cryptic Message.
A Chaste Moment.

Blake Meyer dreamed of a peaceful end to a dutiful career with the FBI. Married now, his life was taking him in a new direction – a desk job. He would be an analyst. Ride it out until retirement. Be safe so he could enjoy family life.

But when a notable member of the IRA is murdered in his London flat, Blake’s secretive past propels him into middle of an international scheme so twisted and sadistic, it will take everything Blake possesses – all of it – to save the United States from a diabolical terrorist attack.

Author Behind the Story Blog Series - Tracy Smoak

Time.

I've heard a lot of references to it lately. In movies, in TV, personal conversations, overhearing other conversations. It seems the concept of "time" is on everybody's mind these days.

"Time is a predator. It's stalking you.""Time is running out. The world cannot go on like this indefinitely.""Time is what you make it.""Ain't nobody got time for that."

I don't know if it's my own physical mortality taking notice because I realize I have much less time ahead of me than I have behind me. Or maybe it's "my ear to the ground," listening for the "thief in the night," who will come and snatch me away to be with Him as His follower (Matthew 24:41-42). The times we live in sure look like they could be the Last Days. Yet, when you think about it, we all have "last days," don't we? Every generation has. Today could be your last day of your last days. Or this month of March could be. Or maybe the remainder of 2023. Jesus could come back before you finish reading this blog post.

Point is, God has counted every hair on your head and mine. He knows us that well. And for some of us, it didn't take Him long to complete the mathematical procedure. :-) He also knows how much longer we have on this round rock we call Earth. This world isn't going to last forever. He's going to make it implode (2 Peter 3:10). He's going to create a New Heaven and a New Earth for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Revelation 21). He's going to make things like they were intended to be back in Genesis 1-3, before the serpent showed up and lied to Adam and Eve. 

In light of all this, how are you spending your time? And is it in the presence of God Almighty? An everyday presence that reflects and shines forth the rock-solid truth that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, just like Jesus said it was? 

I hope so. If not, they're are people praying for you. The Holy Spirit is calling, nudging, pointing the way, doing everything He can. But He won't drag you kicking and screaming into heaven.  And Jesus is waiting patiently, with open arms, to welcome you in as a brother or sister.  And God is waiting too. Waiting for you to finally "see the truth" and come to an understanding of who you are in light of Who He is (Matthew 5:3). 

It's at that moment in your life when you can truly say, "Time is simply something this dying world laments. But in the Kingdom of Heaven, time is eternal, so it need not be feared."

It's also moments like these when a writer captures such sentiments and wraps them up in a thing we call a "book."

This brings us to our next guest on the Florida Front Porch, where the rain has been little, the pollen has been much, the heat has been record-setting, and allergy season is in full bloom! We'd love to have some graupel about now.

Please welcome fellow Word Weavers author, Tracy Smoak!

Tracy, g ive us a quick bio. In fifty words or less, who is Tracy Smoak?

A native Floridian, Tracy L. Smoak grew up in Clermont riding horses and climbing citrus trees. Her passion is to encourage others in their faith journey. She is an author who loves photography. She has a wacky sense of humor and adores eating chocolate.

I remember when the Clermont area had citrus trees. From the Citrus Tower, you could actually see citrus. Now, it should be called the "Rooftop Tower," because that's all you seem now. Homes and businesses everywhere.

If you could go back and have a “do over” concerning something in your life (we’re thinking about something non-writing related here), what would you have done differently?

I never would have worn open-toed sandals to work at the maximum-security prison where I taught GED classes to young men!

There's a story there...want to elaborate in the comment section below? Or maybe not.

Besides storytelling, what talents do you have?

Photography is a joy! I love sneaking up on wildlife during nature walks to capture an image. Gardening and flower arranging also are favorite pastimes.

Besides the usual things authors face, has there been an unusual event that changed your perspective about being an author?  

God does have a sense of humor as He invites me to write about areas of my deepest pain such as job loss and failure. The novel that is coming out in June 2023 started with the grief surrounding watching my dad have a massive heart attack the morning of Thanksgiving Day in 2011.

For all the pet lovers out there, answer this question: Do you have any?

I adopted a pit bull six years ago through Cornerstone Hospice’s Pet Peace of Mind program. He snores loudly and rumbles when his back gets scratched. He strolls through the neighborhood as though he were the mayor chatting up constituents.

Do you have a crazy, interesting, behind-the-scenes story about the publishing world you’d like to tell your readers without boring them to death with industry gobbledygook?

In 2011, I wrote Who Brought the Dog to Church? and had an editor commit to a contract. Unfortunately, she soon lost her position as the publishing industry reeled from ebook impacts. Then I had a literary agent represent the book. No luck, so I literally threw the manuscript in the closet for a decade. Gave up on the dream completely. Twelve years later after dusting off the work and going to a writers’ conference in 2021, I got the contract with Ambassador International after deleting fifty pages that were outdated and revising to add seventy more.

It's all about God's timing. (Where have I heard about this "time" thing before...?)

Of all the stories/books you have written, which one is your favorite? And what compelled you to write this story?

Who Brought the Dog to Church? makes me laugh out loud at the characters’ crazy antics. (One may suggest therapy as I “talk” with my imaginary friends LOL). But the story also touches on deeper themes of dealing with grief after the death of a loved one and how to help women trying to escape domestic violence. During 2011, I also trained as an advocate for survivors of domestic violence and met many courageous people. Part of why I never gave up on the story was because I think many who are trapped in abusive relationships will find hope.

Do you ever receive negative reviews from readers? If so, how do you respond when you see them?

I want to cry, then stomp around a while. A veteran reviewer early on gave me great advice: Ignore hurtful reviews, particularly if the writer isn’t coming from a Christian perspective. My job is to write as best as I can for Kingdom glory. If not everyone enjoys the work, then that is their prerogative.

What’s the craziest thing you have ever done?

I do lots of crazy things when I think God is calling me to move forward in faith. I lived in a Mongolian ger during a mission there. I got locked up with young men ages 17 to 21 so that I could teach and maybe even touch a heart with hope. I even dodge snakes walking through the woods and marshes to get photographs for the devotionals I write.

Why do you live where you live?   

I live in Florida because I can go barefoot most of the time and live in shorts. The sun usually shines and creates a diamond effect on the lakes. The natural scenery is breathtaking.

What Bible scripture has impacted your life the most, and why?

Matthew 7:7 – “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened unto you.”

I get bored easily and like having adventures. This passage makes feel confident that if I keep asking to
grow, God will guide me.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about you, or anything we didn’t cover?

Thank you to Kevin and the other members of the Lake County Word Weavers writers’ critique group. They supported me in 2021 when I showed up at a meeting grousing silently to God about why was He asking me to write again when the doors closed a decade ago. That merry Word Weavers crew encouraged me and gave me hope.

We are a merry little band of writers. A group that keeps growing, by the way. It has been interesting to see how God has developed the group over the ten years or so. 

Thank you, Tracy, for taking time to share with our readers. Is there anything else you'd like to add before we wrap things up?

If you like to view short videos with Scripture, music and nature art, please check out my YouTube channel at youtube.com/@tracysmoak. I also have a playlist there “Carnival of Craziness” to provide resources for survivors of domestic violence.

Also, I have another project coming out soon! It's a Bible study with Bold Vision Books, titled Refuge of Grace: Finding Your Safe Place. The book cover isn't quite ready yet, so I can't share it here. But it will be on my website as soon as it's finalized. We will be starting the edits later this month. 

Readers, in addition to that YouTube Channel, you can also find Tracy at these locations:

https://www.tracysmoak.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-smoak-writer-1421308a/  

https://www.facebook.com/people/Tracy-Smoak/100072418337745/

https://www.instagram.com/tracysmoak_findinghope/ 

youtube.com/@tracysmoak

 

Readers, as always, it's fun to introduce you to authors you may or may not have heard about before and give you the opportunity to meet them, get to know them, and possibly find a new author you like.

Until June 2023, take care!

Kevin

PS - Did you know? Kevin's latest work, a novella titled, The Near Distant: Eye of the Beholder, was announced on March 2nd as a finalist in the Novella category of the 2023 Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference Selah Awards! Winners will be announced in May at the conference.

 

Author Behind the Story Blog Series - Suzanne Bratcher

I'm sitting here, listening to Michael W. Smith's song, Christmastime, while I type away. Then I always skip ahead to We Three Kings. They tie into each other so well. The design of the artist, to be sure. 

Despite the theological and historical issues I have with the lyrics of We Three Kings, I still like the music, especially this version. Maybe it's because there are no lyrics sung in this particular rendition. 

This little song list dance I play reminds me, every year around this time, how much being biblically accurate and theologically sound matters to the King of Heaven. There will be a great many folks - good-intentioned souls, mind you - standing before Jesus someday, convinced that they have been servants worthy of God. They probably are fans of the lyrics to songs like We Three Kings too. Sadly, though, despite their busyness, they will find out - too late - that they were biblically and theologically in error (Matthew 7:21-29). Wrong thinking does not lead to righteous living, no matter how good it sounds to the human ear.

Therefore, I am challenged again, to dedicate myself to the God Who became flesh, Emmanuel. Like John the Baptist, I must decrease so He can increase. I must become a beggar, poor in spirit, so I can begin to taste the Kingdom of Heaven. I must mourn over my sin, for it is then and only then when I can be comforted. I must become humble and meek, like a bridled horse (power under the control of another), so I can inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. I must hunger and thirst for righteousness that is of God and His ways, for if I do, I will be filled without limit. I must be merciful, remembering what a poor beggar I really am so that I can be shown mercy at the throne of the Almighty. I must be pure in heart if I wish to see God both now and forevermore. I must be a peacemaker, bringing the only thing to people that can bring about peace, the gospel of Christ, for it is the pathway to the only true peace that exists on this angry globe. If I do this, then God will call me His child. Then, I must be willing to be persecuted, which should not be surprising after bringing the gospel of peace to that angry world who hated my Lord so much, they saw to it He was put to death for delivering that gospel the very first time. I must rejoice and be glad because if I live thusly, my reward in heaven will be great (Matthew 5:3-12).

Being a believer in the Babe from Bethlehem is not for the strong and mighty.

It's for the weak and lowly. So they can become strong and mighty in the righteousness of God.

From all of us at ckevinthompson.com, may the King of kings and Lord of lords become that real to you this holiday season! 

* * *

Now, that brings us to our latest guest to the stable of ABTS writers we have amassed over the last five years! Please welcome fellow Scrivenings Press author, Suzanne Bratcher!

To kick us off, in ABTS fashion, Suzanne, give us a quick bio. In fifty words or less, who is Suzanne Bratcher? 

My name is Suzanne Bratcher, and I live in Arizona. My novels are set in real places in the Southwest:
Jerome, AZ; Chaco Canyon, NM; and the hills around Pikes Peak, CO. Adventures sparked by a mystery, the stories grow from these unique settings.

Ah...from one snowbird capital (where I live) to another (where you live), thanks for being willing to take some time to help our readers get to know you.

Tell us about your  educational background. 

I probably have more education than is good for anyone! My family moved three times while I was growing up, so I went to two high schools: Shawnee Mission East in Overland Park, Kansas, and Waynesboro High School in Waynesboro, Virginia. I also went to two colleges while I was working on my Bachelor’s degree. I attended The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, my freshman year because my family was living in Virginia when I graduated from high school. I qualified for in-state tuition, and I loved wandering around colonial Williamsburg that year. But the social life at William and Mary revolved around campus fraternities and sororities and lots of alcohol. Because I didn’t drink, I had a hard time making friends. My sophomore year I transferred to Baylor University in Waco, Texas. At Baylor the social life revolved around church activities, so I enjoyed my time there. Over the next fifteen years I went to three graduate schools. After five years of teaching, I began a Master’s degree at Baylor. Three years later I completed the degree at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. Shortly after that, I took a job in the English department at Northern Arizona University and was told I needed to get a doctorate. Over the next five years, I completed a Ph.D. at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas. I was an English teacher all the years I was in school, so taking classes became an integral part of my life. When I finally finished my doctorate, I wondered what I was going to do with the extra time I suddenly had.

Wow. That's a lot of school and traveling. So, i f you had your life to live over again, besides being an author (which we guess would be your obvious answer), what profession would you choose? (And semi-professional student doesn't count.) :-)

If I could go back in time and be something other than a teacher, I’d work with plants. I might own my own plant nursery, I might work in a botanical garden, or I might be a landscaper.  Whenever I’m frustrated or upset, I head for the nearest nursery, even if it’s just the outdoor area of my neighborhood hardware store. I prowl up and down the aisles looking for an exciting new variety of ivy or the comfort of an old favorite like a red geranium. I might work with xeriscaping--gardening without extra water, a real necessity in the dry Southwest. For years one of my favorite places in Flagstaff, Arizona, was the Native Plant and Seed Company. There I discovered ground covers, deciduous trees, and colorful flowers that thrive in the high desert. I’ve always had a garden or planters filled with a constantly-changing variety of plants. Over the years I’ve lived in the mountains of Colorado, on the plains of Kansas, in the desert of Arizona, and even on the seashore on Guam. Everywhere I’ve lived, I’ve enjoyed learning the names of the native plants and trees. These days I live in an apartment, but I have plants growing in front of a bay window, including one enthusiastic Begonia, that I have to keep cutting back. I can’t bear to throw away the leaves, so I put them in water until they root and then give the new plants to friends and neighbors.

Besides storytelling, what talents do you have? 

I don’t know if I would call making quilts a talent because I learned how to design and piece quilts by taking classes—many of them twice! When I was in school, geometry was the one class I almost failed, and quilt patterns are based on geometry. It hasn’t been easy to get good at making quilts, but I love bright colors and a variety of patterns. Whenever I walk into a quilt shop, I get the same feeling I had as a child walking into a toy store: there’s always something new to play with. In the last thirty-five years, I’ve made probably a hundred quilts. I still cut beautiful fabrics into squares and triangles and piece them together in new patterns, but I’ve downsized from queen bed quilts to wall hangings and pillow shams.

"Math. Why did it have to be math?" (That was the real line in the first Indiana Jones movie, I think, but they changed it to snakes. Just kidding.)

Of all the stories/books you have written, which one is your favorite? And what compelled you to write this story? 

I guess I’d pick Kokopelli’s Song. Kokopelli is an ancient petroglyph of a flute player carved in rocks along trails from the tip of South America up into Canada. His song is, of course, a mystery. The title Kokopelli’s Song knocked around in my head for two or three years. I finally discovered found the story to go with the title at Chaco Culture National Park in New Mexico. I first visited Chaco driving from Arizona to Colorado. I saw the park on my map and decided to stop. I was amazed at the ancient ceremonial center I saw there. Built in 850 CE, people came from the four corners states and as far away as California to attend religious ceremonies. The center was active for four hundred years. The buildings are in ruins, of course, but you can still see three-story walls, and the outline of many kivas, or ceremonial centers. Intrigued by Chaco, I returned twice and read archaeological research. I also visited satellite sites that were part of the Chaco culture. The Young Adult novel that emerged follows three teens (Amy, Mahu, and Diego) as they race against a waxing moon to prevent ancient evil from entering our world and tipping the universe into chaos. Like a fairy tale, the story takes place in our contemporary world. It was a delightful book to write, and I was thrilled when Kokopelli’s Song won first place in YA in the prestigious Selah Awards (2021).

Congratulations!!

So, tell us about what project you are currently working on. 

Right now I’m working on Tommyknocker’s Gold, the next book in the four corners folklore fantasy series. (Kokopelli’s Song, set in New Mexico was the first book in the series.) Tommyknocker’s Gold is set in Colorado, another of the four corners states: New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah. Like Kokopelli’s Song, it’s a young adult novel that revolves around a character from folklore. Instead of a petroglyph, however, this character descended from the Irish leprechaun. Like a leprechaun, a tommyknocker is a tiny magical creature with a hammer. But instead of a hammer for mending shoes, the tommyknocker carries a miner’s hammer. A tommyknocker is every bit as unreliable as a leprechaun sometimes leading a miner to a rich deposit of ore, sometimes to an empty mine shaft, where the unlucky miner falls to his death. Like all my books, the contemporary mystery is sprinkled with history, this time the history of the Irish who came to Colorado during the potato famine. It’s early days in the writing process, but Tommyknocker’s Goldpromises to be another fun adventure.

Sounds interesting, as does its predecessor. 

Readers like to know what writers do during the day.  Tell us about your writing day. How do you go about making the blank page come alive? 

When I first retired from teaching, I wrote from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. every morning and from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. most afternoons. Three years after I retired, I was diagnosed with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis. When I was in remission (a lot of the time) I kept to that writing schedule. But MS is a progressive disease, and I’ve entered the Secondary Progressive stage. Now my energy is different every day. Some days I can write for two hours; other days fifteen minutes is all I can manage. Some days I sit at the computer and write. Other days I sit in my recliner and dictate words that become a rough draft. Some days I begin writing at 2:30 p.m. Other days I don’t start until 4:00 p.m. I’ve had to learn to be flexible! When I was writing four hours a day, I could complete a book in one year. After my MS diagnosis, I needed two years to write each of the first two books in the Jerome Mysteries Trilogy, The Copper Box and The Silver Lode. My most recent book, The Gold Doubloons (Book 3) took three years. I’m writing more slowly these days, but I’m still writing!

So sorry to hear this. However, blessed are the flexible, for they will never bent out of shape. Right? :-)

Has your writing crossed over into other areas? If so, how? If not, will it? 

During the thirty-five years I was a teacher, except for poems and a handful of short stories, I wrote nonfiction. Besides hundreds of handouts, I wrote dozens of articles for professional journals and three textbooks about teaching writing. Since I retired from teaching, I’ve focused on writing fiction. In the last couple of months, however, I’ve started outlining a nonfiction book, tentatively called Starting from Setting: Another Way to Imagine a Story. Based on a workshop I’ve given to writers, the book looks at how to develop characters and a plot from setting, rather than the other way around. So far all of my novels have started this way. I got the idea for My Jerome Mysteries Trilogy (The Copper Box, The Silver Lode, and The Gold Doubloons) in the very real town of Jerome, Arizona. In the same way, I got the idea for Kokopelli’s Song began in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. And the story for Tommyknocker’s Gold started when I was hiking in the hills around Pike’s Peak, Colorado. Most writers have been taught to begin either with characters or plot, so starting from a setting offers an interesting alternative.

You've talked a lot about where you have lived and currently reside. Why do you live where you do? 

I live in Prescott Valley, Arizona, a town of about fifty thousand.  The most important reason I live here instead of in Arkansas (where I lived until a year ago) is that it’s only an hour and a half from where my daughter and her family live in Phoenix. When I relocated, I chose Prescott Valley because it sits at five thousand feet, four thousand feet higher than Phoenix. (Altitude is important in Arizona because it determines climate.) Phoenix, of course, is in the desert, and summer temperatures regularly climb above 110. But less than a hundred miles from Phoenix here in Prescott Valley, summer temperatures rarely go above 90. Since heat makes my MS much worse, Phoenix wasn’t a good choice. A third reason I live where I do is that I can watch the sun come up over Mingus Mountain (where Jerome is).

What Bible scripture has impacted your life the most, and why?

I suppose the scripture that has impacted my life the most is Romans 8:38-39: For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I think most people cling to this scripture because it promises that death won’t separate us from God’s love. But for me, the critical promise has been that life can’t separate us from God’s love. My grandparents were missionaries, and when I was a teenager, I felt called to follow in their footsteps. But except for occasional mission trips, I’ve never been a missionary. I also believed I would get married and be a stay-at-home mom with three or four kids. That didn’t happen either. I’ve been married and divorced twice. I have one child that my ex-husband raised. I taught my entire working life. My life has not conformed to what I believed God was calling me to. Every time I faced another rip in the fabric of my life, I clung to this scripture. Life, no matter what it threw at me, has never been able to separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Suzanne, thank you for being a part of ABTS!  Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about you, or anything we didn’t cover?

I’d like readers to know that I write for fun - both for readers and for me as I write. My books begin in an interesting setting as I imagine what sort of adventure could happen there that couldn’t happen anywhere else. Usually I find a mystery running through the adventure because mysteries keep characters (and readers) guessing: who isn’t what he/she seems? As the adventure unfolds, I discover the theme embedded in the story. Often, as I look back at a book I’ve written, I see that I was working out a personal faith challenge. For example, in The Copper Box, Marty and Paul were both paralyzed by the past. The theme that emerged was the Apostle Paul’s example of putting the past behind so he could run the race God was calling him to (Philippians 3:13b-14). Because my life has taken so many unwelcome turns, I’m sometimes tempted to be paralyzed by the past. And as my MS has progressed, I’ve had to give up hiking and travel, two activities I really enjoy. Writing provides me with a reflection of past fun as I imagine myself with my characters. In Kokopelli’s Song and The Gold Doubloons I explored ancient ruins. In The Silver Lode it was abandoned mine tunnels. In The Copper Box it was an old Victorian house and a big hotel. I hope my readers have as much fun reading my stories as I have writing them, and I hope in the process they are encouraged in their faith journey.

Readers, if you want to find out more about Suzanne and her writing, you can find her at these
"cyberspatial" locations:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorsuzannebratcher/

Website: https://suzannebratcher.com

Because our next guest won't be until March 2023, here's wishing everyone a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Kevin

PS - And in case you didn't know, I also had a new book come out a few days ago! It's called The Near Distant, a novella series with two other Scrivenings Press authors, Erin Howard and Brett Armstrong. It would make a great Christmas gift for a Young Adult reader in your family, or a regular adult too!

Author Behind the Story Blog Series - Jan Thompson

All is right in the world again. For months, things have been...catawampus...off kilter. With a hint of boring and a dash of "meaningless, meaningless, all is meaningless." 

But now, things have gained focus. The world's flipped right-side-up once more.  

College football is here.

Of course, my tongue is firmly planted in my cheek. But there is truth in my words as well. And if you disagree solely because you are not a fan is grounds for us to part ways.

One has to take a stand sometimes. :-) 

It is in this environment where we introduce our next guest on the Florida front porch. She hails from the same university a good friend of mine cheers on each Saturday in the fall. And it is these friendships that are living proof that God is a God of grace, and Christianity can indeed bring people together as brothers and sisters in Christ who otherwise would get into a knockdown, drag out, bar-fight-like brawl in the middle of a tailgate party.

(If you look closely, my tongue is still firmly jabbing my cheek.)

Anyway, enough with the silliness. It's time to get serious. 

Welcome our next guest, from the world of self-publishing, Jan Thompson! 

Jan, in ABTS tradition, give us a quick bio. In fifty words or less, who is Jan Thompson?

USA Today bestselling author Jan Thompson writes Christian coastal city and beach town romance with flavors of women’s fiction, Christian romantic suspense with elements of mystery, and inspirational near-future technothrillers with threads of sweet Christian romance. Jan’s books are for readers who love inspiring stories of faith, family, and friends.

Before you ever got a notion of becoming a writer/author, how old were you, and what were you doing in that time of your life?

There is a multi-year saga to this. I remember vividly the moment I was typing out a personal letter to my aunt on my parents’ Olivetti typewriter. I was eight years old, and I didn’t have an outline. I was free-writing whatever popped into my head. I don’t recall what I wrote, and I am sure that the sent letter has been lost to time. However, I know that since then I’ve written more and more, all the way through high school, including flip picture books, poetry, essays, short stories, and even comic strips. Anything creative.

My love of writing was not borne out of thin air, but I believe it came out of the reading environment that my parents created for my brothers and me. My parents loved to read both the classics and popular fiction, and they loved pop culture. My brothers and I sang along with nursery rhymes on vinyl records and listened to Mom read storybooks to us. Our family home was filled with books everywhere. As we got older, we started reading lots of fiction, including clean mysteries and suspense.

All that background influenced me later on after college and career. During my off hours from work, I would sew and quilt and paint and write. Around my thirtieth birthday, I prayed to God to clarify my calling in life for me. I felt strongly that all I wanted to do for the rest of my life on earth was to write my books and get them published. Two years later, I finished my first full-length novel. Just in time for motherhood. It would be twelve years before I wrote another book. I wrote part time until my son graduated from high school. When he went to college, I knew that it was finally time for empty-nester me to be a full-time novelist to fulfill my calling.

What educational background do you have?

Go Dawgs! (Here we go...) College football is huge at the University of Georgia, and it was the case even back then in the nineties when I attended the main campus in Athens, Georgia. However, I wasn’t a football fan then, since I had grown up on soccer, volleyball, and track-and-field. I remember not paying attention to the UGA colors when I walked to the library one fine game day, wearing a random purple sweater. You should’ve seen the glares I got from the tailgaters as I walked by them—my brain lost in thoughts of math and computing—while being unaware that I was wearing the colors of the visiting team! What was the probability!

My major was computer science in college, but I’ve always loved reading and writing. I took a journalism elective in which we had to write an essay a day. I finished my homework very quickly. One of my favorite electives was American literature, in which we had to write essays on paper in class for our midterms and finals. I am most creative when I’m writing with a pen or pencil on blank paper. To this day, I still draft all my books on paper.

After college, I went to work for over a decade in the IT world, writing database software programs on large multiuser systems. They say that in God’s economy, nothing is ever wasted. My background in computer science is why I enjoy writing cyberthrillers and near-future technothrillers.

Of all the stories/books you have written, which one is your favorite? And what compelled you to write this story?

Well, I love all of the thirty books I’ve published thus far. Every single one. Nevertheless, if I have to name titles, I would say that my most favorite books at this writing (caveat!) are the first books in my current series. To save space, I’ll just pick sample starter books from three genres.

His Longing Heart (Seaside Chapel Book 1): Christian Beach Romance

I grew up on a tropical island and have always loved the ocean. When I moved to Georgia, I was landlocked for thirty-some years. I hear the ocean and long for the ocean, so when I added contemporary Christian romance and romantic Christian women’s fiction to my book inventory, my beach and island memories returned to me.

Once a Thief (Protector Sweethearts Book 1): Christian Romantic Suspense

I wrote this book because private investigator Helen Hu has been in several books in my coastal romance (e.g., Tell You Soon) and beach romance (e.g., His Wake-Up Call) series, and it was time for her to headline her own story. Her mother from Tell You Soon (Savannah Sweethearts Book 2) must tag along, so I decided to put Mama Hu in jail. This was a fun mystery suspense to write as I put my main characters on a hunt for some bejeweled eggs and the Amber Room.

Zero Sum (Binary Hackers Book 1): Near-Future Romantic Technothriller

As mentioned earlier, my background is computer science. But I’m also a fan of science fiction and fantasy. In fact, in the nineties, I wrote two unpublished science fiction short stories. Thus, it’s natural for me to write this near-future thriller genre where my heroes battle enemies within and without, in the real world and also in the virtual cyberspace.

Knowing what you know now about writing, publishing, etc., what piece of advice would you give to the person thinking about writing that novel they have always wanted to pursue since they were young, or the person who believes they have a non-fiction book in them that would be helpful to others?

If you have book in you and you know God has called you to write, do it. Don’t delay. Don’t wait. Don’t give up. Writing craft, you can learn. Software tools to write in, you can learn. And yes, marketing, you can also learn. However, the story bottled up inside you can only be told by you and no one else.

“Then I said, ‘I will not make mention of Him,
Nor speak anymore in His name.’
But His word was in my heart like a burning fire
Shut up in my bones;
I was weary of holding it back,
And I could not” (Jeremiah 20:9).

While people say “there’s nothing new under the sun” and that “ideas are a dime a dozen,” those are simplistic statements. The way you write your book, the way you want to tell your story, those things are always uniquely yours. This is why you, the author, have the freedom to copyright your own books.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16, NKJV).

Good advice. 

Next question along those lines: As a writer, what is “success” to you? And has that “definition” changed over time as you have traveled down the writer’s path?

Speaking for myself, success is fulfilling the call of God for my life. As I mentioned earlier, I had an epiphany at age thirty that I needed to utilize the skillset that God has already gifted me, which happens to be what I love to do the most: write. It’s not just any type of writing, but it’s a specific creative writing in which I can be free to talk about what God is doing in people’s hearts in the journey of life.

Whether the setting is a church, in a busy city or small town, or in cyberspace, and regardless of genres, I want to show a slice of real Christian life for my audience to read. I want to share about how loving and merciful and forgiving God is. When readers tell me that their hearts are uplifted or they draw nearer to Jesus after they read my novels, then I am encouraged as well. To me, I’ve succeeded.

“That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all Thy wondrous works” (Psalm 26:7, KJV).

Ultimately, my goal is to glorify God in everything I do. Whatever I write, whether non-fiction or fiction, should be a shining light in this difficult and dark world we live in. As Jesus said:

“I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness” (John 12:46, NKJV).

I want my readers to finish reading my books with a smile on their face and satisfaction in their hearts. Since I write under the Christian romance umbrella, my readers expect happy endings every time. And I do too.

Also good advice.

Now, on a more personal, and kind of off the wall way, answer this one: When you look for a new car, what are the things that are important to you?

Safety, safety, safety. After that, functionality. What’s the point of vehicle if it only looks pretty but is not safe or functional? We don’t own a trailer, but it’s always good to know that our vehicle can haul one. We moved from Georgia to Florida last December, and even though we rented PODs, we still had to drive the remainder of our “collectibles” (you might call it junk, but one man’s treasure is…) on a long road trip. A U-Haul trailer came to the rescue, and my husband drove our SUV all the way, as I followed behind him in our Accord.

We usually buy used cars (new to us!) because they’re in our price range. We’ve owned numerous used cars over the years. I remember our first car as a married couple. A wedding gift from my in-laws, our Oldsmobile Delta 88 was a tank. I felt safe in it. When we drove out on the highway, the Oldsmobile was a cruiser. Smooth as a boat on water. I miss that old car. I call it our wedding car because we drove it to our honeymoon on the beach some thirty-three years ago last month.

When I did research for my novel, Look for Me (Vacation Sweethearts Book 4), I was intrigued by the muscle cars of yesteryear. They all look like they had been built with some serious metal, heavy and safe to transport the precious cargo of life onboard. Many cars today have lighter frames, as though they could be tossed about in a gale. Not those muscle cars of old. I finally settled on one, and I made my main character, Martin MacFarland, drive a 1966 Shelby GT350 that he and his father restored in their shop in Savannah, Georgia.

You've mentioned several Bible verses. What Bible scripture has impacted your life the most, and why?

John 3:16 is my life verse. This is primarily why I keep writing and why I love being a novelist.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16, KJV).

No, my stories are not parables. My books are to entertain my readers, cups of fresh water for the weary soul when the going gets rough. I tell my readers to come sit a while in a comfortable chair, read my books, and enjoy the happy endings. Readers who are not familiar with the romance genre might question why I just gave away the endings of my beach romance, romantic suspense, and romantic thrillers. The heroes will not die in a book with a happy ending. They will live and finish well in my story world.

Why do I write such stories? On earth, not all things end happily. In fact, our fallen world, cursed by sin, is filled with many events in history too horrible to imagine. So many sad and tragic endings everywhere. Isn’t it good for us to know that in the future, God wins? In the Bible, the book of Revelation tells us that there is a true happy ending in real life that Christians can hope for. That is the ultimate happy ending that we can rejoice about. No secret about this happily-ever-after!

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful’” (Revelation 21:4–5, NKJV).

Amen to that! Before we close, is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about you, or anything we didn’t cover?

I love to read. I was a reader first before I was ever a writer. These days, I have to read my own books before and after my editors do, so I am rather busy meeting editorial deadlines in my own story world. When I’m free, I read non-fiction books or study a new language or watch dramas in a foreign language. And I read novels outside the genres I write in. I have a policy of not reading the genre I write in at the same time I am writing it. For example, when I am writing my thrillers, I don’t read other people’s thrillers. I might read a historical fiction or a non-fiction book. When I write my beach romances, I don’t read other people’s romance novels. I would read a suspense or a thriller. Right now, I am writing both a technothriller and a beach romance, so what do I read? My fallback is always non-fiction. I am reading a couple of marketing books.

Most importantly, I do my best to read the Bible daily. I feel that one way to tithe my time to God is to start off by reading a few passages of Scripture each day. It matters not whether I’ve checked off everything on my to-do list. But it matters that I sit quietly before Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, and learn from Him. For example, in an epic climb that spanned months of life events, I finished reading Leviticus. My readers tell me that they appreciate reading Bible references in my books, especially my beach romance novels that cover church life. Those were not random passages I grabbed out of thin air. God taught me something, and I felt compelled to share it. I love spending time in God’s Word!

Jan, thank you for taking time to open up your life for our readers. I know they appreciate it an always dig deeper into cyberspace to find out more about our guests, hoping they will find another author from which to garner good reads.

Readers, if you wish to find out more about Jan, you can find her in these locations on the web:

Jan’s Website: JanThompson.com

Jan’s Mailing List: JanThompson.com/newsletter

Jan’s Books: JanThompson.com/books

Follow Jan Thompson at:

·         Amazon: JanThompson.com/amazon

·         BookBub: JanThompson.com/bookbub

·         Goodreads: JanThompson.com/goodreads

·        Twitter: JanThompson.com/twitter

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·         Facebook: JanThompson.com/facebook

 

We will see you in December!

Kevin