June 2017 Th!nk Magazine – Telling Your Story/Testimony

Happy Summer!!! (Ahem, June.) We hope you’ve had an awesome month, and that this next one is better since school is out!!!!! *happy sigh* What’s your story? No, I’m serious, I do actually want to know :). Sometimes our stories feel boring, unimportant, or hard to tell. Sometimes we feel self-conscience or reluctant. But the thing is our stories -our testimonies- are very important! They hold so much power!

….but we’ll get more into that in a minute, just scroll down! You’ll also find a special interview with author C.B. Cook, and *whispers conspiratorially* her newest cover reveal!!!!! *confetti* So without further ado I present to you this month’s magazine!

Advertisement

Book Look – Deliver by Tricia Mingerink

Can something broken ever heal?

Martyn is broken. After torturing his best friend, he doesn’t belong anywhere in Acktar. No matter how far he runs, he can’t lose his guilt.

Leith is broken. While healing from the torture he received at Nalgar Castle, he struggles to find his new role. But can a Blade ever run from his past?

The country is broken. Bitterness divides town against town, neighbor against neighbor. What will it take to deliver Acktar from itself?

They face their hardest battle yet.
Peace.

The book Deliver by Tricia Mingerink, is the fourth and final book in the series the Blades of Acktar (which we reviewed here). It comes out today, April 25th! Yay! (Can you tell I’m excited?). I’ve read it, and it did not disappoint. No one ever writes a book to tell about what happens after the war, after the good guys win, so it was very interesting to see what happened to all the characters we love. I recently re-read the series, laughing and crying my way through it. I think I’d forgotten how much I’d enjoyed it the first time around!

Book Look – Sale!

Okay, Sara here. 🙂 I want to share with you some of my favorite books as of late!

Like most other bookworms, great books make their way onto my “things I’m thankful for” list every year. It’s hard to choose favorites, but I went ahead and picked five books I read in 2016 and am thankful for. (Well, five-ish books… some were series!)

1. Do Hard Things, by Alex and Brett Harris: Also known as a ‘teenage rebellion against low expectations’, this non-fiction book was very encouraging and challenging! I highly suggest it!
2. Counted Worthy, by Leah E. Good: Heather Stone is a 17 year old girl in a futuristic America where religion is punishable by death. Can she get the truth into the open in time to save her dad?  I was thankful to be able to share it with my sister and mom, even though my mom doesn’t usually like this kind of book, she definitely enjoyed this one!
3. Ilyon Chronicles, by Jaye L. Knight: I really enjoyed this series character pacing and variety, and it’s deepness. I’m looking forward to when the next one comes out!
4. Destiny Trilogy, by Sarah Holman: This really fun adventure of Rebellion to win back the galaxy for the true king starts out with one unsure girl. I have enjoyed reading through all of Sarah Holman’s books, however, and they come in lots of fun variety from American Revolution historical fiction to modern-day fairy tales.
5. Blades of Acktar, by Tricia Mingerink: Lieth was and has been a weapon since a yougn age. Is it possible that he is wrong? That his master is wrong? No, those thoughts are too dangerous… but they won’t leave! I am thankful for the wonderful person who utterly surprised me with the first book in the series as a gift.

I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to another great year of reading!

Speaking of more reading, here’s one more thing to be grateful for. Books on sale! In honor of Thanksgiving and Black Friday, a group of independent Christian authors banded together to offer over seventy discounted books on Nov 25-28. There’s literally something for everyone. Every single book listed on Indie Christian Books is on sale in one or more ways. Find discounted paperbacks, dozens of books offered with free shipping, $0.99 ebooks, package deals and more. Even if you have a budget of $0, new reading material awaits you. Don’t know what to pick? The fearless Indie Christian Books team created a quiz that will generate a book list perfect for you! Check it out!

What awesome reads of 2016 are you grateful for? What books are you looking forward to reading in 2017?

A note on the Ebooks Only page. All books are listed as “Sold Out.” This only refers to paperback copies of these titles. Please click onto the product pages to find descriptions and links to discounted or free ebooks. Also, some of the authors this year chose to not sell their paperbacks directly through the site. Those books are also marked “Sold Out” but if you click them open, you’ll find a link to the site where they are on sale and a discount code for you to use at check out.

Acknowledgements: Thanks to Leah E. Good and Kendra E. Ardnek for their work organizing this sale, and Hannah Mills for her fantastic design work on the website graphics. Hannah can be contacted at hmills(at)omorecollege(dot)edu for more information about her design services.

Save

Detailed Dialogue – Chuck Black

Chuck Black is the author of many books, some of which include the Kingdom series, the Knights of Arrethtrae, and the recent Wars of the Realm series which we reviewed for you a few months ago. He is the father of six, and he began writing to… well, we will let him tell you! 🙂

 

When did you start writing books and stories and what inspired them?

I began writing in 1999. The first book I wrote was Kingdom’s Edge. I wanted to find a unique method to inspire my children to understand spiritual warfare and to help them fully grasp the significance of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

 

 

What inspired you to write based off of the Bible?

The greatest story ever told is the story of Jesus Christ. Every other story is a mere shadow of this epic tale. It contains all of the elements of a great story…heroes, villains, good, evil, loss, hope, defeat and victory. The Bible itself inspired me to focus my writing on it. I also wanted my writing to inspire young people to accomplish great things for the Lord and His kingdom.

 

Is it hard using the Bible as the foundation for fictional stories?

No, actually it was quite easy, especially since my work is allegorical. The structure for my stories was already in place.

 

 

 

Are there any other written materials that you find yourself going back to for inspiration or information other than the Bible?

I did a lot of reading earlier in my life. Many of those books inspired me. Unfortunately my time for reading, other than the Bible, has diminished greatly.

 

 

 

Which series that you’ve written is your favorite?

This is a very difficult question to answer because each series is so unique and different from the others. I think the best way to answer this question is that my favorite book/series is the one I am currently writing.

 

 

 

What are some of your favorite characters you’ve created and why?

Sir Dalton, because he is so real. I think many of us can identify with his weaknesses. I loved portraying how his perspective of the Prince (Master Sejus) changed as he slowly understood who He really was.

Sir Quinlan because he was so common and ordinary. God loves using people like this for His great purposes.

Sir Bentley because he was brave enough to seek the Truth no matter the cost.

Lady Carliss because she was pure of heart and unwavering in her commitment to the King…a true overcomer.

Sir Cedric because he is a humble storyteller.

 

What role does your family play in your writing?

My wife and each of my children have all played key roles in my writing. From editing to proofing to audiobook creation, none of this would have been possible without them. Ultimately they were my inspiration behind each story.

 

 

 

Are any of your characters based off of people in your life?

I used certain traits of people I know as a template to create some of the characters. My children were my favorite subjects.

 

 

 

 

What is one thing you hope for readers to get out of your various series of

books?

It is my earnest prayer that readers of all ages will be inspired to live a faith-filled life of adventure for the Lord. That they will see the world through spiritual spectacles and be motivated to fulfill the great commission given to us by the King of Kings.

 

 

 

How has God worked in your life?

God is constantly working in my life. He has shown me over and over that He is faithful. And all He is looking for is for us to say “Yes” when He calls.

 

 

 

What piece of advice do you think is important for teenagers to know about knowing God and honoring Him in their youth?

2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.” Be the kind of person that God wants to show himself strong for. Be sold out for Jesus, live a life of faith, humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and say ‘Yes’ when he calls on you.

 

Thank you, Mr. Black!

*Note: We do not post each month’s full magazine on this blog, to subscribe for free, and receive the full magazine once a month, email us at thinkauthors@gmail.com

Detailed Dialogue – Leah E. Good Interview

Leah E. Good is a daughter of God, lover of stories, homeschool graduate, and passionate orphan care advocate. She lives with her parents, brother, and Shetland Sheepdog in beautiful New England. But she also likes to write. Leah is the author of the book Counted Worthy, and hopefully many more to come. Please enjoy our interview with her!

 

What inspired you to write Counted Worthy?

 

My brain generates story ideas a lot faster than I can write them. One day I was playing around finding Bible verses that would make good story titles. When I looked at Acts 5:41, a story idea started forming alongside the title. Since I was working on a different book project at the time, I decided to just write a short story. That short story ended up being chapter one of Counted Worthy.

 

If there was one thing you wanted people to get out of your book, what would it be?

 

That’s a tough one! There are several big themes in Counted Worthy. When I started writing it, I wanted to engage people emotionally and make the trials of the persecuted church real to readers. I wanted them to not just be aware of persecution but to care about the individuals being persecuted.

 

Do you plan to write more books?

 

Yes! I had hoped to have another finished by now but adulthood struck, and I’ve been giving priority to working and figuring out my trajectory for the future. The current plan is to write a sequel to Counted Worthy. Writing a sequel is proving difficult for me, though, so I may try to get back into the swing of writing by working on a stand alone novel.

 

If there was one thing you thought was important for tween and teen girls to know about following God, what would it be?

 

Hmm. I’m barely out of the teen years myself, so I feel like I’m still figuring this out for my own life. As I’ve observed my peers, I have to say that the girls who are closest to God seem to be the ones who have a very personal relationship with him. Going through the motions of Christianity doesn’t equal effectively following God. We have to take time to be with Him, to learn what He cares about and make it what we care about, to allow Him to shape us and guide us and mold our dreams for the present and future. I’ve always been intrigued and inspired by Proverbs 25:2 which says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; but the honor of kings is to search out a matter.” Take time to sit at Jesus’ feet and search for the mysteries God has concealed!

 

Who is your favorite character in Counted Worthy and why?

 

I almost always fall for a secondary character rather than the protagonist–both in books I read and books I write. In Counted Worthy, my long time favorite is Bryce. A lot of Bryce’s personality is based off my brother and how I imagine he’d react in a situation like the one in my story. Since my brother and I are very close, Bryce is an obvious favorite for me.

 

Aside from writing, what are some things you like to do or that you are passionate about?

 

Orphan care is probably my biggest passion. About a year and a half ago, one of my friends introduced me to a friend of a friend who was living in India serving as a foster mom for twelve orphans there. That young lady recently returned to the United States, but I still stay in touch with the other young lady she was working with. Having that personal connection has been such a blessing to give me a way to participate in a ministry I care about. Besides that, I love teaching in homeschool settings when the opportunity arises. My favorite pastimes include going to museums, swimming, and trying new things.

 

What is your favorite scripture and why?

 

John 14:27 has been my go-to verse for years. “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Remembering this verse helps me to refocus if I’m stressed or scared.

 

Throughout the book writing process, what is one way that you saw God’s hand in it all?

 

God’s fingerprints are all over the entire process of writing and publishing Counted Worthy. The actual publishing stage was probably where His hand was most obvious. As I prepared to bring the book to print, I sent out several endorsement requests to prominent figures in the Christian community. When Brett Harris responded saying that he wasn’t sure he’d have time to read the manuscript or not, but he’d try to, I was elated. It was a total God thing that Brett ended up reading it quickly, liking it, and helping me through the process of gaining funding through Kickstarter and spreading the word to readers who really connected with the story and were blessed by it. It was (and continues to be) an amazing experience.

Thank you, Leah!

…

Want to learn more about Leah, or read her book?

Buy Counted Worthy: http://amzn.to/2a5i6i4

Blog: leahegood.com

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/leahegood

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/leahegood

*We do not post the full magazines on this blog. If you are interested in reading our full magazine each month, subscribe for free by emailing us at thinkauthors@gmail.com.

Save