The above photo is the view from one of our pastures, and this is the exact place where Fragments: Book One of the Seekers Series was born. It was this very spot I had in mind, that I was in fact looking at, when I wrote Lars’s first solo scene in that book.
And do you want a behind-the-scenes tidbit? This was originally the opening scene of what was going to be a much different story . . . but as I wrote this passage something happened that completely blew me away . . . and forever changed the entire trajectory of the book.
And yes, before you ask, I’m the most discovery of discovery writers. It’s such a thrill to watch a story take shape as I write it- because, like you, when you’re reading the book for the first time, I, too, am seeing it for the first time as I write it, and have no idea what’s about to happen, what God has in mind for me.
What incredible fun!
So here it is- that very scene, excerpted From Fragments: Book One of the Seekers Series
Lars looked out over the farm, sighing with the satisfaction of a productive day’s work. The green hillsides shone verdant in the late summer sun while sweet, clean air filled his lungs, his heart swelling along with his chest.
It was such a joy to come here, soaking up the peace and the wide-open spaces, spending the day with his grandparents and soaking up the love, there, too. Besides, Not much he could do at the mill, shut down for inspection as it was.
He stood over Grandpa’s garden beds, holding Grandma’s vegetable basket in one hand while with the other he was just about to pick the reddest, juiciest tomato when a convulsion, something like a shiver, but deeper and more disturbing, shook him. A shadow passed over the sun.
Shading his eyes, he tilted his face upward, but the sky spread out as bright as ever, no cloud in sight. Not even a bird.
He rubbed those goose-pimpling shivers from his bare arms. From somewhere yet distant, there came the bark of tires on pavement. Beyond the eastern fence and far down the hill, a line of three official vehicles sped bullet-like toward the farm. At their passage, the tall grasses bordering the road shuddered in a long, rippling wave which reached even past the field fences, the crops there bowing beneath the blast.
The basket forgotten and left to fall bouncing among the bordering marigolds, he sprinted toward the house and slammed through the front door . . .
Want to read more? Fragments is on sale until Monday 9/22/25, or free to read on Kindle Unlimited, at least for a short time. Don’t miss out!
I have some exciting news about both Fragments:Book One of the Seekers Series and Interregnum: Book Three of The Seekers Series
But first- recently, my wife took this photo overlooking one of our pastures. It so reminded me of a passage from my upcoming book, Interregnum, that I just had to share the photo with you . . . and that passage.
Well, to be perfectly truthful, this is two passages, both happening simultaneously but in two locations, and in both our intrepid Seekers are in grave peril, under siege, and harried by unseen, unnatural forces.
Now- these are both from the original rough, unedited draft- so no fair critiquing the small details!
So here they are, and I hope you enjoy reading them a much as I enjoyed writing them:
Robinson tread soft and silent through the dark, still forest.
The sole source of light overhead flickered in and out of sight as the skeletal fingers of bare branches clawed their way across the thinnest sliver of a moon-face, that illusory motion keeping pace with his progress through these unnaturally silent woods.
Ahead, the open forest floor spread out, striped with silver light and moonshadow. The black tree trunks marched into the distance until they merged, became one, a solid wall of darkness that neither moonlight nor vision could penetrate.
He raised one hand in signal to his team, then stopped to listen. Phillip and Thaddeus’s training had been good, and his team moved nearly as silently as those lads could. Nearly.
But not as silently as whatever were those things ahead.
It had been just a feeling, a glimmer of something out there, just beyond sight. The barest hint of a form melding from one shadow into the next. But it had been no illusion. There was something there.
Because now more movement appeared, flickering, rippling in the far distance, a line of march moving this way, as wide left and right as he could see. The advancing front was so massive it had to be dozens. Hundreds, even.
But hundreds of what?
With one raised finger, he again signaled. Presaged only by a barely felt air current, stirred by unseen movement, one of his men appeared to his right.
“Chief?” came the barely audible whisper.
He put his hand to the man’s ear. “Take a gander forward. Tell me if you see anything.”
“Don’t have to take a gander. I saw ‘em , too.”
“Yeah,” Robinson peered ahead, his eyes beginning to ache as he strained to focus on something that simply refused to reveal any definable form. “But what, exactly is it you see?”
Before his scout could answer, one of the tree shadows directly ahead, not two paces distant, began to unfold. Something massive pounced. Whatever was wrapped in that flowing shadow, it was so big and so heavy, moving so incredibly fast that it knocked him off his feet, airborne and whiplashed, then landing to skid backward a dozen feet on the leaf-strewn forest floor.
Where only a moment before he’d been standing, darkness thrashed and there came a gurgling cry.
[…] attempt to swim across would leave huge vee-shaped ripples in their wake, easily seen on such a glassy surface, so strangely still, as was the air. So still and heavy it made the hairs on the back of his neck rise, as if disturbed by the building electrical charge of some impending storm.
Far to the north, there came a kind of roaring rumble, as if that very storm was birthed in answer to that thought.
A storm wouldn’t be a bad thing, right now. Uncomfortable, certainly, and cold. But a bank of clouds to blot out the thin light of the moon, rain masking any movement in the resulting deeper darkness, would be well to their advantage. And would likely make the patrols all the less diligent.
Phillip searched for the source of that rolling thunder, echoing anew even now. But the sky above, and to the far horizon, was clear of any storm clouds, the stars sharing the deep, black expanse with only a handful of nearly motionless, scudding vapor trails, thin wisps of shadow across the face of the sharp-edged moonsliver.
Strange. From where could such thunder arise? Now with it this shuddering vibration in the air, just below the threshold of the senses?
And then began the whispers, trailing through the sky above like those vaporous clouds, swirling, searching, carving great racing circles through the heavens. And growing louder.
He shot a look at Thaddeus, whose own eyes had grown wide in alarm. “We must go now, no time.”
He waved Thaddeus to follow and began running, bent low, toward the trestle. It was the only way, the only place they had any chance of passing without being detected.
Though a thin chance that was.
No for the news. It’s midsummer and work is progressing well on Interregnum, scheduled to be available for pre-order by November of this year. It’s been such fun writing this series, and if you think the stakes ramped up in Book Two, Inheritance, then you have a real treat coming in Book Three.
But I don’t want to ignore the first book of the series, Fragments, an installment in the story near and dear to my heart, and to many of yours, judging by your emails.
First, we’ve gotten a ton of market feedback, and a great deal, as well, from all of you. The current series covers, created by Jenneth Leed of Inkmarker Design, are gorgeous, and I truly love them . . . so dark and mysterious.
But that feedback has reinforced my own initial reaction to that design- that the icon evoked a sense of the occult. As you might imagine, that’s not a good thing for a Christian book. And because of it, people looking for a Christian-made story often get the wrong impression of mine.
So we’ve decided to do something about it.
I’ve put out a call for new cover concepts, and for the next few months, I’ll be giving the most likely candidates a trial run.
The first of these is currently up on my website, and also graces the ebook on Amazon. A sneak peek can be seen below.
Let me know what you think.
The other big news is also related to feedback I’ve gotten from you.
It’s probably no surprise to you when I tell you I’m no fan of big tech in general, or of big online platforms. In my stories, I do write about a freedom-killing worldwide tyranny in my stories, after all.
Many of you who read print books or listen to audiobooks (like me), prefer to support a variety of independent platforms, like Downpour.com, as do I, and print and audio will remain available wide- anywhere you buy books.
But I’ve learned that’s not true of those of you who prefer ebooks. Well over 90% of the ebooks I’ve sold are are purchased through Amazon (you really love your Kindles, don’t you!), and many of you have reached out to me, requesting that I make the books available through Kindle Unlimited.
Be sure to let me know if you like it, and leave a review!
And keep your eyes peeled, watching this newsletter for the announcement when the other books in the series become available on KU, as they certainly will be.
It’s time to join the battle for our culture- using the Power of Story.
Announcing the launch of my debut novel, Fragments– with preorders beginning around 11/1/2024 and release 11/26/24 in ebook, print, and audiobook.
I had a mission in mind when I began writing- to engage in battle with the enemy- using the Power of Story.
Why, you ask, do you write Christian fiction when the experts say there’s no market for it? Someday I may write the tale of my own rejection of the Bible and of God, at the tender age of 8. It might be titled something like “How my love for great literature nearly led to my eternal destruction.” For the purposes of this conversation, I’ll be brief:
The Power of Story is greater than we realize-
Jesus understood the power of story, and he made effective use of it in his teaching. Think of the parable of the sower, the pearl of great price, the lost sheep, or the prodigal son.
In the modern day, stories inform our understanding of the world, history, and ourselves much more than we realize. Books, movies, and TV are powerful shapers of culture, not only reflections of it.
The enemy has been using the Power of Story to great effect-
Through the past seven decades or so, the enemy has used modern media and the Power of Story for his purposes.
Name the area in which our culture has declined, and it is possible to find the seeds of those cultural devolutions in popular media prior to that decline.
The ideas were intentionally planted, nurtured, and later bore fruit. These false stories were advanced years and sometimes decades before the cultural shift.
It’s time Christians joined battle, using that power against the enemy-
It’s natural to look at a problem as big as the degradation of our culture and say, “I’m just one person. What can I do?”
But we can all be part of the battle, each in our own way, with our talents and within our sphere of influence.
I chose to join this battle by writing thrilling Christian fiction.
What weapons will you bring to the battle? Will you charge, or will you stand by and watch? Miss your chance to make a difference?
The systems of this world do not favor the Christian message-
Censoring, deplatforming, and shadow banning on social media and search engines are all issues facing any Christian engaged in the online world.
Even more draconian censorship measures are being advocated by the leaders in the Western world.
The systems of the world particularly disadvantage Christian fiction-
Internet search algorithms don’t advantage the discoverability of Christian fiction.
Even many so-called Christian publishers dissuade authors from writing fiction that is “too overtly” Christian.
Many bestsellers in the Christian fiction categories on Amazon (who sell approximately 50 percent of all books and 85 percent of all ebooks and audiobooks) are books with decidedly unbiblical messages.
You’d think you’d be safe handing your children or grandchildren a book labeled Christian Fiction.
You’d be wrong.
In this environment, how can a Christian author find readers who might want his books?
Social media will not show posts from authors to readers—unless the author pays dearly for that visibility.
11,000 new books are released every day. Most are lost in the avalanche, and readers are never aware of books they might love to discover.
Showing up in the offerings on Amazon or other retailers requires a substantial marketing budget—an unviable one for most, the current cost of which is around 12 dollars per book sold, much more than the return for each sale.
Christian book retailers such as Christianbook.com only list books that are already bestsellers. They won’t list new books.
Word of mouth is the only reliable way for readers to find a new Christian author and for that author to find his readers-
It’s easy to discount the efficacy of one person telling two friends, who go on to tell their friends, and so on, but there is no more powerful way to communicate ideas—especially if the participants are committed to the cause.
I’m committed to entering this battle to use the Power of Story to bring light to our ever-darkening world.
Are you?
As I launch my debut novel, I need your help to spread the word.
And you can play a part, even if you don’t read the kind of fiction I write.
Interested? Want to strike a blow for the Kingdom?
Here’s what you can do. You can choose any or all:
1) Tell your Christian friends about me by sharing this email, asking them to pass it on to others, and them to more. Remember—email is best. When you post on social media, only a fraction of your friends and followers see your post on their timeline.
2) If you DO enjoy thrilling Christian fiction, click this link where you can sign up for my newsletter and get a free book:
3) If my writing appeals to you, consider supporting my Kickstarter campaign where you can get advance access to my debut novel and, in return, will receive early-bird pricing, bonuses, and perks only available to my Kickstarter backers.
Click the link below to check out the Kickstarter:
4) I need a select few people who’d like to be part of the team for this book, and the others currently being written. I need:
Launch Team members to assist with the launch of my first book, Fragments. These select few will assist with the planning and execution of launch strategies and communications. This is a core team, and the members should be people passionate about waging this battle. Learn more by clicking HERE.
BETA readers to read upcoming books in rough-draft form, to shape the story and suggest improvements.
ARC readers hand-selected to review the completed manuscript before it’s released for publication. A kind of final quality control.
Please EMAIL ME if you’re interested in joining the team in any of these ways.
The Kickstarter campaign for Fragments: Book One of The Seekers Series has launched
It is the year 2158 and Hegemony has fallen.
That once unified global government lies splintered in a thousand isolated fiefdoms, but the Order, the one-world religion, remains.
Now, twenty-two years after the Great Collapse and fifteen since the Bad Times, a period during which the world teetered on the precipice of a new Dark Ages, mankind struggles to rise from the ruins of a once great civilization.
Meanwhile, the Order has consolidated secret hold on these seemingly independent regions, once again securely ensconced as the unseen power behind all human government.
Should any desire for truth be rekindled in the hearts of men, the Order stands ready to stamp it out. . . .
Get exclusive content that will be offered nowhere else, and take advantage of the earlybird pricing! Visit our Kickstarter page now- Fragments: Book One of The Seekers Series
Stefan has long been my favorite narrator, ever since I first heard him in Ender’s Game.
It was always his voice I heard in my head while I wrote Fragments, as well as the following books in the series, Inheritance, Interregnum, and others.
So imagine my shock and delight when he accepted my request to narrate these books! The thrill of a lifetime. I very nearly fell off my chair when I got the news- literally so, as my family can attest . . . I’m so glad some of them were there to witness the moment- one I will always treasure.
Now, I can’t wait to hear the book in his voice, and if you, like me, are eaten up with anticipation- then I have a treat for you.
Stefan has agreed to allow the release of audio he has produced of an earlier version of the front and back text from the book- so here they are!
Back cover description from Fragments:
Preface from Fragments:
I’d love to hear what you think in the comments section below!
And don’t forget to read the FREE PREQUEL while it’s still available- it will no longer be available after the release of Fragments.
