March 18, 2013 Leave a Comment

My 13-year Odyssey To Getting Published

Making of Christian Historical Fiction

 An American Family Portrait

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Show Notes

In this series of podcast episodes, I take a look BEHIND THE PAGES at the making of the Christian historical fiction classic, An American Family Portrait series. Today’s topic: Why it took me 13 looooonnnnnnggggggg years to get my first book contract.

  • Three key moments in my life converged to make me a writer of Christian historical fiction:
    • Changing my B.A. major from Bible studies to history
    • Having a writers seed planted in my mind while in seminary
    • Realizing the power of stories while speaking and preaching
  • After meeting Dr. Sherwood Wirt, founding editor of Billy Graham’s Decision magazine, I began attending writers critique groups and conferences.
  • The door to Christian fiction opened with the successes of Janette Oake, Frank Peretti, and Brock and Bodie Thoene.
  • At Mt. Hermon Writers Conference an editor from Victor Books told me they were looking for someone to write an American history series.
  • After submitting a proposal, I was offered a four book contract; after I submitted the first manuscript, the contract was extended to seven books and I began writing full time.

 CLICK HERE to start reading An American Family Portrait in minutes!

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INSPIRATIONAL HISTORY: John Winthrop, Puritan hero

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March 14, 2013 2 Comments

Sports on Sundays

Heroes in history

An American Family Portrait

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Show Notes

In this series of podcast episodes, I take a look at the Way We Were as Christians in the past. In this episode, keeping the Sabbath in the days of the Puritans.

  • With all the Sunday distractions today, you’d think this was a modern struggle. Not so. 
  • In the 4th Century, Chrysostom complained about worshipers running off the chariot races at the hippodrome.
  • In the days of the Puritans, King James’s Book of Sports required all Englishmen to play sports on Sundays.

 CLICK HERE to start reading An American Family Portrait in minutes!

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BEHIND THE PAGES: Why It Took 13 Years to Get Published!

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March 11, 2013 Leave a Comment

The Making of The Puritans

httpv://youtu.be/bZ0_BcroHJg

This is the third in a series of videos in which I take a look back at the making of my 9-volume novel series, An American Family Portrait, on the 20th Anniversary of the publishing of the first book in the series, The Puritans.

SHOW NOTES

  • Misconceptions about the Puritans abound. American journalist, H.L. Menken, described Puritanism as, “The haunting fear that someone, somewhere may be happy.”
  • My publishers wanted to start the series with the Revolutionary War. I argued that to do so would ignore nearly 150 years of American history in which the Bible shaped the character of our nation.
  • So, who were the Puritans? The answer to that question changed Drew Morgan’s life.
  • We first encounter Drew at Windsor Castle, getting into mischief with suits of armor. But it was on this day he met Bishop William Laud.
  • Describing the Puritans as a troublesome, seditious people, Bishop Laud sends Drew on missions of espionage to infiltrate Puritan villages. They communicate in a code that uses the Bible as a decipher key.
  • At Edenford, Drew discovers the true nature of the Puritans and finds them to be a people who
    • love their families
    • love the Bible
    • love preaching
    • love their worship services
    • believe in freedom of religion
    • believe in freedom of the press
  • The legacy of these early founding fathers of America is one of faith and courage. It is also the legacy of the American Family Portrait series as Drew’s Bible is handed down from generation to generation, each time accompanied by the telling of his story.
  • I conclude the video with the picture of a young boy holding a copy of The Puritans. He’s a student at a Christian academy in New Zealand, the next generation learning the legacy of the godly Puritans.

CLICK HERE to start reading An American Family Portrait in minutes!

 JACK’S NEXT VIDEO:

American Family Portrait Series Book 2: The Colonists

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March 7, 2013 2 Comments

The Incredible Power of Historical Fiction

httpv://youtu.be/k5_bF9T8-DI

This is the second in a series of videos in which I take a look back at the making of my 9-volume novel series, An American Family Portrait on the 20th Anniversary of the publishing of the first book in the series, The Puritans.

SHOW NOTES

  • This narrative technique is so powerful, it changed my life. I no longer teach history, I tell hero stories.
  • Four scenarios describe the power of this technique:
    • Scenario One: Reading about a historical event from a textbook.
    • Scenario Two: Reading a first-hand account of a historical event.
    • Scenario Three: Hearing a first-hand account of a historical event.
    • Scenario Four: Living a historical event through a point of view character in a novel.
  • Each scenario brings you that much closer to the action!
  • Good historical fiction transports readers back in time allowing them to experience the past for themselves.

CLICK HERE to start reading An American Family Portrait in minutes!

JACK’S NEXT VIDEO:

“The Making of The Puritans”
Jack takes a look at the book that launched a series.

New Videos and Audios
posted on Mondays and Thursdays

TELL ME HOW I’M DOING – leave a comment, ask a question. I’ll either answer it in the comments section or during a future video or audio podcast.

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April 13, 2012 Leave a Comment

Stretching Fictional Muscles

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A FEW YEARS AGO I participated in a writing exercise with some friends, just for fun. Each of us was given the following outline with instructions to write a scene in our given genre. Mine was historical. Here's what we were given—

A man walks into a room occupied by two women. One he loves, one he hates. He utters one line, then exits. One of the women then follows him.

Years earlier I'd read about a rather dubious honor related to the burial of Egyptian royalty. I'd jotted the information down in my notebook thinking it might someday make a good scene. Pairing the research with the outline, here's the story I wrote—

 

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