About The Book

This journey started nearly nine years ago. 

I’ve always told my daughter, “You know it’s the Holy Spirit talking to you when you can’t stop thinking about something. Even if you attempt to shove the thought deep down. If that nudging feeling won't go away, it’s likely God.” Well, that's how it was with this book.

The storyline developed clearly in my mind, and I knew it needed to be for children. Then the goal grew with hopes to reach people at any stage in their relationship with Christ. I wanted to incorporate Christian values and lessons in a creative storyline opposite from a typical lesson or sermon. 

Duane was the first character I developed. In fact, the story was initially titled Insane Duane. It was fun to dream of colorful feathers and overcoming mean moles. But I had no idea what was to come. 

I’ll never forget reading the statistic that authors have a 1% chance of becoming published. That was discouraging to say the least. And here I was--no writing certifications, no literacy degree, and no experience in the publishing world. There were countless times I wanted to throw in the towel. 

But God. He had a plan, even if it wasn’t always easy to envision (hindsight is always 20/20 on these things, can anyone else relate?). Over the next several years, He continued to open doors that I never thought possible. Incredible editors, a talented illustrator, helpful proofreaders, an encouraging text, and a willing publisher--all provided in God’s beautiful timing! 

I have spent countless hours on my computer. So much so, my husband nicknamed my office “the dungeon” because I would lock myself in there for hours on end. I have learned more about grammar than I ever thought possible, written and rewritten chapters until words blurred together, practiced my pitch for writing conferences, and prayed for courage when I was shaking with nerves. And finally, I have cried tears of joy when signing a contract with my publisher! There have been so many layers to this journey I find it impossible to recall them all. 

Putting Call of the Beakon out there for the world to see makes my head swim a little. It feels vulnerable, but I know that if just one life is impacted, then it was all worth it! 

I should preface that God’s plan is far superior to my own, and letting go of control is a lesson I seem to relearn daily. But if you were to ask me how I see Call of the Beakon making an impact, I would be happy to share my dream with you. 

While it stands alone as a delightful story, I would love to see this book used in curriculum. There are many hidden and deep-rooted themes throughout, with each topic offering endless encouragement for rich conversation. In many instances, I refrained from explicitly labeling Christian theologies (such as baptism, sovereignty, etc.) so the reader can discover them on their own. I can picture a Christian teacher, a homeschooling mom, or a Sunday school teacher helping a child discover these themes, and then better understanding them through the fun storyline.

I love the idea of linking Bible verses to characters, helping children see themselves in different scenes, and having thought-provoking discussions around different Christian beliefs.

One of our ARC readers is a schoolteacher and she mentioned that she naturally formulated lesson plans and discussion topics in her mind as she read the story. This was music to my ears! 

When asked if I would ever consider a second book, my response is “maybe.” But first, if God leads me down this path, I can see myself creating a Lesson Plan Guide to be utilized in tandem to the book.