CONTEST CLOSED

We have a winner!  Congratulations Becca from Complete and Utter Poppycock who said:

This book sounds very interesting and I would love a chance to read it. I personally do believe in the resurrection but I’m still interested in hearing the evidence for it. I found it interesting that on Amy’s website the answer to both are Christians intolerant and are Christians hypocrites was yes (that isn’t something most people would want to say)and liked the way she explained the answers.

Thank you all for your entries!

Debut author Amy Deardon has generously offered one blessed Quiverfull Family blog reader a copy of A Lever Long Enough, her multi-genre novel featuring time travel and first century biblical fiction.  You can click here to read my full length review, or here to read the first chapter.

Amy is a wonderfully personable author, and I’ve greatly enjoyed the time we’ve spent emailing back and forth.  Before we get down to the contest details, I’d like to share some interview questions with this genre-bending novelist.  This is good, I love her testimony – keep reading!

Tell me a little about yourself.

I’m married and fortunate enough to be able to stay at home with our two children, now 15 and 12. In my life B.C. (before children) I did bench science research and taught anatomy and physiology at an undergraduate level.

I undertook a personal quest to investigate the claims of Jesus’ resurrection with the goal of destroying them. To do this I studied biblical and extra-biblical accounts of Jesus and numerous commentaries by believers and skeptics alike, listed the facts agreed upon, and began to explore scenarios that could explain what was known. To my surprise and considerable dismay, the evidence kept pointing away from naturalistic explanations and eventually formed a virtually certain case for the resurrection of Jesus. Finally I admitted defeat and became a Christian.

What is your book about?

In the near future, the Israeli military has developed a prototypic time machine. When believers in Yeshua (Jesus) create a politically explosive situation that threatens the balance of peace between Israel and nearby countries, the Israelis must send a team of four elite soldiers back to film the theft of Jesus’ body from the tomb and thus disprove Christianity. The team, consisting of a Special Forces soldier as leader (Benjamin), an ex-American astronaut as engineering specialist (Sara), an archaeologist, and a linguist, has exactly seventy-two hours to collect the video evidence. Drawn into a web of first century deception and death, the only way to escape is for the team to change the past. In the present, a traitor, Gideon, attempts to sabotage the mission and seize control of the military complex. Benjamin is the only one who can reveal him, but he is trapped two thousand years away. Even with a time machine, time is running out…

Which character in your novel most interested you while you wrote? Why?

I love all of my characters, but if I had to choose a favorite, I’d pick Sara. She is very much like me—focused, quiet, but beneath her calm exterior a seething mass of turmoil. Her faith journey also parallels my own—she didn’t want to become a believer, but was pulled in by the strength of the evidence. She was pursued by what C.S. Lewis termed the *Hounds of Heaven.* An uncomfortable process, I might add!

Why will readers enjoy your novel?

I HOPE they enjoy it! It’s the kind of novel full of action, a love story, and exotic background and ideas that is my favorite thing to read. While the emphasis is on the story, Lever fairly presents the arguments for and against the resurrection, and demonstrates (without the use of any fictional miracles) that the case for the resurrection is remarkable. Believers will also enjoy Lever, but I actually wrote this book to the skeptic I used to be. I want it to be the kind of book that someone races through to finish, closes it, and then says, *wait a minute…*

What are you working on now?

I have two half-finished projects that I’m eager to complete in 2009 – an ambitious yet hopefully do-able goal, if I’m very organized.

The first project is my prequel, entitled Nest Among the Stars from Obadiah 1:4, that follows Sara’s space station disaster. This one is really shock and awe, with a deep theme of forgiveness. The second project is nonfiction, entitled The Story Template, that is a practical guide for a writer to develop a resonant, complete, compelling story from vague ideas. It’s based on an algorithm I’ve developed during my story studies, and with students I’ve coached I’ve seen it really works. It’s not a formula, more like a description of proportions and guidelines that work with any genre, since I’m a great believer in the uniqueness of each artist’s vision. You can see a sample tutorial I’ve put on my website under *resources.*

What would you like your readers to say about your writing?

I hope they say that my writing is exciting and also makes them think. Lever, and the other novels that I plan, are the complex kinds of stories full of action, romance, and exotic background and ideas that are my favorite things to read.

I want my writing to appeal to non-Christians as well as Christians. I want to get past a skeptic’s religious preconceptions so that he might be open to considering Christ.

If you could go anywhere in the world, without worrying about cost, where would you go?

The space station. This counts as part of the world, doesn’t it?

Choose an inanimate object to represent you. Explain what you have in common with that object.

Maybe I’ll say I’m an artist’s pencil – I’m not directing the work, but I’m participating and have a front-row seat to the action. God, of course, is the artist.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

Oh yes, although it’s a daunting thing when you actually sit in front of the computer and think, *Now what shall I write?*

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Well, I love to spend time with my family. Our kids aren’t going to be home for too much longer, so I’m trying to enjoy every minute.

When I have time, I enjoy reading a good novel, going to lunch with a friend, sewing, knitting, crocheting, playing flute or piano. I’d like to claim I garden, but my mother-in-law calls me the plant hit-lady.

Who is your favorite author and why?

C.S. Lewis. He has an amazing mind, and draws such wonderful metaphors.

What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

Don’t expect to produce perfect prose off the bat – just as you wouldn’t expect to play a Beethoven Sonata for your first piano lesson. Just believe in yourself, and persist.

Readers can find Amy at her blog or website.

Don’t forget to pick up a copy of her first novel for yourself at Amazon, or treat yourself to an autographed copy from her website!  Now onto the contest!

 

CONTEST DETAILS:

Visit Amy’s official website and tell me something that catches your eye, your beliefs concerning Jesus’ resurrection, or why you’d to read A Lever Long Enough.

For additional entries:

1. Subscribe to this blog for updates – see the left hand sidebar. Leave an additional comment letting me know you’ve subscribed (or if you already subscribe).

2. Write a post on your blog promoting and linking to this contest. Leave an additional comment with a link to your post.

3. Add the Quiverfull Family button (see the code box in the right hand sidebar under BUTTON UP!) to your blog’s sidebar. Leave an additional comment with a link to your post.

4. Digg, Stumble or otherwise share this post on a social networking site.  Leave an additional comment indicating how you shared this post.

5. Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/quivermamma

Each additional step taken counts for 1 additional entry.  A total of 6 entries are available if you complete all of these steps.

The contest will close at 12 a.m. MST on Wednesday, March 18th, 2009. One winner will be randomly drawn for the book on Thursday, March 19th, 2009 and notified by email. Please fill your email address in the comment form when you are completing your comment so that I can contact you.  The winner must respond with a mailing address within 72 hours of my email, or a new winner will be chosen.  This contest is open to all countries – thanks Amy!

I look forward to seeing God bless a special reader with this book.  Thanks for entering!