New Book: What Was Lost

So I did a thing. I wrote a book. I would like to share a little bit of the story behind the story, but for you cheaters who skip to the end of the book and read the last chapter, let me do you a favor and tell you the important details right now. It is a Christian mystery novel for children ages 8-12, and my 10-year-old daughter emphatically believes your child will love it. You can purchase the paperback or Kindle edition on Amazon by clicking the button below.

And now, in the words of Paul Harvey, here’s the rest of the story.

A Passing Comment

It all started several years ago when an English professor mentioned that she never cared for reading fantasy. I was a bit surprised by that comment, as I love C.S. Lewis and Tolkien. She had a valid point, though. She said she would rather read about things that could actually happen. While I have never lost my love for the imaginative world of fantasy fiction, that conversation planted a seed in my mind that would not sprout until years later.

The Right Opportunity

When Covid hit, I was a youth pastor in Pennsylvania. Even though Covid was a killer in so many ways, it did have the positive effect of isolating creatives and giving us more time to conjure up crazy ideas in our minds. I remembered that English professor’s comment, and it reignited my hunger for the classic children’s mystery thrillers like The Sugar Creek Gang and The Boxcar Children. So, I decided to write a youth mystery novel for the teens in my youth group.

Every week, I would finish a new chapter and let them read through it. I also released the book, chapter-by-chapter, on this blog (those posts have since been removed, so no more freebies for you). They enjoyed the book, but over time, I realized my writing style for this story was better suited for the elementary age range. I’m not sure what that says about my maturity level and command of vocabulary. But hey, I read it to my own kids, and they loved it! After I finished the book, life got busy, the manuscript sat in a dusty file on my computer (I promise you computer files can gather dust), and I did not think much more about it.

Published! . . Or not

When our current church voted for me to serve as their pastor, our family moved back to Greenville, South Carolina, which also has a few book publishers in town. I still had that manuscript in my dusty computer file, so I asked a few questions, scouted out a few publishers, and sent it to one. Much to my surprise, they accepted the book! My joy was short-lived when I realized the contract required me to purchase 2,000 copies in advance. After prayerfully considering, my wife Emily and I knew it was best to turn the offer down. It was disappointing, but we made the right choice.

During that whole process, I sought out advice from a good friend with a savvy business mind. He looked at the business model and even read the book to his kids. His endorsement was glowing. He said, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but it was better than I expected.” With that kind of recommendation, how could anyone NOT want to read it?! After puffing me up, he suggested I try a different route: self-publishing. He shared the name of a local friend who had done the same thing. A few months later, at a children’s business fair, I “happened” to walk by a table of two girls selling books with their mom, the same people my friend had recommended. Thanks to their help and a little research, this book is now available online. But not before my oldest daughter asked me a thousand times if I had published my book yet.

The Beauty of Providence

This whole story reminds me of the beauty of God’s timing and clear direction. Today, my conversation with that English professor seems prescient (there’s the big vocab coming through now). So, here’s my sales pitch. For Christians, our children have a flood of exciting fantasy books available to them. But there is not much realistic Christian fiction available for kids these days. This book can fill in the gap, at least for the 2 hours your little kiddo or grandchild will take to eagerly plow through it. Though the events and characters are made up, the book is set in Denver, where I grew up. The plotline is, I think, plausible. So there’s that.

Also, I have peppered in a few allusions for you literary buffs. Some books “enter into the conversation” with the world of literature, and this one is no exception. One of the crucial clues in the story, “PDL-663,” is a reference to none other than the epic poem, Paradise Lost, which John Milton finished writing in 1663 (though he did not publish it until 1667; that’s another story). The name of the main character in my story is Milton. And more things are lost in the plot than just a missing semi-truck. Let the reader understand.

I have no doubt many young readers will miss these allusions, but it is always nice to have a little bit “extra” for literature lovers to consider. Regardless of your age, I hope this book provides imagination and excitement for the child in you or a child you know. Click below to get your copy today!

~CP