Have you found it challenging to write supernatural fiction and incorporate biblical truth?
I realized a while ago that I’m not consciously trying to write supernatural fiction, and I’m not consciously trying to incorporate biblical truth. I’m simply writing the stories that won’t get out of my head till I write them down.
Because my belief system is Judeo-Christian, the way I see the world is biblically based and that comes out in my writing. With regard to the fantastical/supernatural elements, I’m just following Toni Morrison’s advice: “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”
Who are some writers that you enjoy, and what do you like about their work?
C.S. Lewis has always been—and likely always will be—my favorite author. I like Ted Dekker and Stephen Lawhead a great deal as well. All three take me away to other worlds, but wrestle with life issues that are right here, right now.
I want my novels to wildly entertain readers, but also make them freer when they finish my stories than when they started. These three authors do that for me.
Let’s talk about your new book, The Man He Never Was. How were you first exposed to the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? What inspired you to create a modern take on it?
When I got the idea, I hadn’t seen the movies or read the novella! (I did read the novella after I got the story idea.)
I was working out, listening to a sermon by Tim Keller. During the talk, he mentioned that Robert Louis Stevenson got his inspiration for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde from Romans chapter 7. I had no idea, but it instantly made sense to me.
Romans 7 is about the civil war inside us. That’s what Stevenson’s novella is about. Bing! In that moment, The Man He Never Was came to life.
Click through for more Bible verses that speak to the inner struggles we all have…