A Scholastic Book Order, Circa 2008
If you’re an avid reader like me, you probably remember the excitement of buying new books as a kid. The spring and fall book fairs, the monthly Scholastic book order. As a mom, I enjoyed the experience anew when my boys were in elementary school. Although, I had to temper their enthusiasm when they came home with fifteen books circled on the flyer. That gets rather expensive.
But one particular Scholastic book order in 2008 lit a spark in me because my 3rd grade son really wanted this intriguing fantasy book on the top row called The Golden Compass. It’s written by a Philip Pullman, a highly successful British author who also happens to be a militant atheist. In an interview the year before, Philip Pullman stated that his goal in writing The Golden Compass was “to kill God in the minds of children.” He also had nasty things to say about C. S. Lewis, the author of The Chronicles of Narnia, and one of my literary heroes.
As you might guess, we did not buy Mr. Pullman’s book, and I was proud of my son for how understanding he was. Later that week I was praying… actually more like complaining to God about how Scholastic was giving this author a huge platform to disparage God and his people to young kids. I told God we needed more books written from a Christian perspective that would convey the beauty and truth of our faith.
If you’re a Christian, you can probably spot the flaw in my approach. It’s not my place to tell God what to do. But that’s when I heard it… in my head, “you write the story.”
I remember being so stunned because, first of all, I’d never heard God speak to me so clearly before. And secondly, writing a book was not what I had in mind. I expected other people, actual writers, to do that.
But God clearly set me on a new path, and once I accepted, I thought it would be a quick sprint to get a book written and published. Since my young adult fantasy novel, Sacred Fire, released in the fall of 2022, obviously that didn’t happen! There were many pitfalls and stumbling blocks in the intervening years… as well as divine appointments and answered prayers.
I’m now deep in the process of writing the second book in my series. One day last week, I found myself in a frustrating loop of feeling unmotivated, then procrastinating, then feeling guilty, and then even more unmotivated… You get the picture. But then I returned to that Scholastic book order from January 2008, to look back and remember that still, small voice, “you write the story.”
About Karen
Karen’s fascination with speculative fiction began while sitting transfixed on the floor of her 3rd grade classroom listening to her teacher read A Wrinkle in Time. A love affair with The Chronicles of Narnia soon followed. As an adult, she enjoys reading most genres, but fantasy holds a special place in her heart.
Epic series, especially those written from a Christian worldview, inspired Karen to create the Sacred Fire Saga for young adult readers.
The characters in Sacred Fire grapple with their aspirations and fears, gifts and flaws, faith and doubts. Like us, each is called to play a role in a story much grander than they realize.
When Karen is not writing, revising, or planning her next book launch, she often can be found on the tennis court taking her literary frustrations out on a little yellow ball.
To learn more about Karen and her work, visit her website.