Today we welcome Amy Deardon to my blog. Thanks Amy for visiting.
1. Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I’m married and fortunate enough to be able to stay at home with our two children, now 16 and 13. 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.
2. What is your current book about?
My first novel, A Lever Long Enough, was just released this year. 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…
3. What are you working on now?
The Story Template describes the algorithm I’ve come up with that allows a writer to start with the germ of an idea to develop a resonant, compelling story (novel or screenplay). This is information I’ve put together through my own studies, then refined through story-coaching multiple students, and I’m excited about it because this method of story development truly seems to work! I have a preliminary tutorial on my website under “resources,” if anybody is interested in taking a look. (link www.amydeardon.com/
Once this is done I’ll get back to writing more novels!
4. When you were a child did you have a favourite book or books?
I remember the first day of seventh grade we had to bring in a list and a short summary of the books we’d read over summer vacation. The teacher thought I was making it up because I handed in a list of sixty-some books. I devoured anything I could find.
5. Do you have a favourite Genre to both read and right write?
My favorite novel type is an ordinary world with one remarkable element in it, especially with a perturbation of time in some way. I have some idiosyncratic notions of time... Other themes that resonate for me areforgiveness, wrenching moral choices, sacrifice, the centrality of God’s love, mercy, and justice. Can we know truth? As I’m developing more story ideas I find these themes repeating.
Some of my favorite books I’ve read are Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game, about a boy who must sacrifice to win, Ted Dekker’s Blink, about a genius who is suddenly able to see multiple futures, and Charles Dickinson’s A Shortcut in Time, which has the most amazing ending. Although I recognize my lowbrow nature for saying this, I tend to avoid literary-type books although I’ll read them if I have to.
6. Did you have favourite authors growing up who have influenced you?
While I have enjoyed and learned from many authors, overall I have to say CS Lewis. His Chronicles of Narnia that I read when I was little allowed me to keep an open mind to investigate miracles when I questioned the resurrection. His Mere Christianity opened my mind to the richness of God’s existence and personality. His Screwtape Letters is wonderfully ironic. I have books of his essays that I reread periodically, and then I marvel again at his insightful musings.
7. When did you know you wanted to be an author?
For a long time I wanted to write a novel “someday,” but it was never pressing for me to learn the craft. Then, I was blown away by the case for the resurrection, and wanted desperately to communicate (in a winsome fashion) why it was so important - The Case for Christ meets The DaVinci Code. The unstructured time I had as a stay-at-home mom gave me the opportunity to learn how.
8. How did you go about becoming an author?
With great frustration! I was truly surprised at how difficult it is to organize and write a novel. I read all I could about writing techniques, and then practiced, practiced, practiced. I threw out a lot of pages, but slowly the novel took shape. I also participated in critique circles, which were helpful for feedback and to see others' errors. It wasn’t easy, believe me.
9. If you were not a writer what would you like to be?
I think I might enjoy going to Seminary and really learning Theology. I’m a stickler for Sola Scriptura, though, and so might have problems with liberal interpretative trends.
10. Outside reading and writing what do you like to do?
Most of my time is taken up by caring for a busy family. I go to Curves (an exercise circuit) several times a week, and do a Bible Study. If I have free time, I love to read, go to lunch with a friend or two, sew, knit, crochet, or play flute or piano. I’d like to claim I garden, but my mother-in-law calls me the plant hit-lady.
11. Do you have a place you love to visit or would love to visit?
The space station J
12. If you could have a meal with 3 living people who would you choose and why?
Jenny, this is a tough question! My first thought is that, while there are people I admire, I doubt they’d be equally excited to meet me. Maybe I could sit with a great speaker like Billy Graham, a great thinker like Charles Colson, or a famous politician like George W. Bush, but there are people all around who may not be well known but do extraordinary things. I believe that in Heaven we all get to know each other intimately, so I may just have to wait for this. My safe answer is to say I’d like to have dinner with those dear to me: my husband and two children.
You can find Amy at
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