Tuesday, July 21, 2026

"Quest of Fire: The Unending Light" by Brett Armstrong -- Author Interview

Book: Quest of Fire: The Unending Light

Author: Brett Armstrong

Genre: Christian, High Fantasy

Release Date: December 30, 2025

War has consumed the Lowlands in both Jason and Anargen’s eras. Each teen struggles to keep true to the Quest as the armies led by the dark powers of the Lowlands edge closer to victory.

A secret buried in Ordumair can guarantee that evil Monarch Ilyron destroys the Tower of Light Anargen has striven to defend. And Jason’s brother, Dorian, has found an equally powerful weapon in the mysterious land of Jhi. The ancient threat of dragons returning to the Lowlands threatens to plunge the Lowlands into ruin.

Losses that leave both teens grieving deeply and an ever-diminishing list of allies means they must be willing to give everything to rescue their world from the looming desolation. But they must face the truth that it is still far too little to win, unless they can hold on till the King’s Day arrives.

Click here to get your copy!

Author Interview

1. What is your favorite part about writing?
For me writing is kind of like trekking through the mountains. I know where I’m starting
and where I’m going, and I can even see the peaks of other mountains I’ll be
crossing—which correspond to the start of the book, its end, and the major story beats
along the way. But everything between the peaks, I discover much like a reader would
and there’s so much richness to the woods and rivers and rocks and caves and
meadows you encounter in those valleys. That sensation of looking around and being
utterly surprised by how this story world has sprung up around me while I traverse it,
that’s an incredible feeling. And especially rewarding as spiritual themes and motifs
spring up that I hadn’t planned but I can see growing up and fitting as naturally within the
story as those peaks I knew I would see.

2. What is your least favorite part about writing?
I’m probably not the only writer to say this, but at least when it comes to publishing, the
marketing side of it all is my least favorite part of it. I’m an awful salesman. And I feel like
some kind of huckster any time I go to convince someone to try one of my books. It’s not
just the notion that as a writer I’m desperate for people to read my books and terrified
that they will at the same time. There’s just something about trying to get a reader to buy
something that just…I don’t know. I just don’t like it. Talking about the books, I’m 100%
cool with. When I have start talking about the book for sales reasons…ugh.

3. Do you have a way to keep track of your story ideas?
It took me a while to become that organized, but I do have a way of keeping track of them.
As soon as I’m sure I want to write a particular story, I create a folder on my laptop
around the project. I make a document for the first draft of the manuscript and usually
write at least a couple hundred words of the story. I also take down what the overall story
is as I understand it at that moment. Then I add supporting reference documents, like lists
of characters and places as appropriate. That way if I’m not able to start on a story right
away, because of other deadlines or, you know, life just happening, I can quickly refresh
myself when I’m next able to work on the story. Over time, as I imagine new scenes or
realize particular themes or details need to be included, I also add those into the folder.
Most recently I started keeping track of my favorite lines or significant themes or moments
in a manuscript that I’ll want to call out later for the purposes of sharing about the story.

4. How long does it usually take you to write a book?
It varies pretty drastically, but I would say at this point it averages out to two or so years.
Active drafting is really only a few months, but with edits that rounds out to be about
seven months of concerted, focused activity. The rest is me having an idea or even
several scenes ready to go, but another manuscript or circumstance takes priority at that
moment. Of course, with The Unending Light, I waited probably about a decade to get to
tell that story. I’m definitely biased, but it was well worth the wait to get to tell the story as
it turned out to be. Which I credit to the Lord, because the most important part of drafting
is definitely prayer. Months, years of praying that the story will take on the colors,
contours, etc. that the Lord would have for it. My goal is to be a brush in the Master
Artist’s hand and I’m a crude one at that, but however long it takes to make the story into
what it needs to be, I’ll be laboring on it.

About the Author

Brett Armstrong has been exploring other worlds as a writer since age nine. Years later, he still writes, but now invites others along on his excursions. He’s shown readers haunting, deep historical fiction (Destitutio Quod Remissio), scary-real dystopian sci-fi (Tomorrow’s Edge series), and dark, sweeping epic fantasy (Quest of Fire saga). Every story is a journey of discovery and an attempt to be a brush in the Master Artist’s hand. Through dark, despair, light, joy, and everything in between, the end is always meant to leave his fellow literary explorers with wonder and hope. Always busy with a new story, he also enjoys drawing, gardening, and spending time with his wife and son.

More from Brett

Quest of Fire is a story told across seven books that took twenty years of dreaming and drafting. A story about the High King, who is a reflection of the King of Kings and the great story He has composed in which we are all taking part. Our God is described as “a consuming fire”*, a fire that also refines us and is shaping us into His likeness. My hope with the Quest of Fire series is that after reading it that fire has caught and blazes in the reader’s heart and gives them the courage to stand firm. Because Quest of Fire is filled with moments in which a vast, terrible darkness seems certain to crush a small group bravely bearing up that light, and they must choose to stand firm no matter the cost. The final entry in the series, The Unending Light, picks up that theme and sees it to its harrowing end with epic battles fought across a world built with rich, immersive detail. Heart warming and rending moments take place that just as much as the dramatic and sweeping conflicts force the protagonists to face the dark and choose whether they will remain in the light and see the Quest of Fire to the end or turn back and flee like so many others around them. So my hope is that others will read and join in the Quest of Fire, because even though it is fraught and hope is fragile, there is one truth that both the protagonists of The Unending Light and we need cling to: “the darkness has not overcome the Light.”** This story, like the great story, is about Him.

* Hebrews 12:29

** John 1:5

Blog Stops

Stories By Gina, July 9 (Author Interview)

Simple Harvest Reads, July 10 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, July 11 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, July 12

Fiction Book Lover, July 13 (Author Interview)

The Bookish Ledger, July 14 (Author Interview)

The Lofty Pages, July 15

Vicky Sluiter, July 16 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 17 (Spotlight)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 17

For the Love of Literature, July 18 (Author Interview)

Lily’s Corner, July 19

Tell Tale Book Reviews, July 20 (Author Interview)

Blossoms and Blessings, July 21 (Author Interview)

Guild Master, July 22

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 22

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Brett is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card, an eBook copy of The Unending Light, exclusive digital map poster, and series theme music!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/EgmVf/quest-of-fire-the-unending-light-celebration-tour-giveaway

Wednesday, July 8, 2026

"Thalia in Exile" by Allen Brokken with Thalia Schertzer -- Author Interview

About the Book

Book: Thalia in Exile

Author: Allen Brokken with Thalia Schertzer

Genre: Middlegrade Christian Fantasy

Release Date: June 26, 2026

Thalia never expected to be taken. But the Darkness has plans of its own.

When the dreaded Steele Brothers and their Giant allies raid her home at midnight, Thalia and her friends are forced on a harrowing journey to the mysterious academy at Emohnomed. Like the young men of Judah chosen for the King of Babylon’s service, they are dragged towards a land of shadowed luxury to learn the language and literature of a culture that serves the Darkness.

Thalia finds brief respite aboard a luxurious train. But when Headmistress Imogen adds a “gift from the bishop” to the students’ punch, Thalia’s keen senses catch the putrescent smell of a counterfeit light. Clinging to the Good Book she smuggled into her bag, she refuses the smoke-laced food that turns friends into unthinking foes. In a world of beautiful lies, Thalia must stand firm against false accusations and prove that the only true strength comes from the Light that cannot be tainted.

Because this isn’t just about escaping her captors. It’s about saving the people who no longer know they need to be saved.

Click here to get your copy!

Author Interview

1. Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser (or a hybrid)?
A plotting pantser? Basically, I get a set of scenes I think will be cool and then try to
stitch them together into a plot. For this story, I knew we needed a scene with a river
crossing because what frontier movie doesn’t have one, right? I wanted a big, creepy
train with an observation car and some stupid guard hijinks somewhere like all the old
westerns. With the help of my co-writer that got all stitched together to make a story that
mirrors Daniel’s exodus into Babylon

2. What is your favorite part about writing?
Having quirky scenes come to mind and seeing them play out on the page.

3. Do you have a way to keep track of your story ideas?
Nothing formal. I keep most of it in my head. However, if I have an idea that doesn’t work, I
hold it off to the side in a document I call the cutting room floor. Thalia had a bunch of these
that we expect to work into later books in the series.

4. What is your writing space like?
I have a three monitor setup when I write. My laptop screen at the bottom, my main screen
above that, both of which are in a horizontal mode like you’d expect. Then I have a third
monitor that is vertical like your smartphone. This really helps move text around to make sure
things will land where you want them.

5. What is your work schedule/routine when you write?
I work best Early morning. I’m most awake and alert then. It’s hard, though. As I’ve
gotten older, I’ve had to really prioritize exercise and a fresh, healthy breakfast, so that
tends to cut into my writing time in a way a Pop-Tart and a cup of coffee didn’t.

About the Authors

Allen Brokken is a teacher at heart, a husband and father most of all. He’s a joyful writer by the abundant grace of God. He began writing the Towers of Light series for his own children to help him illustrate the deep truths of the Bible in an engaging and age-appropriate way. He’s dedicated 15 years of his life to volunteer roles in children’s ministry and youth development. Now that his own children are off on their own adventures, he’s telling stories and sharing clean humor on social media.

Thalia Shertzerr is a dedicated writer whose Christian faith is the central part of her life and the heart of her storytelling. Outside of writing, she has a strong interest in science and hopes to pursue a future career in clinical medicine. Thalia balances her time between her academic goals, her faith, and her love for reading and capturing moments through the lens of her camera.

More from Allen

Two years ago, I was overwhelmed with the production schedule I’d made for myself after the Towers of Light series was completed. I had a vision for three new series. First, I was trying my hand at writing a picture book with everyone’s favorite kitten, Meow Meow, as the hero. I also had a mind for an early chapter book series that was classic frontier boy hijinks, think Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn, but was an exploration of the fruits of the spirit that boys could relate to. Finally, I had a series that had the classic Victorian elements of a boarding school for girls, but set in the war-torn landscape of the Heathlands. I wanted to retell the story of Daniel’s exile to Babylon and the lessons we learn about following our conscience and persevering in a world with ungodly values.

For the first two, I had a collaborator who helped make the story real, but I just didn’t seem to have the time for the third. I had an outline and overall concept that tied the story in nicely to Spring Fields from the Towers of Light series, but there was no way I could really sit down and write it as well as everything else.

Then an email landed in my inbox written by Thalia Shertzer, an 11-year-old homeschooler from Canada. She had been a fan from the beginning, and her family was a huge supporter of my work. Thalia asked me if I needed any help writing for the Towers of Light world. I immediately knew that this was a match made in heaven. I wanted to write a story about a girl around her age, and now I had a girl who wanted to write a story. We met on a video call a few days later, and I laid out the “flight plan” for what would become Thalia in Exile. I’m really looking forward to this tour, where we’re being interviewed together to talk about our adventure in writing!

Blog Stops

Vicky Sluiter, July 3 (Author Interview)

For the Love of Literature, July 4 (Author Interview)

Tell Tale Book Reviews, July 5 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, July 6

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 7

Blossoms and Blessings, July 8 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 8

Stories By Gina, July 9 (Author Interview)

Simple Harvest Reads, July 10 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, July 11

Guild Master, July 12

Fiction Book Lover, July 13 (Author Interview)

The Bookish Ledger, July 14 (Author Interview)

Books, Books, & More Books, July 15 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, July 16

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, July 17 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate their tour, Allen is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/DMYZO/thalia-in-exile-celebration-tour-giveaway

Sunday, June 14, 2026

"Metamorphosis" by Kayla E. Green -- Author Interview

About the Book

Book: Metamorphosis

Author: Kayla E. Green

Genre: Poetry (religious/inspirational)

Release Date: May, 2020

Are you searching for something more in your life? Metamorphosis is a personal testimony of how God can transform lives. Covering topics of depression, anxiety, and searching for something more, the poetry serves as a vessel for God’s light. The words provide hope for the future and insight on how to be strong through Jesus Christ. Anyone yearning for something more will find renewal in this poetry.

Click here to get your copy!

Author Interview

1. What is your writing area like?
I do most of my writing on my couch with my laptop on a lapboard. There’s usually 2-3 drinks on
the end table and 1-3 dogs snuggled with me. It’s calming chaos and I love it!

2. How do you balance writing time with other things?
I’m a full-time parent so most of my writing is done at night after a long day of mom-ing. I love
the time in the evenings when I work on writing, and my husband plays video games. It’s nice
being together and his presence helps keep me focused (I’ve learned this term is called body-
doubling and is a real strategy!) I also will sometimes record voice memos and use my Google
Docs app on my phone as time allows if I have an idea I don’t want to lose. But I am in the
process of learning that it’s okay to not wear every hat at once :)

3. What types of research do you do?
I spend a lot of time double checking spelling and definitions. I also love researching
etymology and name meanings when working on fiction stories. Reading devotionals and
nonfiction, as well as fiction, is also important for me to grow as a Christian, writer, and poet.

4. Was there anything you found particularly interesting while researching?
While working on some of the poems included in Metamorphosis, I asked family and friends
their favorite Bible verses. I was surprised at the variety of verses shared with me. There were
only a few duplicates including Isaiah 41:10 and John 3:16 from those that joined the poll. It was
a true testament of the impact the Bible as a whole has on different hearts at different times.
And though this isn’t directly related to Metamorphosis I do want to share one of my favorite “fun
facts” I’ve found while researching. Sliced bread was first mass produced and sold in 1928. So,
the old adage “the best thing since sliced bread” can also be “the best things since 1928.”

5. What is different about writing non-fiction vs fiction?
Writing fiction and nonfiction is more similar than one might first assume. Both require creative
pursuits, a goal, and determination. The biggest difference is that nonfiction is wholly true while
fiction explores truths in fantastical manners. I love C.S. Lewis’s commentary on writing. “He
does not despise real woods because he has read of enchanted woods; the reading makes all
real woods a little enchanted” (C.S. Lewis, On Stories: And Other Essays on Literature). This
quote, which I love, summarizes how fiction, specifically fantasy, helps shape readers based on
the truths relatable to the real world. Though I am no C.S. Lewis, my inspirational poetry and
fantasy writings complement each other. The best fiction and nonfiction do—it’s why I write and
read both.

About the Author

Kayla E. Green is an award-winning author and poet who writes to remind others—and herself—that light always prevails over darkness. When she isn’t writing, reading, or spending time with her family, she loves singing loudly and off-key to KLove Radio and pretending she’s a unicorn. Fittingly, her YA debut fantasy novel is titled The Goodness of Unicorns.

More from Kayla

Have you ever been in the car and heard just the right song at just the right moment? Or heard just the message you needed at a specific point in your life on Sunday morning like the pastor is speaking directly to you?

Throughout crafting the poems that now make-up the contents of Metamorphosis, I realized that my testimony navigating depression and anxiety is incomplete without my faith. It is the love of God that allows transformation. As such, each poem within the collection is paired with a Bible verse. No matter what we are facing in life, we can find strength in our Lord and through His Word.

Visit this slideshow and see what Bible verse awaits you today. Share how the verse resonates with you and/or suggest a worship song that it reminds you of on social media and be sure to tag me (@author.kayla.e.green on Instagram) so I can reply! https://www.canva.com/design/DAHAUXF0oAI/kU3r4XgiHh-uOUWZUHQrPA/view?utm_content=DAHAUXF0oAI&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=hb6054e54cf

Blog Stops

Simple Harvest Reads, June 5 (Author Interview)

Guild Master, June 6 (Author Interview)

Life on Chickadee Lane, June 7

Fiction Book Lover, June 8 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, June 8

The Bookish Ledger, June 9 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 10

Vicky Sluiter, June 11 (Author Interview)

For the Love of Literature, June 12 (Author Interview)

Tell Tale Book Reviews, June 13 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, June 14

Blossoms and Blessings, June 15 (Author Interview)

Stories By Gina, June 16 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, June 16

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, June 17 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 18

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kayla is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/XwQCl/metamorphosis-celebration-tour-giveaway

"Someone to Lean On" by Carrie Walker -- Author Interview

About the Book

Book: Someone to Lean On (Faith Endures Book 3)

Author: Carrie Walker

Genre: Romantic Women’s Fiction

Release Date: May 5, 2026

They’re seeking a peace they can’t seem to find. . .

Aged out of the foster care system and struggling to raise her young daughter, Lucia Roberts loses her only source of income. When she’s offered a position caring for a four-year-old foster child, Timothy, it feels like the answer to a prayer-except for one catch. She must work in the home of Jordan Nowak, Timothy’s overly vigilant foster father who scrutinizes her every move.

Jordan has built his life around one promise: protect a foster child until they can find a happily ever after. But while Jordan fights to keep Timmy safe, his own world spirals out of control. The music store he co-owns with his brother is on the brink of bankruptcy after months of mismanagement. Torn between protecting Timmy, saving the store, and guarding his heart, Jordan grasps for any possibility to fix it all.

Mason Hughes is in his final year of medical school, on rotation under a difficult neurologist, and doubting his call to be a doctor. As the walls between Lucia and Jordan soften, Timmy starts displaying puzzling symptoms. Soon Mason must choose whether he trusts his medical instincts enough to fight an ethical battle.

As three adults seek control in their lives, a young child with no guarantees teaches them to trust.

Click here to get your copy!

Author Interview

1. Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser (or a hybrid)?
I definitely am a hybrid, that leans more pantsing the more stories I write. In order to start a story
I need to know my characters and their back stories, where the story will start and the climax
point I need to get them too. I will often at that point do some loose plotting (enough to convince
myself I have a story, but not so much that I’ll be frustrated when the characters ruin my plan).
Then I usually start.

2. What is your favorite part about writing?
When the characters surprise me. I once had a character open her front door to a best friend
that I didn’t have included in my character list. She was great… had to write her in ��

3. What is your least favorite part about writing?
When you have those feelings that you aren’t sure exactly how the story will work out, and if
what you are writing now is going to have to be completely reworked because it’s hard to
envision if it will be effective.

4. What is your writing space like?
I’m a mom of 7 and I do youth ministry with my husband, so my writing space is very portable. I
have a lap desk and a laptop and I steal my moments whenever I can find them. Sometimes its
the backseat of a car at practice, sometimes my living room sofa.

5. When did you become a writer?
I’ve been told that as soon as you write, you are a writer, but I first felt like a writer once I
completed my first manuscript in 2019 and felt driven to make it good enough to publish. So it
really hasn’t been that long, but it’s been an amazing journey so far.

About the Author

Winner of the 2025 Faith Hope and Love Reader’s Choice Award, Carrie Walker lives in Michigan with her husband and seven children. From her ten years serving as a high school youth minister, adventures around the globe, and raising a family, many stories have been knit within her heart.

As an avid reader she pens what she loves to read, contemporary stories that bring hope to a hurting world. Weaving romance among story lines of characters in struggle, she aims to show God working in all situations. When she’s not playing board games with her husband, shuttling kids in the Walker bus or wishing for snow, Carrie can be found at the keyboard bringing those stories to life.

Carrie’s writing has been recognized in many contests. Her debut novel, Emma’s Hero, won the silver medal in the Selah Awards, won the IAN Book of the Year for Christian Fiction, was a double finalist in the International Book Awards.

More from Carrie

Where did you get the idea for “Someone to Lean On”

I’m asked this for every story, and this one I can definitely say the characters gave me no choice, I had to write it. When I envisioned this series, I always envisioned a three-book series where we would meet a “special” little boy in the first book and follow the lives he touched, and by the end of the series see the far-reaching effects of his life. When I finished writing “Right Before Their Eyes” we left Lucia as a pregnant foster teen. She’d found an amazing foster mom to support her, but what happened to her and her baby? In talking with social workers I learned so many foster teens age out and while there are some programs to help support them, they aren’t easy. So of course, Lucia’s story wasn’t over. And the story, as many of ours are, wasn’t all easy, but it also was filled with blessing. Many of her struggles, she gave to me (yeah… the characters talk to me lol, and many times just take over their stories), I didn’t have to dream them up. I’m sure many of us pray, read Scripture, and want to trust God. But then … life. Sometimes life sure makes those desires difficult to live out. And to watch this young woman grow through tough times, still have a heart, and eventually find the strength to step out in faith . . . I’m so glad she made me write this story I pray you enjoy Lucia and Jordan’s story, and also step back and reflect on the far reaching effect of each human life.