About the Book

Book: Breath of Bones

Authors: Tricia Goyer & Nathan Goyer

Genre: Adult Historical Fantasy

Release date: June 18, 2024

When darkness falls, a new guardian emerges.

Kateřina Dubová has always aspired to walk in her father’s footsteps as a respected journalist, and the Second World War presents a unique opportunity for her to prove her worth to the world. A tip about an assassination attempt on a high-ranking Nazi official, Reinhard Heydrich, the “Butcher of Prague” leads Kateřina into the shadows of the Nazi occupation. Soon she discovers things are not as they seem.

As intrigue unfurls, Kateřina joins forces with Josef Loew, a descendant of the famous Rabbi Loew, renowned for creating a mystical guardian in the form of a golem to protect the souls of 16th-century Jews in Prague. In the chaos of war, some believe a new golem can once again bring help to those in need.

Like flickering candles in the abyss, Kateřina and Josef work to protect the innocent and end the evil that plagues their world. Yet, in their quest to save the Jewish people, have they inadvertently created a new danger? Could the very entity they had forged to protect become their greatest enemy?

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Author Interview

1. Do you set a plot or prefer going wherever an idea takes you?
Nathan: A little of both. Writing together with Tricia has been a unique
experience. While we get down and plan everything out in the
beginning, there are plenty of times when one of us comes up with an
idea, and the other goes “Hey, let’s take that idea even further” which
enhances the story in many ways. I believe what has worked for us
the best is to come up with a solid plan, but remain adaptable when
inspiration hit us.

2. What, according to you, is the hardest thing about writing?
Nathan: For me, the hardest part is the middle point of the book, the
half-finished manuscript. Starting off is easy, you have lots of ideas
and are ready to go! Finishing is also easy, everything you wrote is
there so you just need to fill in the gaps. But every time there is this
middle point where you’re trying to flesh out all of your thoughts into a
coherent story, and that is pretty challenging.

3. What would you say is the easiest aspect of writing?
Tricia: For me, the easiest part of writing is definitely coming up with
ideas. I find myself having a dozen ideas a day! It's like my mind is
constantly buzzing with new concepts, characters, and plots, just
waiting to be explored. Harder is knowing which one to focus on!

4. Do you need to be in a specific place or room to write, or you can
just sit in the middle of a café full of people and write?
Nathan: When it comes to juggling all the things in my life, I’ve gotten
to the point where I can write just about anywhere. If I waited for a
quiet evening with no interruptions at all ... Well, I’d never get a
chance to write. But I will say it is a lot easier to write when at the
very least someone isn’t talking to me.

5. Where do you get your ideas for your books?
Believe it or not, I got the idea for this book while I was just sweeping
near my bookshelf, which is full of my favorite books about Prague.
During this simple task, it hit me: why not combine the Jewish legend
of the Golem with my interest in WWII stories? I shared this idea with
my son, Nathan, to see what he thought. When I told him, his reaction
was immediate and enthusiastic. He said, "I love it," and that was all
the encouragement I needed. So, together, Nathan and I created
"Breath of Bones" This project was special because it was a joint
effort, combining our interests in folklore and history. Our goal was to
make a story that was engaging and meaningful, reflecting on the
themes of resistance and survival during the tough times of war.
Working on "Breath of Bones" brought us closer and allowed us to
explore a unique blend of mythology and historical events, making it a
memorable project.

6. What is your work schedule/routine when you write?
Tricia: For Breath of Bones, Nathan and I did most of our writing in the
evenings and on weekends. He works full-time–with other part-time
work, too. I have multiple book deadlines, homeschool our youngest
three kids, and also am the caregiver for my 94-year-old Grandma.
Often, Nathan would come over to our house after work, and we’d talk
about ideas and then work on different parts of the same book. Nathan
did most of the first draft, and I often went in and filled in scenes. Of
course, I was also known to change things up–which is always
interesting when you have two people writing the same story!

About the Authors

Tricia Goyer is a celebrated writer, speaker, and co-host of the Daily Bible Podcast. Author of 80 books, Tricia has won four Golden Scrolls, two Carols, and a Christian Book Award. In addition to Christy and Gold Medallion nominations, her book sales exceed 4 million copies. Tricia is a highly sought-after conference speaker, sharing on writing, parenting, and purposeful living. Tricia’s most recent work, Breath of Bones, is a historical steampunk fantasy co-authored with her son Nathan Goyer.
Nathan Goyer is an upstart designer and science fiction author, who has been writing since he was young. He has written the novel Bask: City of Shadows and solo-developed the mobile RPG game Heedless, which has surpassed 30,000 downloads. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Arkansas Little Rock, he is now pushing forward with new endeavors, starting with his newest novel, Breath of Bones, which he wrote alongside his fellow author and mother, Tricia Goyer.

More from Tricia and Nathan

He Said/She Said: Behind the Scenes with Breath of Bones

By Tricia and Nathan Goyer

Writing Breath of Bones turned out to be one of the most surprising and rewarding adventures I’ve ever embarked on. Let me take you behind the scenes of how this all came to be.

It all started when I decided to treat myself to something special for my 50th birthday: attending the Realm Maker’s Conference with my son Nathan. I’ve been writing books for years, over 90 of them actually, but I’ve always stuck to what I knew best. Speculative fiction? That was Nathan’s thing, not mine. But, there we were, surrounded by an incredible community of sci-fi and fantasy writers and fans. It was inspiring..

Reconnecting with my old buddy Steve Laube at the conference was a highlight. “Come to the dark side,” he joked when I marveled at how amazing everyone was. I laughed it off, but little did I know how prophetic his words would be.

After that second conference, something strange started happening. Ideas began bubbling up in my mind, and they were far out of my usual writing lane. The trigger? Believe it or not, I was doing something as mundane as sweeping near my bookshelf, filled with my favorite books about Prague, when I got an idea. That’s when it hit me—blending the Jewish legend of the Golem with my love for WWII stories. When I shared the idea with Nathan, his eyes lit up. “I love it,” he said, and that was all the encouragement I needed.

The idea really took shape when I ran into Steve Laube again at another conference. I pitched it to him during my keynote, and his enthusiasm confirmed my need.

The most surreal part of this whole journey? I first met Steve when I was pregnant with Nathan. When Nathan and Steve were introduced, Nathan joked, “No wonder your voice sounds familiar.” I thought that was perfect!

It felt like things were coming full circle. I was writing a book in a genre I never thought I’d explore for an editor I’ve admired for decades, alongside my son, who, in a way, met Steve alongside me all those years ago.

Breath of Bones is more than just a book to me. It represents stepping out of my comfort zone, embracing a new genre with the help of an incredible community, and the unique joy of collaborating with my son. It’s a reminder that it’s never too late to try something new. Also, the support of friends and loved ones can turn even the most daunting challenges into rewarding journeys. I hope this story inspires others as much as it inspired me during its creation.

He Said:

Writing Breath of Bones was certainly something I never expected to do. I had been trying to get my mother Tricia to write speculative fiction for a while, but I never thought she’d do it! It’s been very interesting to see her come to embrace the more fantastical side of writing.

When she asked me to write the novel with her, I was excited to do so. Writing something like this was right up my alley, of course, but co-authoring was a brand new experience that comes with its challenges and plenty of rewards. I really think it pulled out the best of both of us. What emerged is a story neither of us would have ever written on our own.

I may be revealing some of our secrets here, but when we first started writing, the only fantastical element in the whole book was going to be the Golem itself! I was proud of Tricia when partway through writing, she said, “This feels like another historical fiction book, we need to do more.” From then on, we dug in and got creative. There is so much to discover, and I can confidently tell you there is plenty more excitement to come as the Clockwork Chronicles continues.

I will also say Tricia isn’t the only one stepping out of their comfort zone. It’s been a learning experience for me to write within the bounds of actual history! Sure, there are spider tanks and giant machinations, but much of the story comes from people’s real experiences at that time and our carefully crafted characters who needed to take on these challenges. I loved both learning and writing about the true history. In fact, my favorite scene I wrote had no Steampunk at all. (But I’ll keep which scene a secret. No spoilers here!)

Writing Breath of Bones has been a fantastic learning experience for me. I’ve absorbed a lot of information writing alongside such an experienced author and have loved seeing the characters and storylines I created come to life in such interesting ways. Above all else, I hope all our readers can get lost in the world of Breath of Bones and go on an adventure they won’t forget anytime soon.