"The Bible Companion Book 2 Leviticus-Deuteronomy" by Karen Westbrook Moderow -- Author Interview

 

About the Book

Book: The Bible Companion Book 2 Leviticus-Deuteronomy

Author: Karen Westbrook Moderow

Genre: Bible Study/ Devotional

Release Date: May 5, 2024

Do you struggle to relate to God in the Old Testament?

The Bible Companion Book 2 can help. Its simple one-chapter-a-day format lets you engage with Scripture without the pressure of schedules, homework, or heavy reading loads. Short daily readings and thought-provoking questions help you recognize God’s faithfulness even in your most difficult journey.

Though filled with unfamiliar symbols and rituals, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy hold treasures—the great promises of God. They show us the lengths to which God goes to be in our daily lives. Hard-to-read passages come alive as we travel with Israel to the Promised Land and discover the same God who guided His people in ancient times guides us today. If you want to know what God is like and what matters to Him . . . if you question His love for you . . . if you wonder how believing God can change your life, these books of the Law will speak to you. For personal and group study.

 

Click here to get your copy!

Author Interview 

1. Why did you choose to write non-fiction?
Since I’m writing a Companion to the Bible, I had to write non-fiction. But the Bible
Companion series is a hybrid that places the truth of the Bible into story form.

2. Why did you choose to write about this particular topic?
The Bible Companion Book 2 is primarily about the Law. Leviticus, Numbers and
Deuteronomy are hard books to get through. I kept wondering, Why would God preserve
all these ceremonial laws in the Bible? I don’t think He would unless they conveyed
something important us today. In my studies I came across an author who said that the
law is not separate from the gospel story, it is the story. That got me looking into the
WHY behind what I was reading. I stopped focusing on the details and looked for
principles that expressed something about God and His relationship with me. One day, I
realized the law wasn’t about principles either (though they are present) it’s about Jesus.
I’d always thought of the Old Testament as static, a stone or foundation which prepared
us for Jesus. Now I saw Jesus had been there all along. Symbolically, He was the tablets
Moses brought down from the mountain. It was Jesus broken at the foot of that mountain
because of sin. He was and is the living stone from which water flowed, the Cornerstone
Isaiah spoke of. This discovery energized my faith, and I couldn’t wait to share it with
others.

3. What is your writing area like?
Semi-neat. My computer connects with a large monitor which is so helpful. I often need 4
or 5 windows open at the same time. When researching, I’ll have my Bible, Logos
library, my manuscript, excel sheets with my charts, etc. and of course a search engine.
A family photo, a picture of a sailboat drawn by my niece thirteen years ago, a wooden “I
love you Mom sign, a stone etched with the words, “For with God nothing shall be
impossible” a glass blown paperweight we bought to celebrate my teenage son walking
after a bad car accident, and an Eliot Wigginton’s quote about grandfathers, huddle
underneath my monitor like children underfoot. These things both distract me and remind
me what is important. The further you move out, the more cluttered things become.
Commentaries, a stack of my published books, files, notebooks, and a new addition—a
video recording setup. Maybe semi-neat is the wrong descriptive. I’m counting three piles
within arm’s reach. Neatly stacked, however. If the doors to the giant tower holding my
printer and office supplies are closed, I might get away with “semi-neat.” Maybe not.

4. How long does the researching stage usually take?
I research AS I write. I often find an unexpected resource a few weeks prior to delving
into a book or topic. If so, I read and take notes. I’m a copious notetaker of books,
classes I’ve taken, and even sermons. I may not need something at the time, but later, I
remember the topic and will check my notes. A lot of my research is done before I’ve
even settled on a topic to write about. If I’ve cared enough about something to read and
take notes, chances are I will return to it at some point. It’s always a gift when the
research is done and just waiting to be used in some form.

5. What is different about writing non-fiction vs fiction? 
In non-fiction, especially when writing on biblical themes, you can’t make up things. If
anything, you have a double mandate. You can’t state as truth something that goes
against the Bible, nor can you draw conclusions that are unsupported by the whole of
Scripture. In fiction, your characters can do whatever you want them to. You can even
create your world. As long as you can make the reader believe what you’re saying is
true, you’re free to go as far down the creative path as you desire. Yet there is more of a
connection between fiction and nonfiction than we think. Creative writing is the lifeblood
of good non-fiction. If anything, more imagination is needed because you must stay
within the guidelines of facts and truth. Unless you make the reader thirst for the truth
you’re offering, they’re not likely to engage. Using the techniques of fiction to tell the
story behind the facts is often the best way to bring truth to life. Fortunately, the Bible’s
imagery and characters are so strong that an author has a treasure trove to pull from.

About the Author

KAREN WESTBROOK MODEROW is a Bible teacher and author who brings a storyteller’s perspective to Scripture. She holds master’s degrees in theology and creative writing and loves introducing others to Jesus through the stories told in God’s Word.

 

 

 

 

More from Karen

Breakfast with Leviticus

My father was a pastor and a man with lofty ambitions. He was known for setting goals others deemed impossible then achieving them. However, there was one that got the best of him. He determined our family would read the Bible through from cover to cover—together. On January first of each year, a morning ritual of Bible and Breakfast began. On cold days, Dad would entice us to the table with his version of a Hot Toddy. We’d sip on hot grapefruit juice and eat while one of us read the day’s Scripture out loud. We read Genesis… Exodus… then came Leviticus. No one had the nerve to say the book was boring and we didn’t understand it, but perhaps Dad felt the same. At some point we gave up. The next year, we’d start anew. Genesis… Exodus… then Leviticus. The next year, same thing. We started the day with images of bloody sacrifices exploding in our heads more mornings than I could count. We never made it past Leviticus.

We teased my father about this epic fail, but he took away something from this experience—the realization that most of us need a little help with some parts of the Bible. He started writing short daily devotionals to help people get through hard-to-understand passages. Years later, I took over where he left off. The Bible Companion series is the fruit of that “failed” venture.

Pastor Floyd’s Grapefruit Toddy

My dad’s version of a teetotaler’s “hot toddy” is easy, delicious, warming, and great for sore throats.

• Squeeze juice from one half grapefruit into a mug.
• Fill to the top with boiling water.
• Sweeten with a half teaspoon of honey, if desired.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 29

Girls in White Dresses, July 30

Lots of Helpers, July 30

Tell Tale Book Reviews, July 31 (Author Interview)

Fiction Book Lover, August 1

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 2

Blossoms and Blessings, August 3 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, August 3

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 4

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, August 5 (Author Interview)

Older & Smarter?, August 6

Texas Book-aholic, August 7

Cover Lover Book Review, August 8

A Reader’s Brain , August 9 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 10

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 11 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Karen is giving awawy 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.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54261