Author Behind the Story Blog Series - C. Kevin Thompson

 

It's been a while since we posted an interview with an author. Well near a year, actually. It wasn't part of the plan. It was simply life getting in the way of an author with some medical issues. 

"Hello." (See me waving?) "That would be me."

Yet, despite the absence of new posts, God has been good. We have had over 25,000 views since November 2024. We're on pace to break 30,000 views in a year! All I can say is, "Wow!"

When deciding who I should contact to line up our next interview, it was brought to my attention I had never done one. Of course, this was by design. I started this blog to do two things. First, to showcase other authors. Second, to be a link to any writings I published, like back when I wrote for Seriously Write and other publications. "And since you do not write for those entities any longer," one person said, "readers would like to get to know you too." 

So, after weeks of consideration, and because thirteen years of work on The Blake Meyer Thriller Series has come to a close, I was urged to take this time and showcase my writing for a change on this venue as a "reward of sorts" for being faithful to the series and not giving up (and trust me, there were times when I contemplated it).

Therefore, without further ado, I'm going to sit down on the Florida Front Porch, grab a glass of sweet tea in this sweltering heat we are experiencing, and answer a few questions. 

And since interviewing myself seems a bit weird, I'm going to reword the questions a little for you...and me.

I will, however, answer the first question I always put to our guests, which is, in fifty words or less, who is C. Kevin Thompson? 

Besides a writer, I am a husband, a father, a grandfather, a minister, a teacher, a school administrator, a drummer, and a sinful slave, who became a friend of his Master, and is striving to please HIM by being obedient (John 14:14-16).

Did you ever have the notion of becoming a writer/author at a young age? If so, how old were you, and what were you doing in that time of your life?

To save time, I will allow my story on my website to answer this question. Click on the link to read it.

Let's do the list of favorites. Mention your favorite in each category and then tell us in one sentence why it is your favorite.

 

Favorite Song of All-Time:  This is a tough one. There are so many ones I like. However, the one I keep going back to is Forever by PFR. I love the harmonies of this group. They remind me of The Beatles, in that regard. The lead singer, Joel Hanson, even sounds like John Lennon in many of their songs, and as a result, they were asked in 1993 to be a part of a tribute album to The Fab Four and did so with a guest appearance by Phil Keaggy (Hanson sings verses 1 & 3, Phil sings verse 2 & 4, and they combine on verse 5 and the bridges). Ironically, they did a song where Paul McCartney was the lead vocalist...missed opportunity?

Favorite Non-Fiction Book (other than your own & besides the Bible): Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity In Christ by John MacArthur – This book has opened up my understanding of the entire Bible. Things make so much better sense now.

Favorite Bible Verse: Romans 12:1-2: The Christian life summed up in two verses.

Favorite Movie: Hopscotch (featuring Walter Matthau, Glenda Jackson, Sam Waterston, and Herbert Lom). I don’t know why I like this movie so much, but I saw it for the first time on TV and really liked the storyline. Of course, being on TV made a big difference. They bleeped out Ned Beatty’s mouth, which was a good thing, but I didn't know it at the time. I bought the DVD years later and was shocked. “That wasn’t in the version I saw!” Also, this was a book turned into a movie, and both were written by the author. I have to admit…the movie was much better.

Favorite Actor or Actress: I don’t really have a favorite, per se, for I have found all actors and actresses play some roles very well and other roles not so much. I favor picking roles from different actors/actresses.

Favorite TV Show: This is a tough one too. Blue Bloods, 24, The Blacklist, Sherlock, Shetland, Vera, DCI Banks, are a just a few.

Favorite Novel (other than your own): A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Such a great story in so few words.

Favorite Author (other than you): Fiction: Arthur Conan Doyle & Michael Crichton.  Non-Fiction: John MacArthur and F. F. Bruce

Favorite Sport: College Football. By far. There is not a close second, here, just so we're clear.

Favorite Team (Can be any sport, any level): Florida Gators

Favorite Subject in School Growing Up: If I am being honest? Girls. I wasn't saved back then, so in my defense...

Favorite Subject Now: It is a three-way tie between English, History, and certain subjects within science. These come in handy when writing, and I find them fascinating...now.

Favorite Teacher in School: Mrs. Sue Crumpton – She sparked my love for writing.

Favorite Time of the Year: Fall – A high of 65 degrees, no clouds in the sky, leaves turning color, and a steady 10-15 mph breeze? I think that will be the temperature of Heaven, by the way..

Favorite Place to Vacation: The beach. I could sit on a balcony and listen to the waves come ashore forever.

Favorite Drink: Unfortunately, Coca Cola Classic. I’m a recovering Coke-aholic, and I am glad to report I am losing my love for it (for health reasons). Coffee is a close second, and there will never be any recovery sought. This keeps me sane.

Favorite Food: It’s a tie. Pizza (pepperoni) and steak (rib-eye). If I could eat these with no ill effect, that’s all I would eat. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sure, I'd add some eggs to the steak for breakfast when I wasn't eating leftover pizza...and now, I'm hungry.

  

What makes you cringe?

Foods that were never intended to be eaten. I saw two videos recently which had me dry-heaving. One was of a woman who had four large leopard frogs positioned on a baking sheet. They were sitting on a bed of some kind of lettuce and had been bathed in some kind of oil. She then took live, black creatures – I could not tell if they were baby eels or some kind of leach, but based on how active they were, I believe it was the former – and tossed one or two into the open mouths of the four frogs. She then took an egg mixture in some kind of Pyrex mixing bowl and poured it all over the frogs and in their mouths. (Are you getting ill yet?) She then baked them in a primitive oven, pulled them out, and proceeded to take large tongs, grab one of the frogs, and eat it, starting with the head.

I’m out. I’ll choose starvation. "Lord Jesus, Come."

You know, we had a garden, right? It was beautiful. It had all the food we would ever need in it (not to mention eternal life!). And I have to think the whole earth was just like it. As Adam and Eve’s family grew, there would have been a need for more acreage and plant distribution. But instead, we wanted the one piece of fruit that was off limits. We traded in all of the lusciousness of the Garden of Eden (and eternal life!) for baked leopard frogs. Baked frogs? Really? Oh, and the other video? The woman was cooking rats in a pot like gumbo. She pulled one out and starting eating it like a cob of corn. You see how sin has tricked us into thinking such cuisine is normal? 

Everybody seems to have a bucket list. Do you? If so, what’s on it? If not, why not?

There are several places on my bucket list I’d like to visit. I’d love to travel the roads, take the boats, and walk the streets the Apostle Paul traversed on his missionary journeys. I’d also like to walk and travel the paths of Jesus, from Nazareth to Capernaum, from there to Jerusalem, to Bethany, to Bethlehem, the Dead Sea, and the Sea of Galilee.

And then there’s Europe, Australia, Hawaii, and Alaska. Better start pinching my pennies, huh?

When you look for a new home, what are the things that are important to you?  

Funny you should ask. Ha! We’re actually doing this right now. We’ve been in the market for a new home for about six months. Although we have: 1) narrowed down the area; 2) continued to scour Realtor.com and the other sites; 3) have decided we’d like a split-plan, a living room big enough to hold the family when they come over, a walk-in shower in the master bath that doesn’t require doors, shower curtains, etc., a decent-sized lanai (pool is optional), a back yard big enough for the grandkids to play, and a kitchen with a sizeable place for food prep, like an island or “bar-type” extension; 4) and as we know floors, paint, etc., can be updated or changed to suit, we also are keeping the Lord's will in mind. When you read about John the Baptist living in the wilderness as a stark dichotomy to the religious erudites of his day, or think of Jesus when He says "the Son of Man doesn't have a place to lay His head," it puts things in perspective. Jesus and John were definitely a contrast to House Hunters.

In addition, those houses containing everything we desire are pricey at current interest rates. If we compromise, then what goes? Since this will probably (?) be our last home, it’s a difficult choice, so we are being patient and continuing to keep our ears to the ground and our eyes on Jesus.  

We are also considering building a house, too, as an option. Another option is to get a cheaper fixer-upper. We know enough people in the construction field to get help, advice, etc. If we do either of these, then we’ll make sure we can get all these things included...eventually. And I can do the flooring, tile work, etc., as that was the family business growing up. Good skills to fall back on, if I ever had to…just not sure the knees can handle it these days.

Do you have a favorite line from a movie or book? If so, what is it?

Do you remember the show, Remington Steele? I’m kind of like him. I’m always quoting movies, books, comedians at various times. But some I think of or actually say are: 

•      “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” from Jaws.
•      “Must go faster! Must go faster!” from Jurassic Park.
•      When people say I’m crazy, I reply: “You’re just getting that now?” from Sherlock.
•      “Sleep is a weapon too.” from The Bourne Identity (the book, not the movie).
•      “I taught Jason Bourne everything he knows, but I didn’t teach him everything I know.” from 30 Days Hath Revenge (Sorry, I know this seems like a shameless plug, but I do use it).

 If you could go back and have a “do over” concerning something in your life (we’re thinking about something non-writing related here), what would you have done differently?

When I was in ministry as a pastor, I was young, both in years and in my walk with the Lord. Because of this, I listened to those around me who I respected and took their counsel as “gospel.” I wish – and have for years now - I would have followed “my gut” (which I later learned was the Holy Spirit) and been obedient to His leading. Instead, it’s been the school of hard knocks, for sure, to get where I am now, to unlearn everything the "powers that be" taught me about pragmatism and instead allow God to renew my mind (Romans 12:1-2).

Do you have a crazy, interesting, behind-the-scenes story about the publishing world you’d like to tell your readers without boring them to death with industry gobbledygook?

Oh, there’s a few. One involves this very series we are promoting right now, The Blake Meyer Thriller Series. I write about this a little in the preface to the first book in the series. The first publisher started to go belly up without telling anyone, and when other authors started to pull their works, it was decided, by my agent at the time, that I should do the same, since the life of the contract had officially run its course.

After receiving zero responses from emails, I finally had to write one to the then current employer of the individual who was still in charge of the publishing house. It had become a situation of Christian integrity at that point for me, and I did not feel the actions of the publishing house were honoring God, thus having the possibility of bringing reproach on this institution as well. Interestingly, a couple of days later, I received an email from the editor, promising a formal split within thirty days. The statement came, and we signed it.

That entire process took roughly a year from start to finish. They weren’t a shady enterprise. They came highly recommended. I just think the company grew too large, too fast, and they were not recouping financially what they were spending on the front end. Then, with losing authors left and right, the ship sunk. 

And did I tell you about the swindler who sent me a contract and then took $300 from me? That was in the infancy of my writing career when I was greener than green grass and about as naïve as they come. She’s since been arrested (I did not have anything to do with her arrest), and for a while, I was receiving restitution in the form of a check from the prison system in Texas. I’ve got about $5 of it back so far...in 20+ years. Author beware, for sure. I later learned she was on the Preditors and Editors website. Wish I had known that website existed BEFORE I traveled down that hole. Live and learn.

Of all the stories/books you have written, which one is your favorite? And what compelled you to write this story?

My favorite so far is my first one published, The Serpent’s Grasp. When I was in middle school, I had aspirations of becoming a marine biologist. I guess that’s why I like the beach so much. However, I get deathly seasick on boats, and when I learned marine biologists spend months at sea, I knew that wouldn’t work for me. My love for the sea never wavered, though, and The Serpent’s Grasp is proof of it. I’m also proud that it took First Place in the First Fiction category (Debut Novel) in the 2013 Selah Awards, beating out some other titles which have done very well for themselves since then.

Tell us about what project you are currently working on.

I recently finished Devil of a Crime, which is the last book in the six-book Blake Meyer series. It’s been thirteen years in the making (because of all the publishing issues I mentioned before and other things). It’s definitely been a labor of love, in a way, and I could not just quit and leave Blake and others hanging out there. Too many readers had invested time and money into the first books.

Once I get past the Book 6 release date and marketing plans the Blake Meyer series, my efforts will turn to a new mystery series, about which I am really excited. I have to admit, the first book in this upcoming series just may become my favorite, as I really like the characters. It’s middle grade fiction, and the books will be a series of standalones. It all began actually as an idea I originally wrote as adult fiction. When a friend read the manuscript and said something about the characters needed more humor and shouldn’t be so serious all the time, I took it to heart and sat on it for about fifteen years while I worked on other things. Now, I’ve taken these two characters and pushed them back in age to middle school. Once I made the change, the characters came alive. My critique group loves the story and thinks it may be the best thing I’ve written yet. The book is written, although there are a few tweaks I need to make, but those should not take too long. I plan to release it this fall (looking at mid-November). The cover art work is all done too. 

If you have noticed, I haven’t given away the title, and that’s for a reason. We will be doing a build up to the cover reveal and then the pre-order release date hopefully sometime in mid-to-late September. Be on the lookout!

What surprised you the most during the research for the series you are finishing up?

The reality of it. What do I mean? As I was writing the Blake Meyer series, article after article came out, along with a couple of books, demonstrating in real time what Colin Murphy and his ensemble of bad actors had cooked up. One such example of many was an article by Meghan Roos in Newsweek that came out in October of 2021, eight years after 30 Days Hath Revenge was published. Eighteen people died from using an aromatherapy spray they purchased at Walmart, which was produced in India for Better Homes & Gardens. The spray had a rare but deadly bacteria in it. CDC officials determined the bacteria came from mud in a nearby area close to the production facility. Apparently, workers carried it into the facility on either their hands or feet, and it somehow got into the spray as it was being produced and packaged. At least, that’s the explanation that came out, which interestingly enough, has vanished from the original article. It was a CDC investigation, and it now says that webpage has moved and is no longer available. It could be all on the up-and-up. However, after reading Ken Alibek’s book, Biohazard, I’m inclined to think there may be more there than meets the eye.

If you had one person you could meet (think ONLY Bible characters here) and could spend as much time as you wanted with that individual, who would it be besides Jesus, and why?

Again, a hard decision. However, I think it would be Daniel. He was faithful from a young age, was taken into captivity, stood up to the most powerful man in that day, Nebuchadnezzar, and showed by a righteous life how not only God could and would honor it, but also how God would protect him. Daniel never stood in front of the Babylonian ruler’s palace and protested the food like many Christians would do today (Daniel 1). He didn’t refuse to help the evil king, like many Christians would do today. Instead, he was obedient to God and was honored for it by interpreting the king’s dreams. As a reward, he was lifted up into a position of power as chief of the Magi (Daniel 2), which God was able to use to set the stage for Matthew 2 hundreds of years later. Then, when the king wanted everyone to bow to the image of himself and forbade anyone from honoring any other god but him, Daniel remained faithful. He didn't march in the streets of Babylon or write op-ed pieces. He just continued to pray and worship God alone. Evil men plotted against him, tried to use his righteousness against him, and had him ultimately thrown into the fiery furnace (Daniel 3). You know the rest of the story as the chapters progress.

Daniel served under four different kings and faced many blessings and hardships because of his faith. Yet, each time Daniel was falsely accused, he stood fast to his faith, and God delivered him. As a result, the kings who attempted to take his life ended the scenes by commanding the entire nation to honor the God of Daniel. Thus, Daniel lived a Beatitude life for God before the Beatitudes were the Beatitudes. He thus fulfilled what Jesus said at the end of those Beatitudes, speaking of being salt and light, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Daniel did exactly that, and thus he would be a man I would want to get to know better.

What Bible scripture has impacted your life the most, and why?

Matthew 5:3-12. Jesus lays out what kind of person enters the Kingdom of Heaven in these verses. They start with the first step, a broken and contrite heart and a realization of who you are (a destitute beggar) in light of who God is (Holy and Righteous). It progresses through each verse, showing us how the heart transforms into an eventual peacemaker, i.e., one who tells others about Jesus, so they, too, can be at peace with God instead of at war with Him (Romans 5:1). And of course, there comes the sharing of the gospel part and the hatred and persecution it brings. But take heart. Our "enemies" are the mission field, and they hate us because of the Jesus we share with them. It’s not personal, although it feels that way. It’s the devil’s children believing his lies and feeling the sting and shame of sin when we shine Jesus’s light on their wounds.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about you, or anything we didn’t cover?

I have more ideas for books than I have time to write them. A good problem to have, I hear, as some authors struggle to churn out a book a year. Once I retire, then it will be full speed ahead.

I have a book (could be a small series) already foreshadowed in the Blake Meyer Thriller Series. It would be a follow-up series, starring Julee Scarfano, with a cameo appearance by Blake. There will be a great deal of research to do for it, so it’s on the back burner currently.

I also have Book 2 in the middle grades fiction series mapped out and ready to write, and this series could have as many as 20-30 books in it before it's over. We'll see. I have some unique plans for it, for sure, that I believe all readers will appreciate. 

And I have some ideas for another series of adult fiction standalones that would require me to travel and research areas and their history, which would be a wonderful thing. It would be a great tax write-off, too, right? And maybe I could combine this idea with that bucket list I mentioned earlier…

Alright everybody, I'm done. That wasn't too painful, was it?

If you're interested in following me on social media, through my newsletter (which only comes out when we have a new book release), then you can go to my website @ www.ckevinthompson.com and find all my social media outlets there, which include Bookbub, Facebook, Instagram, X, Amazon, Pinterest, and Goodreads (although I will admit, some of those are more updated than others).

Thanks for stopping by!

Kevin  

 

PS - This interview was done and uploaded on July 12, 2025. On Monday, July 14th, I learned, along with thousands, that Pastor John MacArthur had been hospitalized, and the prognosis was not good. Within hours, Pastor John left this earthly dwelling for his heavenly home. I'm happy for him. He's where we all long to be, and we do not grieve like the word does, for we have hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). However, I am sad to see him go. Even in the last year of preaching, God was giving him fresh insight, and thankfully, he shared it with others just like he did for well over fifty years. 

The Author Behind the Story Series - Ward Tanneberg

Hello, Everybody! We've had a couple of month lull in our series, but it's picking back up again with a great author who has an interesting story. That's one of the things I love about this job - getting to meet new people. And although it's through the cyberspatial realms of blogs, social media, and the like, we eventually get to meet face to face at writers conferences, as well as other events.

So, welcome to the Florida front porch! Pull up a chair. The iced tea is ready (it's already been in the high 80's here). Sit back, relax, and let's have a chat with my next guest, Ward Tanneberg!

Hi, Ward. For those readers who do not know you yet, why don't you give them a quick bio. In fifty words or less, who is Ward Tanneberg?

I’ve been in active ministry for 58 years, beginning as a young evangelist, serving as a denominational youth director, college public relations director, pastor in three churches, lecturer, adjunct professor, writer, blogger, novelist, and nonprofit organization executive director. I have spoken in hundreds of churches, adult retreats and ministry conferences, and meet with Christian business leaders, active and retired, in my living room on Wednesday mornings. I currently consult with Ministry Resources International and serve on the board since the very beginning of Assist International, and continue to speak in churches, retreats, and conferences. I’ve visited over 50 foreign countries, some several times. For example, my 11^th visit to Israel leading a group will be in 2019.

Wow. That's a rich, full life, and one part of that has been writing. Of all the stories/books you have written, which one is your favorite? And what compelled you to write this story?

My favorite story/book is always the one I’m writing now that has yet to see the light of day. Book manuscripts are to me like embryonic children still being formed, yet unnamed, and hoping for parents that someday will love and nurture them to success.

The memoir, Sacred Journey, is my newest true story. In fiction, I keep trying to make the next one better than the last. In that regard, it would be Redeeming Grace, a thriller that won a 2015 Bronze Jerry Jenkins Illumination Award.

Congratulations! It's always a great feeling to have others validate your writing with some type of award or recognition. Before you ever got a notion of becoming a writer/author, how old were you, and what were you doing in that time of your life?

I was the lead (only) pastor, in my early 20s, in my first church when I wrote an article for Pulpit magazine (now non-existent). It was accepted and they even paid … 10 cents a word! I was on my way. They published several more of my articles. I like to think it wasn’t my work that drove them out of business.

That's funny, and I'm sure it wasn't. You mentioned you were a pastor as well as how you have held numerous positions, etc. What educational background do you have?

I graduated with a class of 17 from Coulee City HS, a farming community in eastern Washington state; 2 yrs Central Bible College, Springfield MO; B.A. in Bible/Theology, Northwest University, Kirkland WA; graduate studies at Western Evangelical Seminary (now George Fox Theological Seminary), Portland OR and Seattle Pacific University, Seattle WA; Ph.D., California Graduate School of Theology, La Habra CA; additional: Core Coaching Skills; graduate FBI Citizens Academy; Stephen Ministries LTC.

FBI Citizens Academy, huh? Didn't know they had such a thing... Are you married? Single? Have kids? 

Dixie changed her address to heaven on 04 Aug 2015. We met while I was a 17-year-old Bible college student traveling with the King’s Ambassadors Quartet. We were married in Tulsa OK and soon after moved to the West Coast. We were married just over 59 years. We have two married children, 3 grandchildren, 4 step-grandchildren, and 2 great grandsons. 

I'm sorry to hear about your wife's passing, but the hope we have as believers of it not being the end, but instead a new beginning, is joyous. And congratulations on 59 years. That's becoming more and more of a rarity. 

I’m going to give you a shotgun list of favorites. List your favorite in each category and then tell us in one sentence why it is your favorite.

Favorite Song of All-Time: The Prayer tops the list of many favorites

Favorite Non-Fiction Book (other than your own & besides the Bible): Falling Upward by Richard Rohr is probably my most recent favorite; again it’s hard to pick just one.

Favorite Bible Verse: Philippians 1:6 my mother sent me off to college with this verse.

Favorite Movie: North by Northwest (1959); Hidden Figures (2016)

Favorite TV Show: Blue Bloods (That is one of our favorites as well)

Favorite Novel (other than your own): Vicar of Christ by Walter F. Murphy

Favorite Author (other than you): Henri Nouwen

Favorite Sport: golf (I loved football, baseball, racquetball, tennis and played all of these at various stages, but I’m down to golf now. My dad taught me the game and I never ever beat him.

Favorite Team (Can be any sport, any level): Mariners baseball team

Favorite Subject in School Growing Up: PE

Favorite Subject Now: theology reflected in maturing adults

Favorite Teacher in School: Mrs. Neff, a no-nonsense elementary school teacher

Favorite Time of the Year: Autumn, Spring, Summer, Winter in that order here in the Pacific Northwest

Favorite Place to Vacation: the California desert

Favorite Drink: Water, coffee

Favorite Food: Cheese and onion enchiladas and other things Mexican

If your life was a story, and you were the lead character, what kind of role would you play? 

I like to think I’d be John Cain, the lead pastor in several of my novels.

 

For all the pet lovers out there, answer this question: Do you have any?

I have a 9-month-old, 54 pound, muscular Labradoodle named GAGE. He’s been the amusing topic of a couple of my ‘almost’ weekly Perspective blog posts. He’s near or on my feet while I am writing this.

If you had one person you could meet (think ONLY Bible characters here) and could spend as much time as you wanted with that individual, who would it be besides Jesus?

The Apostle John who managed to do his best and most lasting work while in his late 80s, early 90s as an apostolic writer. I hope the same can be said for my work as well.

What’s the craziest thing you have ever done?

Mmm...Does sitting at a freeway crossroads with suitcases packed and flipping a coin to see which direction we would go (north or south) for our vacation qualify? How about kneeling by the side of a busy highway, watching an ant attempt to cross without getting run over? We were on a family bicycle ride from San Francisco to Mexico at the time. The ant made it. So did we.

I feel a song about high hopes coming on...

Why do you live where you live?

I like ‘extreme’ weather locations, for example, I’ve lived on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state (144 inches of rain annually); the California desert (very little rain and extreme heat in summers); and the Pacific Northwest (clouds and rain) where I now live in a low-rise condo surrounded by people in the heart of downtown Bellevue, WA.

There seem to be a great many writers in the Pacific Northwest...Does that have to do with the fact that you all have to stay indoors so much because of the rain? Just curious...

We know “Readers are leaders, and leaders are readers.” Is there a book you’ve read in the past five years or so that has helped you become a better you? If so, which one was it, and how did it affect your life?

When I find a fiction author I like, I read as much of him or her as is possible, studying writing styles as I go. Catherine Coulter would be one. Lee Child, Joel Rosenberg, David Baldacci, John Grisham and others I read in the thriller environment.

In non-fiction, I find Roman Catholic writers, like Joan Chittister, Henri Nouwen, and Richard Rohr to be some of the very best. 

When you look for a new home, what are the things that are important to you? 

In the city I prefer a condominium lifestyle; in the desert I like a gated community like Sun City. Lawns may be the most beautiful curse man brings upon himself, so I enjoy the beauty, but haven’t mowed one in 40 years.

Oh, I like how you think. Can I use that line next week when I have to mow again? I'd hate for anybody to curse me.

When you are looking for a book to read, what are the things that are important to you?

Back cover copy and word of mouth are the two things catching my attention. Also a familiar author’s name that I like.

Besides the usual things authors face, has there been an unusual event that changed your perspective about being an author?

My most difficult day was Valentine’s Day, 2014, when my wife received a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Without therapy she was given 3-6 months. She chose therapy, wanting to hold her yet unborn second grandson in her arms. She lived 18 months. She was always a “teaching moment” to those whom she served as a pastor to women in two churches. That being the case, she agreed to let me write her story, filled with “teaching moments” that has since been published as the memoir book, Sacred Journey.

That is awesome. Tell us about what project you are currently working on. 

My current embryonic project is about “Life InBetween,” where we discover it’s not the high notes that thrill us, nor the mountain peaks that define us. A faith that transforms, that counts as right standing with God, is a faith bringing us straight to the heart of Jesus, who says, “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” This kind of faith is shaped in the “InBetweens.”

So I pick the man who was “called a friend of God,” and have begun unpacking the story of Abraham, whose greatest moments were not high points of success, but rather his “Life InBetween” such moments that shaped his faith journey. I’m using a combination of fiction, historical and biblical narrative, and life application. Not heavy, but meaty enough. When I write, I write for persons who were once broken, as well as persons who are broken still. Both are always at the very core of how and what I write.

Tell us about your writing day. How do you go about writing? 

I usually write in the mornings. I’m the freshest during morning hours. If I awaken in the very early hours, I may sit in bed and write.

I compose blogs one day a week, targeting living, learning, leading in life’s second half. My blogs touch on humor, pathos, marriage, family, leadership, church, retirement, anything that people in life’s so-called second half must face. Personally, I no longer speak or write about life in halves, but in thirds, but this is another subject matter.

In fiction, I am more of a pantser, with loose outlines that permit lots of things to “happen” rather than be tightly held together. However, I continue to learn as a storyteller, always seeking fresh approaches and insights. Currently I am enrolled in Jerry Jenkins’ online novel writing course and learning a good deal.

Knowing what you know now about writing, publishing, etc., what piece of advice would you give to the person thinking about writing that novel they have always wanted to pursue since they were young, or the person who believes they have a non-fiction book in them that would be helpful to others?

If you really are a writer, you will face discouragement, rejection, whatever, but you will keep learning and growing. And you will not quit.

Great advice, Ward. Starting is hard enough. Completing a book is even more difficult. But seeing it through to publication and beyond, well, that's an entirely different matter altogether.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about you, or anything we didn’t cover?

I have written several inspirational thriller novels; a memoir of particular interest to caregivers of those suffering with cancer is Sacred Journey, my most recent work. I have lived 81 years. It is important that those of us in life’s “final third” share, with young and maturing adults, what life while being followers of Jesus has taught us.

Amen. As I get older, my perspective has changed. I used to dislike mornings. Now, they're not so bad. Time spent on seemingly worthless endeavors (like mowing the lawn!!!) are now "hours I'm not going to get back." It's so true.

Thank you, Ward, for taking time out of your writing life to spent some time with our readers. May God continue to bless you and your ministries.

Dear reader, if you wish to learn more about Dr. Tanneberg's writing ministry, check out the links below and the book descriptions.

Website: www.wardtanneberg.com

Facebook: @wardtann

LinkedIn: Ward Tanneberg

Twitter: @WardTanneberg

Sacred Journey, a memoir (2016)

From an Amazon customer: What a privilege to be invited into this very personal “sacred journey”. Life lessons abound! Be prepared to feel the pain and suffering of Dixie’s “Enemy Cancer.” The Enemy was brutal. Be prepared to encounter true love and commitment in action. Rare these days. Be prepared to experience genuine faith lived out and see hope penetrate throughout the “journey.” An incredible woman of substance and faith. Beautifully honest. Full of hope.
 

2) Redeeming Grace, a novel (2015 Jerry Jenkins Illuminations Bronze Award)

From the back cover: Seven years ago, Grace Grafton died in a boating accident while partying on the Georgia, South Carolina coast. Was her death the result of alcohol and drugs or something more sinister? Nobody knows: her body was never recovered. Now years later, a woman reads in disbelief the note addressed to her: Hello Grace, did you think we wouldn't find you?

Those nine chilling words end Grafton's self-imposed sanctuary of witness protection. Now she and everyone she loves are in grave danger. Long believed dead, she has a secret that can change the future of America. She knows the man running for president is guilty of a double murder! But who will believe her?

Until next time, may God bless you, and may you bless God!

Kevin

www.ckevinthompson.com
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