From the moment I could hold a pencil, I was writing. When I was fascinated by something, whether the Civil War, the Bible, or Middle Earth, my inclination was to create stories drawing from that fascination.
I decided I wanted to write books when I started to read science fiction. I was enthralled by visions of dysfunctional futures. Yet, I felt something missing. Namely, God. I was a Christian reading science fiction and asking myself: Would a religion that survived tremendous persecution across 2000 years not survive into a dark future?
That question drove my mission. I did not want to write “Christian Fiction” specifically. Honestly, I had little interest in the Christian fiction of my childhood. Rather, I wanted to bring a new Christian voice into genre fiction. From this dream, The Ascend Trilogy was born.
My mission has become even more personal as I see storytelling decline throughout our culture. The proliferation of harmful clichés like the flawless girlboss, the inept male, and the minority with no personality beyond their label, leads me to believe it is critical for new voices to tell stories. We need authentic storytelling that explores the human experience through more than labels. We need quality art made to glorify the Creator of all beauty. We need a chance to escape reality for a time, to let our hearts break and be healed again. Most importantly, we need hope. We need to be reminded people change, good wins, small choices matter, and to never give up.
These are the kinds of stories I strive to bring into the world. I hope to see many others share this dream. Your voice matters! Send some hope into the world.
