In the Belly of the Earth

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  Why did you make Craig such an evil kid?

  I admit, he’s a tad overdrawn. Then again, kids can be pretty darn brutal to each other. When I wrote Craig I couldn’t help but think of his home life. What were his parents like? Were they abusive? I think it’s safe to say all of Craig’s volatility was merely the result of a great deal of pain elsewhere. With the boys on the camping trip, he felt powerful. He felt in control. When Fred took that away from him….well, it was like he lost everything. And we see what happened after that.

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  What’s the deal with the crow?

  Simple. The crow is the enemy. It comes in many forms. That evil force with the singular goal of destroying you. A lot of times our enemy can be inside our own heads speaking lies about ourselves and others and God. But I also believe in a real and dangerous unseen enemy spoken of in the Bible. He’s called a thief…and all he wants to do is steal, kill, and destroy. I don’t care to give him much attention other than to say God has already defeated him at the cross. All he can really do is lie to us. That’s what the crow was trying to do to Fred….lie, lie, lie! But thankfully, our hero heard the voice of his Father (who, if you hadn’t guessed, represents God Himself) and finally found light and freedom!

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  What’s the general “message” of this book?

  That’s for you to ponder for yourself. Any good story should point you in the right direction and nudge you toward your own conclusions. Fred and Craig and the cave and the crow can mean a lot of different things to a lot of people. I say just give it some thought and let God teach you your own special lesson. Even as the author, I learned about fear and bitterness and the freeing power of forgiveness. Biggest of all, though, I learned about courage in the face of darkness. But don’t take it from me…..

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  Any more books on the way?

  You bet! I’ve already written a handful of new stories just waiting to get to print. Stay tuned! You won’t be disappointed. There will be aliens, talking insects, and floating grill-cheese sandwiches. You know, standard stuff.