Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Allen Steadham
Linda: Thanks for joining me today. Congratulations
on the release of your novel Mindfire.
What was your inspiration for the story?
Allen: Thank you!
I took story elements and characters from the superhero team comic series I’d
written and drawn from age ten until my thirties and made revisions to update
it for the present day as well as to assure that this was a Christian novel.
Those revisions included adding new characters and story elements.
LM: The age old
question for writers – are you a planner or a “pantster,” and what is your
favorite part of the writing process?
Allen: I’m a
little of both. I think some planning is essential, but I only make a very
loose outline for the beginning, middle and end. I love the adventure of
writing and responding to the Lord’s inspirations. It makes for amazing
surprises sometimes!
LM: The bio on
your website talks about your creation of comics during your early career and
your transition into writing novels. How difficult it is to describe (write)
fantasy elements of the story rather than draw them?
Allen: I had
gotten used to scripting my comics by the time I got to making webcomics, but
scripting and drawing are very different from painting word pictures. I had to
relearn how to write, in a sense, but I loved the challenge. Now that I write
more than I draw, it’s become a lot easier to take what I see in my head and
put it to words. That’s what I used to do with art.
LM: In addition
to writing, you are part of a band. How do you balance the creative aspects of
your life?
Allen: A lot of
my life is about creativity. I listen to music when I write. I’ve been playing
electric bass guitar and singing since I was a teen. My wife and I wrote songs
when we were dating and engaged, then after we married and started a family.
We’ve been in the same band (First Light) since 1997, practicing and performing
regularly.
To me, the tie-in is the Lord. I write for Him. I play my
instrument for Him. I sing for Him. It’s all to His honor and glory. That’s
what provides the balance and the reward for all efforts made.
LM: Here are some
quickies:
Allen:
Favorite childhood book: Old
Yeller. My first tear-jerker.
Favorite food: My wife’s Japanese-style Katsu Don (breaded
and fried pork cutlet) in Tonkatsu Sauce with sticky rice
Favorite vacation place: Corpus Christi, TX
LM: What is your
next project?
Allen: A science-fantasy
trilogy. The first book, Jordan’s World,
will be released this Summer from Ambassador International. It’s about a young
woman who is abducted to an Earth-like world and stranded there with her
mother. They are taken in by a friendly tribe of natives, but they have to
adapt and basically start over. The book shows that God reigns over the whole
universe and He can reach us no matter where we are.
LM: Where can
folks find you on the web?
Allen: My website: https://www.allensteadham.com
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/jaspecfiction
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allensteadham
Book Blurb:
"For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required."
Leia Hamilton can move things and set them on fire with her mind. Leia's father and step-mother tried to hide their past: a time when they were part of a team of superheroes. But despite being disbanded for over twenty years following a series of tragedies, their problems were passed to their children, and Leia finds that her future collides with their past.
In the the diverse world of human and superhuman, heroes and villains, friends and enemies, some of Leia's choices have terrible consequences. For Leia, this leads to a personal crossroads and a search for redemption.
Not your normal superhero novel, Mindfire isn't about secret identities, costumes, or evil plots endangering the world. Instead, self-discovery and adaptation are at the forefront as the reader follows the lives of the characters who are unafraid to show love and explore spirituality.
Can redemption and renewed grace weather the flames of absolute power and superhuman strength?
Purchase Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/162020908X
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