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“The 2nd Demon: Tales of the Grimvox”
I received an email recently asking if “The 4th Demon” was the last book in “The Chronicles of Jonathan Steel”. It is NOT. The fact is, 2024 has not been a friendly year for my writing. Back in January, 2024 we went to Walt Disney World for the International Art Festival at EPCOT. The week were gone proved to be another “snowmageddon” in our deep south location here in northwest Louisiana. The temperature plummeted to 9 degrees that Tuesday night.
Three years before, a similar event took place and we had a pipe freeze in the attic above our garage. The ensuing flood took out the garage ceiling. We were at the house when it happened and found it promptly. Now, digging through frozen clay, ice, and snow to find the water turnoff valve was a chore but we managed. I had a cut off valve put in the attic to cut off water to that pipe which supplied only one faucet outside.
Well on that night in January, the cut off valve froze! Wednesday about 6 PM I checked out doorbell camera from our room in Disney World to see if we had lost power. Plenty of power but I saw water running across our front porch into the yard! A friend up the street was kind enough to check and we were able to let him into the house. The pipe had burst AGAIN and had taken out the ceiling over my study! Lots of computer equipment and memorabilia, etc. were taken out by the flood. Our entire first floor was flooded.
Read the rest of this entry2nd Annual Wholesome Book Fair
Looking for a good book? Want something “wholesome” and inspirational? This coming weekend you can find dozens of well written, inspiring books by local authors at the Wholesome Book Fair.
Saturday, October 26th from 11 AM – 2 PM at Barksdale Baptist Church the Louisiana Chapter of the American Christian Fiction Writers will hold is second annual Wholesome Book Fair. Barksdale Baptist Church at 1714 Jimmie Davis Hwy, Bossier City, LA 71112.
I will be out of town, unfortunately. However, I have donated thirty canvas bags you can load up with the books you buy. And in each bag will be a special coupon to download the ebook version of the first three books of “The Chronicles of Jonathan Steel”. For FREE! Now, only thirty copies will be available so show up early and grab a bag!
For those of you who cannot make the Wholesome Book Fair, Volume 1 of the “The Chonicles of Jonathan Steel” is now available from all major digital book stores. Check out my author page at Amazon!
Come out and support you local Christian authors. Meet and talk with these awesome friends of mine. Learn more about how you can become a published author!
Jonathan Steel, Where are you?
What’s Been Happening with Jonathan Steel?
It has been almost a year since I released the last Jonathan Steel book. So, what have I been doing?
First, I have semi-retired from my medical practice. I’m still working part time. This means more time to work on my writing as July 1st. Here are the projects I am working on:
Rewrite of “The 13th Demon”, “The 12th Demon”, and “The 11th Demon”.
That’s right! I am restoring all three books to their original, long story format. In my agreement with a major publisher, I had to make a LOT of concessions on all three books. Word count limitations forced me to make significant cuts to the first two books. And content restraint required me to make concessions on “The 11th Demon” which is STILL in the hands of Westbow Press!
Here’s what I have done. I have restored “The 13th Demon: Dark Covenant” and “The 12th Demon: Wolf Dragon” to their original length. I am still working on updating “The 11th Demon: Chimera”. Soon, the new versions of 13th and 12th will be available everywhere! Look for the new subtitles. I am hoping to get 11th out by the end of the year.
This has necessitated me holding back on the final two books in “The Chronicles of Jonathan Steel”.
Next Jonathan Steel Book
“The 2nd Demon: Tales of the Grimvox” will explore the backstories of Jonathan Steel, the Captain, Lucas, and a certain new character that emerged in the last book whose name I will not mention because “Spoilers Sweetie!”. It sets up the final confrontation between good and evil as Jonathan Steel must finally defeat the Council of Darkness and the Vitreomancers.
I am working on “The 2nd Demon” rough draft right now.
Next Jack Merchant book:
The response to my Jack Merchant Medical Mystery series has been phenomenal! I am shocked at how well the book, “Shadow Merchant” has been received. I am currently working on the second book in the series “Slice Fatigue”.
Jonathan Steel “spin off”:
If you’ve been reading my books, you have seen hints and suggestions of “The Node of God”. This will be a continuation of the story of the Children of the Bloodstone and will feature a trilogy. The first book is halfway done. World building takes time! Tentative title: “The Node of God: Darksyn Rising”.
Steel, P.I.
In the future, I will be launching a continuation of Jonathan Steel’s story as he moves into the job of a regular private investigator who doesn’t always have to face off with demons. Well, not always.
Non-Fiction books:
“The 5 Minute Atheist” is my personal story of a crisis of faith and my journey of recovery from that crisis through the discovery of Christian Apologetics.
And there are more books in the pipe.
BOOK FAIR!
NOW — If you live in the Shreveport/Bossier area, come see me and a lot of other excellent Christian authors at the upcoming “Wholesome Book Fair”. It will be held at Barksdale Baptist Church, 1714 Jimmie Davis Hwy, Bossier City, 71112 on Saturday, October 28th from 11 AM to 2 PM.
I will have ALL of my books available in print format and Ebook coupons for downloading from Bookfunnel.com. That’s right! You can purchase any of my books for only $2.50 as an ebook and download the book with a special code I will supply to ANY book reader. No need to fool with Kindle, or Apple Books, or Nook, etc. And this will be the ONLY way right now you can get all three updated, 13th, 12th AND 11th demon books!
I will also be featuring books by two other authors, Mark Sutton and Marcus Buckley. For more information on the books available check out hopeagainbooks.com.
I hope to see you THERE! I’d love to meet you!
Local Authors at Upcoming Book Fair!
On Saturday, October 28 the local chapter of the American Christian Fiction Writers will hold a “Wholesome Book Fair” at Barksdale Baptist Church. It’s a great opportunity to get books for Christmas presents. And, I will be there with ALL of my books. I reached out to C. D. “Chuck” Sutherland, the president of our local chapter for an interview about the upcoming book fair.
What is the “Wholesome” Book Fair?
The October 28th Wholesome Book Fair, being held at Barksdale Baptist Church in Bossier City, is an opportunity for the community to look at and choose from a wide selection of books written by local Christian fiction authors. While not all of the books displayed fit in the traditional category of “Christian Fiction,” the vending authors have agreed to limit their selections to books that do not contain profanity, graphic sex, gratuitous violence, or other objectionable material. It’s a safe place for attendees looking for material suitable for general audiences, young adults, and children. Family safe.
What is the ACFW?
Founded in 2000, the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) is a professional organization devoted to meeting the needs of new and seasoned authors alike by training in the craft of Christian fiction, educating in the market, and advocating in the traditional Christian fiction publishing industry.
Engaging its members through online classes, email discussion loops, genre loops, special writing/editing/polishing month-long programs, critique groups, a wealth of resources, contests for both published and unpublished Christian fiction writers, and the premier Christian fiction annual conference, ACFW impacts writers and the stories they create.
With nearly 3,000 members, ACFW has 30 local chapters across the country and an online international chapter. ACFW offers a venue for readers of Christian Fiction to learn more about their favorite authors and discover the vast array of choices available from the Christian Fiction market in general.
ACFW helps writers tell their stories by inspiring them to partner with God in the creative process, learn the craft, and find their audience.
I understand you are the president of the local ACFW chapter. Can you tell me more about the local chapter?
To join any local ACFW chapter, you have first to be a member of the national organization. Joining a local chapter gives you a chance for fellowship, prayer support, and encouragement face-to-face, not only during monthly meetings but also during other events, and of course, many members develop life-long friendships with other members. ACFW Louisiana has a robust Professional Development program, which focuses on developing writing skills, and we have three annual projects: the Wholesome Book Fair, an Annual Aspiring Writers Workshop, and an opportunity to volunteer for an Authors Posse that collaborates with a local publisher to produce an annual anthology.
I understand the local chapter puts out an anthology of short stories each year. Can you tell us more about that?
Our annual anthology project functions much like a graduate course in creative writing. Each year, the volunteers agree upon a common thread, which provides unity for the collection. Then the authors produce their short stories, which are in turn edited by the entire posse. Editing is a tough job, but the process matures a writer, making them better at the craft of writing. Based on the collective editorial inputs, the authors, in turn, refine their stories, which are compiled into an anthology by a local publisher.
The anthology becomes the centerpiece of that year’s Aspiring Writers Workshop. Because the workshop and the anthology are a community outreach effort, the eBook editions are offered for free at Smashwords.com. https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/NWPLLC
Over at Amazon, printed editions, including some hardcovers, are available for purchase. You can usually find your best prices by buying directly from individual authors selling signed versions in various venues—like the Wholesome Book Fair.
What are some of the books you will be featuring at the Book Fair?
Each vendor has the leeway to display the books they choose. I intend to offer my Antediluvian Steampunk series, which is an amalgamation of literary Biblical fiction and traditional Science Fiction, the last six years of our Christian Fiction anthologies, and a Children’s picture book about the Christmas Candy Cane—maybe a couple of others.
We have other authors who have written more books than me. Marguerite Martin Gray has at least seven novels in her Revolutionary Faith and Garden in Time series. I’m not sure how many of those she will present. Our chapter has a member who is a doctor and author of no less than fourteen books on depression and supernatural thrillers. I’m sure he’ll display some of those. Susan Hiers Foster, our Vice President, has published two children’s books dealing with tough issues like a mother in a nursing home and how to deal with bullying and forgiveness. We have several authors of multiple genres: Victorian Romances, Spy Thrillers, Time Travel, Folksy Humor, and others; the common thread is that they are all wholesome. The list of vendors is still growing; again, the vendors are empowered to display whatever they believe complies with our definition of “wholesome,” which should mean people looking for Christmas gift books will be in the right place to do that.
What do you hope visitors will get from coming to the Wholesome Book Fair?
Primarily, I hope attendees will find suitable books for their family and friends. Printed books are a bargain compared to other options. Plus, they can provide hours of entertainment. For children, books are generally used over and over, as they enjoy the familiar feel of a good story. An additional hope is to let people know there is an emerging culture of good books of all genres written with a Christian worldview for them to enjoy.
Where can people find out more information about the Book Fair and the local chapter of ACFW?
We’re on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=acfw-louisiana, where you can find general information about us.
Additionally, anybody can email their specific questions to ACFWLAWholesomeBookFair@gmail.com, which includes authors interested in getting a vendor’s slot for 28 Oct.
International Christian Retail Show Wrapup
So, why didn’t I say much about Tuesday?
Because, I CAN’T!
Let’s just say I was part of some very special, very shocking (but not to God) developments for my future as an author and I’m still pinching myself. I’m still in shock. I’m still overwhelmed as much by the possibilities that were presented to me (and a certain co-author) and the awesome way in which God brought all of this to fruition. It is truly a tale worthy of Christian fiction but in this case all true. And, one day soon, I hope I can share the details!
So, the rest of the ICRS show was a blur after Tuesday morning. What is it like going to this show? Let me give you some quick idea.
1. When in line for a book signing you will be overwhelmed by authors pitching their books. I was once a self-published author and, frankly, I admire their guts for being so bold to promote themselves. After a while I had to burst their bubbles by telling them, “I’m NOT a retailer. I’m an author.” At which point they realized I wasn’t going to carry their book in a store I didn’t run. So, they moved on. I prayed for each and everyone one of these self-published authors.
2. ICRS does so many things very, very well. But, what it doesn’t do well is to advertise book signings. This is left up to each individual publisher. So, if you don’t go by their booth and see their sign for that day’s book signings, you will miss out. When I went to Book Expo America, the main publishing show of the year for all of publishing, there was a list of all book signings at all booths. Now, maybe such a list existed, but if it did, I never heard about it and it wasn’t listed on my iPhone app (another great development by ICRS). I was fortunate to meet Charles Martin, Ted Dekker, Tosca Lee, Martha Rogers, and Os Guiness. But, I missed out on a whole list of authors I would have loved to meet. Oh, and the books are free and often pre-releases not yet available. If you miss your author, chances are there will be a pile of unsigned books you can snag if you want an advanced copy.
3.There are two good organizations out there every Christian fiction author should know about. One, of course, is the ACFW, the American Christian Fiction Writers and the CAN, Christian Author’s Network. Both of them had a presence at ICRS and both of them promoted authors to the retailers.
4. Take a rolling bag. You will get loaded up with free books and media and trinkets. A nice touch this year (as opposed to 2008) was the shipping section in the back corner. For 12 dollars a box, you could put a cardboard box with your name on it on one of dozens of tables and come back and fill it up as you gathered books. Then, before leaving the show, you could take the box over to the FEDEX table in the same corner and ship your books home. This was a GREAT idea! I won $600 worth of books from CAN and I was able to ship two boxes back. But, I kept my signed copies of books from Charles Martin, Ted Dekker, Tosca Lee, and Os Guiness with me. I don’t want to lose them.
5. The ICRS is overwhelming from the kids running around handing out leaflets to the old man blowing the ram’s horn every thirty minutes to the loud raucous presentations at “Town Center” to the music playing in the music aisles. By the second day, I was shell shocked. There is no way to describe how overwhelming the atmosphere can be. It is exciting and challenging and humbling and tiring all at the same time. If you are an author, you can become a CBA member as an “industry professional” and you can make appointments with major publishers to pitch your ideas. You can learn a lot about the distribution side of publishing. You can learn a lot about how stores handle selling ebooks, for instance. And, if the timing is right and God has ordained, you might wander into the biggest proposal of your life!!!
One final picture with a man I have enormous respect for as an author and an apologist, Os Guiness:
Until next year, I’m hanging up my dress walking shoes and putting away the frazzled rolling bag and putting my own cards for “The 12th Demon” on the shelf and I’m taking a much deserved nap. Because tomorrow, there is WORK to be done!!!
ICRS — Christian Booksellers Association Show – Monday Morning
I parked in the West Parking Lot and after walking across the world, I arrived at the International Retail Christian Show. If you have never been, it is OVERWHELMING! A huge exhibit floor filled with all kinds of media companies. I was wandering down the hallway in front of the main exhibit hall and noticed the B&H Publishing room off the hallway. Now, I have a book with B&H, “Conquering Depression” published in 2001. Not many people know this, but Mark Sutton, my co-author, and I are considering an update of the book at the urgings of our agent, Jeff Jernigan.
I wandered into the room and instantly met with two wonderful people who recognized my name and told me they have been considering an update to the book! I can’t go into the details, but within 15 minutes of arriving, I already had a meeting scheduled with B&H over the future of my depression book.
Next, I entered the main exhibit hall and for the first hour, I went from booth to booth meeting other publishers and a few authors signing books. At the American Christian Fiction Wo
rkshop booth, there were a plethora of Christian fiction authors answering questions. I ran into this kid dressed like an old school newspaper cryer handing out information. I am now sitting in the “Town Center” listening to a presentation by the Christian Author Network.
I’ll continue to keep updating the blog throughout the day. Right now, I’m already tired and I’ve been here only an hour!!!!
Bruce Hennigan 
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