Ask the Author: Gary Martin
Answered Questions (3)
Gary Martin
Hi. I'm glad you liked the first two books. Createspace has almost finished reformatting and preparing Revived as a paperback and we'll release the new version [updated cover and a few word changes for the US market] in the next week.
I tend to keep pretty busy with working full time [up to 60 + hours per week as an engineer] as well as doing ministry and music as well as helping out with worship at my previous church.
Revived was also a huge battle and a bigger and more challenging book to write. I wanted to include a spiritual warfare scene and an idea from proverbs into a novel for quite a while, as well as the internal temptations and experiences of several of the characters. The research time for this as well as looking at MMA, prayer, studying the cross and a key doctrine that many don't believe or place much value upon and introducing these elements into the story took a lot of work and planning. [The study of the cross and understanding the trinity and the part they played in redemption took months and months for a few paragraphs in one chapter . . . but at least It is theologically correct!]
I hope you enjoy the book. I'm also working my way through 'Eve' at the moment.
I found 'Revived' was a life-changing book for me and challenged me about my relationship with God and my faith in his power and eternal purposes. If the book does well I have at least three other books that can flow out of that story. Time will tell.
God bless,
Gary.
I tend to keep pretty busy with working full time [up to 60 + hours per week as an engineer] as well as doing ministry and music as well as helping out with worship at my previous church.
Revived was also a huge battle and a bigger and more challenging book to write. I wanted to include a spiritual warfare scene and an idea from proverbs into a novel for quite a while, as well as the internal temptations and experiences of several of the characters. The research time for this as well as looking at MMA, prayer, studying the cross and a key doctrine that many don't believe or place much value upon and introducing these elements into the story took a lot of work and planning. [The study of the cross and understanding the trinity and the part they played in redemption took months and months for a few paragraphs in one chapter . . . but at least It is theologically correct!]
I hope you enjoy the book. I'm also working my way through 'Eve' at the moment.
I found 'Revived' was a life-changing book for me and challenged me about my relationship with God and my faith in his power and eternal purposes. If the book does well I have at least three other books that can flow out of that story. Time will tell.
God bless,
Gary.
Gary Martin
I'm just finishing my third Christian novel.
I always include stories from my own experiences in my books. My latest book incorporates romance, addiction and tragedy with prayer and the glory of God. One of the main characters experiences a conversion similar to my own, though mine was far for dramatic.
This book has been a real battle to finish and based on the spiritual warfare focus of the book, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I believe this book will inspire and encourage a lot of people.
It should be ready for release around the end of June.
I always include stories from my own experiences in my books. My latest book incorporates romance, addiction and tragedy with prayer and the glory of God. One of the main characters experiences a conversion similar to my own, though mine was far for dramatic.
This book has been a real battle to finish and based on the spiritual warfare focus of the book, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I believe this book will inspire and encourage a lot of people.
It should be ready for release around the end of June.
Gary Martin
Across the Great Divide was inspired by several events in my life. I wrote it at a time when I was undergoing surgery to restore my eyesight. At that time I heard quite a few people relating what we call 'near death' experiences. Some of them seemed to leave their bodies as they flatlined in hospital—others went on journeys and were later able to convey events and conversations they witnessed as they were momentarily freed from their physical bodies.
When I was able to, I did some research on the beliefs of various Christian groups throughout history regarding what happens to the soul at the point of death. A few mystics from various early church movements taught that the soul could linger for around three days, before finally making the journey to heaven.
Across the Great Divide was the result of the research I did around the idea of the 'wake' and other traditional and mystical teaching of the the church. I combined these with a dramatic end-times story of a blind woman struggling to survive on her own at the end of the world. The story is 192 pages long, but it only took two months to finish it.
When I was able to, I did some research on the beliefs of various Christian groups throughout history regarding what happens to the soul at the point of death. A few mystics from various early church movements taught that the soul could linger for around three days, before finally making the journey to heaven.
Across the Great Divide was the result of the research I did around the idea of the 'wake' and other traditional and mystical teaching of the the church. I combined these with a dramatic end-times story of a blind woman struggling to survive on her own at the end of the world. The story is 192 pages long, but it only took two months to finish it.
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