Allen Steadham created comic books and webcomics before he started writing novels. He has been married to his wife, Angel, since 1995 and they have two sons and a daughter. When not writing stories, Allen and his wife are singers, songwriters, and musicians, and have been in a Christian band together since 1997. They live in Central Texas.
Visit Allen Steadham online
Jordan's Arrow
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die . . . A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” War has come to Algoran. The Gulstaa nation is determined to expand their territory with merciless resolve. Their end goal is revenge for a past defeat — they want to conquer the Mountain Mokta and anyone else in their way. Jordan SnowFire is now the Mokta Chieftess. She has the daunting task of stopping a conflict she never asked for. Will she seek the wisdom of God or the wisdom of her tribe? What impact will the blood of SnowFire flowing through her veins have on the way she conducts this war? How far will she go to protect her family and the Mokta people? Meanwhile, Erica Melendez finds herself trapped in the middle of the hostilities. Tragedy forces her away from the Ullvarr village and into circumstances she never imagined when she came to this world. Can she survive long enough to be reunited with Jordan? Loyalties are tested. Decisions are made. And Algoran will never be the same after Jordan’s arrow finds its target.
- ISBN: 1620207559
- Publisher: Emerald House Group
Interview with Allen Steadham
Through a successful Twitter #FaithPitch event, Allen Steadham has watched his dream of publication come to life with the release of his Christian speculative novel, Jodan's Arrow.
Welcome, Allen. What message do you hope readers take away from this book?
From Jordan’s Arrow, I hope readers take away the message to trust God. It’s so important. He is always there for us and wants to help us, but so often, we try to take on everything ourselves or lean on our own understanding. But as it says in Proverbs 3: 5-6 (KJV) “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Reflecting back, what do you see as most significant to your publication journey?
Exercising my faith and participating in the Twitter #FaithPitch event. On February 28, 2018 (after much prayer), I submitted a 280-character tweet describing the main idea of my Jordan’s World novel and the acronyms of the categories it belonged to. The Twitter event was open to Christian authors as well as editors and agents from the Christian publishing industry.
My tweet was responded to by an editor from Ambassador International, and I was directed to submit my manuscript via the publisher’s website. I received a response from the publisher himself within two days and was offered a contract for the book. It officially opened the doors to my being traditionally published. And I thank the Lord for it!
What’s your biggest challenge in balancing writing time with your other responsibilities?
I am married and have three children, so I always strive to give them the attention they deserve. In addition, I work full-time in the Information Technology field plus my wife and I participate in choir at church and belong to a Christian band. My biggest challenge is time management.
I often write early in the morning, before anyone else has woken up. I will also write when I get inspiration and opportunity throughout the day.
How do your faith and spiritual life play into the picture and affect your storytelling?
I seek the Lord before writing anything. I go in prayer and invite Him to inhabit my storytelling, to inspire me and direct where each tale goes. All of my writing is for Him, about Him, and His wondrous love and salvation.
What sort of research do you do for your books, and did you find an especially intriguing tidbit you knew you had to include?
Research varies by the story but all of them require some degree of investigation to provide authenticity and some degree of realism, even if it’s a fantasy tale. I have found myself researching Russian fairy tales from the Middle Ages, how sailors cooked food on ships in the 1700s, house designs from the Victorian age, and many other unique tidbits over the last few years.
If you could have coffee with an author, dead or alive, whose work you admire, who would that be? What would you ask him or her?
I think that would be Benjamin Franklin. I am a descendant of him (on my mother’s side), and I think it would make for a fascinating conversation. I would ask him about his perspectives on journalism, since I pursued journalism as a possible career until college. I would also enjoy a spiritual debate with him, as he had a rather unique view on such matters.
What led you to choose the genre in which you write?
When I began novel-writing in 2013, I was inspired to write a Christian superhero thriller called Mindfire. It was based on original comic books I wrote in my childhood, before I became a Christian. But the Lord brought the characters and a particular storyline to my attention and shaped it into a modern Christian tale. My nearly thirty-year knowledge of writing those characters and plotlines was essential to crafting Mindfire’s story from start to conclusion.
After I finished Mindfire, I wanted to do something completely new. At first, I thought the Jordan of Algoran series was going to be a fantasy trilogy. But I soon realized that it had a lot of science fiction in it as well. This grounded me firmly in Christian speculative fiction. My current project is a Christian steampunk trilogy.
I enjoy the opportunity for worldbuilding, whether it’s on Earth or some distant planet. And I love the open possibilities, both for story and characterization, in speculative fiction.
What do you enjoy doing when you are not writing?
Spending time with my family. I have two college-age sons and a younger daughter. My wife and I love date nights. We also love performing music and singing for the Lord, both in the choir and in First Light (the band we’re in).
What books are on your nightstand right now?
I have a lot of Star Trek books filling my bookshelves. I don’t have a nightstand, to be honest. But I used to only read Star Trek books from about 2005 to 2015. I’m a big enthusiast of the franchise. But since becoming an author, I read a lot less than I used to, as I have to manage my time better.
When I do have (or make) time for reading, I read many ebooks now and those are a lot more diverse. I’m currently reading Blood Moon Redemption by Judy Ducharme and Mississippi Nights by D.M. Webb. On my to-read list, I have Solitary Man by Eric Landfried and Mission Hollywood by Michelle Keener.
I love audiobooks and I can listen to them on the go, especially when driving. That has allowed me to listen to Books 1 and 2 from The Rodasia Chronicles, a Christian fantasy series. As more Christian authors release audiobook versions, I look forward to experiencing their tales that way when possible.
___________________________
Linda Shenton Matchett is an author, speaker, and history geek. A native of Baltimore, Maryland she was born a stone's throw from Fort McHenry and has lived in historic places all her life. Linda is a member of ACFW, RWA, and Sisters in Crime. She is a volunteer docent and archivist for the Wright Museum of WWII and a trustee for her local public library.
Welcome, Allen. What message do you hope readers take away from this book?
From Jordan’s Arrow, I hope readers take away the message to trust God. It’s so important. He is always there for us and wants to help us, but so often, we try to take on everything ourselves or lean on our own understanding. But as it says in Proverbs 3: 5-6 (KJV) “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Reflecting back, what do you see as most significant to your publication journey?
Exercising my faith and participating in the Twitter #FaithPitch event. On February 28, 2018 (after much prayer), I submitted a 280-character tweet describing the main idea of my Jordan’s World novel and the acronyms of the categories it belonged to. The Twitter event was open to Christian authors as well as editors and agents from the Christian publishing industry.
My tweet was responded to by an editor from Ambassador International, and I was directed to submit my manuscript via the publisher’s website. I received a response from the publisher himself within two days and was offered a contract for the book. It officially opened the doors to my being traditionally published. And I thank the Lord for it!
What’s your biggest challenge in balancing writing time with your other responsibilities?
I am married and have three children, so I always strive to give them the attention they deserve. In addition, I work full-time in the Information Technology field plus my wife and I participate in choir at church and belong to a Christian band. My biggest challenge is time management.
I often write early in the morning, before anyone else has woken up. I will also write when I get inspiration and opportunity throughout the day.
How do your faith and spiritual life play into the picture and affect your storytelling?
I seek the Lord before writing anything. I go in prayer and invite Him to inhabit my storytelling, to inspire me and direct where each tale goes. All of my writing is for Him, about Him, and His wondrous love and salvation.
What sort of research do you do for your books, and did you find an especially intriguing tidbit you knew you had to include?
Research varies by the story but all of them require some degree of investigation to provide authenticity and some degree of realism, even if it’s a fantasy tale. I have found myself researching Russian fairy tales from the Middle Ages, how sailors cooked food on ships in the 1700s, house designs from the Victorian age, and many other unique tidbits over the last few years.
If you could have coffee with an author, dead or alive, whose work you admire, who would that be? What would you ask him or her?
I think that would be Benjamin Franklin. I am a descendant of him (on my mother’s side), and I think it would make for a fascinating conversation. I would ask him about his perspectives on journalism, since I pursued journalism as a possible career until college. I would also enjoy a spiritual debate with him, as he had a rather unique view on such matters.
What led you to choose the genre in which you write?
When I began novel-writing in 2013, I was inspired to write a Christian superhero thriller called Mindfire. It was based on original comic books I wrote in my childhood, before I became a Christian. But the Lord brought the characters and a particular storyline to my attention and shaped it into a modern Christian tale. My nearly thirty-year knowledge of writing those characters and plotlines was essential to crafting Mindfire’s story from start to conclusion.
After I finished Mindfire, I wanted to do something completely new. At first, I thought the Jordan of Algoran series was going to be a fantasy trilogy. But I soon realized that it had a lot of science fiction in it as well. This grounded me firmly in Christian speculative fiction. My current project is a Christian steampunk trilogy.
I enjoy the opportunity for worldbuilding, whether it’s on Earth or some distant planet. And I love the open possibilities, both for story and characterization, in speculative fiction.
What do you enjoy doing when you are not writing?
Spending time with my family. I have two college-age sons and a younger daughter. My wife and I love date nights. We also love performing music and singing for the Lord, both in the choir and in First Light (the band we’re in).
What books are on your nightstand right now?
I have a lot of Star Trek books filling my bookshelves. I don’t have a nightstand, to be honest. But I used to only read Star Trek books from about 2005 to 2015. I’m a big enthusiast of the franchise. But since becoming an author, I read a lot less than I used to, as I have to manage my time better.
When I do have (or make) time for reading, I read many ebooks now and those are a lot more diverse. I’m currently reading Blood Moon Redemption by Judy Ducharme and Mississippi Nights by D.M. Webb. On my to-read list, I have Solitary Man by Eric Landfried and Mission Hollywood by Michelle Keener.
I love audiobooks and I can listen to them on the go, especially when driving. That has allowed me to listen to Books 1 and 2 from The Rodasia Chronicles, a Christian fantasy series. As more Christian authors release audiobook versions, I look forward to experiencing their tales that way when possible.
___________________________
Linda Shenton Matchett is an author, speaker, and history geek. A native of Baltimore, Maryland she was born a stone's throw from Fort McHenry and has lived in historic places all her life. Linda is a member of ACFW, RWA, and Sisters in Crime. She is a volunteer docent and archivist for the Wright Museum of WWII and a trustee for her local public library.
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