Interview with Lana Christian
What made you want to become an author, specifically of biblical fiction?
I love how science, history, and archaeology intersect with and validate the Bible. I want to bring that alive to readers. Equally important: IMO, the best stories are true—because we know real people took risks, endured hardships, made impossible decisions, and triumphed. It inspires us to do some of the same.
What did you learn while writing New Star?
So much! I learned that Rome and Parthia were the world’s two superpowers of the day. I learned their political and religious dynamics. I learned how advanced first-century civilizations were in math, astronomy, medicine, and more. I learned about amazing inventions that have all but been lost to time. When it furthers the plot, tidbits of those things appear in New Star.
What is the toughest part of writing biblical fiction?
All writing is hard work, but biblical fiction is especially tough in three ways.
1. It carries an extra weight of responsibility to be authentic and accurate. That starts with remaining true to the biblical narrative and continues through all the historical research you do.
2. Some scenes are tough to write for other reasons. For example, I had to depict Herod the Great’s genius, his paranoia, and his ruthlessness so he’d be real and believable. If I overdid any of those attributes, he’d read like a caricature. Readers don’t need to like him, but they need to feel he’s depicted authentically.
3. You need to constantly scour your draft for anachronisms. For example, even though needles and haystacks existed in the first century, people of that era didn’t say, “It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
If someone were to look at your Google search history (all for research of course!), what types of things would we find?
All sorts of things! I did about a year of research for New Star. I dug into political, religious, and cultural topics; I looked up information on how Persians built roads, homes, cisterns. I learned more about camels than I ever thought possible … and I researched some gruesome things, like popular methods of torture in the first century.
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?
Madeleine L’Engle.
I admire everything about her life, writing, and witness. Financially, she needed to write, yet she endured years of publishers’ rejections—including a particularly tough ten-year stretch. She suffered many personal losses and weathered constant criticisms of her writing. Yet she maintained this attitude: “You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.” That’s part of her genius. Children and adults alike love her books because they can be read on multiple levels.
I would love to ask Madeleine two things: (1) what kept her going through the darkest parts of her life, and (2) how she developed her book ideas.
What’s your go-to drink while writing?
Hot organic chai tea with a splash of almond milk
If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Everything worthwhile takes more work and more time than you think it will, but keep at it. Most of all, keep God in the center of that equation. Co-creating with God is awesome. He will honor and multiply your sweat equity and faithfulness in ways you can’t possibly imagine.
What do you enjoy doing when you are not writing?
Hiking, cooking/creating new recipes, gardening, dancing, reading, spending time with friends
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
Historical Fiction
The Warsaw Sisters
The Tattooist of Auschwitz
The Book of Lost Names
The Keeper of Hidden Books
All the Light We Cannot See
Trading Thomas
Biblical Fiction
In Feast or Famine
The Queen’s Cook
Contemporary Fiction
All They Ask Is Everything
Grave Consequences
Christian Fantasy
The Edge of Everywhen
Contemporary Christian fiction
Lethal Intent
Christian nonfiction
Battle Prayers
Walking Through Fire Without Getting Burned
How to Save a Surgeon
Other nonfiction
The Madness of Crowds
When Breath Becomes Air
The Lost Technology of Egypt
Writing and marketing
How to Write Your Novel from the Middle
Power Up Your Fiction
Book Marketing Secrets
(There are more …)
What can we look forward to next?
New Star is the first installment of a four-part series called “The Magi’s Encounters.” I need to hand Book 2 to my publisher by the end of January 2025, so I’m focusing my energies on that. In my spare time, I’m also working on a devotional book and a historical fiction duology. Other book ideas are plotted or in earlier planning stages.
I love how science, history, and archaeology intersect with and validate the Bible. I want to bring that alive to readers. Equally important: IMO, the best stories are true—because we know real people took risks, endured hardships, made impossible decisions, and triumphed. It inspires us to do some of the same.
What did you learn while writing New Star?
So much! I learned that Rome and Parthia were the world’s two superpowers of the day. I learned their political and religious dynamics. I learned how advanced first-century civilizations were in math, astronomy, medicine, and more. I learned about amazing inventions that have all but been lost to time. When it furthers the plot, tidbits of those things appear in New Star.
What is the toughest part of writing biblical fiction?
All writing is hard work, but biblical fiction is especially tough in three ways.
1. It carries an extra weight of responsibility to be authentic and accurate. That starts with remaining true to the biblical narrative and continues through all the historical research you do.
2. Some scenes are tough to write for other reasons. For example, I had to depict Herod the Great’s genius, his paranoia, and his ruthlessness so he’d be real and believable. If I overdid any of those attributes, he’d read like a caricature. Readers don’t need to like him, but they need to feel he’s depicted authentically.
3. You need to constantly scour your draft for anachronisms. For example, even though needles and haystacks existed in the first century, people of that era didn’t say, “It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
If someone were to look at your Google search history (all for research of course!), what types of things would we find?
All sorts of things! I did about a year of research for New Star. I dug into political, religious, and cultural topics; I looked up information on how Persians built roads, homes, cisterns. I learned more about camels than I ever thought possible … and I researched some gruesome things, like popular methods of torture in the first century.
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?
Madeleine L’Engle.
I admire everything about her life, writing, and witness. Financially, she needed to write, yet she endured years of publishers’ rejections—including a particularly tough ten-year stretch. She suffered many personal losses and weathered constant criticisms of her writing. Yet she maintained this attitude: “You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.” That’s part of her genius. Children and adults alike love her books because they can be read on multiple levels.
I would love to ask Madeleine two things: (1) what kept her going through the darkest parts of her life, and (2) how she developed her book ideas.
What’s your go-to drink while writing?
Hot organic chai tea with a splash of almond milk
If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Everything worthwhile takes more work and more time than you think it will, but keep at it. Most of all, keep God in the center of that equation. Co-creating with God is awesome. He will honor and multiply your sweat equity and faithfulness in ways you can’t possibly imagine.
What do you enjoy doing when you are not writing?
Hiking, cooking/creating new recipes, gardening, dancing, reading, spending time with friends
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
Historical Fiction
The Warsaw Sisters
The Tattooist of Auschwitz
The Book of Lost Names
The Keeper of Hidden Books
All the Light We Cannot See
Trading Thomas
Biblical Fiction
In Feast or Famine
The Queen’s Cook
Contemporary Fiction
All They Ask Is Everything
Grave Consequences
Christian Fantasy
The Edge of Everywhen
Contemporary Christian fiction
Lethal Intent
Christian nonfiction
Battle Prayers
Walking Through Fire Without Getting Burned
How to Save a Surgeon
Other nonfiction
The Madness of Crowds
When Breath Becomes Air
The Lost Technology of Egypt
Writing and marketing
How to Write Your Novel from the Middle
Power Up Your Fiction
Book Marketing Secrets
(There are more …)
What can we look forward to next?
New Star is the first installment of a four-part series called “The Magi’s Encounters.” I need to hand Book 2 to my publisher by the end of January 2025, so I’m focusing my energies on that. In my spare time, I’m also working on a devotional book and a historical fiction duology. Other book ideas are plotted or in earlier planning stages.
For more great interviews, visit our Author Interview Archives.