Author Interview with Joan Campbell

Give a warm welcome to Joan Campbell, South African author of The Poison Tree Path Chronicles.
Book 3, Guardian of Ajalon is set to release in September (Click here to preorder). In the meantime, you can check out Chains of Gwyndorr (review or purchase) or Heirs of Tirragyl (review or purchase).

The Poison Tree Path Chronicles are traditionally published through Enclave, a small Christian publishing house. What made you choose this route of publication? What makes it challenging or rewarding?

It wasn’t so much that I chose this route as that this was the door that opened for me. I had approached some publishers in South Africa, but the Christian book market is quite a small one and there wasn’t an interest in niche fantasy books. The bigger Christian publishing houses in the States also weren’t interested because I didn’t have a ‘platform’ or following. But Steve Laube of Enclave liked the manuscript and he was the one who finally offered me a contract. My biggest challenge is probably that I live so far away from my main audience in the USA. It’s difficult to do book giveaways with cute prizes, like so many other authors do, or meet up with readers and fellow writers at conferences and events.

 How did growing up in South Africa influence the Poison Tree Path Chronicles? Do you have other life experiences that influence your writing significantly?

A theme that emerged in the books (particularly the first book, Chains of Gwyndorr) is that of class division and discrimination, and also the resentment and hatred that this could foster in the victims thus perpetuating the cycle of hatred. These are very much elements that I see playing out in my own society. I guess a lot of my own personal struggles also play out into the lives of my characters. For instance, the way Shara is drawn to using the alluring Cerulean Dusk Dreamer rock to discover more about her past reflects some of my own temptation to fill the empty places inside myself with the things of the world. 

How does your faith play a role in your writing? Do you ever struggle to balance storytelling and faith? 

My Christian faith and the joy I find in my relationship with God is a large influence in my writing. I see now that this is the bedrock of many of my stories—God’s love for us and our incredible worth in His eyes and the great lengths that He goes to in order to draw us into a relationship with Him. At times I have struggled with the balance of storytelling and faith. I don’t want my writing to feel contrived and forced to impart a specific—Christian—message. First and foremost I want my books to be great stories, which readers can enjoy whether they discern a deeper meaning or not. In this I had to learn to trust myself. My beliefs are such a core part of who I am that they will come through in my writing – I don’t have to force it.

What's your writing routine/habit like? (Do you have a certain time or way you like to write, or just write as inspiration strikes?)

I’m a pretty slow writer really. Somehow late afternoon has turned into a good time to write. So on days where I’m free (I aim for at least 3 afternoons a week) I make myself a coffee at about 4pm and sit down (usually outside) with my laptop and read the last section I wrote. This gets me back into the flow of the story. Then I just immerse myself in the story and begin to write, seeing where it takes me. I don’t do all much planning, although I do have a broad idea of where I want to take my characters. But I enjoy being surprised by my own plot and characters – that’s what keeps the writing fresh and interesting for me. I don’t like writing under pressure which is why NaNoWriMo would never work for me. Rather, I love the slow, gentle and creative unfolding of a tale – the artistry and magic of storytelling.

And finally, if you found yourself alone in a dark, scary alley, what fictional book character would you summon to help you and why?

Without a doubt it would be Lohlyn, my character from Heirs of Tirragyl and the secret protector of the queen. She has incredible reflexes and, in one scene, takes on a whole unit of soldiers. Her father was one of the Charab (King’s assassins) who are known to have unrivaled skills with bows, knives and pretty much anything sharp. He trained his daughter to be as good as—if not better—than the male assassins. So Lohlyn would be fantastic to have at your side in a scary situation!

Mere Christianity: Introduction

Welcome to the Mere Christianity read-along. I'll be covering one-two chapters each post, approximately one to two times a week. This week we'll be covering the Preface and discussing the context of the book. In addition to the book, I may occasionally reference The Great Courses: Life and Writings of C.S. Lewis by Professor Louis Markos. 

Preface and Background

Mere Christianity is a bit of a different book. It's heady and theological (don't come into it expecting it to read like The Chronicles of Narnia), but it also has a curiously familiar and conversational quality to it. No doubt this is partly due to the fact that is adapted from C.S. Lewis' audio talks over the BBC radio from 1941-1944, during the height of WWII. The result is a conversational book that tackles tough topics in an understandable way. The times also show through in the book; references to military action and analogies to war are quite common and likely would have struck a chord with listeners (and later, readers).

In the preface, Lewis starts out with a somewhat long summary of how he decided to edit the book--it's obvious he put an extraordinary amount of thought into it, even obsessing over contractions--but he then gives way to a much more intriguing discussion on his reasoning behind the book. He has set out to explain Christianity in its most basic form--something that anyone who calls himself a Christian can agree on. He explains that he has deliberately tried to avoid controversial issues and leave those to the reader to understand. I find it particularly encouraging that he sent the most heavy theological portion of the book to members of other denominations to be reviewed (Lewis himself was an Anglican).

He ends with a fantastic opinion on denominations, which you can find in the discussions below. I have frequently referenced the analogy in discussion with friends and it has helped a couple understand my position (a firm member of a denomination who believes its doctrines are true and correct while also understanding that others must be fully convinced of their own convictions).

Discussion One

Lewis writes: "It is not for us to say who, in the deepest sense, is or is not close to the spirit of Christ. We do not see into men's hearts. We cannot judge, and are indeed forbidden to judge. It would be wicked arrogance for us to say that any man is, or is not, a Christian in this refined sense...We must therefore stick to the original, obvious meaning. The name Christians  was first given at Antioch (Acts 11:26) to 'the disciples', to those who accepted the teaching of the apostles...When a man who accepts the Christian doctrine lives unworthily of it, it is much clearer to say he is a bad Christian than to say he is not a Christian."

How does judging a person's salvation differ from judging their actions? When is it acceptable to judge someone's actions if they're a Christian? What if they're not a Christian? How do you address these situations if they think they need to be addressed?

Discussion Two

Lewis writes on denominations: "It (basic or mere Christianity) is more like a hall out of which doors open into several rooms...The hall is a place to wait in, a place from which to try the various doors, not a place to live in...above all, you must be asking which door is the true one; not which pleases you best by its paint and panelling. In plain language, the question should never be: 'Do I like that kind of service?' but 'Are these doctrines true: Is holiness here? Does my conscience move me towards this? Is my reluctance to knock at this door due to my pride, or my mere taste, or my personal dislike of this particular door-keeper?'...When you have reached your own room, be kind to those who have chosen different doors and to those who are still in the hall."

What role should denominations play in Christianity? Is there a good reason for them? How should we address differences in the church? How did you choose your personal denomination? Is being non-denominational its own kind of organization, statement, or theology? If Christianity doesn't have denominational organization, how should it be organized?

The Book Hound is Back!

After a long and (mostly) unintentional hiatus, the Book Hound is back--hopefully without any further significant interruptions for the foreseeable future. However, as I mentioned in my last (woefully inaccurate) update, I'll be dropping to one post a week (usually Fridays) just to make it more manageable on myself. Life's gotten a little bit busy lately, but I still want to continue to spread word of great Christian Speculative Fiction.

That being said, there are things outside the Christian Spec Fic genre that I want to read (or in the genre that I want to re-read). That means that it's going to be difficult for me to post a review of a new book every single week.

Since I'm taking a hiatus for a while from novel writing, that means I need something new to fill in the gaps left between reviews (after all, I can't talk about my half marathon experience every day or my baking adventures every day, or even the craziness that is living on call every time I need to post).

So, for the next few months, I'm going to be hosting a "Summer of C.S. Lewis" read-along. I'm going to be starting with Mere Christianity  and then we'll take it from there. On read-along weeks, I'll post my thoughts on a chapter (or two), then a few discussion questions, favorite quotes from the chapter, etc. We'll see how long it takes to get through Mere Christianity and if we're liking the format, then maybe move onto another Lewis book or something else entirely.

Thanks so much for your patience! If you've emailed me in the last few months, please know that I'll be working to catch up on missed emails over the next couple of weeks.

I'll see you next Friday for the introduction to Mere Christianity!