Children’s Author
By: Kelvin Oliver
T4JYM: How long have you been a Christian?
CM:When I was 12-years-old, my parents divorced and I started attending church. I became a Christian soon after that. I think that huge change at that time in my life is what has driven the fact that most of my writing is for preteens.
T4JYM: What is the most inspirational piece of scripture that you have found that applies to your life?
CM:My favorite verse, bar none, has to be 1 Timothy 4:12–“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” I truly believe that God can work through kids as much as he can through adults–and we need to realize that!
T4JYM: Do you ever feel fear when you approach someone with the Gospel?
CM:It’s always scary to set yourself up for possible rejection, sure. The key is to find a way to share the Gospel that uses the giftings God has given you–then you’ll find yourself much more confident.
T4JYM: Are you involved in your own home church? What role do you have there?
CM:For about 10 years, I have been a leader in children’s church, but recently I’ve switched gears to help the church be more creative in outreach and discipleship. But I love doing both! There’s just not enough time in the day. 🙂
T4JYM: Chris, I seen that you have alot of children book titles. How often do you write a book and get it published?
CM:Today, I write about 5 books a year, though that has greatly increased from what it used to be now that I’ve become a full time author. When I started out 10 years ago, I wrote mostly magazine articles and ads. But I truly love writing books and now I try to write as many as I can.
T4JYM: The one and all time favorite questions: where do you get your ideas and what is your the main focus of writing books? Where do I get my ideas?
CM: Through lots of prayer and brainstorming! For every 100 ideas I have, MAYBE one is a good one. But I’ve found I have to plunge through the drivel to come up with the good stuff.
My main focus of writing books is to write imaginative adventures that challenge readers to live out their faith in this unimaginative world. I hope every book I write is hard to put down, full of humor, action and fun…and when a reader finishes, he or she comes away with a nugget of Truth that will inspire and challenge them.
T4JYM: What are your favorite books that you have written?
CM: Reality Shift, the first book in my Laptop Adventures series is about a boy who gets a laptop and discovers that whatever he types into it actually happens. It’s a fun start to a series I really enjoyed writing. I also love the eleventh book in the Superkid Adventures series: The Knight-Time Rescue of Commander Kellie. I got to put the Superkids into the medieval times and let them spar with a dragon. That was a fresh departure and a lot of fun.
T4JYM: Who are some of the authors you read? Why do you like their works?
CM: My favorite Christian children’s writer is Bill Myers. I love his imagination, humor and style.
T4JYM: What is the last book you read? Did you read it for research purposes or for pleasure?
CM: Currently, I’m reading about 50 books a month as I’m getting my Masters in Fine Arts in Writing for Children. So I’m sure I’ll have many books to add to this list!
T4JYM: Where could people who are interesting in reading your books and learning about you find more information?
CM: Look no further than << website no longer available >>! My personal website has a TON of information on it, from insights into all my books, to articles on writing, games and more. You can even get signed copies of my books there for a great discount.
T4JYM: What advice would you give if someone was wanting to go into the writing field?
CM: Write every day and read often. And if you can, go to some Writer’s Conferences. They will open a whole new world to you.
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