Author Interview Header Image
Author Interview,  Giveaway,  Hope-filled Fiction

Allen Steadham: Superhero Comics, an Atheist, a Giveaway & More

March 8, 2023 /

Allen Steadham is with us this week talking about his Inspirational novel, The Former Things. He’s offered an ebook as a giveaway, so be sure to comment below by March 14 for a chance to win!

Welcome Allen! Tell us a little about yourself and your family.

I’m a Christian fiction author who has a day job doing Information Technology work. I’ve been happily interracially married (she’s Black and I’m White) for nearly 28 years, and we have two adult sons and a younger daughter.

Nice to meet you. Share with us how and when you started writing.

I started writing and drawing handmade comic books when I was ten years old in 1980. I loved superhero comics and for over twenty years, I made my own original stories and characters in a team I called the AR-MEN. 

In 2013, I participated in National Novel Writing Month. I prayed about it before beginning. I offered all of my creativity to the Lord to write only Christian fiction stories going forward. He surprised me by inspiring a story based on characters and plot elements from my old AR-MEN superhero comics. Within eighteen days, the Lord blessed me to write a 56,000-word first draft that I named Mindfire. 

In 2018, I participated in a Twitter pitch event sponsored by Little Lamb Books called #FaithPitch. That led to me submitting my manuscript for Mindfire to Ambassador International. Mindfire was accepted, and after more editing, it was traditionally published in 2019. 

Congratulations on getting your novel published! I also wrote my first manuscript during National Novel Writing Month. It’s a great vehicle for accountability and inspiration. Do you have a favorite drink or snack you indulge in while writing?

Coffee.

I’m not a coffee drinker, but there are lots of times I wish I was! What is the setting of your current novel? Is it a real location or fictional? Tell us about it.

My current novel is called The Former Things. It occurs in the real location of Oklahoma City and part of it is in a fictional town called Sully, Arizona. It was interesting researching Oklahoma City to provide real world references for certain parts of the Christian fiction novel which follows a young man named Sean Winter who is an atheist.  

Since you wrote about an atheist, you must incorporate Christ and hope into your writing. How do you approach that?

In all my books, I have a constant theme: Jesus Christ is the answer to all of life’s problems. He is the hope in the midst of an often dark and troubling world. All of my stories show characters who, like so many of us, try to solve our problems on our own. But this never provides lasting answers or peace. Only the Lord can do that. So, while my characters face challenges and often go through the wringer emotionally and sometimes physically, the conclusions are always filled with hope and the joy that can only be found in Jesus. 

I totally agree with you! What did God teach you through the writing of The Former Things? 

This book was inspired by the Lord during the 2020 Covid lockdown. I was praying one day and the Lord gave me the main plot all at once, and I felt driven to write this story. I hadn’t planned it, but I knew it was important, and the Lord wanted it to be written.

I learned that the Lord loves everyone, and that included atheists. They may have different reasons for not believing in Him, but He wants to offer His love and comfort to everyone. 

I also was reminded how much God dislikes hypocrisy from Christians. The Former Things addresses that in numerous ways. I feel like the scriptures the Lord showed me to use in this book shine a light on hypocrisy and encourage everyone to seek the Lord’s perfect will for their lives. We all have room to improve.

We will be learning and growing until we take our last breath, right? What is one of your favorite quotes from the book?

“If everything I just thought is true, why does it make me feel so sad now? These concepts have been my foundation for a few years now. They brought me solace when I thought I’d lost everything. But are they not enough anymore? If there is no God but there’s also no solace in pure reasoning, does that only leave emotion? Isn’t there supposed to be a proper balance between intellect and emotion? If nothing lasts, what is the point of making anything? Why not just jump right to the end and get it over with? 

No! A sensation from deep within me refuses to accept that kind of hopeless thinking.

I’m only twenty-four; I’ve barely lived at all. There’s a lot I still want to do, even if I’m not sure what it is yet.” – Sean Winter, The Former Things

Thanks so much for sharing about your book with us, Allen. I pray God will bless you in your future endeavors.

Comment on this author interview with Allen Steadham @Mindfirenovel by March 14 for a chance to win an ebook of his novel The Former Things. #giveaway #amreading #ChristianFiction

Tweet

Join the Conversation. What aspects of Allen’s interview resonate with you most? Does a story about an atheist appeal to you? What questions or comments do you have for Allen?

Be sure to comment below by March 14 for a chance to win an ebook of The Former Things! (Keep scrolling to find the comments section)

The Former Things book cover

The Former Things by Allen Steadham

Click the book cover for purchase link

Sean Winter is burdened by a heartrending past he can’t share. As a result, Sean doesn’t believe there are any good Christian examples in the world. Any faith he had has been eroded. He depends on facts, reason, and experience alone.

At twenty-four-years-old, he has a bachelor’s degree and works at one of the top customer service firms in Oklahoma City. A new job and post-college life bring new opportunities for friendship and even love. What happens when one of those new acquaintances turns out to be a Christian? And is Sean ready for any kind of romantic relationship?

He continues to be haunted by his traumas, depression, past choices, and his own naiveté. They all threaten to tear him apart, however hard he fights against them. 

Sean wants to build a future for himself. But he risks being consumed by the former things that torment him. Can two Christians, one from Sean’s past and one he’s just met, make a difference in the life of an atheist?

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. They have been in a Christian band together since 1997. They live in Central Texas.

Connect with Allen: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Goodreads / YouTube

Allen Steadham head shot

Please share Allen’s interview on social media to help spread the word about his book!

If you missed my recent posts, check out these interviews with Jessica R. Patch, Toni Shiloh, and Sarah Sundin.

As a Jesus girl for more than thirty years, Deena Adams understands how important hope is to daily life, which fuels her passion to inspire others through hope-filled fiction based on true to life stories. She is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency and is a multi-award-winning writer, an active ACFW member, and ACFW Virginia president. Connect with Deena through her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

You May Also Like

Author Interview with Gina Holder & a Giveaway
October 13, 2021
Author Interview Header Photo
Zoom Interview with Shelia Stovall & a Giveaway
August 11, 2021
Author Interview Header Image
Douglas J. Lanzo: Bears, Military Suspense, Nature, a Giveaway & More
March 15, 2023

19 Comments

      • Debbie Williams
        March 29, 2023 at 9:33 pm

        Deena
        What an amazing story about the birth of The Former Things! It sounds so intriguing. I’m just now seeing this interview because we’ve had Covid. But I’m so glad I came across this now.
        I’ll be praying for Allen and his writing journey.
        Blessings!
        Debbie

        • Deena Adams
          March 29, 2023 at 9:37 pm

          Hi, Debbie. Sorry to hear y’all had Covid. Glad you’re feeling better. I’m sure Allen would appreciate your prayers! Thanks for reading and commenting.

  • Lynn Moore
    March 11, 2023 at 11:28 am

    Allen….Knowing that theme of every book you write is:
    ” Jesus Christ is the answer to all of life’s problems.”…….makes each one a “best seller” always! Blessings on your writings! 📚

  • KIRHONDA WILLIAMS
    March 8, 2023 at 11:45 am

    It sounds like Sean is a complicated character whom I like to read about. I wonder what happened to him in his past and can he open his heart to God even though he doesn’t want any part of Him. I also, wonder if those Christian women can reach him.

    I think it’s very important to not take salvation for granted because Jesus paid a heavy price for us to live with Him forever and nothing is worth losing that over. God wants a true relationship with Him and being a hypocrite means your lukewarm and I never want to be lukewarm.

    I think this story will help us understand how much God loves us and how much He wants to have a relationship with us. This a story I’d love to read!

    KD Williams, author of The Mysteries of Woodland Academy

    • Allen Steadham
      March 15, 2023 at 11:43 am

      Hi KD,

      Thanks so much for your kind words. Yes, Sean is complicated. I’m glad you like that kind of character. The Former Things definitely reveals the aspects of Sean’s past that affected him so.

      I agree with you about taking salvation seriously. When I think about how God carefully and wonderfully made each of us and then made the effort to draw us to Him individually, it amazes me!

      Thanks again!