Lana Christian: Spotlight on Survival Secrets & a Giveaway
Lana Christian is back on the blog to share about book two in The Magi’s Encounters series, and she’s giving away a signed paperback of a US winner’s choice of New Star, Book One in the series or this second book, Survival Secrets.
Comment below by November 11 for a chance to win!
What the Wise Men’s Story Tells us about Hope
This broken world desperately needs the hope God offers everyone. But at the turn of the first century, hope was a wish—not an assurance. Almost every culture served a pantheon of capricious gods. Bending their will to your favor was hard work, and good outcomes weren’t guaranteed.
What was it like to wrestle with the foreign concept of an all-powerful, unchanging, singular God who was both just and loving—then believe in it to the point of risking everything for Him?
That’s what the Wise Men did.
Soon after their mountaintop experience in finding Jesus, they had to flee from Herod and other enemies. What hope did they have of returning home?
In my book Survival Secrets, their supplies and finances run dry as they’re forced into the Wilderness of Paran—the opposite direction from home.
But that’s how God works. He takes us into wilderness situations to test our faith and transform us. He promises to walk with us through it and see us safely to the other side of it.
Hearing about hope is one thing. Experiencing it in an encounter with the Living God is another. Have you ever found it hard to trust God when you’re in the thick of things?
That’s what Akilah, the lead Wise Man, experienced as he tried to keep his caravan safe in this excerpt from Survival Secrets:
He longed for easier decisions. Rest. Safety. Guidance.
Oh, to see the star that had led them to Yeshua. The memory built momentum, welling from his inmost being until it burst from his lips. “God of the Hebrews, I don’t have the strength to carry this burden. Lift it from me!”
He fell to the ground in despair. “When we traveled to Jerusalem, You gave us a star of hope. We saw a child the prophecies foretold. Your prophet Isaiah called Him the hope of the world. But in this wilderness, I can’t see hope. Please show me some hope!”
He stretched his hands skyward, agonizing pleas pouring from his heart.
“How can I call upon You so You will listen? How can I understand You? If You are with us, where are You?”
He’d never prayed like that before.
Why would I write a series about the Wise Men?
The most important reasons are God’s nudge to do so and my conviction that their story needed to be told based on truth instead of tradition.
Some of my faith journey during the toughest years of my life seeps into the questions, doubts, dilemmas, and faith depicted in the series. My dual hope for readers is that they’ll enjoy being immersed in a time and culture they might not know much about—and they’ll also find themselves in the pages. Alternately questioning and praising God. Wondering if He sees them. Learning He is big enough to handle all that life throws at them.
New Star, the first book in my series The Magi’s Encounters, is the Wise Men’s backstory. Their newfound faith in the Hebrew God places them in the crosshairs of three empires’ governmental and religious struggles, underscoring that faith comes with a cost. Survival Secrets, the second book in the series, shows how God tests your faith to see if you’re serious about it. But the overarching theme is that you’re never alone and never without hope.
I pray that New Star and Survival Secrets will deepen your appreciation for the Wise Men and their journey will lead you closer to the One whom they chose to follow.
What about you? When have you needed hope the most, and where did it come from?
Visit the #HopeFilledFiction blog and comment on @LanaCwrites spotlight by 11/11 for a chance to win your choice of novel in The Magi’s Encounters series! US only.
#giveaway #BiblicalFiction
Join the conversation. Are you a Biblical Fiction fan? Have you read New Star, the first book in Lana’s series? Do her stories about the Wise Men sound interesting to you? How would you answer Lana’s question about when you needed hope the most and where it came from?
Be sure to comment below by November 11 for a chance to win a signed paperback of your choice of New Star or Survival Secrets! (US winner only)
Survival Secrets by Lana Christian
Click the book cover for purchase link
On the run from Herod and the Nabataeans, Akilah makes a desperate decision to venture into the unforgiving Wilderness of Paran. To reach Egypt’s safety, his caravan must survive the elements while maintaining their anonymity and protecting the secrets they harbor. Their knowledge of Yeshua is one of many secrets that jeopardize their lives. When calamity tears one Wise Man away from the others, the group’s resolve and newfound faith start to crumble. Farther from their goal of returning to Persia than ever before, they encounter Yeshua’s family again. Its ramifications raise the stakes for their cost of belief in the Hebrew God.
Two thousand miles away, Akilah’s estranged cousin, Farzaneh, wrestles with the same as she tries to uncover secrets her husband took to the grave when he embraced the Hebrew faith. As life shifts radically for everyone, each person must risk trusting an unfathomable, sovereign God.
Lana Christian is an award-winning author in business and creative writing. Since 2021, she has won a dozen awards for her biblical fiction and nonfiction. Lana is a science and history geek who loves hiking, secret staircases, and masala chai tea. She believes common sense can solve many problems, but God can solve every problem. Her greatest desire is that her stories will immerse readers in another place and time they may know little about but come away with an experience that exceeds their expectations.
If you’re interested in learning more about Lana and her books, follow the links below to check out additional articles and videos!
Video trailer for Survival Secrets
ACFW Fiction Finder feature author
“3 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Wise Men” 26-second video
Please share Lana’s spotlight on social media to help spread the word about her new book!
If you missed Sami Abrams’ interview last week about her new release, Christmas Rodeo Killer, FIND IT HERE.
Deena Adams
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 a multi-award-winning author, an active ACFW member, and a six-year ACFW Virginia board member. Connect with Deena through her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
26 Comments
Deena Adams
Congratulations to Janet, the winner of Lana’s giveaway! Please follow the instructions in your email to claim your prize.
Janet Lynn Pierce
My hope is in the God and his son, Jesus. I have imagined myself crawling up into his lap when times have been hard, when I’ve traveled my own desert experiences at various times in my life. I find the stories about the Wide men fascinating.
Janet Lynn Pierce
Now if only I could spell. Wise for Wide in my first comment.
Deena Adams
Amen, Janet! Thanks so much for joining the conversation.
Lana Christian
Amen, Janet! It’s amazing that our God is omnipotent and so accessible! I hope you enjoy my books about the Wise Men!
Elly
I LOVE Biblical fiction!😃
Deena Adams
Then Lana’s books would be great for you to read, Elly!
Lana Christian
That’s great to hear, Elly! There are lots of great biblical fiction authors out there, and the genre is expanding. I hope you choose to read my books!
Patty Johnson
I do not do series very often have hope you are doing well what kind of Book do you write
Deena Adams
Patty, I’m not sure I understand your question and who you are asking.
SARAH TAYLOR
Thank you for sharing this is a New to me Author
Deena Adams
You’re very welcome, Sarah. 🙂
Lana Christian
Hi, Sarah! I’ve had a dual writing career for many years but landed a publishing contract for this series in Dec. 2024. I hope you check out “New Star;’ it’s a great read for the holiday!
Michelle Fink
Thank you, Deena, for introducing us to other writers!
Deena Adams
It’s my pleasure, Michelle! Thanks for reading and commenting.
Traci
I haven’t read any of her work, so she is a new to me author. I look forward to reading them! Sounds fascinating.
Deena Adams
I hope you get a chance to read Lana’s books, Traci. Thanks for stopping by and joining the conversation!
Kera Bell
My hope comes from God if I didn’t have Jesus, I wouldn’t have any. Hope it’s still really hard when you’re in a crazy situation because Satan tries to attack you with things that he knows will get you so you just have to trust God for everything.
Deena Adams
So true, Kera. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!
Lana Christian
Hi, Traci! I hope you enjoy The Magi’s Encounters series! Both books are great reads for the holiday. Would love to hear what you think about them!
Priscilla Bettis
Prayer has given me hope, even when nothing external changed in the moment. I recently read Survival Secrets. It’s terrific!
Deena Adams
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, Priscilla. I totally agree about finding hope through prayer, despite of, and in the midst of, challenging trials.
Chris Manion
I fully support you following God’s nudge to write about the the wise men. Good for you. You please the Master in doing so. There’s much to their story we can learn from. To answer your question, I most needed hope when I screwed up in a relationship and when I had to endure nine dark months of perimenopausal depression before it lifted years ago. When all sense of joy and clarity eludes you, faith and hope are what I find best to cling to. God never disappoints.
Deena Adams
Thank you so much for your comment, Chris. I so appreciate your transparency and sharing about your struggle with depression. And amen to the truth that God never disappoints!
Lana Christian
So true, Chris. There was a time in my life when I had to ask myself, “If God took ___ away and never gave it back, would He still be enough for me?” That was at a time when I’d already faced massive losses in my life. I had to get honest with God and realize if my answer wasn’t “yes,” then I needed to work on my relationship with Him. And, as you said, God didn’t disappoint. I hope you enjoy the Wise Men’s story in “New Star” and “Survival Secrets”!
Lana Christian
Amen about prayer, Priscilla. What would we do without it? (And thanks for the kudos about “Survival Secrets.” I’m so glad you liked it!)