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We live in interesting times...
In my view, it is no longer a matter of whether the world we have always known is changing. It has changed and will continue to. I don't think I need to go into the specifics, as this has been publicly discussed at great length. Despite these developments, I am not afraid and I have hope. My hope is not for which direction my country or the world will go from here, that will change from day to day. Instead, my hope is in God and His Son, Jesus Christ. So long as I place my trust in Him, the Holy Spirit will continue to guide me. I will continue to serve my Lord however He wants me to. I will continue to write Christian fiction. I sent the manuscript for The Former Things to my publisher, Ambassador International, this week. And I will push forward on Book One of the Steam & Mettle series. I will perform with my wife in First Light wherever we are needed. My family and I will go to church and seek the Lord's will for our lives. And I will seek to have peace with everyone I encounter and to conform more to the image of Jesus Christ by His grace. My prayers are for all of you. As always, I would appreciate your prayers and well wishes also.
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This is a personal video, not an author video. I was compelled to make this short video after the events — and reactions to those events — of January 6, 2021 in the USA.
I made a Christmas-themed video, including a short reading from my Jordan's Arrow novel.
My publisher Ambassador International has released a new YouTube book trailer for the Jordan of Algoran series. I think it's pretty incredible. I hope you like it, too! 
 This week, October 19 - 25, Prism Book Tours is hosting a book and bookstagram tour to celebrate Jordan's Deliverance, Book 3 in the Jordan of Algoran series.
The Book Tour Schedule October 19th: - Launch - Rincón de Joss October 20th: - Christy's Cozy Corners - Uplifting Reads October 21st: - Adventures of a Travelers Wife - Hallie Reads October 22nd: - Rockin' Book Reviews - Candrel's Crafts, Cooks, and Characters October 23rd: - Wishful Endings - Splashes of Joy October 24th: - Bookworm Lisa October 25th: - Grand Finale Bookstagram Tour Schedule October 19th: @bookish_annalee @jhannabass October 20th: @ya.its.lit @angelakreais October 21st: @myfictionaloasis @rincondejoss October 22nd: @adventurous.bookworm @travelerswife4life October 23rd: @suziewaltner @nicole_book_nook  There are all kinds of writers and authors in this world. Some identify as Christian. And some, like me, write Christian-themed books and stories.
There are Christian authors who live all around the globe and offer a variety of experiences and perspectives. But they all have only one thing in common: a belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the risen Savior. I feel that it is a present day miracle to have hope (in Christ) in a world where positivity can be as rare as true love. But both positivity and true love do exist — and anyone can find hope in Jesus. In the darkest times, in the midst of the worst despair, Christ can offer comfort and peace to help people make it through. I know this from personal experience. Even though some are offended at His name or what they may think He represents, Jesus is and always has been Love, Hope, and Mercy. As an author, I strive to share that idea through my writing, especially my books. The stories I develop may have conflict, hardships for the characters, and sometimes things may look bleak. But Jesus is always the answer. The Lord blessed me with a creative mind from a young age. Of course, I had no way of knowing as a ten-year-old that God would someday lead me to be a Christian author, but He did. In 2013, I made the conscious choice to submit the creativity which He had given me — back to Him. And that’s when everything changed. That’s when I started writing my first novel, Mindfire. I can’t speak for anyone except myself, but I feel both a great honor and responsibility in being given the privilege to write for my Lord and Savior. I know there are many other authors more talented than I am. But there is no one else with my perspective or the specific inspiration I receive. I will never suffer from “imposter syndrome,” the idea that I’m not really an author or that I’m just pretending to be one. I know who I am and how far I’ve come from who I used to be. And I will always be striving to improve as an author and a Christian. Most of all, I want to serve my God. And I want to serve my family and help people: whether in person, through my books, through music (in First Light, the band my wife and I are in) or however the Lord wills. I don’t know where being a Christian author will lead me, personally, spiritually or financially. But in being allowed to use my creativity for Christ, I already feel like a success. That’s reward enough to me.
On Saturday, September 12, 2020, I was interviewed on ChatandSpinradio.com by host Ron Clark. We discussed Mindfire and the Jordan of Algoran series.
The interview begins at 2:50:23 (two hours and fifty minutes in - or the last ten minutes of the recording).  Jordan's Deliverance will have an online book tour via Prism Book Tours. There will be also be a Bookstagram tour the same week. More details coming soon!   The following excerpt takes place on Earth approximately fifty years from now:
Jo Cartens didn't mind that her magped was a ten-year-old model with fading blue and yellow colors. She had named it Mabel. It was surprisingly plush, sturdy, and dependable. She had installed new magnetic shock absorbers and recently replaced the failing core module. That allowed for smoother travel or idling in place. Mabel wasn’t the fastest model, but she didn’t have to be. Jo only lived three miles from her job as a history professor at Chintawka University in Chase Creek, Colorado. The cool afternoon wind was picking up and the clouds were threatening rain. A few drops bounced off the windscreen and her helmet. She smiled as she passed the slower-moving 305 bus, which was currently empty. During her time as a student, she had ridden the 305 at all hours of the day and night. All mass transit had become remote controlled and thus driverless about fifteen years ago. Behind her, she heard the bus release its magnetic seal with a loud whirr and it began moving forward again. She should get home before it stormed. Ethan would become spooked by thunder and lightning. It wouldn’t help if she got in an accident, either. A block ahead of Jo, there was a flash of bright light. Instinctively, she made a wide swerve to avoid whatever it was, then eased into the brakes, pulling over to stop. A multi-colored portal appeared and began swirling in mid-air. Her eyes widened as she saw a blue-haired woman in some kind of long robe stumble out of the phenomenon. The woman stood, apparently uninjured. But she was in the bus’s path. The woman appeared disoriented. “Lady, get out of the way!” The vehicle automatically blared its piercing horn at the living object in its path. The woman had triggered its proximity sensors and its brakes screamed to life. Horrified, Jo watched the other woman plant her feet to the ground and extend her arms forward, her head down. “Are you insane? Jump! It’ll—” Before she could cover her eyes, Jo witnessed the impossible. The front of the bus’s metal frame came to an abrupt halt and crumpled, smashing against the blue-haired woman’s grip. Glass from the windshield and windows shattered into thousands of tiny pieces. Tilting from the impact, the bus fell on its left side. And instead of a bloody pulp, the other woman was almost unscathed, aside from some scratches caused by tiny, razor-like shrapnel. More startling to Jo, the woman’s feet had dug into the pavement where she had been pushed backwards by the transport vehicle, creating twin trails in the concrete. Jo was frozen in place, stunned, her mouth hanging open. She blinked several times. That . . . couldn’t be real! ________ Jordan hadn’t felt the rush of the vortex in decades. It had grabbed her like a thing alive and thrashed her about in its clutches, shifting violently in a torrent of motion as lights flashed all around her. When it finally released her, she was barely coherent enough to land on her feet and run to a stop. Then she heard something approaching. Whatever it was, it was big and so close, it was almost on top of her. I cannot get out of the way in time! Instinctively, she dug her feet in place and reached out to protect herself. A heartbeat later, it felt like a wall of metal rammed into her. She held onto it and rode out the shockwave. She could feel her feet burning as they ripped up the ground. She screamed, determined to survive, though the noise from the collision’s aftermath drowned her out. Jordan heard whatever had hit her topple onto the ground. For an instant, she feared it might fall on her. Seconds later, it was over. Jordan’s adrenaline was fading fast and she felt herself sliding down towards the ground. Now on all fours, she was trying to catch her breath, but the air had a chemical tang to it that was offensive; she coughed, almost gagging at one point. She leaned forward, covering her mouth and nose with her hand as her hair covered her eyes. It took an effort not to lose consciousness or vomit. “How are you even alive?” a female voice reached through to her. As she lifted her head, she saw the blurry silhouette of a woman walking towards her. Is that—English? It has been so long; I had forgotten how it sounded! |
About the authorAllen Steadham is a nondenominational Christian, happily interracially married since 1995. Father of two sons and a daughter. He and his wife have been in the same Christian band since 1997. He plays electric bass, she plays strings, they both sing. It's all good. 
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