I interviewed Gary Ritter on 10/09/19 on another blog, now defunct.
Today I am interviewing novelist, Gary Ritter, author of Alien Revelation, released on 4th September. I volunteered to review this novel when I discovered it on a Facebook post.
I am fascinated by the topic of fallen angels and their offspring, the Nephilim mentioned in Genesis 6: 1-4, and the physical and spiritual implications and evidence throughout history leading to their re-emergence before Jesus' return.
Being very impressed with this novel with its adherence to the Biblical account of this topic and the spiritual warnings from God concerning fallen angels and Nephilim, I wanted the backstory to Ritter's novel so I offered to interview him about it.
So sit back and let Gary expound on these topics.
Gary, thanks for stopping by to discuss your novel and the topic of fallen angels, the Nephilim and God's judgement of them. How about you start by telling us a little about yourself.
We see where a lot of authors have wanted to write since their youth. I never had that desire. One dirty little secret I have from grade school, that I immortalized in one of the short stories written for the Faithwriters Challenge and included in one of my short story books, deals with a young man (me, more or less) who’s given a school writing assignment. This young man loves to read comic books and plagiarizes a story for his assignment. The teacher is impressed with his writing and gives him an ‘A’ but his guilt keeps him from enjoying the purloined fruits. Was that the genesis of my writing but to stay honest as I do it?
The one thing I do know is that toward the end of an acrimonious divorce, I had a desire to write that seemed to come out of the blue. Obviously, it was God nudging me in that direction, although at the time, since I didn’t know Him then, the reason was unclear. The first couple of books were highly autobiographical for my situation in that period and not very good. Over time I worked out my frustrations and was able to begin working on my craft.
You seem to want to say more! Please continue!
In my early days at college, I began seeking beyond what I knew in coming from a fairly sheltered neighborhood where I grew up. That seeking led to drugs and to Eastern religions. Both were subtle and alluring. Within a few years, however, I stopped both. It was inconvenient to drop acid and too much work to pursue nirvana. My work life kicked in and that was much of my focus.
I had a sense of morality, but I didn’t know why I should do or not do certain things. I believed in God and actually prayed the Lord’s Prayer and “Now I lay me down to sleep…” many nights. God was watching over me and subtly drawing me to Himself. It wasn’t until my third marriage and many years of not knowing God in any way other than in those prayers that He broke through. My wife and I visited a B&B for a weekend. I’ve always loved to read, so I inevitably peruse bookshelves. The Inn had the Left Behind Collection in the study. It looked interesting, and I told my wife I planned to read it. When we both did, that changed everything. I intuitively knew I was in big trouble with God. The truth behind the fiction came through loud and clear. That led to our seeking a church, finding the right one on the first try (God has been so gracious to us in this whole area of finding good churches), and soon after we both got saved.
One of the things I’ve believed wholeheartedly in my walk with the Lord is that I must read His Word in order to know Him. Pastor Hal, my first pastor, told me that it was important that I read the Bible daily. Not knowing any better, I took his instruction to heart. He gave me a Bible-in-a-Year reading plan and I’ve done that faithfully and more every year. It’s a discipline and a habit that God has used in my life to impart to me what He’s wanted me to know. I still give others that same reading through the Bible tract; in fact, I just did so again today.
You have just published your new novel, Alien Revelation. Can you tell us what it’s about?
The “what if” of the story is: What if aliens appeared and changed the course of life on earth? I placed them as having come at the height of World War II, causing the war to come to a screeching halt because they made all weapons inoperable at the time. Fast forward to today in a world seventy years hence, one that has lived under the dominion of the aliens. Kari Shelton doesn’t know any other life. She and her husband Geoff have their marital issues that he exacerbates by wanting a child not allowed in society. That results in an unpleasant encounter with their alien masters that affects both their lives. Ultimately, Kari is challenged in her beliefs and begins searching for an object that has been banned and mostly eliminated from the world. That quest puts her at odds with their alien overlords and could cost Kari her life.
What inspired you to write this novel? Where did the idea come from?
I spend an hour or so exercising every day. I’m disgustingly regular in this habit. I’ll usually watch sports on the weekends when I exercise but have migrated generally from listening to the radio on weekdays during this time to watching various YouTube teachings. I’m not a music guy except in worship which, by the way, I love to do, but usually only in a church setting. I like to learn and be challenged. That has led me into some interesting YouTube content.
Somehow, I found AlienResisitance, which has numerous videos from their Ancient of Days conference they held in Roswell, NM, as a Christian alternative to the various goings-on during the annual Roswell UFO festival. Guy Malone and Paradox Brown were a major part of this, so I’ve also read much of what they’ve written on alien encounters and UFOs. Dr Michael S. Heiser was one of the speakers at Ancient of Days, so that’s where I was introduced to him.
All this alien and UFO information from a Christian perspective intrigued me. Over time that interest turned into thinking about my book concept.
What type of research have you conducted for this novel? Did you refer to the Book of Enoch, the book of Jubilees, the Book of Jasper or the Book of the Giants?
I wish I could say I had such deep reading prior to writing the book, but I didn’t. Only recently have I read Enoch. Most of my learning came from various Malone-Brown teachings and books, with a little bit of Heiser thrown in after I’d written much of the story.
Have you read any Christian novels or secular ones regarding the Nephilim and/or Watchers/Fallen Angels? You are a fan of Michael Heiser. Have you read his Facade Saga that deals with these topics and their history?
I recently downloaded The Façade but haven’t gotten to it yet. Dave Hunt and Terry James are both inspirations to me with some of their works. Subsequent to my writing Alien Revelation, Peter Younghusband recommended Gods They Had Never Known to me. I loved that! How I wish I was smart enough to have written it! I’ve recommended the book to several people as I also have Heiser’s The Unseen Realm, which is a must-read for anyone desiring to understand God’s bigger plans and purposes that we simply aren’t taught in our everyday Christian walk.
The topic of the Nephilim and the Watchers is a controversial one amongst Christians, whether they are scholars (those who are qualified to study the Biblical and non-Biblical texts and study apologetics) or everyday Christian who has some knowledge or conducted some investigation into these two topics. I would not be surprised if those who have researched like yourself have been either excommunicated from their denomination, been called a heretic or been ridiculed for any connection with these topics. Just the topic of the Nephilim or fallen angels can be enough to make one tread carefully with other Christians! I remember being cautioned by an Elder when he heard me talking about a novel on this topic with someone at church.
Have
you had any negative or challenging conversations with other Christians
when they discovered you were writing a novel on these topics?
As I was learning about the implications of the Genesis 6 account of the fallen angels (actually rebellious sons of God), I had a discussion with my pastor. Like so many people in the church, he believes in the supernatural aspects of the virgin birth, Jesus’ resurrection, the miracles, etc., but the idea that heavenly beings could procreate with humans was inconceivable to him. His argument was that only God had the creative power to bring forth life. Of course, that begs the question, “How do we do it?” My pastor stood on Matthew 22:30 that after the resurrection people won’t marry, just like the angels in heaven. I’ve thought about that a lot since then. One of my counter-arguments is that Jesus could very well have meant that people at that point in time won’t marry. I think there’s a good case to be made that in the New Heavens and New Earth, God may once again declare to His human—now divine—family to “go forth, multiply, and subdue the [new] earth.” In addition, it may well be that the angels choose with their free will not to transgress the boundaries God has put in place, not that they can’t have sex and procreate.
I’ve actually been very fortunate in my church about all this. I proposed to my pastor that I do a series of teachings on The Unseen Realm, and he gave me he go-ahead to do it. After I did the two nights I had planned, he even asked me to teach a third on the subject, so he’s had some challenges to his original thinking through all this.
What obstacles did you encounter while developing this novel? How did you overcome these?
Although I was familiar with the concept of world-building in science fiction, I’d never actually written anything that required that line of thinking. As I started writing the story, I realized I had to deal with certain logistical issues. The Nephilim and humans frequented the same buildings and drove on the same roads. That meant that the world had changed drastically to accommodate these massive beings. From there I had to think through how these two species lived together.
Because I had a pretty good handle on New Age and occult deception, the concepts that the Watchers introduced to the world came pretty easily to me. Of course, the aliens want nothing more than to help us. Why wouldn’t they be an advanced race that had evolved? Given their benevolence, doesn’t it make sense that they could show us how to eventually become like them through many reincarnated lifetimes? Those kinds of ideas certainly tickle people’s ears these days.
What are your thoughts on whether the Nephilim can be redeemed?
Biblically, you’ve really got two incarnations of Nephilim, those before the flood, and those after. The initial Nephilim resulted from the union of God’s rebellious sons procreating with human women. I think most people who have considered this believe that those Nephilim who died in the flood became what we today call demons, i.e. disembodied spirits. Those “first generation” Nephilim, with direct “angelic” lineage, absolutely could not be redeemed.
I think this question comes into play following the flood in two ways. In some manner, we have giants after the flood. At that point, they’re called Rephaim. Different theories abound, but I personally like the idea that Ham’s wife carried contaminated DNA. It’s through that line only that we have the Canaanites and the various giant tribes. These giants didn’t result from direct insemination by divine beings. These were second, third, and who knows how many generations of human conception, but by those whose blood was contaminated. They still had Watcher DNA floating around. In every single case with these groups, God instructed the Israelites to “devote them to destruction.” They and even their animals in many instances were to be completely annihilated. It doesn’t leave much room for redemption. Even the giants that were left in Gath, David and his men ultimately killed.
Then we come to the possibility that in these latter days we might see another wave of Nephilim through additional rebellion of God’s sons. If this happens, likely during the Tribulation, again I would think that first-generation Nephilim would have the same fate as their forebears. From them, we’d have more demons. If second-gen Nephs come into the picture, it might be a different story with Jesus on the scene. On the other hand, the odds against their redemption during those awful seven years might be prohibitive. The delusion that will encompass humanity will be so great that it would truly take an act of God to break through to the hearts of these giant beings. I don’t know that I discount it, but we’re talking a pretty great uphill climb for it to happen.
That question is an example of a topic that polarizes Christians. Some Christians believe that Jesus’ death on the Cross was for the redemption of mankind only yet others believe that His death could also be for other entities or even other life forms on other planets. What do you think of this?
First, you have to believe there might indeed be life elsewhere. I can’t conclude, certainly Biblically, that there’s currently life on other planets. The whole issue revolves around free will, sin, and who did Jesus die for? He died for humanity—for us. He didn’t die for someone on Alpha Centauri. How would they know?
I had an interesting discussion with someone the other day who contacted me in response to a blog entry I wrote on how we limit God, particularly during the New Heavens and New Earth, which I touched upon earlier. This fellow thinks as I do that not only will God put us to work in recreating Eden on earth, as Dr Heiser suggests, but that God may put us to work elsewhere in the universe. He wasn’t taking the Mormon position of us being gods of those planets, he was simply speculating that perhaps God’s work for us is even more expansive than what we might do on this world. Beats me. The one thing I do know is that God won’t have us sitting around on our clouds playing our harps and eating heavenly bon-bons all day for eternity.
You have stated on your blog that few pastors preach on Bible prophecy and end-times events and you have added alien abductions to this list. Why do you think that there is this lack of preaching on these topics?
My personal attitude is that there seems to be a lack of effective teaching from Pastors and the Church in general on the topic of the Watchers, Nephilim, fallen angels and I agree with you on your list!
Let’s first separate pastors who are still true to God’s calling from those who have fallen off the deep end and no longer bother to hold to the Word of God. Those who are still true to the faith are generally either ill-equipped to address these issues or are simply fearful of offending or sounding like crackpots. (Don’t want to lose those sitting in the pews who fill the coffers!). The Book of Revelation intimidates people. They consider it too esoteric, too potentially symbolic to decipher, and as a result, don’t even attempt to understand it. Revelation is full of symbolism, but it also interprets that symbolism to a large extent. Also, if we read Revelation literally as we generally do every other book in the Bible, in the context of Ancient Israel in which it was written, and to the people at the time who understood that context, I think we can get pretty close to knowing what the Apostle John was communicating. It takes some digging—work! heaven forbid—but God intended to communicate to His people that which is to come. When we ignore Bible prophecy—Revelation and all other prophetic Scripture—we’re essentially telling God that His Word doesn’t matter to us.
We’ve had “aliens” with us a long time, albeit in different forms. Think, fairies, goblins, and the bogeyman in the closet. Our adversary simply adapts to the times. We’ve been inundated by alien stories since Roswell in 1947 (which, by the way, I think Guy Malone at Alien Resistance quite effectively debunks). Since then, Hollywood, the media, and the government (ours and others worldwide) have primed the world for an alien invasion of sorts; at the very least, to believe that aliens are the cause of something very dramatic. What could that be? I’d say the Rapture fits that bill. The world will need an explanation after that incredible event that has disappeared so many people. Aliens works for me. As a result, why shouldn’t we talk about that from the pulpit?
The aftermath of the Rapture leading into the Tribulation (I’m a proponent of the gap theory of at least 3.5 years based on the required Ezekiel cleanup following the Gog-Magog war) will be one of great chaos and questioning. If for no other reason than to warn our families and friends who are left behind, we should at least tell them of the possibility of this deception. Will they hear? Will they remember? Is there a second chance for those who heard the Gospel before the Rapture and chose not to trust in Jesus? Now there’s a Scriptural crapshoot.
Briefly, as to the pastors who have already turned to heresies and apostasy, well, we wouldn’t expect them to preach much Biblical truth, especially when it comes to prophesy. The stakes are too high against them.
Speaking of these topics that Pastors are not preaching about, do you feel the same can be said for spiritual warfare?
That may have more to do with the particular church. I imagine Pentecostal or charismatic churches place more emphasis on this because there’s at least an acknowledgement of spiritual gifts. Because the gifts can be used to combat spiritual oppression of various forms, warfare is integral to that whole area.
You don’t want to see demons behind every bush. Much of our troubles come from ourselves or others because of our sin nature and the depravity that follows. But Satan and his fallen brothers are very real and quite active in the world. We’d better be prepared to wage war against them.
That brings up the other aspect of this, i.e. that Satan isn’t operating alone. Heiser’s The Unseen Realm helps us see this clearly. Rebellious spiritual entities are much more prevalent than we generally realize. References to this unseen realm are fife throughout Scripture. Because we’re not taught about it, we pass over those applicable verses as oddities. That’s one of the most revelatory things I’ve been learning lately.
I ask this as this is my experience from the various denominations I have been part of over the past 30 years. What I have learned about spiritual warfare is directly from the Bible, Christian websites that deal with its application and hermeneutics. And one not obvious or expected source, Christian fiction! Your novel is one of those!!
You depict, very powerfully, Kari using spiritual warfare, notably rebuking the Watchers by using the Name of Jesus to break the Mighty Ones’ demonic power and influence over her and her fellow Christians. I was so impressed when you depicted this as it is one part of spiritual warfare that is very important, but one I find that most Christians do not practice, they seem to be scared/wary of it, do not believe it is necessary, or do not see that they have the authority given to them from God to do this when they become Christians. Yet some are just ignorant of this reality and practice or what the Bible instructs about it. What are your thoughts on this?
Aside from the Left Behind Collection impacting me so strongly, the other novel that I always remember is Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness. If my novels could have some fraction of the impact of those books throughout the community of believers and even to unbelievers to get them to consider the ways of God, I’d be ecstatic. That’s one of those big dreams that is far beyond my ability to influence; one that only God could make happen. But we are told to think and dream beyond what we can accomplish on our own—right? That way only God gets the glory.
We do have authority, but it’s always and only in the Name of Jesus. I have issues with hyper-charismania, where many adherents believe that they can call down angels in spiritual warfare and bring about other signs and wonders through speaking them out in their faith. We can’t do anything. We petition the Father in Jesus’ Name and ask Him to do these things. God isn’t (in the words of Ray Comfort) our divine butler. We can’t command Him to do anything. But we can ask and believe.
In Kari’s case, God directed her to rebuke the enemy. Aside from Him, we can do nothing.
How did you come up with the character names of the fallen angels and Nephilim?
The Arkays, e.g. Arkay-ena, are a takeoff on archon, which is from the Greek. There were nine ruling magistrates in ancient Greece and apparently this term was extended to angelic rulers.
For the Nephilim, I went Bible surfing in the Old Testament. Nimrod was considered a mighty warrior and may have been—since he came after the flood—a Rephaim, although I don’t believe the Bible spells that out directly. The first Lamech came fairly early with a notation that he killed a man, as well as took two wives. He self-proclaimed the mark of Cain on himself saying that if God’s vengeance was seven times upon anyone who harmed Cain, the vengeance that would befall anyone touching him was seventy times seven. From that, he sounded like a good candidate for one of my Nephilim.
What Biblical themes or message have you included in Alien Revelation?
Organically in the writing, I often seem to end up with various Biblical themes or messages based on the situation on the characters. Kari’s a sceptic and has to come a long way to true faith. It’s a struggle for her since she’s so indoctrinated in the way of the world as it’s been shaped prior to her birth. This is all she’s known. With her, there’s a seeking and finding that doesn’t come easily. In that is the evangelistic efforts of those Christians she encounters and the working of the Holy Spirit in His subtle ways.
Because I’ve been involved with Voice of the Martyr for a number of years, the issue of persecution and the suffering that Christians endure as they stand boldly and courageously for their faith has long been near to my heart. That certainly comes out in the book as it does in my Whirlwind end-times series.
What kind of reaction are you expecting to receive from readers?
My intent in writing is to glorify God and to point people toward Him. I hope to do that through a compelling story that hopefully makes people think, and even convicts if the Holy Spirit so wills. I wouldn’t be writing if God hadn’t set me on this path and made a way in my life that I have the time and wherewithal to spend so many hours at my computer in this endeavor. Whatever skills and talents I may possess, they come from Him. I can’t take any credit for any of that. He really has given me creativity and inspiration that I never thought I had. If you have issues with my writing, I blame God.
Seriously though, since my first purpose is to lift up His Name and to magnify Jesus through what I write, I do the best I can with the tools He’s given me and I don’t worry too much about reader reactions. Do I get irritated at inane comments by people who don’t know any better? Of course, but there’s always someone out there sniping. All I can do is pray for them that God would open their eyes and soften their hearts.
Just like anyone, I love to have readers give me acclaim or praise the story, but that just can’t be my focus. It’s got to be about Jesus.
What was the hardest part of writing Alien Revelation?
I think the biggest challenge for me is crafting a climax that’s big enough. I want the story to swell toward that point where everything comes together, or falls apart, in a way that makes sense and satisfies in the context of the narrative. Sometimes that requires thinking and rethinking that part of the novel.
Which character was the easiest and which was the hardest? Who is your favourite? Mine was Kari. I bet she becomes most people’s favourite!
I don’t know that I found it particularly difficult to create any of the characters. They all kind of flowed. In one sense, my favorite was Nimrod. He’s so locked into who he is, but he’s questioning his existence, his purpose, and he wants more. Nimrod also has some moral qualms about God that he tucks deep within himself so he doesn’t have to face them. As I said earlier, I don’t believe a Nephilim like Nimrod could be saved; just the idea of such a thing is difficult for him to grasp, yet…
I do like writing female characters. Obviously, I’ve got a limitation not being that fairer sex, but hopefully, I’ve got enough insights into human nature to make someone like Kari believable. In Kari’s case, I had a lady in mind who ministers like Kari and Adela do with victims of human trafficking, but Kari developed into a much different person than my friend.
For Alien Revelation, did you plot it all out before you started writing (plotter) or did you write as it came to you (pantser, as in writing by the seat of your pants)? Have you done the same with your other novels?
When I first started writing some years ago, I plotted extensively. Then I lightened up on that and wrote from a higher story arc, i.e. where does the plot need to go? With the Whirlwind series, I plotted pretty deeply on the first two books, then again began a season of not so much. Sometimes I’ll put more plot structure into the first part of a book and let the story go where it will in the second half, as long as I know the end game. That’s more or less what I did with Alien Revelation.
In regards to your previous novels, what is your favourite? Why?
It would have to be The Tattooed Cat.
I actually wrote the novel 20 years ago, but from an unbeliever’s
perspective, since I was far from saved at the time. I always loved the
title and once I had several books once more under my belt, I brought
out the story. When I read it, I was really impressed with myself,
thinking, “This is a really good story. I wrote this? Wow, that
amazing.” I guess I had the thought that having written it so long ago,
it wouldn’t necessarily be as good as it was.
Naturally, however, I couldn’t let the book stand as it was because it had no Christian viewpoint, which is a necessity for me in my writing today. It required my rethinking a number of scenes and concepts, so I hope I pulled that off well. In reality, I thought this book would take off and do well, but it’s languished, not from the plot, characters, or anything like that; I think that the genre is perhaps too strange for many Christians to embrace. Speculative Christian fiction probably isn’t everyone’s cup of tea because they don’t understand it and thus avoid even trying it. There’s supernatural evil going on, and moving from that into a Christian redemptive context—and of course communicating that in my marketing promotional efforts—hasn’t flown all that well. Maybe when you read and review it, Peter, that’ll change everything!
How has writing and being an author impacted your relationship with Jesus Christ or vice versa?
Because of some of the research I’ve done, that has led me into areas I probably wouldn’t have known about. I’m a big Bible prophecy guy, to begin with, but the Whirlwind series necessitated an even deeper dive into eschatological matters. It also required a much greater understanding of Islam. I had a preacher’s wife comment that she was impressed by my merging of occult practices into Islamic thinking in the stories. That’s common in Islamic culture because they often blend pagan concepts into their daily lives. Understanding Islam makes me so much more appreciative of what I have in my faith in Christ.
Additionally, as I mentioned earlier, my exposure to aliens and demons led to my absorbing the teachings of Michael Heiser. That has had a dramatic impact on my Christian worldview and what God really intends for His human family.
So many times when I am reading a novel, I find myself thinking that this author must be a Pastor. I then check the author out and find this to be so! I had this same feeling when reading Alien Revelation! I don’t know what it is, but I find that Pastor’s add a special something to the novel. It must be based on their experience as a Pastor. What do you think of this?
Certainly, from a deeper theological perspective, a pastor should be able to bring issues and concepts into the story that someone might not have been exposed to. I’m a lay pastor and serve as my church’s Missions Director. However, I think where I’ve gained the most over the years has been from my association with Voice of the Martyrs. In that, I’ve read a lot about persecution and suffering. I’ve attended many VOM conferences to hear stories and accounts from martyrs’ own lips. I’m part of the Assemblies of God which has an initiative to reach unreached people groups in difficult areas called Live Dead.
Living dead is such a perfect description of how God actually wants us to live for Him. Our life should count as nothing. What will we bring with us into God’s presence? Only those things which have already been through the fire. Everything else will burn up, including our mortal flesh, these earthly bodies. If we live as if we’re already dead, no act of man can actually touch us. The Bible says that, contrary to the way every one of us in Western Christianity thinks, there is joy in suffering. Do I want to be persecuted and suffer? Absolutely not! But I have to have the mindset that I might experience it at some point. I have to have already made the decision to stand on my faith in Jesus BEFORE the storm comes. If I or anyone else waits to make such a decision until the crashing waves are upon us, we’ll be swept away.
Apart from the subsequent novels in the Sons of God Chronicles, what other ideas or planned novels are in the works?
I’m currently working on a story about eco-terrorism. This is another of my novels from past writing, but it was only half-completed. Naturally, I’ve had to shape this once more with a Christian worldview and remove some rather racy parts that I’d written. I’m not sure why I didn’t previously finish it. That period in my life may simply have been when I was winding down on writing. The one thing I needed to do in this story was to find the big climax. But I’ve also been adding many pertinent ideas into the novel that are very much part of the Left’s understanding of the world and where that thinking leads.
It’s rather interesting thinking ahead with future novels. I’ve got several in mind, including additions to the Sons of God Chronicles. The question that is often in my thoughts, however, is how long we have on this earth before Jesus comes to sweep us away into the clouds with Him? I can’t let imminent thoughts of the Rapture keep me from plowing ahead. Our calling is to occupy until He returns. But what about the rest of the books in the series? Will God use the offerings of my writings to impact those left behind? How? And once we as glorified believers reach the Millennium, will he have me writing then? Can I finish the series then than I won’t be able to prior to the Rapture? What will stories look like at that time? Sin will still be in the world, but Satan will be bound. To what extent will books be written reflecting these realities? So many questions.
Specifically, in relation to the Sons of God Chronicles, and without giving away too many spoilers, what can you tell us about the next novel in this series?
I’ve struggled with this. I’d like to write a prequel to bring us from the beginning of the world to the point where the aliens inject themselves into the affairs of mankind in World War II., i.e. where Alien Revelation basically begins Trying to figure out a compelling structure for a cohesive narrative has eluded me so far. I can definitely go to the next point in the future with the series since Nimrod is still lurking around. This would likely take place during the Tribulation.
I’ve also got a sequel for this current eco-terrorism story on tap. There are some frightening things going on in the world from an occult perspective that would influence this storyline.
You state on your website that you write Christian worldview Fiction, suspense, thrillers and end times? How did you come to only write in these genres/classifications?
I grew up reading a lot of mysteries, thrillers, suspense, and science fiction. When I came to the Lord via Left Behind that started me on the end times trajectory. To be effective as an author, you’ve got to at least have a basis for how you write. You may not know everything about the topics to begin with—you can research those—but you need to know what makes a story tick and moves it forward so as to carry the reader along. You only know that by reading in the genre. So, for me to write, for instance, a literary story would be stretch.
What does the Christian Redemptive Fiction Award by Radix Press mean to you? That is your first Author/reader Award. I know you were totally not expecting this but what was your immediate reaction?
I was surprised and pleased when Peter notified me, but I didn’t realize the implications since I wasn’t aware how Reality Calling gauges books noteworthy enough to receive the award. Once I’d read the guidelines and understood how David Bergsland and Peter evaluate a story, then I got excited because it’s a big deal. What they’re looking for is exactly how I want my fiction to come across.
Where can readers find you? What are your social media platforms?
I have three primary means of communication:
Through my Facebook Gary Ritter Author page, I generally promote my work and other writing topics as they interest me.
On my website, people can learn more about my books. I provide a few chapter excerpts for each one so they can see how they start. In addition, I write a blog I call Looking Up that appears on this site. The blog primarily looks at Bible passages, often in relation to things going on in the world today, through a Scriptural and prophetic lens.
My Gary Ritter YouTube channel. I tell people to search my name and look for the fish symbol. This is where I put the video version of my blog entries plus a number of extended teachings I have done with my church on various prophetic topics.
My novels can be found on my Amazon Author Page.
Anything else you would like to say about your novel, this topic or other issues raised in this interview before we close?
Just that I appreciate this opportunity Peter has given me. What you’re doing, Peter is a ministry to raise up and encourage Christian writers. It’s unique and certainly needed. That you so much!
My pleasure, Gary! I do love encouraging Christian writers through reviews, spotlight posts, interview, guest posts and blog tours. I have enjoyed interviewing you, and you more than expounded on the issues and themes of the novel! I am sure readers will find this interview an interesting and thought-provoking one.
You are welcome to return here for any future novel or to discuss the themes or issues relating to them.
If this interview has piqued an interest in reading Alien Invasion, The Tattooed Cat, Michael Heiser's fiction and non-fiction, Gods They Had Never Known or The Left Behind Collection, click on the images below. For Frank Peretti's novels click here:
Readers and reviews are an author’s best asset, so I encourage any reader, to consider reading Alien Revelation and any of the other novels listed above and submit a review on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest (or any other social media you subscribe to).
Reviews help promote an author’s novel to potential readers and encourage the author to keep writing. Reviews also help get the author’s message (and God’s message) to the reader, whether Christian or not, who may need encouragement and support in their lives while being entertained by the story.
Please
note: As an Amazon Associate, I am required to disclose that book cover
images or titles of novels in this post are paid links if they are
linked to Amazon and result in a sale.
