Award-winning
novelist Bodie Thoene (pronounced Tay-nee) and her husband, Brock, have
written more than forty-five works of historical fiction. Their love
for writing spans another generation as sons Jake and Luke now garner
their own writing awards. Bodie’s writing is her personal offering to
God, and each day brings another opportunity to learn and explore the
world through the eyes and hearts of her menagerie of fictional
characters. Along the way, God is teaching her and blessing her life in
abundant ways!
I’ll never forget purchasing my
first book with Brock and Bodie Thoene’s name on the cover. Their
stories were the first Christian fiction books I had ever read, and I
remember having to eagerly wait for the next book in the Zion Covenant
and Zion Chronicles series to be released! These books have long held a
prominent place on my bookshelves. The Thoenes were my introduction to
fine writing that glorified God, and it was an answer to prayer for
someone looking for good, Christian stories to read.
It
is my great honor to share
with you Bodie Thoene’s thoughts about her writing, her family, and the
things she is learning as she faithfully writes stories for Christ. I
trust you will hear her heart in the words she shares, and pray for her
family as they use their talent for God’s glory. The Thoenes hold a
special place in my heart, and I hope their stories will touch your
life as well.
Have you
always had a passion for writing? When did you begin to pursue this
skill in earnest?
I always loved a good story and
always wanted to be a writer. Because I am dyslexic, school was very
difficult for me. At the age of nine, in tears because I could not
read, I told God that if only He would help me learn to read and write,
I would write stories for HIM. I felt His arms around me and knew He
had heard my prayer. From that moment, I began the earnest pursuit of
writing.
You have had a
broad scope of writing experiences, from staff writer for John Wayne’s
Batjac Productions (1978 to 1983) to working for ABC and to your
multitude of published novels and articles! What has been your most
memorable writing project?
I have a wonderful memory in every
book we have ever written. Those ah-ha moments of discovery, when a
writer climbs through the hole in the paper into a new place, are
always the best!
Your most
meaningful?
The most personally meaningful
books we have written are the A.D. Chronicles, because the Lord has
opened up many ancient historical insights into Scripture of which we
were unaware. The intense biblical and historical research required for
these books has changed our lives personally and deepened our faith in
ways I never expected.
Your favorite?
My favorite novel is The
Gathering Storm because it is the culmination of twenty-five
years of work. The ageless character of Eben Golah is the Christian
answer to the whole vampire evil that is sweeping through our culture
today.
When you
married Brock, did you know immediately that you both loved to write?
We both loved books and plays
and history, which was a massively strong connection for us. On our
first date, we talked the entire time about great literature and
theater and music. Hard not to fall in love with a guy like Brock.
Where was the
idea of a writing duo born?
Our marriage and writing
partnership was a match made in heaven. I was a poli-sci/ journalism
major, and Brock was a historian. It just had to happen!
Do you and
your husband have defined roles within the writing process each time?
Or do your roles change according to the project in which you are
currently engaged?
Our roles are very defined and
yet we cross into each other’s territory every day. Brock researches
and studies and finds every detail I need. We discuss together and
decide what works. I write and he refines the writing, adding details
and description.
Our roles don’t really change
much. Our favorite research time is our study of Hebrew Scripture, when
both of us receive and share from the Holy Spirit.
How did you
develop such a love for the history of the Jewish people?
The rebirth of Israel as a
nation in 1948 was my first taste of the absolute truth of every
prophecy in the Bible. God’s promises may take generations to be
fulfilled, but He never wavers or changes. Jesus was a Jew. Through the
Jewish people and God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God
has blessed every tribe and nation on earth. Yet, the literal, physical
DNA children of Israel remain at the center of God’s every scriptural
promise. The Devil wants to prove the Bible is false and that God is a
liar. For this reason the Jewish people have been hated and hounded and
persecuted in every generation. Since we are nearing the return of Yeshua
HaMaschiah in our day, I believe Satan is hard at work
spreading the same old anti-Semitic hatred of the Jews. It is my prayer
that our work can reveal the Jewishness of Jesus and the promises of
God to Israel in the biblical covenant made with Israel.
How has this
process enriched your own faith?
With every novel we write, the
Lord gives us some unexpected treasure that has been hidden beneath the
sands of time. Others over the centuries have known these wonderful
scriptural truths, but they are often forgotten from one generation to
the next. My faith increases with each new book we are blessed to
research and write.
How far will
the A.D. Chronicles reach?
We have written twelve A.D.
Chronicles. Book 12 will be published soon, we hope, but the publisher
has not given us a date. We love these stories about Jesus and those
who met Him face-to-face. I could go on and on!
|
Is
there a grand finale planned, or are you already working on the next
volume?
We have a great surprise in
store for our readers coming VERY SOON!
How do you
successfully manage more than one writing project at a time?
We love the excitement and
ongoing discussions with each of our projects. We are able to work on
one storyline and then another because we are never bored and never
blocked. We just love the work. It is like preparing and eating a fine
banquet.
What is your
personal favorite era in time? Why?
I don’t have a favorite era. I
just love the people . . . I mean, the characters we meet on the
journey. I often feel the Lord lets me into the hearts and minds of
people who really lived. And who still live in heaven. People never
change from one generation to the next. Our work is like climbing into
a time machine.
 Do you have a
fictional character within your own writing that is particularly
special to you? Why?
The character of Trudy in the
Shiloh books is my grandmother as a young woman. I grew up hearing all
her wonderful stories, and I wrote those books when I was about the
same age as she was when she lived through the Great Depression. Family
members have said I am most like her. I loved her very much, and her
stories set the course for my life.
When did you
realize that your sons had the same passion for writing? How did you
encourage that during their childhood?
We raised our kids in the Sierra
mountains. There was no TV or DVDs back then. They were raised on
entertainment through imagination and activities on the ranch. When I
wrote, which was every day, they grew up hearing Brock read the scenes
back to me out loud. I think writing is simply imprinted on their
brains. They are better writers than either Brock or I. Luke now also
produces audio books and has won three Audies Awards for his
productions. He recently won Most Inspirational Fiction Audies Award
for his full-on audio book production of Prague Counterpoint,
beating The Shack.
Can you tell
us about your current writing project?
For twenty-five years readers
have been asking us to fill in the WW2 gap between the Zion Covenant
novels and the 1948 Zion Chronicles novels. We know that now is the
time when this must be done. The Gathering Storm is
just the beginning of a series called The Zion Diaries. These novels
are first-person accounts of the events of WW2 from both new characters
and familiar characters from other series. Our readers seem to be very,
very excited about these stories and so are we! The Gathering
Storm follows the story of a new American character named
Lora Bittick, from Brussels to the beaches of Dunkirk. I won’t give
away the incredible ending, but it is quite a love story with a huge
surprise, which we hope will touch the hearts of many new readers.
Can you tell
us what exciting things are taking place for the Shiloh Light
Foundation? How did that come into being?
Because I am dyslexic and Jake
is also, we listened to a lot of audio books, which were not the
highest quality. We felt people who are learning disabled or blind
deserve much better, so we asked God how we could make this happen.
Luke got his degree in media in London and worked with top British
talent. Shiloh Light Foundation is small and very focused, providing
the best audio books for those who need them most.
In the print media, Shiloh Light
Foundation continues to send books and audios out to military and
especially to ship’s libraries and those who are victims of natural
disasters. We have shipped over 200,000 books. Luke is constantly
working on audio productions for those who are visually impaired. We
want those audio productions to be the best in the world so that
someone who is blind or unable to read can feel they have entered the
time machine and lived among the sounds and sights of a different time
and place. Because Luke’s productions are Audies Award winners, we call
these audio books Movies for the Mind. These are available at
www.FamilyAudioLibrary.com.
What words of
encouragement would you like to share with your readers?
The Lord loves you with a
faithful, unchanging, eternal love. Like Jefferson says in the novel In
My Father’s House, “Lay in HIS ARMS LIKE A BABY. Feel His
love!”
Psalm 91 is a firm truth for
you.
Rest in Him, dear friend. Jesus
has got your life and the lives of your loved ones all wrapped up in
love. He will walk beside you clear to the end of this road, and He’ll
be waiting where the road to eternity will begin for you!
Kim
Ford has been a resident of
Alabama for more than ten years. Originally from Georgia, she holds a
Bachelor’s degree in English from Brenau Women’s College. She has spent
the past 9 years in sales and marketing and has been an avid reader of
Christian Fiction for more than 20 years.
A mother of two teen sons and married to a technical writer and Army
veteran, Kim’s life is full and blessed. She and her husband also
volunteer as teachers for a resident rehab program for women with
life-controlling issues. She uses her fiction to encourage the ladies
she teaches. She blogs at: Window
To My World
|
