Author Interview: J.B. Shepherd, Author of Anger of the King
This is a short interview with author J. B. Shepherd about his recent allegorical novel for young adults, Anger of the King. You can read my review here.
Why don’t we start by you giving a brief bit of biographical information on yourself?
J.B.S. God reached out in mercy and saved me when I was very young, so I count myself extremely blessed. His Spirit kept drawing me into the Word while I was young, and through a Bible quizzing program at my church, I discovered the power of memorizing entire chapters and even entire books of the NT.
During my 8th-9th grade years, I dreamed of writing novels in the future because of my great love for reading. But as the Lord grew me in my commitment to His word and service, I found I couldn’t make time for fiction like I wanted. So I pretty much walked away from novels all through high school and college in order to pursue His higher calling. Then ironically, the Lord gave me back this dream when I had finished my master’s degree and gotten married. Only now, I’ve got something really worth communicating because of the work He’s been doing in my heart.
Now my wife and I have three children and are preparing to move to the Middle East next month for work there.
Can you explain the title of Anger of the King and give a quick summary of the plot?
J.B.S. The title is drawn from the primary theme in the book—our need for reconciliation with God, who is justly angry at us for rebelling against Him. The story is of a nation that has rejected its king. In the midst of the ensuing judgments of famine, sickness, and war, a young boy named Adam finds himself torn between wanting to follow the king and wanting his grandfather’s approval. He undertakes a quest that he hopes will rescue his city, but he doesn’t really understand until the end what it’s going to take, or rather Whom. I think the readers will come away with a greater awe of Christ.
Why did you write this book?
J.B.S. I’m sure part of it is my personal enthusiasm over great stories and a longing to write one myself. But what really drove me was the burning desire I’ve had for a long time that our generation would get an awe of Jesus Christ. I grew up with so many peers in Christian circles that had a ton of head knowledge but such shallow ideas of God’s glory. My constant prayer for this book is that God’s Spirit would open young people’s eyes to see how immense God’s holiness is and that they would be captivated by the glory of Christ.
Why use fiction as the vehicle for these goals of showcasing God’s holiness and Christ’s glory?
J.B.S. I believe the power of a story can help teens see their sinfulness, God’s anger, and the awe of the gospel in a way they might not otherwise. They know a lot of facts. But a story lets them experience the wonder of redemption, adoption, and the new covenant through the eyes of a fellow-teen in the midst of an engaging adventure.
Jesus used stories to teach, partly to conceal truth but also to encapsulate it. “The prodigal son,” “fishers of men,” “the vine and the branches,” and “the good Samaritan” capture complicated truths in such a tangible way that even children can grasp them. A question that too often goes unanswered in preaching is, “What does that look like?” Stories are a key to answering that question, which is why God’s word is so full of them.
How would you respond to the potential criticism that some of the allegorical elements of your story are more overt or come across as heavy handed?
J.B.S.: The feedback I’m getting from teens is that they couldn’t put the book down and want the sequel yesterday, so I’m not overly worried about engaging my target audience. So far only a couple adults have thought it came across a bit “preachy” (and most say the opposite), but to be honest I’d much rather have that accusation thrown at me than have tons of readers love the action and miss the point.
I think the fear of being labeled “preachy” has created a trend at this time of exciting stories that shy away from really challenging readers directly. What a contrast to authors a century ago! I pray my work can demonstrate how much young people love stories with depth that are forthright in challenging them spiritually.
To be clear, I do believe some stories are overt in a way that makes them tacky, usually when they slide some truth in where it doesn’t fit or bogs down the plot. I believe the gospel is already the most exciting story ever, but we don’t always feel it because of our familiarity. My prayer has been to capture the exciting elements and bring them out naturally through the conflict and resolution of my story so we can re-discover the wow that’s already there.
Can you share an example of how the Lord has used this book in the life of one of your readers?
J.B.S.: Just recently a young college student said that she read a couple chapters initially and put it down for a few days. But she felt like the Lord was drawing her back, so she started up again. By chapter 5 or 6 she was hooked, and by the time she finished she was overwhelmed with the wonder of Christ’s love. Specifically, she said the “new covenant” was a mysterious concept before but now a precious discovery. Many have told me “thank you” for helping them see the gospel afresh. Please pray with me that some will even come to salvation.
Are there any works of Christian fiction (besides your own) that you would recommend?
J.B.S.: There are two allegorical series which have become quite popular recently, and I highly recommend them. One is The Terrestria Chronicles by Ed Dunlop with seven books picturing the Christian life in a young boy, Josiah, who becomes a knight and learns to guard his heart for the king. Another is The Kingdom Series by Chuck Black. These six novels use a gripping fantasy story to trace the history of the Bible from man’s creation and fall to the culmination at Christ’s return. I’ve heard many young people express their love for these novels and the impact they’ve had.
Should we expect a sequel sometime in the future or perhaps even an unrelated story altogether?
J.B.S.: I’ve already begun preparing the sequel, and am burning inside to get it out. For the past year and a half I’ve studied the ongoing work of Christ, and my prayer is to capture in a tangible form what it means to “abide in Christ,” and “walk in the Spirit.” The discoveries I’m making have impacted my own life, and God has given me some ideas I can’t wait to put into print. Please pray for God’s hand to be on me and this next book so a new generation of young folks can see just how glorious Christ’s calling is.
Thanks for the interview!
J.B.S.: You are very welcome. I’d like to mention in closing that I would really appreciate the prayers of all readers for God to use this tool in a mighty way for His glory. Also, I’d like to offer free shipping on any orders from my website (AngeroftheKing.com) using the promo coupon, “FBFBlog.”
(Also available on Amazon at Anger of the King)
Our interviewer, Brent Niedergall, is youth pastor at Catawba Springs Christian Church in Apex, North Carolina.