Smart stories, epic ideas
Author J.B. Simmons blogs on creative writing, editing, publishing, and music. He is the bestselling author of twelve books that bring hope to dystopia. Readers can't put them down.
November 2018 marks the release of The Blue Tower, the first book of a YA series about a boy who wakes up in a mysterious tower with no memories of his former life. He must learn who he was before he can figure out why he's here...and how to get out.
The Unbound trilogy tells the story of a teen from Manhattan with nightmares of a dragon and the world ending in 2066. It has been acclaimed as "The Da Vinci Code meets Hunger Games meets Left Behind... An imagining epic." (Hugh Hewitt)
The more complicated the world gets, the more we crave simplicity. This is not naivety or ignorance, it is a surge of truth. We don't thrive when we make life complicated. We thrive when we simplify enough to leave space to notice the beauty around us.
Read MoreWhen’s the last time you built a fire with wood you chopped yourself? It’s far more satisfying than likes on a Facebook post. Here’s why you might want to give it a try before the winter ends.
Read MoreThis week I reached the ripe age of 33. It was a fine birthday, spent with family and friends and Facebook well-wishers. I even got to talk through my upcoming book, Great White Throne, with a couple writer friends.
Amidst these festivities, a bigger question has been on my mind. Tradition says a man named Jesus lived to the same age. In only three years of ministry, he left quite a mark on the world. So I figure it’s time to see how I’m measuring up to the world’s most famous person.
Read MoreA few years ago, Americans were asked, “What is your favorite book of all time?” Two of the top five books include a vision of the end of the world: #1 the Bible, and #5 The Stand by Stephen King. Before reading The Stand, I would have said that’s crazy—#5? Now it kind of makes sense.
It took me a year to finish the book, and I’m glad I stuck with it. The apocalyptic novel was homework for my upcoming Great White Throne. I draw a lot from the Bible’s vision of how the world will end, as recounted in my blogs on Revelation, so I was struck by the common themes in Stephen King’s story.
Warning: a few spoilers from The Stand are below. But I bet most of you won’t mind—you’ve either already read the 500,000-word tome or you’ll just consider this a preview for the upcoming movie starring Matthew McConaughey. Three surprising spiritual truths await.
Read MoreI’ll admit it, I was starting to doubt Amazon. I’d read the recent author success stories, and I’d followed their advice: write good books, publish exclusively with Amazon, and let the algorithms steer your work to readers who will love it.
Four novels in, I had quality stories and great reviews, but no breakout sales. Then, like lightning striking in the night, Amazon delivered. Over the past couple weeks, my sales have quadrupled.
This post is my best guess as to how it happened.
Read MoreAmazon Bestselling Author. Smart stories, epic ideas.
