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C. S. Elston

Chris’ Books:

* For more information on his books, click the pics above

About the Author:

Chris Elston has worked as a writer in various mediums, including the film and television industry, since the 1990’s. He primarily grew up in the northern suburbs of Seattle, Washington, went to college about twenty-five miles southwest of Portland, Oregon and then lived in the Los Angeles area for fifteen years. He now resides in Prescott Valley, Arizona with his wife and business partner, Andrea. Together, they own and operate Shine-A-Light Corp, which includes a publishing house, and a non-profit organization called Shine the Light Ministries.

First Name Acrostic:

Christ follower

Husband

Rambunctious on occasion

Imaginative

Saved by the 5 solas

Travel Bucket List Items:

In the U.S.A. — I’d like to take a road trip through the northern states because I haven’t been east of Montana and north of Illinois/Indiana as an adult. We could turn around and head back once we stopped for a “Frrrozen Hot Chocolate” at the iconic Serendipity3 between Second and Third avenues in New York City.

Outside the U.S.A. — Israel.

An adventure — I’m typically just happy to survive the day.

An Accomplishment He’s Proud Of:

Finding the most amazing woman on the planet and somehow convincing her to marry me.

Five Favorites:

Movie – The Shawshank Redemption

Music – Christian, Classic Rock, Country

Food – Pizza, steak

Book – After God’s Word, that’s like a 50-way tie and I’m not going to list them all

Vacation spot – Hawaii, Lake Chelan (Eastern Washington State)

“Family Photos”

Website: cselston.com

Coming soon: The Four Corners of Winter

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Elaine Beth Doebereiner

Elaine’s Book:

 

Coming Soon: untitled prequel to The Blue Phoenix and the Silver Foxx

* For more information on her book, click the pic above

About the Author

Elaine is a small-town girl with big dreams and aspirations. She is a blessed wife and mother of two who is also proud to serve as a nurse, making a difference in the lives of others. The name Elaine means “bright shining light” and she strives to live up to that every day, hoping to change the world for the better. Particularly, she wishes to help both people and animals.

First Name Acrostic:

Eloquence is not my forte

Lacking social skills

And Grace, I Dare say

Introvert with Goodwill

Nurse, wife, mother in day’s light

Eccentric writer by night

Travel Bucket List Items: Alaskan cruise to see Northern Lights; England, Scotland and Germany to experience her ancestral origins; and, the Galapagos islands to pet the giant tortoises.

Accomplishments She’s Proud Of: Both becoming a nurse and a published author.

Five Favorites:

Movie: The live action version of Beauty and the Beast

Food: Tacos

Drink: Diet Dr. Pepper

Composer: Vivaldi

Book: Tie — To Kill a Mockingbird and The Hobbit

“Family Photos”

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Michele Renee DeRouin

Michele’s Books:

Coming Soon: Swimming From the Shadows

* For more information on her books, click the pics above

About the Author

After growing up in Bakersfield, California, Michele earned a degree in Child Psychology and spent twenty years working in social services. In 2001, she moved to the mountains of Arizona where she learned to hunt, fish, and rock climb. During that time, she felt God moving her to write a book. In 2017, she moved to the island of Oahu, Hawaii, where she retired from social work and began to write her first novel.

Michele has two grown children and one grandchild. In addition to her love for the outdoors, Michele enjoys painting with watercolors and digital mediums and has sold over 200 pieces of art. Her strong faith in God has helped her to overcome many obstacles and her heartache inspired much of her first book, Cracks in the Floor of Heaven. Michele has also been blessed with many gifts from God, who has taught her how to have joy despite pain and hope in the midst of hardship. She remains an optimist, has a heart for helping others, and plans to write many more books that she hopes will bring light into the darkness and healing into the lives of hurting people.

First Name Acrostic:

My faith keeps me

In the light because I am

Chosen for a purpose

Helping others creates an

Ease in trusting God and

Loving others makes

Everyday special

Travel Bucket List Items: All of the Hawaiian islands, New Zealand, and the national parks.

An Accomplishment She’s Proud Of: Her move to Hawaii.

Five Favorites:

Hobby: Swimming and body surfing

Food: Fish tacos

Music: For King and Country and ’80’s tunes

Movie: Burnt

Season: Summer

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Chrisann Dawson

Chrisann’s Books:

Coming Soon: CONGO EBOLA

* For more information on her books, click the pics above

About the Author

Chrisann and her husband Gale, along with their three children, lived in the Congo, Africa (formerly Zaire) for seven years doing mission work. They learned the Lingala language, became emerged in the culture, and established lifelong friendships with the Congolese people, who continue to do the work of their non-profit mission, Rise Congo.

Now living in Payson, Arizona, Chrisann works part-time for the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, doing vision and hearing screenings for preschool children in her county. She also works as a member of a chaplain team with Gale at Payson Christian Clinic, and she continues to pursue her writing dreams.

First Name Acrostic:

Classic

His handiwork

Risen with Christ

Idealistic

Sense but not Sensibility

Abundantly blessed

Noble

Nice (most days)

Travel Bucket List Items: Tombstone, Antelope Canyon, and a cruise among the Hawaiian islands.

An Accomplishment She’s Proud Of: Her marriage and family. Additionally, she’s thankful for her great circle of friends.

Five Favorites:

First cup of coffee; a brand new journal; her kids;  her friends; and, her main character, James, who now lives out the adventures she’s too tired to continue having.

Website: https://www.chrisanndawson.com/

“Family Photos”

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The Inspiration Behind “The Blue Phoenix and the Silver Foxx”

by Elaine Beth Doebereiner

Readers have expressed a curiosity about where I discovered the inspiration for my first novel. The truth is that the story was born from a dream I had at age 16. I was an aspiring writer in junior high and high school. The only thing I found time for was my poetry, however. I never forgot that dream even into adulthood. I tried several times to sit down and write the story that had been born in my mind. I would get 10 chapters written and then scrap it. Then, a year later, I would write 12 chapters and throw those out, too. The story was not good enough in my eyes. So, I took a long break from it but never stopped thinking about the characters that I had not been able to do justice. Created and birthed in my mind, I watched as they grew up and developed. Soon I was losing sleep thinking about them and their story. The characters had become like children to me and I believed it was my duty to give them life. So, I took the sleepless nights as a sign from God that it was time to finally write this story for real.

The initial dream that I had at 16 was basically just one short incident with one character. A young girl falling from a mountain top with the mission of saving earth. The scenery was vivid, and the girl was so real to me. I constructed the other characters and plot around this singular point of origin. Other constructs came to life as I realized, I have always wanted to make a difference in the world. I have always had this burning desire to help others. What better way to reach an audience then through a story where they can see themselves in the characters and experience what the characters feel? So, I set out to write a book that could be a beacon of hope and inspiration to the world.

I added in the bible verses because I saw them as favorites of the characters writing the journal entries. They serve to make the characters feel more connected to God as they find comfort in His Word and I wanted the readers to feel that same comfort. My desire is that my readers will know that they are not alone. God’s not dead. There is hope. Your prayers are indeed answered even if you don’t realize it at the time. They may be not answered in the way or the timeframe you think they should be but God knows better than we do. Be patient and trust Him. We all make mistakes and those mistakes do not define us, you just have to learn from them and move on. Its healthy to experience sadness, failure and all the bad feels. You cannot grow as a person, or in faith, or in spirituality without facing fear, going out of your comfort zone, and learning from life’s experiences.  If you need guidance or counsel, open the bible, the answers are there.

I also made the characters a hodge podge of people. Different genders, races, ethnicities, angels, humans, demons. . . a total mixture. This was purposefully executed in the hopes that I could convey the fact that it does not matter who you are or where you’re from, you can do the work of God and we can all do it together. We are all His children. We should love one another no matter who or what we are and regardless of the color of our skin. You can choose your own path no matter the manner of your birth or where you came from. You do not have to be perfect to do good things in this world. When you think that God is not doing anything to help the world, stop and think about how much he loves us, His creations, His children. He gave his only son to die on the cross so that we could live. He wouldn’t do something phenomenal like that and then just turn His back on those He sacrificed for. He places special people in our lives on purpose, events happen that shape us, and I believe that angels do walk among us, strategically placed to keep the balance and to help mankind. All you have to do is keep an open mind, be observant, be patient, and have faith.

What started out as just a dream evolved into hopeful inspirational ideals. I pray the world loves the characters and this story as much as I do and I hope it touches the hearts of many around the world. It would be such an honor to know that it helped people and made a difference in their lives.

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The Inspiration Behind “The Four Corners” Trilogy

by C.S. Elston

Admittedly, I’ve told this story before. But it answers a question I get asked a lot and, with the recent release of “The Four Corners of Darkness,” I thought it would be appropriate to, once again, share the inspiration behind the series.

I was driving down the 101 freeway just north of Los Angeles, California, somewhere between Studio City and Sherman Oaks about fifteen or sixteen years ago. Looking out the side window of my Jeep Wrangler as I passed by a sea of houses and apartment complexes, I don’t know why I was thinking about this but, all of the unhappy home environments that exist all around us entered my mind. I thought about the fact that a lot of people who feel unloved, really are in fact loved. They are just in an environment where the people who love them either don’t know how to say it or show it, or they’re too wrapped up in their own problems to recognize the ones they’re causing in the lives of the people they love by simply not expressing the love they really do have deep down. Sometimes, we just overcrowd that love with so much self-created, negative clutter, that no one can see it because it’s like a wonderful gift hidden in the back of the closet where no one will ever have the opportunity to enjoy it.

That got me thinking about how quickly someone’s attitude could change if they were faced with losing the person or people they love. Somehow, that translated into this fantasy world called Kadosh, which is a Hebrew word that means “set apart for a Holy purpose.” In the books, people are being yanked out of the real world and separated onto islands, presumably, for eternity. So, while God intends for these people to love one another, the fact that they are not doing that in the real world gives the demon ruler of this fantasy world the ability to pull them into his realm where he can keep them apart from one another.

Absence truly does make the heart grow fonder. And, in an extreme situation like that, the aforementioned gift is going to find itself through the clutter in a hurry. Then what do you do? When love and regret overwhelm you like that, you can’t keep it inside. You must let the people you have those feelings for know about it. In the case of the Snyder family in “The Four Corners,” that means an incredible journey lies ahead. Ultimately, the risk is worth the potential reward.

The sequel, “The Four Corners of Darkness” is inspired, at least in part, by a one-act play I acted in while attending college at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon. I think it was called “Doors” but, I can’t remember for sure and, I have no idea who wrote it. But the play was about a bunch of people who seemed permanently trapped in a house. The doors were locked and couldn’t be opened, and the windows had bars on them. It was an allegory about sin and salvation. Ultimately, someone from the outside, who had been there before and been shown the way out, had to go back inside and pay it forward. In the same way, while the Snyders and a bunch of others find their way back home at the end of the first book, their youngest child, Kinsey, recognized the responsibility that came with that accomplishment. He knew they would have to go back and show those who didn’t take the journey with them the first time, that there is, indeed, a way to get out and go back home. Now that the second book is out, I guess I’d better get to work wrapping this story up with the final installment of “The Four Corners” trilogy. . .