What was your favorite picture book as a kid?
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss.

What was the first “real” book (with chapters and without pictures) you remember reading?
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. I remember that this was a wonderful and strange book that I really liked a lot.

What was your most favorite book in high school?
Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. This was a great story of the Joad family as they went across the country during the Great Depression. I enjoyed many books in high school; English lit was my favorite class.

What was your least favorite book in high school?
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

What was the last novel you read?
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger.  It is a beautiful story of the mysteries of life explored during a fear-filled journey of escape by the four main characters. Yet it also a story of the amazing personal gifts that God gives to people so we can survive the brutal hardships of life. This is just the second novel I’ve read by this author, but he is a fantastic story teller. He’s one of my favorite authors.

What was the last nonfiction book you read?
Write Your Novel From The Middle by James Scott Bell. This is a great book for establishing the key pillars to structure you novel around.

Which book lived up to the hype (from the past 1-2 years)?
The Emotional Craft of Fiction by Donald Maass. This is an excellent book, very enjoyable read with great ideas. Donald Maass provides many exercises for deepening the emotional content of your writing.

Which book do you love that needs more hype?
Hearts Set Free by Jess Lederman. This is tremendous epic tale of faith and love. I think this book probably did get quite a bit of hype back 2019, but I really enjoyed this story.

Next novel on your TBR (up to three).
The Wise Man by Michele Chynoweth
Inheritance of Secrets by Robin Patchen

Next nonfiction on your TBR (up to three).
The Alignment Problem: Machine Learning and Human Values by Brian Christian
Love Stories by Trent Dalton
The Possibility of Life by Jaime Green

Tell us about your newest release/upcoming release.
Billy Yates, a forty-two-year-old Black college math professor, holds deep skepticism about God’s goodness and power, but after a series of strange occurrences, Billy realizes that he is the prize in a terrifying spiritual battle between good and evil.

While recovering from surgery, Billy is confronted by an angel who challenges him to examine his past rather than accuse God of wrongdoing. After the surgery, Billy discovers a strange message on his body that he believes is from God. Confused and afraid, Billy accepts the angel’s challenge and in so doing he learns the depth of his own sinfulness which plunges Billy into despair. Ezriah Reynolds, a Christian and Billy’s best friend, encourages Billy to join him in taking a seminary class called Jesus in the Old Testament, and for the first time in his life, Billy seriously considers what the Bible teaches about covenant, sin, and salvation. Billy, smitten with Nurse Angeline Otl, begins pursuing her even as his surgery commences. Angeline struggles with her own past, but she and Billy draw together and become vital pieces in the other’s spiritual journey.

True Status can be purchased here: https://amzn.to/3EmQP6e.

Chuck Richardson was born and raised in Rome, New York. He currently resides in Louisville, Kentucky with Ruby, his wife. They have two adult daughters, Brittany and Jillian. Chuck has served as an elder, deacon, and teacher in the churches of Christ for more than thirty five years. He is a passionate believer in Jesus Christ. Chuck enjoys teaching adult Bible classes and especially likes helping teachers become better teachers. Chuck enjoys doing yard work and before he began spending most of his free time reading and writing, he tried to complete one or two woodworking projects each year. He ran track and cross country in high school and is still interested in sports, watching college and professional basketball and football games occasionally. Chuck blogs on various topics including the Bible, teaching, and writing at www.chuckrichardsonstories.com

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Thank you for having me on your blog. With my stories I hope to expose readers to biblical truth and to present the Scriptures in an entertaining context that encourages digging deeper into the Bible. Often what the Bible teaches is not what many Christian and skeptics understand it to say. I hope to help close that gap.