Mike Garrett: Innocence Denied

Julie’s Note: It’s my pleasure to use Tuesdays to introduce you to authors who have new releases. Today Mike Garrett is my guest, and I think you’ll enjoy our interview.

 

MIKE GARRETT is a devout Christian and life-long resident of Alabama. His world revolves around God, his wife Sharon, two adult children, five grandchildren, and one granddog.

He is an internationally respected book editor, previously published secular author, and was Stephen King’s first editor and publisher.

Mike first ventured into Christian writing by drafting humorous scripts for church dramas, one of which was “The Thirteenth Disciple.” He also wrote and produced a short film, “Mysterious Ways,” in which he combined his life-long interest in the classic TV show, “The Twilight Zone,” with a biblical theme. Innocence Denied is his first Christian novel. Its official website is www.innocencedeniedbook.com

 

 

What inspired you to write Innocence Denied?

God has blessed me throughout my life and gave me the ability to write and edit, granting me a career in something that I dearly love. A church sermon on giving service to God through His spiritual gifts struck me hard, and I realized that I should use my talents to honor Him. He led me every step of the way through the book’s creation and beyond.

How do you serve God through Innocence Denied?

The novel was written with unbelievers in mind, so the intention was to at least inspire them to give their beliefs a second chance and hopefully come closer to God. Of course, therein lies a problem—unbelievers wouldn’t select a Christian novel to read. At the end of the book I encourage Christian readers to give their copies to someone they know who might be receptive to its message. The witnessing occurs late in the story in hope that unbelievers might be hooked into the story by then with the intent of finishing the novel and thereby expose themselves to its message.

To what degree did God lead you through the writing of Innocence Denied?

It was like no other writing experience that I’ve ever had. Every time I found myself stuck He would zap an idea into my head to keep me moving forward. I felt like I was merely a keyboard, and He was the typist.

How was writing a Christian novel different from your secular fiction?

To begin with, there was no profit motive in writing Innocence Denied and no desire to be in the spotlight nor advance my career. I did it only to serve God. I can’t even take credit for it. It’s God’s story—He just chose me to be its vessel.

I originally wrote it with the intention of self-publication because I knew that it didn’t fit the mold of most traditional publishers. It’s a love story but not a romance; it has elements of suspense but isn’t a suspense novel. It’s difficult to classify.

When I finished the novel, I felt God prod me to investigate commercial publication but found little initial success. My own literary agent didn’t like it, and I couldn’t get any other agents to even look at it. I was about to give up when God led me to CrossLink, a Christian publisher with a more broad approach to publishing, and they saw the merit in my work. CrossLink and I were a perfect fit, and the whole thing came together.

My first confirmation that I had achieved my goal was the initial reaction of book reviewers whose positive response was far beyond what I had ever expected.

What role do you feel Christian fiction plays in today’s troubled world?

Christian fiction represents modern day parables. It’s characters can directly influence readers, thus it can be a valuable tool in leading unbelievers to Christ.

Thank you, Mike, for telling us about Innocence Denied. Readers, if you’d like to purchase this new release, click HERE.

Visit his book website, innocencedeniedbook.com