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Dear Readers,
5 days away from LAUNCH time! Hope you are excited!
Month: January 2016
1 Week Until …
Feb 2nd – Be sure to pick up a copy of WHEELMAN on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retail sellers!
What others are saying about WHEELMAN already:
“…a great novel for readers who like stories about journeys of self-discovery, redemption, or the mechanics of dysfunctional families as they travel miles down life’s highway.”
“…extremely hard to put the book down and take a few minutes here and there to take care of the needs of my family. I had to know what happened next!”
“I find myself still thinking back on this book a week later and reflecting on the messages of redemption, grace, and love that are woven throughout. This is not your run of the mill inspirational story. You’ll find that it leaves you with more than you might have expected.”
1 Thing I learned from The Revenant
I watched the Revenant recently.
Revenant – someone who returns after a long absence (believed to be dead).
Fitting title for the film, but there is so much beyond this single description in its 2hr 36min. run time.
It’s a brutal, harrowing tale of a man trying to survive. It’s a chain of events. His fortune seems to go from bad-to worse-to despair, and I was reminded of all kinds of biblical heroes who encountered just such odds in Old Testament events – especially Job.
I know. It’s not even remotely accurate to compare DiCaprio’s role in a film to a man of God, but this one stuck with me as I read today’ devotional about blessings.
Would you agree that for a follower of God one of the hardest principles is being blessed and not straying from God after the blessing has occurred?
Like being in the woods with a compass and suddenly throwing the compass away once we see something familiar. It’s a similar self-reliance in our spiritual walk.
While God says, “Look to me and be saved…” (Isaiah 45:22), our inclination is to turn tail and run for what we believe to be higher ground.
Much like DiCaprio’s character in Revenant, we travel through life’s seasons getting beat down on more than one occasion, and these scars can wound us beyond repair if we allow them to. But, opposite to the physical fight of man’s battle with nature, the spiritual requires us to simply stop tugging on our own.
To admit, God is more than capable of handling your, mine, and our issues, if we let him.
Cover for WHEELMAN (Reveal)
I couldn’t wait any longer. Here’s the finalized cover (print & ebook) for WHEELMAN!
While the release day is still: Feb 2, this gives you a sneak peek at the look for this young adult novel we’re so proud of at Vox Dei.
Great work from Hayley Stone – designing it. The final proof has been approved.
8 Things about WHEELMAN
(Interviewed on Twitter by Kandi J. Wyatt, author of The One Who Sees Me) 01.18.2016 –
Question 1: Can you tell us a bit about yourself? How did you find @voxdeipub
Brian: Sure. I grew up in so. KY and met my wife in college. I wrote in graduate school and found @voxdeipub while scouring the web. 🙂
Kandi: What did you write about in graduate school?
Brian: I created a short story collection titled “Baptisms & Dogs” set in the fictional town of Seton, KY. It helped me start (writing).
Kandi: It sounds interesting.
Martin Jones: Hey Brian, your friendly editor here – just popping in!
Question 2: What is your book about?
Brian: #Wheelman is about a teen seeking his father. He goes on a journey in search of hard answers.
Kandi: So is it a YA or middle grade book?
Heather Huffman: Hey everyone!
Kandi: Welcome! Glad to have you.
Brian: Young Adult
Heather Huffman: I’d say young YA.
Kandi: Awesome!
Martin Jones: Definitely YA, some serious themes tackled here!
Question 3: What led you to write Wheelman?
Brian: A trip with friends to Mexico in 2011 prompted the book #wheelman. It was a great experience albeit dangerous.
Kandi: Can you share what themes besides #humantrafficking Wheelman tackles?
Martin Jones: I think the impact of a broken home and sin is prominent, together with a fair amount of violence!
Kandi: How was it dangerous?
Brian: Drug cartels and beheadings were reported at that time. It was a tough time to travel near Mexico City.
Kandi: That does make for some interesting travel.
Martin Jones: Another question (for Brian) – are any of the characters based on yourself or people you have met?
Brian: That’s a tough one, Martin… I’d say Teddy resembles my dad just slightly. But most were abstract creations.
Question 4: So you’ve done some traveling. Can you tell us about that?
Brian: I love the open road. It’s what generates new memories. Central Mexico is so beautiful. It needs to be written about!
Kandi: Guanajuato is my favorite place. Although I had fun in San Miguel de Allende
Brian: God’s country, right? So pristine and beautiful! I LOVE San Miguel.
Kandi: Right. I love the colors of the houses.
Brian: And the doors. I’ve never seen so many different types of doors.
Kandi: You’re right. The doors in central Mexico are amazing.
Adam Hopper: How did growing up in a small town like Monticello, Kentucky impact the locations in the book?
Brian: #Wheelman tackles travel to and from some unique places. My hometown molded me into what I am today. I love Ky!
Brian: Hi! @pastortabitha Thanks, Tabitha!
Martin Jones: Do you think #Wheelman has any kind of take-away message for the reader?
Brian: Great Q. #Wheelman does. The importance of valuing family is central! Today, tomorrow, everyday. While we can!
Question 5: Do you have any #travel safety tips for us?
Brian: I knew that one was coming! 🙂 Be cautious. I had great taxis in Mexico (and fun). But there’re always risks
Kandi: That there are. Your book gives you a platform to discuss #HumanTraffickingAwareness.
Brian: Yes. It plays a role in the family reunion elements of #wheelman and it was a difficult subject to study.
Kandi: I bet it was. I know I had difficulty sleeping just after writing a blog about trafficking
Question 6: How did you become aware of human trafficking?
Brian: Drug/human trafficking are prevalent not only in other parts of the world but US- all 50 states #IJM helped me for #Wheelman. It messes with us, as it should. Knowing the world has such intense events happening daily – wakes us up!
Kandi: It makes us realize there is more to life than our happy little corner.
Martin Jones: Without revealing spoilers – we might differ slightly on this but would you say the book has a happy ending?
Brian: You all brought the real Qs. 🙂 Haha. I would say quasi-happy. It depends on the reader’s idea of win vs. lose though.
Kandi: I think that is key to any ending of a book.
Martin Jones: Gotta say I love the title #Wheelman – says so much about the book in a word – both sides of the story #goodevil
Brian: Amen! #Wheelman is to the point. Our team really made it happen.
Martin Jones: Yeah, I wish I could take credit for the title #lol
Brian: You CAN!
Question 7: What kinds of testing of faith have you experienced either while writing or that prompted you to write?
Brian: Learning about trafficking and realizing that all sins are equal … caused me to write more definitely. Scars are lasting.
Kandi: Scars are lasting! Oof. That they are. We can end #humantrafficking
Question 8: If people want to help end #humantrafficking what do you suggest they do?
Brian: Playing an active role in their daily lives, online and in person. We have an opportunity to @endtraffick ing
Kandi: Where can we find you online?
Brian: Online- https://brianltucker.com, Instagram: bltuck2, amazon at: http://amazon.com/author/tuckerb, and even on Goodreads at: Brian L. Tucker
#Wheelman releases Feb 2 on #groundhogday and my father’s birthday! It’ll be on @amazon and other major websites
Kandi: Can’t wait for it. Thanks so much everyone for joining, and congratulations, @thebriantucker
Brian: Thanks again, Kandi J Wyatt! I appreciate your time. Have a great night!
Kandi: Thanks again for the time. I’m off to eat dinner with the family.
-End of Interview-
WHEELMAN Twitter Chat this Monday, 1/18.
Well guys, it’s Twitter chat time! This Monday, 1/18 be sure to be on Twitter and search #VoxDeiChat. Can you share around? Thanks.
Burning Bright
Here’s a question posed by our pastor, Mark Love, recently:
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Why do we work so much? What are we trying to achieve/ensure?
He led off with this and went on to describe the importance of trust. As I sat there, I asked myself what (or who) do I trust in …
- technology (?) sometimes…maybe when it works
- friends / family (Am I genuinely there for others? Sometimes I don’t feel like I am.)
- God – When I want something? Or, it’s convenient?
- government (?) – hardly, even though our currency says “we” trust in a higher being
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Proverbs 3:5 (ESV) says –
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Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
That’s a tough one. Maybe the hardest in the entire Bible, if we really look at it and think about the word “all” as it relates to our hearts. The tiniest specks of pride devoutly holding onto our hardened hearts as they collectively scream “We know better than anyone else!”
Mark said that instead of trusting God, we “kill ourselves trying to figure it out ourselves,” and he then asked, “Are we burning bright?”
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See, if we honestly asked ourselves this question in solitude we would admit we want this, but we burn out instead.
How will 2016 look for you? Me? Us?
Burnout is often fueled by fear, guilt, or greed.
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Fear that I must do more to keep what I have (American Dream). Guilt that I am not enough so I need to prove myself by doing more (status). Greed that I still don’t have enough and need MORE (consumerism).
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Question:
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Are we trading God’s divine plan for our own short-sighted goals?
Oswald Chambers wrote “we must “pitch our tents” where we will always have quiet times with Him, however noisy our times with the world may be. There are not three levels of spiritual life— worship, waiting, and work. Yet some of us seem to jump like spiritual frogs from worship to waiting, and from waiting to work. God’s idea is that the three should go together as one. They were always together in the life of our Lord and in perfect harmony. It is a discipline that must be developed; it will not happen overnight.”
WHEELMAN (Excerpt #2)
T-Minus 1 month – WHEELMAN
T-minus 1 month until WHEELMAN hits streets. – (Feb. 2nd)
More to follow.
