Interview with David Gregory.

Today we have 3 author interviews. The first one is with David Gregory, author of The Last Christian. I have to tell you. I got an advanced reader copy off a book swap and I am currently reading this book. But I am having a hard time taking it away from my Dad:) He said it is one of the best books he has read in a long time. Now that is a rare compliment! He said there were a couple things that he wished were not in the book but otherwise he really liked it!! Now that I have piqued your interest in this book, let's learn a little about the author behind the book:)

Thank you for being with us today, David! How long have you known you wanted to be an author? Well, I never really decided I wanted to be an author. Being an author kind of decided it for me. While in seminary I wrote a little novella that I called Dinner with a Perfect Stranger. I self-published it, hoping to sell 1500 copies, which would cover the expense of printing 2500. But WaterBrook Press picked it up and published it for me and made a big hit out of it. I signed a contract with them to write two more books, then another one to write three more books. But actually, I never anticipated writing any fiction beyond Dinner. I didn’t see it as a possible career. I just saw it as a little story I wanted to make available to people to share the person of Jesus Christ. God had other plans, though.


Can you tell me a little bit about your newest book?
The Last Christian is the story of an adult missionary kid who emerges from the New Guinea jungle for the first time in her life at age 34 and finds a sixteen year old message from her grandparents that God wants her to return to America to restart Christianity. The year is 2088 and Christianity has died out in the U.S. She goes and finds herself not only facing a tremendous task, but also a life and death struggle with the world’s leading artificial intelligence industrialist, who has invented silicon brain transplants that portend a dire spiritual future for the world. It’s a classic “what-if” scenario regarding the future of Christianity and the future of technology, with an unusual message concerning the true gospel woven through it.


When a reader gets done with your book, what do you want them to come away with?
With all my books, I want readers to be challenged in their belief systems and the way they think about reality. Most of us cruise through life without giving much thought to why we believe what we believe – or even whether what we actually believe matches what we profess to believe. In The Last Christian, for instance, perhaps the primary spiritual theme is that the gospel of Jesus Christ is much more encompassing that even most Christians give it credit for. I want people to think through issues like that, wrestling with them after they’ve put the book down. I’ve been amused to read several reviewers of The Last Christian who almost seemed to complain that the book made them think too much. That’s why I write!


Is there a place you have always wanted to visit? A vacation spot, historical monument, overseas, etc?
I’d like to visit New Zealand for the beauty and Israel for the history.

If you could have dinner with 2 people, who would they be?
Right now? Former House Majority leader Dick Armey and House Speaker Newt Gingrich. But that’s because I’m contemplating writing a political novel.


What one event would you love to be at? Historical or future?
The resurrection of Christ. More recently, the U.S. Constitutional Convention.


Do you have a favorite hobby?
I read non-fiction. I’m mostly a non-fiction guy. That’s why there’s so much information (some would say teaching) communicated through my fiction.


Is there something about you most people wouldn't know?
That I never wrote any fiction until after I was forty.


Do you have any suggestions for the aspiring writer?
Write what’s on your heart, not what you think the market is looking for. The market is ever shifting, but there will always be a place for well-written books from the heart. Check out some good writing material online. I recommend Randy Ingermanson’s free e-zine at advancedfictionwriting.com. Also, join a writers group to get honest feedback on your work and improve your skills. When you have something that’s really good, consider attending a writers conference – a good one that has top tier agents and publishing editors that you can have appointed times to meet with.


Any last thoughts for your readers?
Read thought-provoking material. Life is too short for fluff all the time!


And how can they connect with you?
They can find me on my website, davidgregorybooks.com.

There is no giveaway with this interview but I am telling you. You need to go pick up his book at your local bookstore. Definitely turning out to be a great read!!