Today we welcome author:
Rick Barry
One commenter will win a copy of
Rick's book:
The Methuselah Project
Rick's book:
The Methuselah Project
Scroll down to see how.
Mary here. I first met Rick Barry at a writer's conference in Chicago several years ago. He read his short story to our critique group. I knew then that any book he would have published would be better than fantastic. I was intrigued. I was spellbound. His story was unique and amazing. When I heard his first book was due to be released--update: The Methuselah Project just hit store shelves, I asked him to come visit us. I asked Rick to share how God had lead him on his writing journey. This is what he said:
Whims, Hobbies, and Ministry
Hi Mary, and all the
friends visiting your blog!
You asked me to share my
writer’s journey. I can honestly say that this journey consists of many
mistakes and many rejections. But
let’s start at the beginning—as a reader.
In grade school I
enjoyed different types of stories in each grade. In third grade I wanted only Western/Native
American stories. In fourth grade I lived for underwater SCUBA adventures. By
fifth grade I grew to love The Hardy Boys. By sixth grade I graduated to sci-fi
and outer space.
However, it was in fifth
grade that I seriously considered writing a genuine story of my own. Dublin
Elementary in Union Lake, Michigan, encouraged kids to enter the Young Authors
Contest. All the kids in my class
were doing it. (I don’t believe Mrs. Monetta gave us an option!) The Apollo
program was in full swing, so I crafted a little tale about three astronauts in
a Saturn V rocket. My little book with its aluminum-foil cover finished first
in fifth grade. The next step was a regional competition, where some other
budding writer knocked me out of the running. What a disappointment…
Before long, I was
itching to try a harder story. A whole book. Maybe a mystery similar to the
Hardy Boys? With great confidence I sat at Dad’s desk with a ream of paper. I
concocted names for two boys and wrote Paragraph #1. It was magnificent! In
white-hot creativity, I printed Paragraph #2! Suddenly my No. 2 pencil
screeched to a halt. I had no idea what should happen next. Not even a glimmer
of mystery to solve.
“I guess I’m not really
a writer after all,” I concluded. To hide my failure, I wadded up that sheet of
paper and buried it in the bottom of the waste can.
Fast forward to my
sophomore year in college. Spring break arrived, and I noticed an ad for a
writing contest in a Christian magazine. For fun, I penned an article and
mailed it in. No, I didn’t win, but the editor offered to buy my article
anyway. When the magazine came out with my byline, I could hardly believe it. My
own name in a magazine. I was published!
My appetite whetted, I
began writing and submitting more articles. Often only rejection slips arrived.
But checks also came back, which spurred me on. Never realizing I should
specialize in just one type of writing, I tackled every interesting idea that
popped into my head: non-fiction articles, Christian devotionals for adults, short
fiction for adults, and even short fiction for teens and middle-graders. (To this
day I create unusual fiction for Focus on the Family’s Clubhouse magazine for kids.)
Still, I recalled that
my fifth-grade self had failed at novels. Dare I try again? Tolkien is a
literary hero, so I created a fantasy world and developed a tale called Kiriath’s Quest, which is still in
print. Being a World War 2 buff, next I contemplated a story about an American airman
trapped alone behind German lines. That inspiration developed into Gunner’s Run, which has been amazingly
popular for a wide range of ages from 12 to an 89-year-old veteran who assumed
I must be his age if I know about all the things he remembered!
For my latest novel, The Methuselah Project, I yearned to try
something unique. So, I blended history (a WW2 fighter pilot named Roger Greene),
suspense (he gets captured and must escape), a light sprinkle of sci-fi (German
scientists use him as a guinea pig in a secret experiment), plus romance (Katherine
Mueller helps Roger without realizing what’s happened to him), then wrapped it
all in a Christian worldview.
The resulting adventure
was definitely different for Christian publishing, but I personally loved it. Better,
Literary agent Linda Glaz loved it too. She offered representation and began
shopping it to publishers. Kregel in Grand Rapids caught the vision for Roger
Greene’s story and wrote up a contract.
The Methuselah Project released two weeks ago, a full month ahead of
schedule. Yet, I praise the Lord for 5-star reviews that are already popping
onto Amazon. No book appeals to everyone, yet readers are already asking, “Will
there be a sequel?” Praise God!
Speaking of the Lord,
let me finish by saying that what began as a whim, then became a hobby, is now
a ministry. I’m convinced God has given me a spirit of creativity, and He means
for me to glorify Him with that gift. For Christian authors, writing can be a
literal act of worship—an act in which we take talent God has given us, use it
to design a literary creation, and then return it to Him for His glory. Amen.
Rick Barry is the author
of Gunner's Run, another World War II
novel, Kiriath's Quest, and over 200
articles and fiction stories. He holds a degree in foreign languages, speaks
Russian, and visits Eastern Europe every summer to assist in Christian camps
for children and teens. Rick and his wife Pam have two grown children and three
lively grandsons. They live near Indianapolis.
During World War II, German scientists started many experiments. One
never ended.
Shot down over Nazi Germany in 1943, Roger Greene
becomes both a prisoner and an unwilling guinea pig in a bizarre experiment.
Seventy years later, Roger still appears as youthful as the day he crash-landed—and
he’s still a prisoner. Nearly insane from his long captivity, Roger finds his
only hope in an old Bible.
Not until our present time does Roger finally escape
from the secret society running the Methuselah Project. When he does, the
modern world has become a fast-paced, perplexing place. His only option is to accept the help of Katherine
Mueller—crack shot, go-getter, and attractive to boot. Can he convince her of
the truth of his crazy story? And can he continue to trust her when he finds
out she works for the very organization he’s trying to flee?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Enter the contest to win a copy of
Rick's book:
The Methuselah Project
here is how:
here is how:
leave a comment (and email address)
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if you aren't already
US only
The winner will be announced on my Facebook page
Thank you, Rick, for joining us this weekend!
We enjoy chatting with you and are looking forward to reading your comments and questions. Or at least your hi, hello, or hey.
Thanks for stopping by!
Don't forget to comment!
How has a childhood dream come true for you?
How has a childhood dream come true for you?
Comments
This will be a great read. Definitely one to add to your nightstand. I'm so glad you stopped by to chat today!
Mary, Victory Baptist Academy thanks you for your kindness in coming to our school to give excellent writer's lessons to every grade available. Your lessons were very well received with enticing kit kats to help us remember!!
Mary, Victory Baptist Academy thanks you for your kindness in coming to our school to give excellent writer's lessons to every grade available. Your lessons were very well received with enticing kit kats to help us remember!!