In this episode author Jack Cavanaugh talks about some of the dramatic events of World War I and the making of his novel, The Allies, Book 6 in the American Family Portrait series. 

Jack Cavanaugh's The Making of Christian Historical Fiction

015 The Making of The Allies

In this episode, author Jack Cavanaugh narrates the making of his historical fiction novel, The Pioneers, Book 5 in the American Family Portrait series. 

014 The Making of The Pioneers

In this episode, Jack talks about the making of his supernatural suspense novel, Behold. While this is a departure from his usual historical fiction, this end times story allows him to flex his contemporary suspense skill while also relying on his historical fiction skills as his protagonist travels back in time. 

013 The Making of BEHOLD

This episode is set during one of the most popular periods for historical fiction, the Civil War. As strange as it sounds, Chapter 15 is special to me because even though it is in Book 4 in the series, it contains the first chapter I wrote as a professional novelist. 

012 The Making of The Adversaries

In this episode, I describe how, while mining historical research about the Revolutionary War, I struck character gold. I discovered Patience Wright, America’s first sculptress of notoriety.

011 The Patriots - Patience Wright

The Revolutionary War. While we are proud as Christians of the role our faith played in the founding of our country, the decision to take up arms was not an easy one for Christians in 1776. A key question had to be addressed: At what point does a Christian take up arms against his own government?

010 The Making of the Patriots

A newspaper story of a stolen 300-year-old Bible brings to mind similar events in Book 2, The Colonists, and Book 9, The Guardians of Jack's American Family Portrait series. 

009 A 300-year-old Bible is Stolen

What does a forty-some male author do when called upon to write poetry for his 15-year-old female character? Jack takes a humorous look back at his dilemma. 

008 A 40-yr-old Male Author Attempts to Write Poetry From a Teenage Character

Jack takes a look at The Colonists, Book 2 in the American family portrait series. The colonies have prospered, but the dream of a city upon a hill has been replaced by dreams of personal wealth and power. 

007 The Making of The Colonists

In this episode, I take a look at one of America's forgotten founding fathers, John Winthrop, who sacrificed personally and financially helping persecuted Puritans escape England and "fly to the wilderness."

006 John Winthrop – The Forgotten Founding Father

In this episode, I narrate why it took me 13 looooonnnnnnggggggg years to get my first book contract.

005 My 13-year Odyssey To Getting Published

With all the Sunday distractions today, you’d think the problem of keeping the Sabbath was a modern struggle. Not so. In the days of the Puritans, King James’s Book of Sports required all Englishmen to play sports on Sundays.

004 The Puritans: Sports on Sundays

In this episode I take a look back at the making of The Puritans, Book 1 in the American Family Portrait series. The legacy of these early founding fathers of America is one of faith and courage. 

003 The Making of The Puritans

In this episode I talk about a narrative technique that is so powerful, it changed my life. I no longer teach history, I tell hero stories. Good historical fiction transports readers back in time allowing them to experience the past for themselves.

002 The Incredible Power of Historical Fiction

In this first episode, Jack tells why he writes Christian historical fiction, and how the realization that history was a collection of epic stories well-told changed his life. 

001 Why I Write Christian Historical Fiction

Author Jack Cavanaugh on the making of Christian historical fiction. Author of 26 published novels. Two-time Christy award-winner for excellence in Christian fiction. Informative for those who love reading history and historical fiction, and those who write novels.