August 12, 2009, Wednesday night at 5:00 PM (Mountain Standard Time). Go to WWW.ARTISTFIRST.COM.
Join me on 'Aging Outside the Box®' Syndicated Radio Show. Join celebrity radio talk show host Shirley W. Mitchell, on the ArtistFirst World Radio Network, as we discuss 'A Supernatural History In Thought' on the Depression Era, Angels, Prophets, and Gangsters.
http://www.agingoutsidethebox.net/
If you want to ask questions during the show, e-mail Host@agingoutsidethebox.net. I understand that free books will be given to the 3rd, 7th, and 13th people who send questions!
Friday, August 7, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
International Christian Retail Show
Nancy Wentz will be signing copies of Cursebreaker at the ICRS Conference on Wednesday, July 15th, from noon to 1:00 p.m., at the Anchor/Whitaker House booth #1500. The Denver Convention Center is located at 700 14th Street, Denver, Colorado 80202.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
An Interview with Nancy Wentz
Q & A with Nancy Wentz. The award-winning author of Cursebreaker answers questions about this first book in the “Order of the Scrolls” series.
Q: What mainstream authors could you compare yourself to, how, and why?
A: I would say that Cursebreaker is in the same spiritual warfare genre as Frank Peretti, but there are also the aspects of the hard-boiled crime writer Raymond Chandler in my writing, as well as classical yet gothic features from such writers as Bram Stoker.
Q: How did you come up with the plot for Cursebreaker?
A: I felt compelled to write a story about an abused little boy after learning about the troubled life my grandfather experienced at the hands of his own father. I placed it during the 1930s, a time that has always intrigued me. When I shared this idea with my husband, he scratched his head and said, “There should be a demon in it.” I balked at first, but little did I know that God was speaking through both of us.
Q: Cursebreaker is a very different type of fiction with its spiritual theme juxtaposed on a fast-paced, almost Hollywood-type action plot. Why did you structure the story this way?
A: I’ve always been a big movie fan, especially of suspense and film noir. Something I’ve learned by watching these films is the importance of keeping the audience’s attention. I want readers to keep turning those pages! Through the events in the book, especially in the problems the characters face, the message I tried to send is that no matter what the trial or tribulation may be, there is hope, there is love, and there is grace in Christ. In Romans chapter 8, the Apostle Paul said, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” I wanted my characters to face the same problems and difficulties people face and discover that in Christ they can conquer insurmountable odds.
Q: Why did you set the story in the depression era? Do you think contemporary readers today will relate?
A: I am personally captivated with that part of America’s history. The depression was both an intriguing and tumultuous time with prohibition, and gangsters, as people discovered that the things in which they had placed their security simply dissolved in their grasp. Metaphorically, the similarities with our current economic crisis are clear. Just as during the Great Depression, people are looking for hope, for answers, and are finding that the things in which they placed their security have failed them. I try to show that even when the world collapses around us, God is still sovereign and there is always peace and hope in Him.
Q: Why did you choose Denver as the setting?
A: I am a native of Colorado and I chose Denver primarily because I am familiar with it. It has a wonderful and colorful history and I thoroughly enjoyed researching it.
Q: What influenced you to show a darker side of Denver?
A: Except for local historians, few probably know of Denver’s part during prohibition. It was known as “Gin Town” and had its share of speakeasies and corruption. It also has some wonderful old buildings that I loved wandering through in order to set the scene for the story.
Q: Do you feel Cursebreaker serves as a bridge between religious books and the mainstream, and in what way?
A: The real world we live in is often dark and troubling. Cursebreaker offers suspense and supernatural thrills with the stark realism one would expect to see in both the mafia and the supernatural world, topics that are highly popular in the mainstream. However, it also depicts the hope one finds when turning to God, in that He can change the hearts of men and women, and that He also protects His children.
Q: What do you hope readers take away with them after reading Cursebreaker?
A: I want the book to send a message about good and evil. I did not want to emulate the many popular books and movies that glamorize evil - stories that make heroes of dubious characters like vampires, witches, warlocks, and wizards. While Cursebreaker does not flinch from portraying the dark side of the supernatural world, there is a clear defining line between good and evil. One of its central messages is that no matter what the circumstance, God is always in control and evil will not win the day.
Q: What mainstream authors could you compare yourself to, how, and why?
A: I would say that Cursebreaker is in the same spiritual warfare genre as Frank Peretti, but there are also the aspects of the hard-boiled crime writer Raymond Chandler in my writing, as well as classical yet gothic features from such writers as Bram Stoker.
Q: How did you come up with the plot for Cursebreaker?
A: I felt compelled to write a story about an abused little boy after learning about the troubled life my grandfather experienced at the hands of his own father. I placed it during the 1930s, a time that has always intrigued me. When I shared this idea with my husband, he scratched his head and said, “There should be a demon in it.” I balked at first, but little did I know that God was speaking through both of us.
Q: Cursebreaker is a very different type of fiction with its spiritual theme juxtaposed on a fast-paced, almost Hollywood-type action plot. Why did you structure the story this way?
A: I’ve always been a big movie fan, especially of suspense and film noir. Something I’ve learned by watching these films is the importance of keeping the audience’s attention. I want readers to keep turning those pages! Through the events in the book, especially in the problems the characters face, the message I tried to send is that no matter what the trial or tribulation may be, there is hope, there is love, and there is grace in Christ. In Romans chapter 8, the Apostle Paul said, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” I wanted my characters to face the same problems and difficulties people face and discover that in Christ they can conquer insurmountable odds.
Q: Why did you set the story in the depression era? Do you think contemporary readers today will relate?
A: I am personally captivated with that part of America’s history. The depression was both an intriguing and tumultuous time with prohibition, and gangsters, as people discovered that the things in which they had placed their security simply dissolved in their grasp. Metaphorically, the similarities with our current economic crisis are clear. Just as during the Great Depression, people are looking for hope, for answers, and are finding that the things in which they placed their security have failed them. I try to show that even when the world collapses around us, God is still sovereign and there is always peace and hope in Him.
Q: Why did you choose Denver as the setting?
A: I am a native of Colorado and I chose Denver primarily because I am familiar with it. It has a wonderful and colorful history and I thoroughly enjoyed researching it.
Q: What influenced you to show a darker side of Denver?
A: Except for local historians, few probably know of Denver’s part during prohibition. It was known as “Gin Town” and had its share of speakeasies and corruption. It also has some wonderful old buildings that I loved wandering through in order to set the scene for the story.
Q: Do you feel Cursebreaker serves as a bridge between religious books and the mainstream, and in what way?
A: The real world we live in is often dark and troubling. Cursebreaker offers suspense and supernatural thrills with the stark realism one would expect to see in both the mafia and the supernatural world, topics that are highly popular in the mainstream. However, it also depicts the hope one finds when turning to God, in that He can change the hearts of men and women, and that He also protects His children.
Q: What do you hope readers take away with them after reading Cursebreaker?
A: I want the book to send a message about good and evil. I did not want to emulate the many popular books and movies that glamorize evil - stories that make heroes of dubious characters like vampires, witches, warlocks, and wizards. While Cursebreaker does not flinch from portraying the dark side of the supernatural world, there is a clear defining line between good and evil. One of its central messages is that no matter what the circumstance, God is always in control and evil will not win the day.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
What people are saying about Cursebreaker...
By Kimfurd:
Demon possession is a topic that appears once in a while in fiction. It is a topic that many find uncomfortable and unbelievable. Nancy Wentz has written a story that makes this topic very believable, but still quite uncomfortable! Cursebreaker tells the story of the Fratellia family and the generations - the centuries - of demon possession that has cursed their bloodline. God has sent a prophet to break that curse, and the battle that ensues is nothing short of horrific.
Cursebreaker is a story that requires some degree of suspended disbelief. Although spiritual warfare is not fictional, the concept provides a great launching pad of ideas from which unsettling fictional stories begin. Nancy's story is set in the 1930's where prohibition, g-men and mafia wars were realistic forces in society. She layers this reality with a supernatural curse, and in so doing creates a suspenseful, nerve-wracking story that the reader cannot put down!
The mafia wars and intricate inner workings of the mafia family are portrayed in all of their violent, gory details. The Fratellia family represents the ultimate depravity on every level of human existence. The only viable spiritual force that stands against their demonic power is a young man ripped from the grip of a poverty-stricken, abusive father and given the supernatural gift of prophecy. This young man suffers unbelievable physical challenges throughout the course of the story, and often times your heart just aches with a desire to comfort and protect the child.
I'd like to tell you that the ending of this story wraps things up for both the child in the story and the reader's emotions, but it just isn't possible. Your heart and mind are left raw - knowing that the battle still rages. And even though you know that God has already won the war, the battles that must be fought along the way will not be pretty.
I'm a huge fan of suspense fiction. I've read some really good stories that deal with spiritual warfare. Cursebreaker is really good. It was like a very high-powered, action-packed movie playing out in your mind. It left me unsettled. I was reminded that as Christians, the warfare is real and we need to keep our focus on Christ and Christ alone. Without Him, we are utterly lost. This is strong reading folks! It stays with you. I look forward to the next book. No doubt Nancy Wentz has more to say about this cast of characters!
By Annette M. Irby:
As a reader of Christian suspense I enjoyed reading Cursebreaker by Nancy Wentz. This book offers a unique mix of authentic historical settings, suspense and supernatural thrills. The story centers around a 10-year-old boy with the gift of prophesy, and a mafia family during the prohibition era of the 1930's, which has a generational curse of demon possession. The action is realistic and the pacing strong. Characters are well developed and the dialogue is believable. The Christian evangelical angle is well done and not preachy or overly sentimental. The book is not for those who desire lighter reading; it has all the corruption, violence and bloodshed you might expect from a leading gangster family and their activities controlling a major city. But it also shows that ultimately God is in control; He leads men to change their hearts, and He provides protection for His children. Those who love the style of Frank Peretti should enjoy this work because the elements of grand conspiracies and intrigue, demon possession and spiritual warfare are strong and contribute substantially to the overall appeal and readability of the novel. I look forward to reading upcoming books in this series.
Demon possession is a topic that appears once in a while in fiction. It is a topic that many find uncomfortable and unbelievable. Nancy Wentz has written a story that makes this topic very believable, but still quite uncomfortable! Cursebreaker tells the story of the Fratellia family and the generations - the centuries - of demon possession that has cursed their bloodline. God has sent a prophet to break that curse, and the battle that ensues is nothing short of horrific.
Cursebreaker is a story that requires some degree of suspended disbelief. Although spiritual warfare is not fictional, the concept provides a great launching pad of ideas from which unsettling fictional stories begin. Nancy's story is set in the 1930's where prohibition, g-men and mafia wars were realistic forces in society. She layers this reality with a supernatural curse, and in so doing creates a suspenseful, nerve-wracking story that the reader cannot put down!
The mafia wars and intricate inner workings of the mafia family are portrayed in all of their violent, gory details. The Fratellia family represents the ultimate depravity on every level of human existence. The only viable spiritual force that stands against their demonic power is a young man ripped from the grip of a poverty-stricken, abusive father and given the supernatural gift of prophecy. This young man suffers unbelievable physical challenges throughout the course of the story, and often times your heart just aches with a desire to comfort and protect the child.
I'd like to tell you that the ending of this story wraps things up for both the child in the story and the reader's emotions, but it just isn't possible. Your heart and mind are left raw - knowing that the battle still rages. And even though you know that God has already won the war, the battles that must be fought along the way will not be pretty.
I'm a huge fan of suspense fiction. I've read some really good stories that deal with spiritual warfare. Cursebreaker is really good. It was like a very high-powered, action-packed movie playing out in your mind. It left me unsettled. I was reminded that as Christians, the warfare is real and we need to keep our focus on Christ and Christ alone. Without Him, we are utterly lost. This is strong reading folks! It stays with you. I look forward to the next book. No doubt Nancy Wentz has more to say about this cast of characters!
By Annette M. Irby:
As a reader of Christian suspense I enjoyed reading Cursebreaker by Nancy Wentz. This book offers a unique mix of authentic historical settings, suspense and supernatural thrills. The story centers around a 10-year-old boy with the gift of prophesy, and a mafia family during the prohibition era of the 1930's, which has a generational curse of demon possession. The action is realistic and the pacing strong. Characters are well developed and the dialogue is believable. The Christian evangelical angle is well done and not preachy or overly sentimental. The book is not for those who desire lighter reading; it has all the corruption, violence and bloodshed you might expect from a leading gangster family and their activities controlling a major city. But it also shows that ultimately God is in control; He leads men to change their hearts, and He provides protection for His children. Those who love the style of Frank Peretti should enjoy this work because the elements of grand conspiracies and intrigue, demon possession and spiritual warfare are strong and contribute substantially to the overall appeal and readability of the novel. I look forward to reading upcoming books in this series.
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