Valerie- Welcome to Bookworthy. Today we're talking with a lovely Crystal Bowman. She is returning to Bookworthy once again to talk about her rhyming ABC Easter book, R is for Risen. This book takes kids on a journey from Palm Sunday to the Resurrection to the Great
Commission while helping young children with their ABCs. Welcome back to Bookworthy Crystal.
Crystal - Well, thank you. It's exciting to be here. I'm honored and it's always a joy to just have a conversation with you. So I'm looking forward to it.
Valerie - It is always fun to see what you're up to. You always have some sweet books coming out and an Easter book at that. But before we get to talking about your book, let's do our question of the week, which might be a little tricky. What is your go-to movie treat?
Crystal - Well, my go-to movie treat is my go-to treat no matter where I am and no matter what I'm doing. And that would be ice cream or frozen yogurt. I opt for whatever's available. That's my weakness. That's my go-to. It's just so satisfying. I'm not a popcorn person. I'm not a candy bar person, but boy, me a good scoop of ice cream and I'm good to go.
Valerie - I love that we call them ice cream medicine at our house because there's just sometimes you just need a good bowl of ice cream for sure. Okay, a question associated with that. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Crystal - Well, I like vanilla with stuff in it, you know, like a praline pecan or a moose track, or I like chunky stuff in it. Even a butter pecan kind of, you know, something I like. I'm not a big chocolate person, so I like the caramel and what's more, those are more the flavors I lean toward. If the only option is chocolate or vanilla, I will take vanilla, but I like vanilla with a little more excitement to it.
Valerie - What is it? Those moose tracks, and was it? Cookie dough and yes, it makes every bite an adventure, right? You never know what's going to be on the spoon. Well, Crystal, tell us a little bit about R Is For Risen.
Crystal -R is for Risen is an Easter book that will be coming out next spring. And it's very, I guess I want to call it a sequel or maybe book two in a series. Haven't really, excuse me, we haven't identified what we're going to call this yet, but is for Manger, which was published, I should have looked, I think almost 10 years ago the Christmas book that tells the Christmas story in chronological order. It's in rhythm and rhyme. It includes Bible stories or Bible verses. And so my daughter, who I co-authored it with, McKinley, always said, why don't we, why don't we propose an Easter book? Why don't we propose an Easter book like M is for Manger?
It'll be, you know, an Easter book and it'll tell we'll use the alphabet and tell the Easter story in chronological order. I just, don't know. It's not that I wasn't excited about it. To be honest, it seemed a bit overwhelming. And because, you know, the Christmas story is so sweet and comforting and baby Jesus, you know, and the angels, whereas the Easter story, you know, has some hard parts to the story. And I just, told her, said, I don't know. I, you know, I need to think about this some more. And I do, I do think an Easter book would be great, an alphabet Easter book, but whether or not we can actually tell that story in chronological order, I'm not sure. Well, for some reason it kind of got put on hold. And then a while back, Tyndale, someone at, one of the editors at Tyndale came to us and said, hey, Have you ever thought of doing an Easter book like Emma's for major? And I said, well, actually my daughter has, and I've been kind of dragging my feet. And they said, please try it and see what you can come up with. So we did. And trust me, it was very challenging, but we started, the first one is A is for arrived. You know, Jesus came to Jerusalem. He arrived with his disciples. And so that's where it starts. It starts with a triumphal entry and then it goes through the Lord's Supper and it goes through the Garden of Gethsemane and his arrest and his crucifixion and the resurrection. And like M is for Manger, there are a few pages or letters where we present prophecy. And so that's woven into it as well. I struggled with a title and the editors were tossing some out and they said, what about S is for Savior? And I said, well, I liked that, but it doesn't define it as an Easter book because S is for Savior could be Christmas as well. And I said, it doesn't when you see that title, you're not sure it's an Easter book. Well, then my brilliant creative co-author daughter, Terry McKinley, nailed it. And
she said R is for risen. And so, and that was actually the word, you know, that we use then for the letter R. And Tyndale loved it. I loved it. I said this is why I co-author with my daughter because she just has that extra something. I always say I'm the cake and she's the frosting. Know, so the cake is good, but cake with frosting is a whole lot better. So anyway, will be, you know, it will be the second book in this alphabet Bible story. So we have M Is For Manger and R is for risen. And then we also are working on another one. So there will be three in the series. So we're excited about it. The illustrations are going to be very similar to M is for Major because we loved them. So we're excited. It's finally coming out. It'll be out, like I say, February 2025, which seems far away, but it's not. It's right around the corner.
Valerie - I know 2024 is almost done. So it's one of those like, yeah, I guess we're coming up on a new year. I love what you guys have done with M is For Manger and with R is for Risen also just allowing kids to hear the Bible stories in new ways while also just kind of engaging their brains differently. Cause we could sit there and read, you know, the beginner Bible or any
type of like kids, you know, storybook Bible, but to kind of like walk through it very methodically and very carefully like, okay, what, even before you turn the next page, what do you think, what's the next letter? And to be like, what do you think that has to do with Jesus and Easter? You know, it's just, that it's neat to explore the Bible in new ways. And I love that you're doing that for kids that are such a young age as well. What do you hope kids kind of walk away from with this book?
Crystal - Well, mainly we want children to learn the Easter story. And like you say, we're hoping that with the alphabet and with the interesting words, it will keep them engaged. It will keep them wanting to turn the page. Don't, you know, most alphabet books, the word for that letter is a noun. And because we're telling the story in chronological order, We couldn't limit it to nouns. And so, like I said, the very first word is arrived. A is for arrived. You know, Jesus came to Jerusalem. So many people were there. He arrived with his disciples. Excitement filled the air. So that's A. And then B is for branches, you know, the palm branches and the triumphal entry. And so, Anyway, it's unique. It's very unique. And going back to Emma's for
manger, even though it's been out, I think, I think it's been out almost 10 years, it is still the only Christmas alphabet book that tells the story in chronological order. And so as far as we know, there is no other Easter alphabet in let me clarify no other alphabet Easter book that tells the story in chronological order. So that's what sets these books apart. So we're excited about it. It was very challenging. Very challenging, but just so exciting. And it's just so cool too when we're in the writing process, how God just you know, the more we dig and the more we look at these stories, we look at them in two or three different translations, you know, to find that special word and just how the Holy Spirit just brings it to our mind and just shows us. And then, of course, at Tyndale, we have some of the best editors in the business. And so we hand them, you know, what we do our best and then they give it back to us and make it better. So.
Valerie - I know you have a very large talent for writing children's books, so I'm I know that what you hand Tyndale is always good from the start, but I know that they have a great team there that can help refine all of our ideas.
Crystal -I think too, like when I'm writing, I see it, you I put into words the way I see it. And, you know, your editors are your first beta readers, you know, they're the ones who are going to be the first to see it. And if the way I've worded something is confusing to them or doesn't quite make sense to them, the readers are going to have that same response. And so You know, they're outside of my head. I'm in my head, you know, and they're outside of my head. So, when they read it, you know, something might pop up and they might say, well, you know,
maybe this could be clarified. Another thing we did, was my daughter and I, just laughed so hard. We didn't even realize it, but I think we used the word soldier, like 15 times, you know? And you can't use the same word over and over again. And so that was one of the things that jumped out at the editor. She said I'm going to circle every time you use the word soldier. And we looked at them and go, you know, and it's like, how did we miss that? You know, how did we miss that? So that's why, you know, you have to have these experts that are going to pick up on the things that you missed. And so It didn't take a lot of, we didn't have to do a lot of revising, but they just picked up on some things that we would have missed. So very thankful for the team.
Valerie - Yeah, editors are necessary. You think you could do it all yourself, but yeah, when you write something, it's all in your head. You see it the way that you see it and someone else is going to read it is going to see it differently. And it's hard to make sure that what's on the page is what you want to communicate, not what's all in your head. Well, Crystal, tell us a little bit about your writing journey. When did you start writing?
Crystal - Well, if you want to go way back, I don't think we have enough time for that, but I actually wrote, I do a lot of rhythm and rhyme. A lot of my children, not all of them, but a lot of my children's books are rhythm and rhyme. And I wrote my very first rhythm and rhyme poem when I was 10 years old. I was in the fourth grade and I was an average student. I was strong in some subjects and not so strong in a few other subjects. And I wrote this poem, thought, yeah, just so we wrote, I wrote this poem because it was an assignment. And when the teacher handed it back, I got an A and I'm like, well, that's nice. I checked to make sure it was mine and not somebody else's. And my teacher said, Crystal, someday you're gonna be a poet. And 10 years old, you know, that planted a seed and Of course, I didn't become an author then and I didn't even think about being an author. Just, she planted a seed and there was a spark there. And so writing for me became a hobby and I loved writing poetry, a lot of humorous poetry. And then when I became an adult, I had people ask me to write songs for their
wedding receptions, like humor, just lyrics. I don't write the music, but it was just always there. It was always there as a hobby, as something fun, something I shared with friends and family. And then I think it was about 1990, I got an offer to write lyrics for children's piano music. And then it's like, you know, with my first $40 check, I became a professional writer. And so I really enjoyed that. In fact, to this day, I don't do so much anymore, but my lyrics are still out there. I still when I do school programs, more children know my name because of their piano books than than my actual books. And it was enough to just whet my appetite. And I loved writing the lyrics but I just felt like there was more, that there was more to do, that God had equipped me for that, and that's fine, but what else out there did he want me to do? And so in 1995, I got an offer from Zondervan to write some beginning reader books in a series. My background is in early childhood education so that all fit in together. I did self-publish a book of humorous poems for children just so that I had something to go with me when I went to school. And I sold a lot. I'd send order forms home with the kids and then they'd order it. Eventually, a publisher did pick it up for a while. And I still use that book when I do school programs because they're just funny and silly and the kids laugh. But Zondervan was a huge open door for me, a door that got opened and I started writing books for beginning readers for them.
Then I got into other publishers. I've done a lot of devotions, devotions for beginning readers. My daughter and I got into Our Daily Bread for Kids. We've written, man, close to a dozen books for them. We have board books and we have books, devotions for beginning readers, and no, devotions for preschoolers. And then our Daily Bread for Kids, about a year ago, we came out with the second book in the, I guess it would be called Volume Two, Our Daily Bread for Kids. It's 365 devotions. This is more for, it says, what does it say, six to 10, but I feel like it's more of an eight to 12 because it's bringing kids to the Bible. Most of the devotions are based on Bible stories and then with practical application. So, you know, today a lot of kids don't know their Bibles. And so these devotions bring them to the Bible. They have them look up Bible verses and explain, you know, these Bible stories. And so a lot of Bible story books, a lot of devotional books, and then holiday books. I've written tons of holiday books. I love writing holiday books and board books. The rhythm and rhyme fit so well, you know, in the board books. So I've been very, very blessed. I've worked for more than a dozen different publishers and I love it. And now what I'm doing, which is I've been doing it on and off for a while, but now it's almost more of a full-time. I'm editing. I'm working with other
children's writers and children's authors to help do what editors did for me and to share my experience. And I love it. I love working with other people's stories, and other people's ideas. And I just, so many of the writers I work with, they come to me with a great idea. It's a great idea, but it's just not there yet. You see what you know. And the minute I point something out, they go, I get it, you know. So I'm enjoying this season of my life. I'm still writing my books,
but I really enjoy mentoring other writers, coaching other writers, and helping them reach their publishing dreams and their publishing goals.
Valerie -I love that God has brought you to a place to take the skills and talents that he's given you, for you to help others as well, and to encourage this next round of authors just to continue, you know, speaking God's word to children and rhythm and rhyme and just fun ways to make. You know, a relationship with God, is just fun and engaging, which sometimes can seem a little daunting and overwhelming for little ears and minds for sure. Now, Crystal, what is one of your, I guess, what's been one of the most impactful books in your life other than the Bible?
Crystal -that I've read or written? That I've read, you're probably thinking. It's hard to choose
one. I think the most impactful Bible study I've done is Experiencing God with Henry Blackby. We did that one summer with some mothers of preschoolers and I mean, we just saw God moving in everybody's life. We met once a week and every week before we discussed our lesson, we had what we called God's story of the week. And we would have people come up and tell, you know, what God did in there, clearly did in their lives that week. And so that was very, very impactful. And then if I want to take you way back to before you were even born, This book, I believe with all my heart that God used it to direct my paths. And that's why Proverbs 3, 5, and 6 at that time became my life verse. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not lean on your understanding in all your ways. Acknowledge him and he will direct your paths. This book was called Disciplines of the Beautiful Woman by Anne Ortland. And it was about being organized, it was about having goals. I'm a natural organizer anyway, so the book spoke to my love language. My love language is organizing the pantry. But what it really did was help me see God in every area of my life and to be more intentional. To be more, had just started my years as a stay-at-home mom. I was used to teaching school and being on a schedule and you know, Monday was this, Tuesday was that. And then all of a sudden you're this stay-at-home mom with a baby who dictates your schedule, you know?
And I just, it was very overwhelming for me. And my husband actually bought this book. I have no idea how he even found it or where it came from. But he gave me the book and I read it and I know this sounds dramatic, but it changed my life. Mean, God used it to change my life. It put order in my life and it helped me make God a greater priority in my life. And you know, a lot of people, they see their life as a pie and they have, you know, the slices in the pie and you know, exercise, health, social, work, rest. You know, and then religion or God, you know, is one of the slices of the pie. Well, God's not a slice of the pie. He's over everything. All right. So, have those slices and have those areas of your life, even though there is some overlap, you know, family, friends, but God's over all of it. God is over all of it. And just having that visual, that, that, that example didn't come from the book, but it's one that, that came later, but just having that God focus in all the God's not compartmentalized over everything. And so having that God focus in every area of my life and then being organized and disciplined, and it just, changed my life. God used it to change my life. And I actually had a chance to meet her. I think she was from California. She came to Michigan for a women's conference one year. I think by then I had two kids and I met her and I told her how much that book changed my life. So, I actually bought a whole bunch of them. I gave them to my mother my sisters and a couple of my friends. I don't know if it had the same impact on them that it did on me. One of my friends did, I just was with her recently. And she says, do you remember that book you gave me like 35 years ago? And I said, yeah. And she said, you know, that changed my life. I said, well, good because it changed mine too.
Valerie -Too fun. I love how books can do that. Will kind of meet you where you are in the season that you're in and help you see things better. Because I think that as you were talking about the pieces of the pie and God being a part of everything, I thought back to what you said about your daughter being the icing. It's like, you're the cake. Well, there are the pieces of our pie, but God is the icing over all of it. And just he's the best part of all of the pie that we have.
Crystal -That's a long answer, but if I had to choose one book, that was the book that just set me on a healthy path, I guess that would be the best way to say it.
Valerie - most likely be very impactful for sure. And always need books like that, especially when you're moving from the working world to being at stay-at-home mom. That is such a huge transition. And we just don't completely understand what we're doing a lot of the time. Orca, so what can we expect next from you?
Crystal -Well, let me think. I just had a new book. It's an updated edition, the one-year devotions for beginning readers, that is with Tyndale. The 24th anniversary just came out last month and it's an updated edition. So I wrote it 20 years ago and God's word does not change. But our culture changes and what parents want to teach their children changes or how they want to teach it. And I probably revised maybe not half, but at least a third. I updated some of them. Now, after, you know, it was, no, it's the 20th. I said 24 because it's 2024. D It's the 20th anniversary. Sorry. The 20th-anniversary edition. You know, after 20 years of writing, my writing has grown and I could see areas where I could have worded something better, but then also words that we used 20 years ago that we don't use anymore. I had to change some of those. And so I'm so excited about it. It's always been one of their best sellers. And I actually begged them to let me update. I said, please let me update it. Because my name's on the cover and I want to change some of the things I said. So that came out recently, just this month, I think. I said last month, but we're almost to the end of October. And then November 5, I know it's election day, but it's also a very important day for me because I have a Bible storybook coming out that I co-authored with Sue Schlesman. Her name is hard to pronounce and spell,
but it's called the Compassion Storybook Bible. 52 stories from scripture, retold, paraphrased for children, but I'm a real stickler about staying true to scripture. 52 stories that show compassion, either God's compassion for his people or Jesus' compassion that he had on people. Of course, we have the story of the Good Samaritan to show how people have compassion for each other. At first, it was supposed to come out at the end of October, but because of shipping delays and everything, it's not going to be out on November 5. And the publisher said, I know it's election day. And I said, well if there's ever a time where we need compassion, it's election day. So we're really and we're hoping that you know, not only will schools and libraries and parents pick it up, but, you know, I have a friend who said she's going to buy it for her grandkids because her parent because her daughter's not taking her children to church. And she said, if I give it as a gift, you know, it's a way to get God's word into their home. Without being pushy or preachy. And if I give it as a Christmas gift they can choose to read it or not read it. But she says, I think they will read it because they're not, you know, they believe in God. They're just not, you know, following as closely as she would love to see them follow. And so she said, so I think a lot of grandparents will be buying the book as well. Who can say anything negative about compassion?
Valerie - Exactly, which parent would say no to compassion because we know we need it just as much as we need to give it for sure?
Crystal -No, that is with Endgame Press, Endgame, and that will be out November 5. so that's my next baby. And then ours for Risen will be in February.
Valerie - Very exciting. Now where can people find out more about you and your books,
Crystal - Well, my website, which needs to be updated is just my name, crystal, crystalboman.com. Amazon, you know, has a pretty good list of my books. Christianbook.com is also a good place to find my books. My books are available on my website, but I think, yeah, but they take you to, I don't manage, selling my books, buying and selling my books. So if you go to my website, it will give you options. You can go to Amazon, cbd.com, Barnes and Noble. It will give you options or you can go directly to Amazon or christianbook.com. But they're there, that's where my books are. And if you have a Christian, a local Christian bookstore, please support them. We have a beautiful Baker Book Houses in Grand Rapids. And so when I'm in Michigan, I spend a lot of time over there. Some of the people think I work there because
I'm there so much. But where we are here in Florida, I don't have anything like that here. If you do have a local Christian bookstore, you know, support them. But then also what a lot of people don't know is any bookstore will order any book for you. So if you go into a Barnes and Noble or any other kind of bookstore and ask for the book, they will order it for you. They will order it for you. So the books are out there and also I love people contacting me. So I'm comfortable giving out my email address and there's also a contact form on their website.
Valerie - We'll make sure to have those links in the description so people can find you easily for sure. Well, thank you so much for being with us today, Crystal.
Crystal -Well, you're welcome. I know I do the majority of the talking. So, feel free to cut whatever you have to cut out. But I love talking to you. You make it so easy. And this is such a great podcast. I know I have a lot of friends who have been interviewed with you and everybody just speaks so highly of this podcast and the way you make it so easy for us. And you're always so encouraging. And we appreciate what you do because we can't get the word out on our own. So, thank you for what you do to help authors get the word out and also get the word out, you know, not only the word about our books, but the word of God, which is the whole reason why I do what I do.
Valerie -It's my pleasure to have you here. I could talk about books all day and I love that, you know, just helping people find books that their kids are going to enjoy, not just from a fun book, but a book that's gonna impact their hearts too is important to me as a parent and an author too. I love it. Well, thank you so much for joining me today.
Crystal -You're so welcome. Thank you for having me.
Valerie - My pleasure and thank you for joining Crystal and me on this episode of the Bookworthy Podcast. Check the show notes for any books or links that we discussed and let us know in the comments what is your go-to movie treat. Be sure to like and subscribe so we can discover more great books together.
Happy reading!
Kommentare