Mom’s Choice Awards is excited to announce another post in our interview series where we chat with the inventors, designers, publishers, and others behind some of our favorite family-friendly products.
Hello, Mom’s Choice readers! Thank you so much for joining us today for another interview in our ongoing series. For this interview, we sat down with multi-award-winning author Allen Brokken to talk about his book, Fear No Evil, book 3 in the Towers of Light Series! Allen Brokken is a Christian, husband, father, storyteller, and leader. He spent much of the last decade running youth programs that his children participated in as a volunteer while he was working full-time in technology leadership. He has since branched out into a number of different things, with writing being the main thing, but he also developing resources for homeschooling families. He also has a heart for encouraging fathers to connect with their families & puts out the dad joke of the day on his Twitter! Keep reading to find out more about Allen and his award-winning book, Fear No Evil!
MCA: Hi Allen, we’re so excited to speak with you about another one of your award-winning books! The third book in your Tower of Light Series starts where the previous book, Still Small Voice, leaves off. Can you tell us the inspiration behind Fear No Evil?
“Fear No Evil” is the third title in the award-winning “Towers of Light” series!
Allen: This is a continuation of the adventure Lauren, Aiden and Ethan started in Light of Mine. This one, in particular, had some deep meaning for me as I was hooked by the 23rdPsalm, “Though I walk through the valley of death, I shall fear no evil.” I wanted to write something that helped families look to their faith to find courage in dark times.
MCA: I think it’s safe to say you definitley accomplished that goal with this book! What are some of the key lessons found in Fear No Evil?
Allen: Fear No Evil is an allegory set in a wilderness frontier like the American west of the 1800s. The underlying message is that when you feel isolated through challenging circumstances and fearful about the future, you can reach out to God for comfort and courage to win the day.
MCA: Why is the theme of this book relevant to children, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Allen: Fear No Evil came out at the end of 2020. I think we can all remember the challenges of the time. It was a horrible time to try to do a book launch as I ended up trying to do a curbside book signing in the middle of November to launch it.
As hard as that was for me, COVID-19 put kids in an even more challenging situation. They quickly became isolated with no idea when it would end or what would happen next. Kids were hit hard by the separation from their friends, classmates, and activities. Even today, two years later, many kids are highly isolated from others for various reasons trying to find hope and courage in these challenging times.
MCA: Tell us about some of the characters readers can expect to see in Fear No Evil!
The MCA award-winning book, “Fear No Evil!”
Allen: Fear No Evil is a departure from the previous books because the three siblings become separated. While trying to find their way back to each other, they each make friends. Lauren befriends Tye, a giantess of the Heath Wardens. Aiden becomes a prisoner of the Iron Priestesses, women made entirely of metal, and Ethan makes friends with a baby bear. With these new interactions, I wanted the children to “shine their light” in new and exciting ways and provide the readers with a deeper look into each child’s point of view.
MCA: What kind of response from readers have you received?
Allen: Multiple readers commented on how appropriate Fear No Evil is for the time. They appreciate the lessons it shares with children about leaning on their faith to find their way through isolation and dealing with new challenges.
MCA: This book is the third in a series. What can readers expect to see in the next book, Armor of God?
Allen: This is a bit of a spoiler for Fear No Evil, so don’t read on if you want to stay surprised. In Fear No Evil, the children save their Mother but not their Father. Instead, their Father becomes the Dark One’s champion in Armor of God, and the rest of the family has to find the lost Armor of God to bring him back to the light.
MCA: Sounds like it will have us on the edges of our seats, thank you for sharing!
You can learn more about Allen Brokken and his award-winning book, Fear No Evil, by visiting his MCA Shop pages.
