Chuck Black first wrote Kingdom’s Edge to inspire his children to read the Bible with renewed zeal. This captivating expanded parable led him to write the Old Testament allegories, Kingdom’s Dawn and Kingdom’s Hope. Chuck added three more titles to the series, Kingdom’s Call, Kingdom’s Quest, and Kingdom’s Reign which were released in May of 2007.
Chuck’s current works include The Knights of Arrethtrae series, Call to Arms, and Wars of the Realm. Chuck is a former F-16 fighter pilot and currently works as an engineer for a firm designing plastic consumer products. He has a degree in electrical and electronic engineering and served eight years in the United States Air Force. Chuck and his wife have six children.
It is Chuck’s desire to serve the Lord through his work and to inspire people of all ages to study the scriptures in order to discover the hope and love of a truly majestic King and His Son.
The following is an interview with author Chuck Black by Shelley Noonan of Second Harvest.
Tell me about yourself.
I am a product design engineer with a degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. I spent eight years in the United States Air Force and flew as an F-16 fighter pilot.
Tell me about your book. How did you come up with the idea?
Through our family devotions, I noticed that our children paid much closer attention when a story was told, such as a parable by Jesus. I began to write a parable of the life of Christ set in a medieval time period where swords, castles, and battles were all Biblically symbolic without the use of magic or wizardry. The response from my children was astounding. All of the sword fights and battle scenes are tastefully written so that parents do not have to be concerned. The central characters in the first two books are Leinad and Tess. Leinad represents all of the Old Testament prophets and discovers that he is chosen by the King for a mission of utmost importance…free the people in bondage under a fierce castle lord and deliver a message of promise of the coming Prince to the people. The central character in the last two books is Cedric of Chessington, a peasant who becomes a master swordsman under the tutelage of a stranger from a distant land (the Prince). Cedric represents every person from Peter until now that has trusted in Jesus Christ as lord and savior.
Why did you write this book?
I wrote Kingdom’s Edge, the third book in the series but the first book written, for one reason only…to inspire my children to study the Scriptures and to create a zeal for God’s Word.
What need does it meet?
The Kingdom Series provides an action/adventure story for our youth that teaches Biblical character without the use of magic, witchcraft, or wizardry. The romantic medieval time period provided an excellent setting to write an allegory that children from ages eight to adult simply love. Each scene and character are directly symbolic to Bible stories. The reader is treated to an action story that chronologically follows the history of God’s people from creation to the end of time.
How long did it take to write?
All four books took a little over five years to write.
How are the books arranged?
Kingdom’s Dawn is book one and spans the time from Adam to Moses. Kingdom’s Hope is book two and spans the time from Moses to Malachi. Kingdom’s Edge is book three and spans the time from Jesus to the rapture. Kingdom’s Reign is book four and spans the time from the second coming of Christ through the end of the millennium.
What kind of feedback have you received from homeschoolers?
The response from families throughout the country has truly been both amazing and humbling at the same time, for I know that it can only be the Lord that could take the pen of an engineer and make something worthy of it.
Has the book been a success in your opinion and why?
I measure success by what it is doing for God’s kingdom. Let’s just say that I never dreamed or intended to write a book about Jesus and his incredible mission to save mankind. The Lord has led my family and me here, someplace I never intended to go, and boys and girls are begging to hear a story about a Prince that came to save His people. If our youth turn to the Scriptures to read the true story of the Son of a King, then I consider it a success.
Tell me anything else you think is important or interesting.
I would like thank the Lord for His amazing love and say thank you to all of the gracious people who have provided so much encouragement to see this project through.
