Tour Israel With Two Storytellers

We’re Going Back to Israel!

On February 17 – March 2, 2025, we’ll take as many as fifty excited readers to Israel and offer an optional extension to Petra!

Wait, “WE”?

Yep! My dear friend and fellow biblical fiction author, Connilyn Cossette, and I have teamed up! We’re leading a tour that will focus on our greatest passions:

• God’s Word
• Research
• Our current book projects

About the Tour:

Title: The 3 Kings Tour

Theme: Connilyn’s series, The King’s Men, focuses on (1) King Saul. My new series will focus on the wives of (2) King David. And since many of the important sites we’ll visit focus on Jesus, our (3) King of Kings, we’ll talk about how even the “Old Testament sites” prepared the way for Yeshua’s FIRST coming.

FAQ’s:

#1: Where Do I Sign Up?

Registration for the tour hasn’t officially started, but we already have well over our 50 respondents who are interested. So, we’ve created a newsletter group for those who want to be notified THE MOMENT registration opens. CLICK HERE to complete a very quick form that gives us permission to add your email address to that list.

#2: Why Go to Israel With Someone Who Writes FICTION?

Connilyn and I have both been to Israel and have a deep yearning to return. Each of us had a different experience, had different tour guides, and visited different historical sites. We know how important it is to have a professional guide who knows the LAND, HISTORY, and CULTURE. But we also feel a well-told parable can engage the heart in a way mere facts can’t.

For example, Author Charles Martin has created a series of video teachings that he recorded in Israel just before he released his most recent book, Son of Man. Watch The Story of Jesus’ Last Hours on Vimeo to see what Connilyn and I hope to do during our 3 Kings Tour.

(If you’re interested in hearing more about the Israel 2025 tour, CLICK HERE to complete that quick form mentioned above.)

And, BTW, I highly recommend Son of Man!

Book Description:

Experience the Bible come to life before your eyes as New York Times bestselling author Charles Martin uses his storyteller’s imagination to present the life of Jesus in a way that will engage your faith in new ways. This collection of more than twenty short stories, compiled from Martin’s books What If It’s True? and They Turned the World Upside Down, draws you into a deeper understanding and love for the Savior.

Son of Man presents key moments from the life and ministry of Jesus Christ and explores the lives of His followers in descriptive, novelistic words. This unique collection:

• Fosters a stronger appreciation, love, and respect for Jesus
• Covers themes including rejection, service, unconditional love, and forgiveness
• Uses the lives of the disciples as inspiration to be the light in a dark world
• Shows how the disciples’ same world-changing faith is still around today

Son of Man is perfect for someone who loves Christian fiction. Known for his beloved lyrical style, in this paperback edition Martin illuminates key moments from Scripture with stories such as “Where the Father’s Love Found Him,” “Betrayed,” and “The Borrowed Tomb.” Martin’s writing offers a way to see how Jesus’ life and the lives of His disciples revealed an unwavering confidence in the power and presence of God.

My Review:

 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 5 Smiles

A Genre of Its Own

I’ve read several of Charles Martin’s novels and enjoy his writing style and storytelling immensely. I once heard him speak at a writers’ awards ceremony and found his humility to be both genuine and compelling. So, when I discovered through a YouTube video that he’d written—what I thought to be—a story about Jesus and His last days on this earth, I couldn’t wait to listen. (I “read” this book on Audible.) It was an experience I’ll never forget.

Because I write biblical fiction, I tend to be a tough critic on the genre. Son of Man is NOT biblical fiction, yet it’s not a Bible Study or Christian Living or any other labeled non-fiction in your local bookstore. Son of Man is perhaps best described by the title of Jerry McGuire’s infamous memo-turned-mission-statement that upended his life: “The Things We Think and Do Not Say.”

As with Charles Martin’s novels, I found myself pondering deep-water emotions that I’d never before considered and had most certainly never voiced. But instead of topics like marriage, friendship, and earthly concerns, Martin brought me face-to-face, toe-to-toe, and heart-to-heart with the Jesus of the Gospels. In this relatively short book, he begins and ends at the Cross. Throughout the narrative, we see ourselves as a filthy-but-redeemed child of the Great King whose Son, the Prince, has paid our debts with His own life.

It’s a stunning, gut-check view of the One who saved every soul that accepts His once-and-for-all free gift. Connilyn Cossette and I are considering doing a joint reader tour to Israel in February 2025, and I think this book will be required reading! Recommended reading for everyone who draws breath!

About the Author:

Christy and I married in 1993. If you include dating, I’ve known and loved her for more than half my life. She is and always will be the home for my heart. We have three boys. Charlie, John T. and Rives. Folks often ask me, which of my books do I like the best. You might as well line up my sons and ask me who I love the most.

My hobbies are bow hunting, working out (a blend of old school stuff and martial arts, called Fight Fit) and Tae Kwon Do. In October 2012 I earned my black belt but I’m still the least flexible person you’ve ever met. The guy that trains me, laughs everytime I start warming up. My boys are far better at Tae Kwon Do than I but I doubt they have as much fun – I get to do and watch. They just do.

I also like to write, but that’s another story.

CLICK HERE to read more about Charles Martin.

(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)

Never Miss Another BIG Announcement!

The news about our possible Israel trip went out to both Connilyn’s newsletter subscribers and mine in early August. My “Newsies” get an exclusive monthly devotional, insider info on my writing projects, my personal and professional prayer updates, and “Newsie-only” giveaways. CLICK HERE if you’d like to subscribe to these fun and informative updates!