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148. Why Do Some Christians Revile ‘The Chosen’? | with Josiah DeGraaf and Jenneth Dyck
Fantastical Truth Podcast, Feb 7, 2023

Into the Darkness
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The Chosen Succeeds Where ‘Woke’ Stories Fail
Jenneth Dyck in Articles, Feb 2, 2023

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The Wayward, Tabitha Caplinger
Fortified, V. Romas Burton
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Silver Bounty, Victoria McCombs
A Sword for the Immerland King, F. W. Faller
Calor, J. J. Fisher
Once Upon A Ren Faire, A. C. Castillo
The Genesis 6 Project, Michael Ferguson
Exile, Loren G. Warnemuende
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Frost, Winter's Lonely Guardian, E. E. Rawls
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148. Why Do Some Christians Revile ‘The Chosen’? | with Josiah DeGraaf and Jenneth Dyck
Fantastical Truth, Feb 7, 2023

147. Why Can Christians Celebrate Stories about Merlin and King Arthur? | with Robert Treskillard
Fantastical Truth, Jan 31, 2023

146. How Did Animators Adapt The Wingfeather Saga For Streaming TV? | with Keith Lango
Fantastical Truth, Jan 24, 2023

145. How Did Edmund Spenser’s ‘The Faerie Queene’ Shape Christian Fantasy? | with Rebecca K. Reynolds
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144. Which Top Six Fantasy Franchises Gave Fans Grief in 2022?
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143. Which Top Ten Lorehaven Stories Proved Most Popular in 2022?
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Into the Darkness
“Charles Hack’s Into the Darkness summons a close-range science fiction story, focusing on the personal challenges of space warfare among alien cultures with a steady pace and serious tone.”
—Lorehaven on Feb 3, 2023

A Crown of Chains
“A Crown of Chains creatively retells a biblical tale to explore themes of providence, racism, faith, and fidelity.”
—Lorehaven on Jan 27, 2023

Lander’s Legacy
“Lander’s Legacy stacks modern thrills and complex characters on a foundation of biblical what-ifs.”
—Lorehaven on Jan 20, 2023

Prince Caspian
“Pacing starts slow but creature lore grows in C. S. Lewis’s sequel, introducing practical tyrants and talking-beast politics into a Narnian resistance.”
—Lorehaven on Jan 13, 2023

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Lorehaven helps Christian fans explore fantastical stories for Christ’s glory: fantasy, science fiction, and beyond. Articles, the library, reviews, podcasts, gifts, and the Lorehaven Guild community help fans discern and enjoy the best Christian-made fantastical stories, applying their meanings to the real world Jesus Christ calls us to serve. Subscribe free to get any updates you choose and to access the Lorehaven Guild.
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Take Away the Cheese but Keep the Integrity

Novelist Anna M. Aquino didn’t want to write “Christian literature.” Then she realized her faith will always drive her stories.
Anna M. Aquino on Aug 10, 2018
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Christian entertainment has gotten a bad rap for being unrealistic, unrelatable with a side of cheesy dialogue and happy endings.

Because of this formula ridden stereotype of yesteryear, many people do not want to attend a “Christian movie” or read a “Christian book.”

For years I didn’t want to be considered an author who wrote Christian literature. I didn’t want to be included into this cubbyhole. I wanted to be an author who happened to be a Christian.

This week we feature Anna M. Aquino and her novel A Marriage in Time in Lorehaven Book Clubs. Stop by the flagship book club on Facebook to learn more about this story.

Subscribe to Lorehaven Magazine for free to download our new summer 2018 issue.

But then I realized that who I am comes out in what I write. I wanted to write real characters who went through real issues. I wanted people to be changed through laughter and tears as they read my work.

People are hungry for real stories.

I did not set out to be a pioneer in speculative fiction. I set out to tell the stories that I felt God was giving me. I set out to blaze a trail and in doing so teaching biblical truths along the way.

It all started when I simply wanted to write my dad’s story. He was a grunt soldier in Vietnam and I wanted the world to hear the stories that he repeated to me again and again. I wanted his voice and his survival in the jungle to resonate with the people he fought so hard to protect.

Then I kept writing. I kept telling more and more stories. While the fullness of his book has yet to be in print, in telling his story my life changed.

A Marriage in Time, Anna M. Aquino

“Anna M. Aquino paints a rich historical setting for a timeless tale of the bondage of sin . . . and the power of forgiveness.”
— Lorehaven Magazine

Jesus was a storyteller. He understood the need to create stories that people would understand. He spoke in parables. He turned to storytelling to illuminate the word. These stories continue to touch the lives of believers and nonbelievers.

People who won’t go to church or hear a sermon preached will pick up books. Deep in the hearts of some countries where the Bible is banned; I know for a fact that The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings are read. To my knowledge my books, blogs, and articles have gone places I may never set my feet. From the jungles of India to people’s homes I have never meet. The written word and storytelling has a far lasting ripple effect.

However, I know I am not alone in my journey. I have noticed in the last decade I have seen many Christian writers begin to branch out and embrace the uncharted territory of real Christian fiction. We’ve left the models and formulas and sought to write books that change the lives of people.

But my concern is that some have gone too far.

I love a good fictional story. I love to step into the realm of the imagination. Pioneers must remember who and whose they are. We must venture out in this uncharted territory of speculative fiction, and go “where no man has gone before,” but remember our values and integrity.

In my In Time fictional series, I explore a fictional character that has grown weary of his time as a small town pastor.

In An Ember in Time, God sends him a “time traveling angel” that allows him to visit any time in biblical history. The problem is when he accidentally messes up Biblical history. He has to go back and fix his mess up or the Bible would unravel.

In A Marriage In Time, the pastor’s wife is on a verge of an affair and she is sent back in time during David and Bathsheba’s lives.

In the third book, A Legacy in Time (yet to be released), these two are sent back in Biblical history to be confidants to King David during his children’s rebellion years as their own son has found himself incarcerated.

The whole series is best described as the series Quantum Leap meets Back to the Future. These books are honest, raw, and funny. While they are a work of fiction, they do hold tightly to the framework of the Bible.

I love this series. I’m a child of the ’80s and ’90s, and I found myself wanting desperately to tap into the light hearted sci-fi that existed in my generation but make it for today. As I have read and reread these books I find myself laughing hysterically and crying in the next chapter. I think we as Christians can be too serious. Through humor, God can speak to people. It’s such a blessing to me when people come to me and tell me “it’s that one scene” that will always stay with them throughout their lives. That when my character went through some of his life altering moments they found that they were captivated by what this meant in their own lives.

We journey into the unknown, explore and create our own stories. We are a unique expression of a loving Creator. May we hold tightly to imagination. May we embrace the freedom of vision. May we learn not to fear the unknown. May we learn to enjoy stories outside of the formula of yesteryear, but that still have prophetic resonance. May we all be pioneers in our own spheres of influence. May we remember that we do not need to be a copy of what the world is doing, but blaze a trail for the Kingdom of God. May we all be inspired to live our lives beyond what we can see.





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“Anna M. Aquino paints a rich historical setting for a timeless tale of the bondage of sin . . . and the power of forgiveness.”
— Lorehaven Magazine

Explore Anna M. Aquino’s novel A Marriage in Time in the Lorehaven Library.

Read our full review exclusively from the summer 2018 issue of Lorehaven Magazine!

Anna M. Aquino
Anna M. Aquino is a woman of God, wife, and ninja mom of two daughters. As a writer and guest minister, her passion is to encourage others to fulfill their own destinies. Often referred to as a preacher and a comedian rolled into one, she believes laughter is one of the best ways to get people to think. She is the author of many works including Cursing the Church or Helping It, Confessions of a Ninja Mom, An Ember In Time, and Marriage In Time. She has been interviewed on places such as TBN, TCT, The Gospel Channel, and many radio shows. She has also written articles for well-known sources like Charisma, Ministry Today and the UK’s Keep The Faith Magazine. An Ember In Time recently won an award for Redemptive Fiction, and A Marriage In Time won for Spirit-Filled Fiction.
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Lorehaven helps Christian fans explore fantastical stories for Christ’s glory: fantasy, science fiction, and beyond. Articles, the library, reviews, podcasts, gifts, and the Lorehaven Guild community help fans discern and enjoy the best Christian-made fantastical stories, applying their meanings to the real world Jesus Christ calls us to serve. Subscribe free to get any updates you choose and to access the Lorehaven Guild.
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