Reader’s Entertainment is excited to welcome author Connilyn Cossette to the blog today. First, tell us a little about your new novel Shield of the Mighty, book two in THE KING’S MEN series?
Connilyn Cossette: This story starts nearly two years after the events of The Voice of the Ancient and begins as things are heating up between King Saul’s fledgling army and the Philistines. Zevi is wholeheartedly pursuing his chosen course of being a soldier with the ultimate goal of vengeance. However, an order from his superior officer sends him away from the battlefield and back to his hometown, a full circle that will lead him directly into the path of Yochana, a widowed perfumer who wants nothing to do with King Saul or the men who do his bidding.
How is your approach to biblical fiction different from some of the other authors in the genre?
CC: Because I write stories from the perspective of primarily fictional characters, it gives me some leeway in the creation of my plots. I do my very best to use the events in the Bible as the foundation of my narratives and then weave a fictional story around and within those concrete historical events. Therefore, I focus on the “blank spaces” between the lines of scripture and ask myself things like “What would it be like to witness these events?” or “What were the common people of the day thinking about such things?” or “What did they understand/misunderstand about what they were experiencing?” For example, it’s the difference between a story about what King Saul might have been thinking about a Philistine invasion and the experience of a man who was once enslaved by the Philistines as a child and sees fighting in King Saul’s army as a way to have his own vengeance for the pain and suffering they inflicted.
What led you to write biblical fiction? What are the unique challenges and joys of writing in this genre?
CC: Writing biblical fiction came out of my own curiosity. I love researching and delving into culture and archeological details from different biblical eras in Ancient Israel and the surrounding nations, so I was inspired to write stories that would incorporate these interesting cultural and historical aspects in order to make readers not only have a deeper understanding of the context of the Word but also to feel like they’ve “walked a mile in the sandals” of those who witnesses and experienced the events of the Bible firsthand. The biggest challenge to me is that there is so much conflicting information out there, coming from a variety of sources who may or may not believe that the Word of God is historically accurate, so I do a lot of sifting as I research because I do not want to contradict the truth of the Bible. This can be a bit of a dance when there is sketchy information related to different places or eras or cultures, but I do my prayerful best to make everything as accurate as I can, or at least create a sense of verisimilitude based on what I know.
What inspired you to write this series in the era of King Saul’s reign in particular?
CC: Honestly, I enjoyed the family in the COVENANT HOUSE series so much that I didn’t want to say good-bye! So, I created a spin-off series that moved into the next generation. And since the era of King Saul usually gets glossed over in favor of stories of the great King David, I thought it would be interesting to slow things down and explore what sort of turmoil Israel was going through in the early years of Israel’s new monarchy.
Your main characters, Zevi and Yochana, are distinctly different in personality and upbringing. What about these differences creates such interesting chemistry in Shield of the Mighty?
CC: Zevi is a soldier and sees serving in King Saul’s army as the entirety of his personality and goals, but Yochana’s past pain makes her want nothing to do with war or the king she views as a usurper to the throne. They both are strong-willed individuals, and the sparks certainly fly in more ways than one from the beginning. But they will also discover how they both complement and strengthen each other while softening each other’s rougher edges as the Lord deals with their wounded hearts along the way to healing.
What significance do blue lupines hold in this novel?
CC: Yochana is a perfumer as well as a creator of herbal medicines and balms. She knows every flower, tree, and plant around the region, but blue lupines are her favorite for their delicate sweet smell and their beautiful deep color. They also happen to grow in the Valley of Elah, where important scenes take place, and I was excited to find out that the designer of the cover even incorporated modern scenes from that very valley! Lupines also hold a special place in my own heart since I live in Texas, where every spring millions of bluebonnets (which are lupines related to those in Israel) paint our fields and roadside in gorgeous washes of blue.
What can readers look forward to in the third book in THE KING’S MEN series?
CC: Well, without revealing too much, I can only say that the next story in the series will continue with another of the four cousins who began this adventure back in Voice of the Ancient. There will be another short passage of time before he begins his own journey of healing and redemption and the moment he finally crosses paths with a woman who will turn his world upside down.
How can readers connect with you?
CC: The best way to find me is at my website, ConnilynCossette.com, where readers can sign up for my periodic newsletter and keep up with all my writerly news. But I can also be found on Instagram @ConnilynCossetteAuthor and Facebook @ConnilynCossette. I also have a special Facebook group page (Connilyn’s Bibliophiles) where readers can get the inside scoop and interact with me personally from time to time. Come find us—we’d love for you to join in the conversation!
Thank you so much for joining us today! Readers, here’s a quick peek at SHIELD OF THE MIGHTY:
Captured by the Philistines as a young boy, Zevi has grown into a formidable warrior. As a captain in King Saul’s army, he is assigned a crucial mission: Recruit soldiers, gather tribute for the royal coffers, and find talented artisans for the king’s court. But when he is sent to Maresha, the town he was forced to leave as a child, he faces a startling truth–the elder council rejects King Saul and his campaign against their enemies.
Yochana, a widow and skilled woman of business, is captivated by a stranger who enters her perfume shop. Upon discovering he is not only a soldier but a captain responsible for enlisting young men to die in battle, fury and pain from her past loss resurfaces, threatening to consume her. But when Zevi’s actions in Maresha entangle Yochana in his radical scheme, they’re forced to confront present dangers and past scars.
Embark on a journey through ancient Israel with bestselling and award-winning author Connilyn Cossette in this exhilarating tale of vengeance, justice, and healing.
