Today on the Brave Blog we have an interview with author C.E. Stone, author of the Starganauts series. Welcome, C.E.! Let’s jump in.
Sarah: In what ways do you think you’re brave as an author?
C.E. : I consider myself a brave author because I follow God’s calling to publish stories that feature hard topics while unapologetically pointing to Jesus. My stories are clean and geared for ages 14 and up. You will never find anything graphic in them. However, I do explore such topics as addiction, infertility, genocide, suicidal ideation, abuse, and trauma.
I do not start out to cover these, most of the time. The Holy Spirit typically puts these topics on my heart, and I explore their reality from a Christian worldview. For example, a character in Book 2 (Starganauts: Retribution) is discovered to have a pornography addiction. I never show the addiction, but I do show how deeply it hurts his family member who finds out. The character in question gets help and an accountability partner, who checks in with him and also leads him through the Bible. This is an example of how to Biblically get out of an addiction, which I felt is so important, as many (even in the church) struggle with addictions.
Sarah: That’s definitely an important and relevant topic. Which book of yours is your favorite?
C.E. : My fourth book, Starganauts: Invasion. My previous books centered around a first generation of characters known as Starganauts. Invasion kicks off the second generation of Starganauts: ordinary people called by God to protect the galaxy using superpowered armor suits and weapons. This next generation has some new Starganaut “Forms”, as they’re called. I also love the new characters. I feel like this story came together with just the right balance of high stakes, fun banter, memorable characters, heart-pounding action, and deeply-moving themes.
Sarah: Which of your characters is your favorite?
C.E.: Pirateer Dashmír. He’s a second-generation Starganaut and the most unlikely person to be a hero. Raised by his cruel uncle, Pirateer was forced to become a mind-controlled space pirate to serve his uncle’s whims. He has a lot of trauma from his past, so he struggles with PTSD, depression, and suicidal thoughts. It’s often difficult for him simply to get through each day. Despite this, God chooses Pirateer to be a Starganaut, serving the galaxy and putting himself in harm’s way to save others. Throughout the course of my next several books, we will see Pirateer grow. We will watch him encounter Jesus, and his life will never be the same. The depths of what he comes from and the heights of what he becomes (once he heals) are truly inspiring.
Sarah: I love those words “despite this”. How wonderful that God chooses us all despite our weaknesses and struggles. How did you get started as an author?
C.E.: I began writing at the age of ten. I was a huge fan of the Redwall series by Brian Jacques and it inspired me to create my own stories. At first, I just wrote fantasy, but then I branched into sci-fi due to my love of Star Wars and Star Trek. My fellow author M.H. Elrich and I started a writer’s group in college, and that greatly helped me. I had struggled with severe imposter syndrome most of my life, but this group encouraged me and helped me grow. I finally had the courage to publish my first book, and then I went through the hardest year of my life. At the end of it, I sensed the Holy Spirit calling me to step out in faith like Abraham and get my first book, Starganauts, ready for publication. I had no extra money, no time, and I’m a terrible marketer. Within 6 months, God provided on all fronts. I published my first book in June of 2021. That was how I got started, and God has enabled me to continue publishing sequels ever since.
Sarah: I love how you stepped out in faith. Has the Lord brought you through a difficult time? If so, what did that look like?
C.E.: Yes. I’ve struggled with a lot of hardship in my life, so facing trials with faith is a big theme in my books. However, the most difficult time was 2019. That was the year my husband, then just in his twenties, started coming down with a mysterious illness. His health steadily declined and we couldn’t figure out why. He became disabled to the point he was unable to work or handle physical exertion. He was mentally coherent for only 1-2 hours a day. Meanwhile, I was working more than ever, spending hours calling medical offices, and trying to keep our household running while getting my husband into as many doctors as possible. Drama with family, shattered dreams, and financial struggles only added to this hard year.
In the darkest moments of 2019, I was often comforted by Jesus. I would cry out to Him, and often felt His comforting presence. The Lord also brought many other family members and friends alongside us, offering wonderful support and help. It was brutal, but God grew my faith greatly through it. Indeed, it was the pain of that year that Jesus called me to use in my writing…for the benefit of others. I draw a lot from my own hardships and losses to write characters whose struggles are relatable.
Sarah: Wow. That sounds incredibly difficult. Thank you for sharing how the Lord was with you during that time.
What is the best feedback you’ve received from a reader?
C.E.: That my story helped them battle a sin in their own life. That is the reason I cover hard topics in Starganauts: to help readers dealing with real-world struggles. It was such a blessing knowing that this plot thread had a positive impact on someone.
Sarah: What makes you unique as a writer?
C.E. : My aphantasia. Aphantasia is a condition in which your mind’s eye is unable to visualize. I had no idea I was unusual until I began learning that other people “see” things in their head. My inability forces me to rely on words to paint pictures for myself as I write, because I can’t see a thing. It also makes writing a consistent POV challenging, because I don’t “see” the story from a character’s eyes. I get a sense of people’s emotions and thoughts, and float between characters as I conceptualize a scene. Thus, I’ve had a lot of hurdles to overcome, but this adds a unique flavor to my stories. Ironically, several readers said my descriptions help them visualize Starganauts like a movie, so my disadvantage has some advantages.
Sarah: Do you read your reviews? Why or why not?
C.E.: For the most part, yes. Positive reviews greatly encourage me because of all that time I spent struggling with imposter syndrome, believing I had no skill to write. God eventually brought me out of that mindset, but good reviews help as well. I also read mixed reviews, because if there’s a consensus on something readers didn’t like, it often indicates an area where I can grow as an author. The only reviews I don’t read are 1-star. They usually contribute nothing to my life other than discouragement. I’ve learned to have a friend read them instead and tell me if there’s anything of merit.
Sarah: That’s a great idea. Who’s your latest book dedicated to? Why?
C.E.: H. Norman Wright and Roger Spradlin. I dedicated Invasion to them because they had a profound impact on it, and both passed away before its release date. H. Norman Wright was a famous author and counselor who wrote over 90 books on topics ranging from marriage and family to crisis, grief, and trauma. However, I knew him as “Uncle Norm.” I soaked up his teaching, and Invasion deals a lot with grief and trauma. I employed many of the things I learned from him to write my main characters authentically, as both experienced a significant loss in their lives that influences their character arcs. As for Roger, he was my pastor for over a decade and a very gifted Bible teacher. His sermons would inspire me with story ideas, often for how to include more faith in my books. A side character in Invasion (who is a pastor) is a tribute to him.
Sarah: Wonderful. What are you working on now?
C.E.: I’m working on the fifth book of Starganauts, titled Aftermath. It continues the story of the new generation of Starganauts and dives into the aftermath of what happened on Earth in Book 1 of the series. A lot of questions raised in previous books will be answered in this one!
Sarah: Thank you so much for sharing with us. Many blessings on all of your endeavors.
C.E. Stone is a tutor by day and an award-winning Christian author by night. The wife of a chronically-ill husband, she tutors a host of students between writing her next book and plotting a galactic takeover. 😉 She created Starganauts at the age of ten as stories she acted out with Legos.
C.E. strives to write fiction that glorifies God and encourages believers. She hopes to follow in the footsteps of her favorite authors, Tolkien and Lewis, albeit with a science fiction twist. Starganauts is her current series and will eventually span 12 full-length novels.
