Embracing God’s Plan Through Writing Christ-Centered Stories.
I am delighted to introduce Tema Banner, a talented up-and-coming Christian author whose historical fiction beautifully intertwines faith and redemption and is set in Bible times. Her latest work, The Weaver’s Dream, is the first novel in the Daughters of the King series.* Join me in welcoming Tema as she shares her inspiring journey from a rebellious past to embracing God’s plan through writing Christ-centered stories.
Thank you, Heidi, for inviting me. Your stories and your example as a Christ follower have been an inspiration to me.
Tema’s Story
Growing up with a mother who loved stories, my desire to write was sparked in childhood. She read to me and my three siblings almost every day. The library was my favorite place. My mother gave me a keen curiosity for history and research along with a love of story. It was only natural that historical fiction was my genre of choice. As an adult, inspirational and Christian historical romance became my go-to books to read.
I never doubted Jesus was
the way, the truth, and the light.
Throughout my upbringing in a Christian home, I never doubted that Jesus was the way, the truth, and the light. But. Yeah, that’s where it stopped. Knowing the truth and making God the Lord of my life were two different things. I played the part of a Christian for many years but lived my life the way I wanted. Starting with the death of my father when I was a teenager, I lived a rebellious life. This changed when I married and had children, but only as far as the outside world. My life looked like I was a Christ follower, but my heart and mind still belonged to me.
Although this was the case, the desire to write historical romance stories remained deeply rooted in my heart. And not main street romance either, but Christ-centered stories that make a difference for eternity and give others hope by pointing them to Jesus. I knew I could never write a story that either my earthly or heavenly father would not approve of.
I knew I could never write a story that either my earthly or heavenly father would not approve of.
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The turmoil was real, because how could God use the writing of someone as flawed as me, someone who had more in common with some of the greatly flawed characters in the Bible than she’d like to admit? And how could I ever escape the stranglehold I had on doing life my way instead of God’s?
God demonstrated the extent of His love for me.
I’ll tell you how—because God can open what has been nailed shut, and He can shine light in the darkest of pits where there is no outlet for illumination. Through showing me scripture as well as Christ-centered stories, He demonstrated the extent of His love for me and that it was irrelevant how far down the wrong road I had walked. His forgiveness was for everyone, including Tema Banner. More than that, He wanted a relationship with me.
While I was still walking down Tema’s Road, God already had planned the Christian historical novels He would allow me to write. God also has an amazing sense of humor, as evidenced by the series I’m working on, Daughter’s of the King. The Weaver’s Dream, the first in the series, is set during the days of the Judges—approximately 1100 BC. Even though I love history and research, writing in a Biblical setting wasn’t what I had in mind.
His forgiveness was for everyone, including Tema Banner. More than that, He wanted a relationship with me.
It is an amazing journey. I am beyond thankful that God doesn’t give up on us. He is patient and works life out in a way that is beyond our greatest expectations. I hope that the stories of hope and redemption that I write about ordinary people living in extraordinary Biblical times, will speak to anyone who is just like me: walking down the wrong road and desperate to turn around and go in the right direction with the lover of your soul, Jesus.
I write about ordinary people living in extraordinary Biblical times
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Despite not being published yet, I am confident in God’s plan and patiently await his timing. In the meantime, I continue to work on my Daughter’s of the King series. If you’d like to hear more of my story, sign up for my newsletter. When you sign up, you’ll receive my free 30-day scriptural meditation, Stroll with God. I look forward to connecting with readers via my website as well as Facebook and Instagram.
About The Author: A proud Southerner, Tema loves stringing words together, so the reader forgets where they are and enjoys the extraordinary journey into the past. While searching for representation for her first novel, The Weaver’s Dream, she is beginning research on the second in her Daughters of the King series. Tema works full-time in the financial services industry, squeezing in writing every free moment she get. She lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband. When not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family.
*The Weaver’s Dream, is the first novel in the Daughters of the King series and was the 2nd Place Winner of the Foundation Contest sponsored by the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writer’s Conference and 3rd Place Winner of the Maggies sponsored by the Georgia Romance Writer’s.