IS WAKING LAZARUS A "RELIGIOUS" BOOK?

Hmmm. Depends on your definition of “religious book.” Waking Lazarus is being published by Bethany House Publishers, a well-known name in the CBA (Christian Booksellers Association) industry. So in the sense that it’s a book written by a Christian, and published by a Christian publisher, yes, I suppose it’s a “religious” book.

But I wouldn’t say it’s any more “religious” than, say, The Da Vinci Code. (In fact, I would say it’s less so, because, unlike The Da Vinci Code, the main threads of Waking Lazarus don’t have anything to do with church history or doctrine.)

My faith is an integral part of who I am, and so the world of Waking Lazarus naturally reflects some of that. But not overtly so. Nowhere in the book will you find a big conversion scene, or a thinly-disguised sermon telling you to repent. It’s a novel, not a tract.

At its heart, Waking Lazarus is a suspense/mystery novel with elements of the supernatural in it. So I think it could easily be shelved with general market mysteries, psychological horror novels, or suspense/thrillers. Despite this, I’m well aware most booksellers will stick it with “religious fiction” on its shelves, simply because it comes from a “religious” publisher.

I’m fine with that because, frankly, I’m happy to be shelved anywhere in the bookstore. But let me say again, I didn’t write this novel to preach to anyone. In fact, if you read it and think it’s preachy, email me and let me know; I’ll buy it back from you.