ASK THE AUTHOR: Tosca Lee

Latest project: Iscariot (February).

Publisher: Howard Books.

Why did you write Judas’ story?

The idea of writing Judas’ story was suggested to me by an editor friend, and my initial response was: “No way.” I knew how much work it would take. But the idea of it wouldn’t stop following me around. There I’d be, traveling, sitting in a restaurant, scribbling scenes between Judas and his mother on the paper tablecloth. I wanted to discover the story, to know if he was like me ... or I, like him, if I might have done the same. But more than anything, I wanted to sit down at the side of Jesus. To stand near Him as He taught, to see the look on His face as He worked His miracles, to rest my head on His shoulder. And that’s what finally got me.

What type of research did you do for this novel and how long did it take you to write?

I went to Israel. I compiled a library of over 100 resources and a small panel of experts I could call on with questions. The book took a year and a half to research and two more to write. I owe a big, big thank you to my readers, who were (mostly—OK, kind of) patient through this long wait. 

Did any of your research surprise you?

Very much. The historical stage that Jesus walked onto was far more violent, far more tense and unstable and oppressive than we can appreciate today. The teachings of Jesus, so familiar to us now, were radical enough then to make Him a dangerous man to be around. For some, even, to call Him a madman. It’s a very different view from Roman-occupied first-century Israel.

In the book, why did you include events from Judas’ early life and the context of the harsh realities of Jewish life at that time?

I knew I had to set that stage, to show the harsh reality of life under Roman occupation and under Herod, the failed attempts by other would-be messiahs, and the swift consequences that came with their failures. The stakes were very high by the time Jesus started His ministry.

What is the heart of the story?

At the heart of this story is Jesus. This landless day laborer. This miraculous man who would not be controlled and never acted the way others expected. And it’s the story of those of us who think we know how God should act, and of our own shortcomings—and hopes. 

How has Judas’ story affected you personally?

I read the Gospels in a new light. I am continually moved by scenes like the healing of the leper, of the loving of the outcasts. It’s caused me to notice wrong less and love more.

What do you hope this novel will prompt readers to consider?

The unconventional and wild love of Jesus. Of a God who will not be controlled by our expectations, because He exceeds them every time.

What else would you say about Iscariot to Christian retailers?

This is Judas’ story, yes. It poses the question of whether you or I might have done the same. But this is ultimately a story about Jesus, of divine and human love. A story of you and me.

‘The Little House That Stood’ offers lessons on making good choices

Big Idea’s latest release in the VeggieTales franchise parodies one of the most popular nursery rhymes, while meshing it with one of the most beloved parables of Jesus.

In VeggieTales: The Little House That Stood, the three little pigs roll into Cabbageville looking to build some new houses, where they meet one builder with a plan and two without a clue. Larry the Cucumber builds with hay and Mr. Lunt with bricks, but only Bob the Tomato builds his house on a firm foundation—following the wise plans from the “Master Builder’s Handbook.” 

Set for release March 2 in the Christian market and March 5 in the general market, The Little House That Stood (8-20413-128906, $14.99) will “help kids build their lives on solid stuff,” Big Idea officials said.  

 The video is based on Matt. 7:24-27, the parable of the wise and foolish builders: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Capitalizing on the popularity of builder/construction themes with children, The Little House That Stood introduces kids to the basic foundations of a life guided by wise choices, which will help them stand strong when the storms come.

To be distributed by Word Distribution, the video also includes a fun “egg-stra”—a retelling of the classic Humpty Dumpty story, a timely Easter tie-in. In “The Good Egg of Gooseville,” kids will learn that a good neighbor always “lends a little hand” to those in need. 

To order, call Word Distribution at 800-876-WORD (9673).

A high-energy rock band and a gospel great are among this month’s releases

ANTHEMS
Todd Ballard
(New Day Christian Distributors)
6-26570-62263-5
Feb. 5

A founding pastor at one of the country’s fastest-growing congregations—Red Rocks Church in Golden, Colo.—Ballard recently left his position to pursue music full-time. Produced by Otto Price (TobyMac, BarlowGirl), Ballard’s national debut recording, Anthems, comprises 13 songs intended to connect with the worshipper’s heart. Showcasing an all-star lineup of industry professionals who have worked with the likes of One Republic, Justin Bieber and Maroon 5, the album “is simply anthems from the heart” with each song “an anthem of the way I love God,” Ballard said. Stand-out tracks include “Why We’re Singing,” written with multi-Dove-Award-winning Producer of the Year Ian Eskelin, inspired by a sermon from Charles Spurgeon; and “Immanuel,” a ballad about resting in God’s presence. The project also features a cover of Delirious’ “Find Me in the River.”

I GOT THIS—LIVE!
Dottie Peoples
Thirty Tigers Distribution (Provident Distribution)
7-94504-7899-3-5
Feb. 5

Recorded live in Peoples’ hometown of Atlanta, I Got This—Live! is a 13-song journey through a collection of praise & worship, contemporary and traditional gospel music woven together. The release features her signature vocals on the radio singles “I Got This” and an arrangement of the classic hit “Everything Must Change.” Known for her hits “On Time God,” “Do It!” and “Testify,” Peoples is a three-time GRAMMY Award nominee and winner of numerous awards, including the Stellar, Dove and Soul Train awards.

RELEASE THE PANIC
Red
Essential Records (Provident Distribution)
0-83061-09472-0
Feb. 5

Following Until We Have Faces, which saw Red achieve several No. 1 radio singles (“Not Alone,” “Faceless,” “Who We Are,” “Buried Beneath”), a year on tour with Winter Jam, P.O.D. and Thousand Foot Krutch, Red offers its high-energy rock on its fourth recording, Release the Panic. Themes include facing mistakes, confronting mortality and the fear of showing one’s true self. 

RUN
Sanctus Real
Sparrow Records (EMI CMG)
5-09993-067312-0
Feb. 5

On Sanctus Real’s sixth studio album, Run, the band has written songs that promise to become encouraging anthems of hope and healing that listeners can cling to in trying times. Through their struggles and victories, the members of Sanctus Real have come to realize there’s only one place to run—into God’s arms—and to the promises in His Word. At press time, new radio single “Promises” was getting more than 1.5 million in audience each week.

THE INVISIBLE
Daniel Bashta
Integrity Music (Provident)
0-00768-51442-9
Feb. 5

Bashta, church worship leader and songwriter of “God’s Not Dead (Like A Lion)” (Newsboys), aims to guides listeners to a place closer to God while offering creative, bold and fresh worship music on The Invisible.  

ZION
Hillsong United
Hillsong/Sparrow Records (EMI CMG)
5-09999-09303-2-4
Feb. 26

After a two-year wait, Hillsong United releases Zion, a recording that reflects the realization that God is establishing His church through His people. Featuring 13 tracks, Zion sets the theme with the opening track “Relentless,” about God’s love.

The Gospels made easy: In the latest from Phil Vischer’s “What’s in the Bible?” series, Volume 10: Jesus Is the Good News! explores the 400 years between the Old and New Testaments, then shares about the life and ministry of Christ from the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Releasing this month by Jellyfish Labs and distributed by EMI CMG Distribution, the 60-minute video retails for $14.99. 

Hope and healing: From Vision Video, Into My Arms is a revealing documentary featuring the personal stories of five women who chose abortion. Their stories are explored by leading Christian counselors, including best-selling author John Eldredge, Christopher West and Jan Frank, who offer hope for forgiveness and restoration. Released in January to coincide with Sanctity of Life Month, the 58-minute documentary retails for $19.99.

Conflict and compassion: Redemption tells the tale of Henry Heath, a lawman on the western frontier in 1862. After the grieving sheriff buries his only child, he learns that an impoverished French immigrant has been robbing the graves of the recently deceased. Torn between duty, outrage and guilt about his own past, Heath ponders showing compassion and forgiveness toward the man who seems the least deserving of love. Released last month, the 105-minute drama retails for $19.95 and is distributed by Bridgestone Multimedia Group.

History Channel to show drama that reflects on the ‘grand narrative’ of the Scriptures

Editor’s Note:  A 10-hour dramatic miniseries simply called The Bible received a rousing reception at the International Christian Retail Show last summer during a sneak peak of the project launched by Mark Burnett and Roma Downey.

Best known for producing the TV shows Survivor, The Voice and The Apprentice, Burnett and his wife, Downey, of Touched by an Angel fame, gave attendees a first look at the series, slated to air on the History Channel this Easter season. 

Downey and Burnett share the inspiration behind the series here:

Two things are irrefutably true when it comes to the Bible’s place in popular culture. First, it’s hard to find anyone in the world whose lives the Scriptures haven’t touched. Second, people aren’t as well-versed in the Bible today as they were a generation ago. About 70% of Americans believe the Bible contains everything a person needs to know to live a meaningful life, yet only 26% say they read it more than once a week.

That’s why we are so honored and humbled to be producing The Bible, a 10-hour, five-part miniseries premiering March 3 on the History Channel. This has been a labor of love, not a job, for us. We sincerely believe that it was for such a time as this that we met—to combine our gifts and energies into a project of this importance and a story this inspirational.

What we have tried to do is tell the grand narrative of the Bible in a way people haven’t seen before on television. It is a powerful, inspirational, sacred text that we have tried to breathe fresh, visual life into. We want millions to see it and enjoy these powerful stories of faith, love, joy and sacrifice, and God’s never-ending goodness.

We do not claim to be Bible teachers—that is a role reserved for pastors. We simply hope to be Bible illuminators, capturing the essence and inspiration of the sacred text we love. We have partnered with the History Channel, Fox Home Entertainment, Hachette Book Group and other key allies to help us achieve this goal. 

Fox will release the entire series on DVD, including behind-the-scenes features and other extras, immediately after the final episode airs on the History Channel on Easter Sunday, March 31. While the series will only be broadcast on television in the U.S. at first, the DVDs will be available to a global audience right away.

Hachette will publish three books Feb. 26 in support of the project. One is a novelization of the miniseries, the second an abridged version of the novel for young readers. The third book is a devotional with thoughts from us from our own faith journeys and experiences making the miniseries, which we hope will be thought-provoking and uplifting for readers.

As you read this, we are still putting the finishing touches on The Bible and the complementary projects such as the DVD set and books. We’ve also spent hundreds of hours and will spend scores more over the next several weeks talking with faith leaders and journalists about The Bible in order to share the vision for the series. Our hope is that those who watch it would come to know God better and draw closer to Him. 

As we press onto the premiere, we’d be remiss if we didn’t thank all the people who have prayed for The Bible and for us personally. Some of you we have been privileged enough to meet along the way; others have just felt led to ask God to bless this project and multiply its impact on those who see it. We want you to know that we have only gotten this far, and will draw strength and inspiration the rest of the way because of your faithfulness belief in the story of God and all of us.

Produced by Jeremy Camp and Andy Dodd, Reckless by GRAMMY-nominated Camp (5-09993-01402-2-6, $13.99) releases Feb. 12 from BEC Recordings (EMI CMG Distribution).

Where did the album title and same-titled song come from?

Reckless started as a word that kept being embedded in my mind, so I started to look up its meaning. I found that it means doing something without regards for the consequences. It occurred to me that “reckless” is a lot like true faith. When I step out in faith, no matter the circumstance, I know that God will take care of me. One of the biblical examples of living reckless for Christ that came to mind was Paul. In 2 Corinthians, chapter 4, Paul returned to Lystra after being stoned for witnessing to people in the city because He knew the Lord called him to go back. In Acts 20:23-24, Paul writes: “I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.  However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” Paul served the Lord with all his heart. He knew that he was going to face trials and persecution, but God had placed a call on his life and wanted him to surrender his heart to the Lord. My desire, and the message in this song, is to completely surrender everything to God. I want to be able to do what God calls me to do without worrying. That’s being sold out for Christ. I don’t want to miss out on the fullness of what God has for me, so when God calls me, I want to be willing to go!

What are some other standout songs?

“The Way You Love Me” is almost a direct response to the action of being reckless. When I think about what Christ has done and the depth of His love, despite how wretched I am, I want to tell the world about His love for me. In the same way, we are called to love like He loved. In 1 Cor. 13:3, Paul writes: “If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” It says in Rom. 8:39: “Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” That’s God’s love and that’s the love that I want to share with others. 

“Come Alive” is a song that I wrote while walking around in New York City. For some reason, I saw a lot of empty people that day, to the point that it felt like I was observing walking dead. We live in a culture where people are chasing things that are of this world, and I want to see them come alive in Christ!

What do you hope your listeners will take away from this recording?

My hope is that this album encourages people to step into the fullness of what God has called them to do and take action. The songs are meant to encourage all of us to go out, not just me. If we can all work together and be in the same place spiritually, that body of Christ working together can fuel a passion that is truly great. There is power in numbers!