About the Book
Book: Crown of the Warrior King
Author: Henry O. Arnold
Genre: Biblical Fiction
Release date: December 1, 2021
The desire of Israel…
the first to wear the crown is the warrior king
For decades the nation of Israel had no rest from her enemies. The people cried out, “Give us a king to lead us, to go out before us, to fight our battles.” And Yahweh hears the cries of the chosen. He plucks a king out of the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest of the tribes—Saul, son of a herdsman. The prophet Samuel anoints him as Israel’s first warrior king.
Under the banner of the wolf, the symbol of his tribe, Saul rises to prominence, winning the hearts and minds of the people of Israel with his success on the battlefield and benevolent leadership.
But when the nation of Israel cries out, “For the love of Israel. For the glory of Yahweh. For the honor of the king,” the praises of the people turn the humble heart of the warrior king into one filled with pride—a pride that has fatal consequences.
In this tale of triumph and tribulation, deepest love and burning rivalries, the new epoch is given a voice…and it is a Song of Prophets and Kings.
Click here to get your copy!
About the Author
Henry O. Arnold has co-authored a work of fiction, Hometown Favorite, with Bill Barton, and nonfiction, KABUL24, with Ben Pearson. He also co-wrote and produced with Steve Taylor (director) and Ben Pearson the film The Second Chance starring Michael W. Smith, the screenplay for the authorized film documentary on evangelist Billy Graham, God’s Ambassador, and the documentary film KABUL24, based on the book which is the story of western and Afghani hostages held captive by the Taliban for 105 days. He lives on a farm in Tennessee with his lovely wife Kay. They have two beautiful daughters married to two handsome men with three above-average grandchildren. For more information please visit: www.henryoarnold.com
More from Henry
After the golden age of theatre in the Greek and Roman times, the theatre went dark, very dark as in Dark Ages, and for centuries it was thus. But it was the church that brought the theatre back to life by staging passion plays on biblical subjects. Since most people could not read at the time, it was a great way to tell the folks some Bible stories. The world has certainly improved its literacy skills since then. The delight I have in reading and writing stories from the Bible or on biblical themes has been with me for a long time.
When I formulated the concept of retelling the stories of the first three kings of Israel and matching them with the leading prophets of that age, the title of the series, The Song of Prophets and Kings, was a perfect match for the biblical/historical fiction genre. The first volume in this series, A Voice Within the Flame, was released last year and features the life of the prophet Samuel up to and including the anointing and coronation of Saul as the first king of Israel. Now it is time for the second volume, Crown of the Warrior King. This second novel picks up where the last one left off.
Whether the reader or listener is familiar with the biblical stories or not, I have written these novels in such a way that makes these ancient stories come to life in the modern world. When the reader/listener dives into stories that are 3,000 years old, it will be surprising how we all can see ourselves in these characters.
These are biblical stories that I grew up with and have read and studied all my life. It is a joy to get to share them with you in this series, The Song of Prophets and Kings.
Author Interview with Henry
Q: What was the inspiration behind this novel?Henry: A love of Scripture. I have always enjoyed reading Scripture, and I find it not only supports my faith in God, but I see myself in so many of the characters, in truth, all the characters in these ancient stories. It wanted to share that passion with others. We all share a common humanity if not a common faith and these stories are as profound and modern today as they were 3,000 years ago.
Q: How long did it take you to write this novel?Henry: Because The Song of Prophets and Kings was conceived as a series, I knew this was going to like running a marathon. I began several years ago writing the first volume, A Voice Within the Flame. I completed the second volume, Crown of the Warrior King, and the third volume, The Singer of Israel, before I found an agent and a publisher. I am currently halfway through volume four (working title The Fugitive King), and plan to start writing volume 5 (no working title as yet), sometime next year. The series will be finished in the fifth volume. So, you can see I am committed to completing this literary journey regardless of the outcome. I appreciate that WhiteFire has committed to the first three volumes. I love this process of writing, and God willing, will see it through to the end.
Q: Do any of the novel’s characters hold a special place in your heart?Henry: I would say Samuel and Shira hold that special place. We certainly know a great deal about Samuel, but we know nothing about his wife. Samuel had to be married because Scripture says he had two sons…both reprobates. So, I had the wonderful challenge to create in this first volume of this series, A Voice Within the Flame, the romance and marriage of Samuel and Shira. I had the freedom to create Shira out of whole cloth. While being true to the cultural norms of ancient Israel, I wanted her to be a multi-dimensional character that would be compatible with the large personality of Samuel. I hope I have succeeded in creating a woman that is reflective of her times, but also our modern times.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from this novel?Henry: I hope a reader will see themselves in these characters. More important, I hope, a reader will come away with a deeper understanding of and appreciation for Scripture and the characters. We should be able to see ourselves in these stories and in the choices and actions a character makes in his/her life. When we see ourselves in them, we see ourselves more clearly.
Q: If the novel was made into a movie, who would like you to see play the main characters?Henry: That is a tricky question for me because I know what it is like to go through the casting process for a stage play and a movie. Star power does not mean great acting. I would want the best actors that could be found who would apply their unique creative genius to bringing to life these great characters. That of itself is a tall order.
Q: What are you reading now? Henry: Colson Whitehead, John Grisham, Kristin Hannah, and Alice Munroe.
Q: How many bookshelves are in your home?Henry: Not enough.
Q: Where can readers find out more about you and your novel?Henry: www.henryoarnold.com
Blog Stops
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 13
Texas Book-aholic, January 14
Beauty in the Binding, January 15 (Author Interview)
Locks, Hooks and Books, January 15
For Him and My Family, January 16
Inklings and notions, January 17
deb’s Book Review, January 18
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, January 19
Splashes of Joy, January 20 (Author Interview)
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, January 21
Connie’s History Classroom, January 22
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, January 23 (Author Interview)
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, January 24 (Spotlight)
Cats in the cradle blog, January 25
Tell Tale Book Reviews, January 26 (Author Interview)
Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, January 26
Giveaway
To celebrate his tour, Henry is giving away the grand prize package of a signed copy of the book and a $50 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
Link for giveaway: https://promosimple.com/ps/17c58/crown-of-the-warrior-celebration-tour-giveaway
