"I guess I'm prolific because I have a simple and straight-forward style!" -- Isaac Asimov (1920-1992), who published some 500 books in his lifetime

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ERIC WILSON

This week's guest at "Learning Curve" is novelist Eric Wilson, author of the acclaimed supernatural thriller Dark To Mortal Eyes (WaterBrook Press), the first in a series of suspense novels exploring the five senses. Publishers Weekly called it "bizarre ... creepy ... thriller aficionados should welcome this debut." Edgar Award-winner Steven Womack called Dark To Mortal Eyes "a wonderful discovery." And Ted Dekker said, "Eric Wilson delivers a début that will surely expand the minds and speed the hearts of readers."

Now, without further ado, part one of our Q&A with Eric Wilson, who tells us why Lord of the Flies rocked his world, why he hates when people ask whether he is an "entertainer" or a "minister" and how he got scars on his knuckles.

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What was your first job? My first job was during the summer of 7th grade, carting bricks for a master mason -- I still have knuckle-scars to prove it.

What is the best piece of advice anyone has ever given you? If life could be summed up that easily, I'd give you one. Sorry. Well, okay, here's a cheapo, but it's true: "Life's not a sprint, it's a marathon."

Are you an "entertainer" or a "minister"? If I wrote only to minister, I would write nonfiction. As a fiction writer, I'd fail if I didn't entertain -- but I entertain for the purpose of conveying biblical truth in original ways.

Do you hate it when people ask whether you are an "entertainer" or a "minister"? I hate it only because faith is much more complex -- and much simpler -- than such questions.

How many books do you read a month? I read four to five books a month, mostly on my lunch break at work and before crashing at night.

How many emails do you answer a day? I spend a good half an hour per day writing emails, between five and ten usually.

Who are your literary influences? C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia were my first influence, but my desire to write was solidified with my Alistair MacLean/Robert Ludlum /John le Carre stage during junior high and high school. Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird and William Golding's Lord of the Flies then convinced me that literature could be highly entertaining while rocking my preconceptions.

Who are your spiritual influences? Without a doubt, my parents had the greatest spiritual influence on me. My junior high youth pastor, Rob Bressi, was another major influence, showing love and acceptance when I needed to know I was okay, zits and all. The writings of Elizabeth Elliott (Through Gates of Splendor) and C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity) were energizing and foundational.

What is the best thing anyone has ever said about one of your books? A 17-year-old girl emailed to tell me that my book had showed her she could "walk on" with God. She was the exact reader I had in mind as I wrote much of the story.

What is the worst thing anyone has ever said about one of your books? Publishers Weekly gave me a positive review, then added that the "slangy dialogue grows stale by the end." Well, freakin' thanks a lot!

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Come back on Friday for the second half of our Q&A, wherein Mr. Wilson shares with us his writing habits, advice for aspiring writers and why he looks like Barney the Dinosaur (give or take a hundred lbs.).

Get updates from his official site, including news about upcoming appearances and the scoop on his soon-to-be-released (and, no doubt, soon-to-be acclaimed) novel Expiration Date, which hits shelves in May.

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SHOUT IT OUT LOUD

Email questions and comments to Chris here. If you have a blog of your own, give us a shout and send a link!

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LOOK AT ME! BUY MY BOOK!

FORGIVING SOLOMON LONG (Harvest House Publishers), Chris Well

A hit man is haunted by a preacher's dying words: "I forgive you."

Read the first chapter

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Suggested Retail: $11.99

ISBN: 0-7369-1405-6

Ask for it wherever crime fiction is sold.