TCM: First, we’d like to thank you for taking the time to answer some of our questions. We know that you are an extremely busy man.

Ted Dekker: Thanks, Jake. It’s always great to catch up with you.

TCM: Well, we have so much to ask, so we’re just going to dive right in. The Gathering was such a great event and I was really blown away by the whole experience. What are your reactions to The Gathering and are there any plans for more in the future?

TD: To tell you the truth, the enthusiasm for the event blew us all away. Over 1,500 people wanted to attend, but we had to limit registration to 250 because the building wasn’t big enough. You were there, so you know how packed it was. But it was a great setting for us all to connect—me with my fans in a way I don’t normally get to, and then the fans with each other in a way that they don’t normally get to. Even weeks after the event, we’re hearing that from people who attended who say that the day really wasn’t about my stories as much as it was a chance to celebrate our shared Story together—the story of the Great Romance. That’s what made it special. And people came, literally, from all over the world to attend The Gathering. It’s amazing. As far as next year, The Gathering 2009 is in the works. It’s currently planned for Friday and Saturday, June 5th and 6th in Nashville, TN. And, in Dekker style, you can expect us to raise the ante in every way.

TCM: One of the biggest announcements at The Gathering was the big reveal of two more Lost Books scheduled for next year (Lunatic and Elyon). One of your long time fans, Kaci Hill, has been chosen to co-author the final two books with you. Do you mind telling us how that decision came about and letting us know a little bit about Kaci?

TD: Well, Kaci will have to tell you about herself, so you should interview her. As for how she was “Chosen” so to speak, I put the word out to a small list of writers that I was reaching out to the Circle to help me complete the Circle Books, now called the Lost Books. When all six are completed next year, their titles will spell CIRCLE across the spines. Kaci always impressed me with her witty writing and when I learned that she’d written several full-length novels while still in high school I asked to see a sample. Now we have Lunatic and Elyon, coming to you next Summer.

TCM: Sinner is due out in September, and I feel that this is one of the most important novels you have written to date. Can you give us a glimpse into what the story is about? What was the most challenging part of writing this particular story?

TD: Sinner is the story of our country just around the corner when all that was once held sacred in a free land where any man, woman or child could worship as they pleased and say what they believed on any street corner is shredded in name of tolerance. Sacrificed on the altar of hate crimes. Smothered by laws. But, that is just the beginning. Sinner is also about those who stand in defiance of this new kind of tyranny against impossible odds. But more than both of those, the story I wanted to tell in Sinner is Darcy’s journey. Billy’s Journey. Long before I chose to use a political environment in which to couch the story, I conceived of Darcy’s journey. The climax with the 3,000 and Darcy, Black, Johnny and Billy are what Sinner is really all about.

TCM: In Sinner we see a future where tolerance runs rampant and preaching Jesus Christ is illegal. Do you believe that such a future is in store for us in the United States?

TD: Could be. Probably, if history has taught us any lesson it’s that the ball always rolls downhill. “Religious intolerance will not be accepted in the future.” The fact that this notion seems like a good enough idea to most of us only supports it.

TCM: What can you tell us about Kiss? How many books do you plan on co-authoring with other female writers?

TD: Kiss is the first of three novels that I am co-authoring with Erin Healy, who for many years has been one of my editors. Kiss, which releases this December by the way, is the story of a woman who has lost her memory because of a tragic accident, and learns that nothing in her life is as it seems. She becomes obsessed with learning the truth, and along the way discovers that she possesses a unique ability to piece the puzzle together. Kiss will be followed up next December with another novel being co-authored with Erin. Beyond that we will see…

TCM: What about Angel?

TD: The novel I conceived of as “Angel” is no longer the same novel. Instead, I will be publishing a novel tentatively titled “The Boneman’s Daughters” with Hachette next April. The title could easily change but I can’t tell you how excited I am about the story. This is one of those tales that grabs you by the throat and won’t let go, a deeply moving parable about the father-heart of God written along the lines of Thr3e.

TCM: I have to ask you about Green. At The Gathering you described Green as the beginning and the end of The Circle Trilogy and “the mother of all trips”. Can you give us any insight about what is in store for us?

TD: No more than that. Sorry, you’ll have to read the novel.

TCM: There has been a trend within Christian fiction as of late to deal with the darker side of humanity. This has met with mixed reviews. Some believe it is necessary to display evil as evil and good as good. Others feel that despite the fact that light wins out in the end, the experience with dark materials is disturbing to their spirit on a number of levels. As a Christian author who deals with these matters in his work, are you mindful of these things as you write? How do you strike a balance?

TD: I think this question is primarily an American Christian issue, held up by a society that has become obsessed with insulating itself from all things uncomfortable, whether that be the death of our grandparents, or the discussion of evil in a novel. Are funerals terrible events? Should we avoid them? How about convalescent homes?
It’s absurd to write a story about the struggle between good and evil without characterizing evil in a way that is consistent with its true nature. Show me a church full of those who insulate themselves from this struggle and I’ll show you a group of people no more saved or holy or at peace than a church in Zambia, Africa full of people who face death and terror every day. The balance you refer to is better characterized as the right order. How do you put things in their right order?

TCM: When writing about dark versus light, good versus evil, do you ever feel or become more spiritually aware of attack from “principalities and powers?”

TD: Probably not. I think the war waged against us all is equally intense; it just takes different forms. For those who insulate themselves from the struggle between good and evil, the attack from the dark side comes in a hideous thing called denial, which leads to blindness and often ends at the bottom of a cliff.

TCM: There are some who tout you as “The Christian Stephen King” or “The Christian Dean Koontz.” What are your thoughts about being compared to such prolific authors?

TD: First, I believe Dean Koontz is a Christian. I don’t know about King. If my story telling skills could be compared to either, I would be humbled. They have connected with hundreds of millions with their stories because their stories speak volumes.

TCM: You’ve done the thriller genre. You’ve done the horror genre. You’ve done the sci-fi/fantasy genre. Within the realm of fiction, is there another genre you’re interested in trying your hand at?

TD: Not really. I think I’m settling down to Thrillers and Fantasy/Mysteries, both loaded with romance J

TCM: You’ve written one non-fiction work, The Slumber of Christianity. Any plans of trying your hand at non-fiction again?

TD: I’m actually working on a book that recounts a wild trip I took through the Middle East in search of the True Samaritan today. I met with Christianity’s perceived enemies and tried to understand what Christ’s teaching to love you neighbor as yourself really meant.

TCM: Let’s switch gears. What authors have been formative to your own faith and beliefs?

TD: Philip Yancey. John Piper. Dallas Willard.

TCM: How does your faith influence your writing? How does your writing influence your faith?

TD: All of life influences faith, whether or not we are aware of it. Attending a religious service can influence as much as going to a movie. When I write I think a great deal about the themes I’m writing about. It makes me no more or less worthy to write than you, because I am only a man who has learned how to characterize the struggle that surrounds us all through a thing called story that allows us to stand back and look at that struggle with new eyes, bring it back into focus, and engage once again. Things about spirituality, though… it starts over every day, much like hunger.

TCM: Ted, you have been so gracious in spending time with us. We know you are extremely busy. We’ve even been told you’re about to disappear for several months to write your next novel and will be out of communication with the media world. We are very grateful for the opportunity to ask you some questions. One final one, though. Take stock of your life and how you have used God’s gift of writing in your life. At the end of it all, when you finally meet Elyon, what would you want him to say of you?

TD: This, my friends… This is the one who has stolen my heart.