Full Transcript for This Present Darkness: 40 Years Later

hey, I had my first computer, so that was quite the deal. 00:07:06 S1: Okay, so right there, because in the new version of this, the 40th anniversary edition, this is what I like the most. I like the, the new introduction and the ending that you write. You don't change the ending of it, but you, you just have some reflections there. But all throughout the book are these copies of your original typed version of the first draft. And you can see, you know, in your handwriting, you kind of scratch this out and you change this, you change that. And then the story continues. I loved that, and I don't know how in the world you found that first edition, the original copy. 00:07:49 S2: Isn't that cool? Um, that was the original. Let me read back the clock. Uh, I was working at the University research library at UCLA when I was going to school down there. And, uh, they were throwing out a whole stack of form letters. Um, I think they had something to do with your book is overdue, blah, blah, blah. Anyway, they were throwing them out and I was a poor student at the time, and I saw a deal when I saw it, you know, hey, those form letters are blank on the back. So I said, you know, they're going to throw them out. I said, I'll take them. So I took this big old stack of form letters home and I put I put the first page in my old Royal medallion two electric typewriter with a broken left margin. I started tapping out this present darkness on the back of UCLA form letters. I still have those original letters, you know, the original manuscript in my closet and. Well, David C cook heard about that and they said, oh, get that digitized, get a copy of that and send it to us. And so at the beginning of every chapter in this new 40th anniversary edition, they've got a page typed on the back of a UCLA form letter with, you know, all the corrections and the scratch outs and the so. Well, there's some history for you. I still have that old original manuscript. 00:09:25 S1: I loved it, and I love it that you remember the type of typewriter, because I was going to say, was it an IBM Selectric? No, it was a royal, but it was electric. Right? 00:09:34 S2: Yeah, yeah. I was big time then, man. I had an electric typewriter. 00:09:40 S1: And that's the other thing about this story, Frank. It is set in time. It is set in a time when there were no cell phones, there was no internet. You had the newspaper reporters with a cassette player. You know all of that. So here's what I'm going to do. I'll call a time out. We're going to take a break. I'll settle down because I'm so excited to talk with Frank Peretti. I want to ask him some writing advice. You may want to do the same. Or you want to ask about this present darkness. The question that I put up on Facebook, and you can answer it there or give me a call. How have Frank Peretti stories touched your life? You can answer on Facebook or call this number (877) 548-3675. You waited 40 years to talk with Frank Peretti. Today it might happen. (877) 548-3675. This Present Darkness, the 40th anniversary edition is our featured resource. Chris Fabry live dot. We opened the door to the back fence and look who strolled in. Frank Peretti, New York Times best selling author. This present darkness has come out now. It's the 40th anniversary edition. It's our featured resource. It is just gorgeous. And for those of you who read it 40 years ago and then gave your copy away, here's a good idea. Uh, and our number is (877) 548-3675. I went back and listened to a conversation we had at the Christian Booksellers convention in in 95, so it was 31 years ago. And there was a lady named Dorothy who called us at the time. You were living in Idaho. Are you still in Idaho? 00:11:35 S2: Oh, yeah. Yeah. Still same area? Pretty much. 00:11:39 S1: Um, and Dorothy said that she sees you writing on your tractor and it was a Kabuto or something like that. Do you still have that tractor? 00:11:52 S2: Oh my word. I've had three Kubota's Kubota. Okay, sounds like a commercial. But, uh, then we moved to our most recent house. We've been here going on six years, but it came with a John Deere tractor. So I'm driving a John Deere now. And, you know, I'm kind of the guy, you know, I put on my cap and my flannel shirt and I go out and drive my tractor. And no home should be without one. 00:12:21 S1: Yes, exactly. Okay, so I looked it up. And if if the internet is correct, when this present darkness came out, it was originally cost $6.50. Is that does that sound true? 00:12:36 S2: Uh, yeah, I guess so. That's a good guess. 00:12:39 S1: Okay, so at at 650, what you got. When I held it in my hand. I remember when you came to the studio and there was somebody from Crossway who was with you. And when I said this, the person was in the control room and I saw him clap his hands and just say, yes. What I said was, there is a feel to this book. There is a feel to the paper. There's something about it that just feels so good. And I think that was part of the sales. You know, it wasn't just the word of mouth or just the story. There was something about the tactile feel of that book. Do you agree with that? 00:13:21 S2: You know, I've heard a lot of people say that. Um, yeah, that's probably true. I hadn't really thought about it that much because I've seen this book in so many different forms, you know, and, and this 40th anniversary edition, it's out there, uh, as a physical book, as an e-book, it's going to be an audiobook. But hey, this this book, the physical book is it's a Cadillac, you know, it's got lots it's got lots of cool stuff. 00:13:52 S1: Well, maybe it's a Tesla. Yeah. You used to be Cadillac. Now it's a Tesla, but. 00:13:57 S2: You can't give it that. 00:13:58 S1: Yeah. Okay. You have not updated it. You didn't make it, you know, knew where everybody's got a phone that they're carried around with them. It is the original story. Why did you decide to do that? 00:14:10 S2: That's yeah. You know we talked about

that. Oh, should we update it? And then, uh, you know, it's interesting. I wrote this back in the mid wow from 78 to 83. Wow. That's back there. There were no personal computers, no cell phones. Um, the people in the newspaper office there use typewriters. They paste up the newspaper with actual paper galleys, uh, if they need to contact each other, they have to get to a phone somewhere. Um, what's, uh. Well, number one, if we updated it and gave everybody a cell phone that would torpedo a lot of the suspense in the story because they could contact each other immediately. Uh, it would make their research a lot easier. Instead of going around and talking to people and snooping around, they can just go on the internet and find out. Uh, it's just really jimmied up the story. And then, well, we finally decided, you know what? Let's just call it a period piece. This is it's a story written back in the late 70s to early 80s. And, uh, it really stands alone on its own as, as that it's genuine to the time it was written. So. Oh, cool. We'll go with that. 00:15:32 S1: Look at what happened. You wrote a historical novel and you didn't even know it. 00:15:37 S2: Yeah. 00:15:40 S1: Okay, I have a lot of questions for you, but I'm going to open the phone lines. If you've always wanted to talk with Frank Peretti and tell him what this present darkness or Piercing the Darkness or another book that he has written, what it means to you. Eight. 7754836. Seven five. Laura is in Tennessee. Hi, Laura. Go right ahead. 00:16:00 S3: Hello. Uh, thank you for writing these books, but what I wanted to say is, um, the oath actually showed me how ugly and stinky sin is. How that even if you think you've got it hidden, other people can sense it and smell it and tell it. And I think that's a very important thing as a Christian, to know about sin. 00:16:21 S1: MM. I think that came out in 95, didn't it, Frank? 00:16:27 S2: Boy, you would know, I don't remember, but it sounds about right. That that is very, very good observation. I'm glad the book meant that to you? Um, well, just a little anecdote. I was, you know, looking for an idea, and I'm going to be real vague here. I don't want anyone to. But I was on a Christian cruise with some really named Christian personalities, and it turned out that there was. Man oh man. There was some sinful behavior going on. And, uh, I was troubled about that. And then that night, I dreamed about a dragon. And in the morning I said, hey, that would be a good way to do a parable about sin. Let's put sin in a body and make it a dragon and show how it sneaks into the heart, how it becomes a pet, how it begins to rule your life. And, um, that that's a good story that makes a good movie. But you're so right. That's exactly what the book is about. Thank you very much. Yes. 00:17:40 S4: Thank you. Laura. 00:17:41 S1: Okay, so you mentioned the M word movie. I remember now this was late 80s and you didn't say this on the air, but at the time you said

we have interest from Howard Kazanjian about the. Wow. What was working with Star Wars at the time? You mentioned his name as being interested, and now it's been 40 years and I still haven't seen the film. Did I miss it? 00:18:08 S2: No, it's been quite a saga. Uh, let's see. Uh, Howard Kazanjian, Bruce Isaacson and Dean Jones wanted to make a movie, and, uh, they couldn't quite get the financing together. They sold the rights to 20th Century Fox. 20th Century Fox sat on it for about 30. That's three zero years. And then MGM picked it up with some other producers. They went their way without doing anything. And then there was another producer after that. That was interesting. And now we have some really nice, real strong Christian believer guys that are they're going to try it again. So God has his timing for things. And, uh, well, me, me listening, something might come to the surface. It might become public, uh, this coming year. Maybe they'll start, you know, working on it or something. But here's what I. 00:19:10 S1: Here's what I think, Frank. I think it would be, it would be a great film, but a serial, you know, like an eight part series, it could be an entire series that is done. What do you think of that idea? 00:19:24 S2: I think that's just fine. There's plenty of material there. We may end up having to do that because it is a big Story with a lot of content and a lot of characters and so forth. If you try to shrink it down into a movie length, um, at least I'm finding out there's a lot we're missing a lot and isn't as big as it ought to be, but, uh, we'll see how things go. Uh, that's an excellent idea, though. I as a matter of fact, the oth, uh, there were some folks talking about making the oth a, uh, when you call it like a streamed miniseries kind of thing. About six episodes or something like that. And, uh, that that would be a good idea. So man, you know, things have changed over 40 years. You know, the things you can do. 00:20:17 S4: Exactly. 00:20:18 S1: Okay, so you went to 14 publishers because you just told us you finished it in 83, but it wasn't published until 86. That's because you sent it to publisher after publisher after publisher that said no. Thanks a lot. No, thanks. Have you ever thought what might have happened if you had stopped with the 13th publisher and not sent it to number 14? 00:20:46 S2: I think what would have happened is I would have, oh. SAT licking my wounds for a few months, and then I would have sent it out again. Um, you know, because there was this compulsion from the Lord. Um, I just like I, I, uh, I gave up on that book a couple times. Just put it aside kind of thinking, well, this is never going to go anywhere. Who's ever going to read this? And I had to go back to it, and I think the Lord would have compelled me to finish it. And, uh, so I'm glad I didn't have to wait for number 14. Crossway finally came around. You know what? Crossway rejected it the first time, and then I sent him one of my young adult books, and they really liked that one. And then they said, well, by the way, you know, we're going to publish that. We like it. By the way, why don't you send us that other idea you had about spiritual warfare? And so I, I hadn't even typed the thing up yet. And balm. And I and her mom got three typewriters going and we typed up 750 pages. You know, this is in the old days, no thumb drives, no disks. No. And we mailed that manuscript in a box that church bulletins came in and went to the publisher, and they had to get it out and pick up each page and read it. You know, it took several months, but then they called and said, we'd like to publish it. And I couldn't believe it. 00:22:20 S1: So I what I hear over and over, Frank, is people say the thing that it made me do more than anything it stirred in me was the importance of intercessory prayer and how and how it stoked people's prayer life. After reading it, have you heard that a lot? 00:22:46 S2: All the time. All the time. Which. Okay, excellent. The Lord is using the book to just, uh, light that spark and let people just let people know your prayers make a difference. And, uh, that's something I keep. I talk to the Lord about that all the time. Lord, I need to pray more. I need to believe in the power of prayer. Um, uh, I fictionalized it, of course, but prayer is a big element in the book. And, uh, the, the bad guys, you know, and all the conflict that all begins to change gears when God's people start praying, Then the, you know, the angels, they start getting the breaks, you know, and they start breaking through. And, uh, it's, it's a real exciting story. And, uh, it's yeah, go, go crazy. It's great. 00:23:42 S1: Frank Peretti is with us at the back fence today. Michelle, I asked the question, how have Frank Brady's stories touched your life? Michelle says, growing up, I read Stephen King, and then in my early 20s, I found Frank and never looked back. I actually got to meet him at a Gaither Praise gathering in Indianapolis several years ago. He's another reason why I love to write and read. I'm so thankful that he made spiritual warfare real for me to understand, Karen said. His books opened my eyes to spiritual warfare like no other. Diane said the same thing. This present darkness was eye opening. And then Lisa says, God used this present darkness almost 30 years ago to open my eyes. There it is again. To the very real and unseen realm of the spirit. The battle of good and evil is very real. This book helped me become aware, spiritually awake, more discerning, more fervent and intentional in prayer, and in helping me realize I needed to learn how to pray more effectively. One day I hope to thank Mr. Peretti for answering God's call to write. I praise God for him and his work. I've referred countless people to this book and have read several others that he penned. God bless you today. So that's Lisa. Lisa broke through and was able to say that to Frank Peretti today, and I want

to give you the opportunity as well. Here's the number (877) 548-3675. That's the number where you can give us a call and talk with Frank Peretti. On this 40th anniversary of this present darkness, that new edition of the book that has all of those things that we were just talking about a few minutes ago is out. It's our featured resource at the website. Chris Fabry live dot o g. The 40th anniversary purple edition of This Present Darkness. You'll see it right there. And on the inside cover is the original cover artwork all throughout there. It's just gorgeous. Eight. 775483675. Are numbered. 40 years ago, a novel came out from Crossway Publishers titled This Present Darkness After 40 Years. It's out in hardcover now and a special collector's edition from David C cook, and you can find a link to it at our website. chris.org. It has new reflections from Frank at the beginning and the end. It has images from the original manuscript and then a double sided die cut dust jacket. Say that five times without hurting yourself. Uh, and so I just was so excited when I heard this. It had come out and it came out yesterday to have Frank on and allow Christina in Tennessee to call in. Hi, Christina. Go right ahead. 00:26:55 S5: Hi. Thank you so much. I, I'm so excited that I tuned in today and got to hear this, um, and thrilled to get through. I, I discovered, uh, well, I guess I came to saving faith, not just had faith in the mid 90s and 96 and, uh, this present darkness and piercing the darkness, uh, you know, came on my radar pretty quickly. And, uh, and I know I picked up a third one. I think it was probably the oth um, and I just I've enjoyed them so much and you know, now hearing you talk about it, I'm like, I need to find those again because I moved from green Bay to Tennessee and I gotta find those books and start reading them again because I just, I love them so much. So I just wanted to say how much I they've just impacted my life and made such a memory memorable impact on me. 00:27:51 S4: Wow. 00:27:52 S2: That means so very, very much. That always means a lot to me because, uh, I'm just a writer sitting here at home and I need to know, and I that the Lord God really is using my work and that he's touching lives. And I never get tired of hearing, uh, people like you telling what the Lord has done for them and my books being a part of that. So thank you very, very much for calling in. It means a lot. 00:28:23 S1: I think there's something about the first thing you read after you've come to faith. Some of the first books that you allow to to go into your heart and your soul, they hang on to you and you hang on to them, you know? And for her, it was 30 years ago that that she read your story even though it's 40 years old. Do you remember anything that you read when you came to Christ, Frank, that made a dent in your soul or thereafter? 00:28:54 S2: Well, this is interesting. I read The Sunday Picks, our Sunday school paper that was published by David

C cook. Clear back then. It was a graphic novel, you know, like a comic book. And I still remember those Sunday school papers and those Bible stories. Um, they were a big part of my my life, my growing up and, um, yeah. Cook has reissued all of that in, uh, what is it, the action Bible or the big picture Bible? And I look at I've got it on my shelf here and you open it up and, hey, there's my Sunday school papers. They're still there. So, uh. Oh, yeah. Real precious stuff. Yeah, yeah. 00:29:45 S1: Uh, I read some people today saying that I read that book or those books when I was young, and I was probably too young because. Because they gave me nightmares. Have you ever heard that? 00:29:58 S2: Oh, yeah. Yeah, I've heard that, too. There are. Yeah, there are some folks when of course, that sensitivity. I wouldn't recommend these books for little kids or I don't know if you're kind of sensitive, but the thing I want to be sure to point out here is this is an action adventure kind of story. So it has good guys and bad guys. And one thing I like about the bad guys is we're putting a face on them. We're taking the mask off. They're not mysterious. Hidden spooks way behind there. You don't know who they are or where they are. No, we're giving them names. We're giving them faces. And we're showing how the prayers of the Saints can fight against these guys, and the angels can help them. And so there are good guys. Um, there was a someone, yeah, that wrote in that they started out with Stephen King. I've been compared to Stephen King, but I think a big difference is Stephen King always had regular flesh and blood humans trying to fight spiritual evil, but there was never a spiritual good to help them fight against it. And so I like to just let people know my book has a spiritual good to their spiritual good guys fighting the spiritual bad guys. So that's, that's hope. That's joy. That's victory right there. 00:31:29 S1: 40th anniversary of this present. Darkness is out piercing the darkness. The the new edition of that will be out. Uh, probably. Is it next year that that's coming out? 00:31:41 S2: Yeah, yeah, they're working on that right now. And it's got a gorgeous cover too. 00:31:46 S1: So I hope it's purple because I love the purple. Let me go to Kathleen in Indiana. Kathleen. Go right ahead. 00:31:54 S6: Well, Frank, I got so excited that I stopped what I was doing so I could be listening to every word you have to say. I was a baby Christian, and I think this present darkness just came out. We got invited with a group of people to go hear you speak in Indianapolis. So I probably am one of the first people that bought your book, This Present Darkness and I. When. When Piercing the darkness came out, I bought that right away. I read the house. Monster illusion, the oath, the visitation, the prophet. Anything you write, I read. I love the way you write. You write like it's a movie script and. And it engages me. And I give this book, this present darkness out as many people that will read it. And last year in our Bible study, um, it was one of the books that we all read together and it so renewed again, you know, that I, I probably 40 years ago was when I first read it and, um, I first had all my children read it and what it's really shared with me is to be aware of all the spiritual warfare out there. I was in my 20s, and I have been very aware of the spiritual warfare, thanks to the word you put down on paper, and I appreciate it. To me, you're amazing. You're amazing the way that you can describe what words, what facts can't describe. 00:33:29 S2: That. Thank you. That's that's amazing. That's, uh. That's the hand of God. I always marvel, uh, when wonderful people like you call or write, you know, and, uh, can see what God is doing. It's, uh. Thank you. Uh, and that's. Man, all I can say is thank you, but it means so much. Thank you. That's just wonderful. Praise the Lord. 00:33:53 S1: I'm glad you stopped what you were doing, Kathleen, to do this. I want to read something that somebody put on Facebook to when I said, what are Frank's stories? What have they done? I think this is from Karen. She said two words and put a heart at the end of it. She said, Tilly. And then she said, healing. Talk about Tilly. 00:34:14 S2: Oh, wow. Yeah, Tilly is a little. Oh. Okay, let's see, where did that start? That started out as a radio drama that I wrote. That's when I was living in that travel trailer with the Shack built around it. Uh, I wrote a story. Oh, I'm going to go back a little farther. Uh, some ladies came to our church. They represented an organization called, uh, Wiba Women Exploited by Abortion. And, uh, one of the gals gave a testimony how the Lord granted her healing from this abortion. She had had all the, you know, the sorrow and the guilt, that kind of thing. Uh, she had a dream. And in this dream, she encountered the child that she had lost. And I'm listening to this testimony, and I think that would make a great story. And so. Well, I always wanted to be a movie maker or something. Well, I couldn't make movies. I couldn't do video, but I had a tape recorder, so I got some actors in my church and we recorded, I wrote, and we recorded a radio drama called Tilly, and that was broadcast on our local station in Seattle, KCIS. They sent it down to focus on the family, focus on the family, produced their version of it, and then Crossway Books published a book version of Tilly and Oh, that was one of the focus on the family's most popular, most requested broadcasts, the radio drama Tilly. And she's still out there, I think in book and in recording form. She's still ministering. You don't hear a lot about her, but she's still touching women, you know, that need healing. And it's a precious story. 00:36:11 S1: I was going to ask you about Doctor Dobson because not only that, but he would play your some of the messages that you've given through the years and really give you a showcase for

the people who read your books. It was great. But then to hear your voice and your personality and, and everything that you did from behind the pulpit, that was a different side of you that most people hadn't heard. Right? 00:36:37 S2: That was yeah, that was my whole other avenue of ministry was I would travel about and speak and, uh, oh, man. Doctor Dobson was a wonderful friend in that regard. He, he played a lot of my sermons, uh, like whatever you call it, my talks, my lectures. I spoke for a few focus on the family events too. And, uh, that was a wonderful relationship. We had, uh, real significant part of my ministry in those days? 00:37:10 S1: Yeah. Frank Peretti is with us today at the Radio Backyard Fence. I am having so much fun here today talking about the 40th anniversary edition of This Present Darkness. It's out in hardcover. We have a featured resource for you. A link to it just came out yesterday. If you go to Chris fabry.org, you'll see it linked right there. Chris fabry.org. More with Frank straight ahead on Moody Radio. This Chris Fabry live on Moody Radio. If you go to Chris Fabry live.org, you'll see more about our special guest, Frank Peretti. This present Darkness is 40 years old, and the anniversary edition that came out just yesterday, and I opened to the very first chapter. Frank and I looked at your original typed version and here's what it says. And you got a little scrawl here and some words that are are cut out or just blacked out. And it says it was late on a full moon Sunday night when the two figures in tan fatigues appeared on highway 27, just outside the small college town of Ashton, comma in upstate New York, is marked out. And so you you never I don't think in the original novel you never say what state Ashton is in. Is that true? 00:38:49 S2: No. Yeah. That's that's interesting. No, I, I left that town rather generic. Yes. It's, uh, kind of, you'd almost think it's Midwestern. It's kind of surrounded by farmland and such. Uh, but you know, what's interesting about that is I never located that town. So I've had a lot of people over the years ask me, you know, you wrote about Our Town, didn't you? You know, we're going through that right now. And, uh, so it was very effective. Just kind of leave the town, you know, generic enough so people anywhere can identify with it. That worked better. 00:39:27 S1: What did the success do to you? Did it did it change you at all? 00:39:36 S2: Uh, I think in terms of initial change, it gave me a lot more joy in my life simply because I was doing what God had called me to do in the first place. Uh, when you're still struggling to find that that path the Lord has for you, that that can be frustrating and, uh, and sad. I remember having some real struggles with the Lord about Lord, what do you want me to do? I tried this, I tried that, I pastored and burned out. I, uh, what, what what's my life coming to? Oh, that's why in the, uh, introduction, the the dedication, it's dedicated to my wife. It says to Barbara Jane, wife and friend who loved me and waited. And what I meant by that was she married me. And she hung in there with me, waiting for me to figure out what in the world I was supposed to be doing and where God really wanted me. And she stuck by me, and she waited. And so it was very appropriate to put that dedication. Well, Barb, I'm a writer and the Lord wants me to be a writer. So. So that was the initial part of just getting used to that. The, uh. all the publicity and the marketing and the traveling and the speaking, that all had its place as a mode of ministry. But at the same time, uh, one has to be very just aware, hey, there's marketing and then there's who you really are. Yes. And I've been, I've been banged up pretty good in trying to sell books, you know. But, uh, um, the Lord, the Lord has used me now. Okay. Now, I've been through a lot. A lot older. Uh, looking back, you know, when you get to be 75, your life is more. It's not so much looking forward as looking back. And I reflect a lot on where I've been and the mistakes I've made, what I've learned and how I want to change and be more like Jesus, and how I recognize those parts of me that are not like Jesus. And that's a continual process. I've been through cancer. I've been through heart failure, and the Lord has spared me. And I'm still here. And my prayer is still, Lord, whatever you're trying to teach me, help me to get it. Help me to learn. Help me to be listening. And so, oh, you know what it really boils down to is you're in the Lord's hands and he'll lead you. He'll guide you. He'll get you there. Just trust him. Uh, all the other stuff doesn't matter. 00:42:33 S1: Okay, I got to play this for you because this is when you were 40. This is a gift for you, Frank. When you were 44, at the end of the program on that day, uh, I asked if somebody has an idea, don't call you. Right. And here's what I said. 00:42:50 S7: Because it's got to be real. It's got to be your idea. I have to hear from the Lord. You know, it's a matter of just praying and he's never let me down. We usually keep in good communication. He lets me know what to write about. Sometimes it's kind of like when he talks. Talk to Ezekiel. Son of man. Take a look at this. And he leads Ezekiel somewhere else. Now take a look at this. Now take a look at this. Sometimes I feel like the Lord's just kind of leading me by the nose or. Or picking me up by the hair like he did Ezekiel. Now look at this. And if I just follow his leading and kind of look at what he tells me to look at, then I start getting a message and then I can write it. 00:43:27 S1: See? There it is. You say the same thing. 31 years later, Frank. 00:43:32 S2: Well, that must work. But it's interesting. For the past, I don't know, 12, 13 years I've been in a real dry time. The Lord hasn't said a thing. And, uh, it's just now that, uh. I'm really looking to see. I think he made me stirring things up again. It's kind of like, oh, oh, oh, I know what it's like. It's like Elijah hiding out in the cave, you know? And the Lord finds he's not in the world, but he's not in the earthquake, he's not in the fire. Finally, the still small voice comes to Elijah and says, Elijah, what are you doing here? And, uh, I, uh, I'm seeking the Lord now. I think maybe he's ready to stir things up again. Maybe he's done what he wanted to do with, uh, the physical health struggles and so forth. And, uh. Boy, I'm still here. If he grants me the strength to live long enough, maybe he has some more in store, and I'll write something else. Uh, boy, I really trust him, though I know he'll get me where he wants me to be. So yeah, that was real interesting. Yeah. 00:44:46 S1: We have folks who've called in about the Mr. Henry videos, the Cooper kids adventures that sparked something inside of you, uh, and some memories that you have to Frank, I can't. I'm waiting for that third book, though. You've written the two. Now I'm looking for the trilogy. Maybe that's the thing that God is stirring in your heart and your soul, and I pray. I pray you'll trust him and that you'll keep on leaning on him as you keep walking the trail. 00:45:18 S2: That's what's coming up. I'm going to be seeking God about that. Um, just let's see what happens. It's an it's always an adventure. Just serving the Lord and trusting him to lead. So that's where I want to be. 00:45:32 S1: I can't tell you how many people have said that I've talked with through the years. Frank paved the way for us. Frank paved the way for other Christian fiction writers to become successful because people started to read Christian fiction and it excited them. So we tip our hat to you and look forward to what's in the future. And thanks for spending the time with us today, friend. 00:45:57 S2: Great to talk to you again after all these years. Fantastic. 00:46:01 S1: There he is. Frank E Peretti. The 40th anniversary edition of This Present Darkness is out in hardcover, but it's also digital. You know, you could get it on your Kindle, whatever your device is as well as it will be on audiobook, as Frank has told us here today. You can find out more about it at the website. Chris farrell.org. Chris Farrell dot ORG. And another friend is going to stop by who's had a really successful writing career. But there's a behind the scenes story from Doctor Gary Chapman. We're going to talk about that tomorrow right here on Chris Fabry Live, a production of Moody Radio, a Ministry of Moody Bible Institute. Thanks a lot for listening.