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According to recent Simba Information Estimates, the #3 highest-earning book genre is religious and the #4 is fantasy and science fiction. Authors Catherine Sharpe and Julie Bryson certainly did not foresee those statistics when they created their book series “Eternity’s Account” — which combines both those genres — over ten years ago. But with the release of their fourth book in the series, “Eternity’s Account: Rulers”, the authors know their original motivation may now be coming to fruition.
“We both had young kids at the time, and we were seeing so many young people digesting the Harry Potter and Twilight books,” says Sharpe. “We wanted something that would provide similar adventure stories, but that would be grounded in Biblical truth. If you don’t have much background in the Bible you can still read these stories and get something out of them. But if you are well versed in the Bible then when you read the stories, you will recognize situations and hints that might be overlooked by others.”
Bryson says they purposefully set out to make the series appeal to all readers. “We present so many facets of life between the characters’ relationships and movement between the dimensions that there is something for everyone,” says Bryson. “The supernatural tends to draw both readers of a suspicious nature as well as spiritual nature. Our intent has always been to reveal the good and expose the evil. Sometimes that exposure can be misunderstood as promotion. But, I assure you our intent is to expose and not promote.”
The “Eternity’s Account” series was put on hold when, in 2010, the two authors—who are also neighbors— both had to take on the responsibilities of their aging parents. Their respective fathers were put in hospice care and each set of parents moved in with their daughters and their families. Then in 2011, both of their fathers died just a few months apart. Though their series has taken severe detours, both Sharpe and Bryson are committed to its completion.
“When we first started out,” says Bryson, “we had in mind that it would take seven books to go through the entire Bible. But here we are on book four and we’re not even to the flood yet!”
“I cannot tell you how many times Julie and I had a plan of what our day was going to look like and then it got derailed and none of it got done,” says Sharpe. “It’s great to have a plan, but you have to be flexible. In that flexibility, we learned to be thankful in all things.”
“It was 30 some odd years before the ultimate goal was reached in Jesus’ life,” says Bryson. “During His life, He had several stops that might have felt like distractions but every one of them was necessary.”
Sharpe concludes, “Like Israel in the wilderness, it was about the journey.”
For more information, visit https://www.eternitysaccount.com.
About Eternity’s Account
About the Authors:
Catherine (Cam) Sharpe:
Catherine Sharpe graduated from New Mexico Military Institute, achieved a Master’s degree from California State University Northridge, and earned her doctorate in Language and Culture from the University of Texas Austin and Strassford University. She has three boys and has been married to her husband Larry for over 20 years. They reside in Louisiana.
Julie Bryson:
Julie Bryson authored the book “Out of the Ashes: How Autism Changed My Life” after her youngest of three daughters was diagnosed as autistic. She is a cosmetologist and fitness instructor. She has been married to her husband Chris since 1994, and they live next door to Catherine.
