A homeschooling father of
six and a former F-16
fighter pilot, Chuck Black
wasn’t looking to become a
writer. He just wanted to
help his kids grasp the
significance of their faith.
A middle-of-the-night story about a
Prince who saves His people from the
Dark Knight mesmerized his children. At
first it disappointed Chuck. He wondered,
Why should a fictional story capture my
children’s hearts the way I want the
Gospel to?
But then he realized Jesus also told
fictional stories with deep spiritual
significance. Encouraged by wife Andrea,
Chuck shared the story with other
families. It soon grew to a self-published
series of books of six novels. Those books,
the Kingdom series, retell the Bible story
from Genesis to Revelation, setting it in a
land of knights and castles. As the books’
popularity grew, it became difficult to
handle alone, and Multnomah stepped in.
Chuck’s current series, The Knights
of Arrethtrae (Multnomah), tells of the
brave warriors who take the Prince’s
story to the far reaches of Arrethtrae and
fight the Dark Knight’s evil schemes.
Rather than base this second series on
actual events, Chuck focuses on common
issues with which teens struggle—like
greed, apathy, and escapism.
“The Bible says that we believers
have the ability to tear down high
places,” Chuck says. “So often we forget
about that spiritual battle and fail to
participate in it. So that’s really my goal,
to open their eyes to the spiritual warfare
and to get them excited about being
warriors for Christ.”
One of the most powerful books in the
series, Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart,
grew out of Chuck’s own struggles with
doubt as a young adult—something often
overlooked by families today. At a
homeschool convention where Chuck
spoke to more than 500 parents, all
admitted they struggled with doubt and
likely their children did too. Almost none
of them had talked to their kids about it.
“You do not want your children
leaving home with unresolved doubt,”
Chuck cautions. He cites John the
Baptist as an example of a godly man who
wrestled with doubt. “Even though we
have periods of doubt, God’s love reaches
through that and pulls us to His truth.”
The final two books of the series
released in October: Sir Quinlan and the
Swords of Valor tells of an inexperienced
warrior whose actions bring calamity to
an elite fighting group. When the Prince
calls, can Quinlan lead the men he let
down? Sir Rowan and the Camerian
Conquest brings the tale of a tournament
knight who is kidnapped and left for
dead. Can Rowan overcome his pride to
serve a higher calling in a distant land?
Chuck’s writing has grown into a
family business. Several of them travel
around the country for conventions, and
all help with marketing and promotion.
His daughter, Emily, composed nearly 100
songs for the audio
drama versions of
all 12 books.
Chuck also has a
huge heart for
parents connecting
with their kids. “I
want to help our
young people
understand that
being a Christian
isn’t just going to
Sunday school and
church,” Chuck says.
“It’s about daily
understanding that
spiritual warfare
happening around them, and that they
are called to be part of that.”
—Katie Hart