Guest Post by Cinda Jo Bauman

 

Writing About God for the Secular Children’s Audience 

by Cinda Jo Bauman 

Spoiler alert. The 12-year-old main character in my book, Only My Horses Know, says “crap.” 

Several people told me that if a publisher for Christian books found interest in this manuscript, they would make me take the “crap” out of it. But I wanted my characters to be slightly rough and rowdy, a little like I was way back then. I wanted God in my books, but I wanted the books to be available in all bookstores, not only the Christian bookstores. So, I decided to take my chances and let her say it, more than once even. 

I was lucky to have been raised to believe in God. Thinking back, I really can't remember my parents talking to me about faith. We were not huge church goers. I loved vacation Bible school each summer, and I enjoyed the occasional church visits with friends and family; so, it must have been a combination of the great example my parents set for me and the pieces of teachings I encountered growing up that added up enough to make me explore my faith as I got older. So many kids are not that lucky.

When our daughter was young, I browsed the children's section of Christian bookstores. At that time, what I found were books retelling Bible stories, and books whose characters already had relationships with God. Those characters were also squeaky-clean perfect. I found shelves of great books for the Christian market. Christian parents look for books at Christian bookstores, which is fantastic. But what about the “could be” Christian (or insert denomination here) kids? Would they be interested in books about kids they had nothing in common with? Will families who haven’t found their faith yet shop there? Where were the books that introduced kids to God, only gently, from characters they could see themselves in? 

In Only My Horses Know, Kylie and her family go through some tough changes, changes that are too much for a 12-year-old to figure out alone. But the fear of how her friends would talk about her mom’s embarrassing, confusing behavior forces Kylie to have secrets that only her horses know. Some things are just too big for one player to handle; but once you realize who your captain is, He will send you a team of helpers. In Kylie’s case, this is her family, friends, and community. In this story, Kylie’s faith wavers slightly, but when she looks back, she realizes that God was there all along, waiting for her to let Him be her captain. 

This is book one of the Hope and Horses series. I have begun book two, and book three is ready for revisions. 

I pray that God will help me to introduce young readers to Him without them even realizing it. Like a friend told me, “Without shoving God down their throats." Who knows? Maybe one kid will read my book and utter one tiny prayer, and one spark of hope will flicker up to God. Wouldn’t that be great? 

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Cinda Jo Bauman is the author of Only My Horses Know. This is her debut novel. She lives in Central Illinois with her husband and dogs and is currently working on book two in the Hope and Horses series. She is a talented artist, and she created the cover of the novel using the cut paper technique! See more art on her website here.