I’m so excited to introduce you to fellow Scrivenings Press author, Lana Christian.
Lana Christian is an award-winning author in business and creative writing. Since 2021, she has won more than a dozen awards for her biblical fiction and nonfiction. Lana is a science, history, and archaeology geek who loves hiking, secret staircases, and masala chai tea. Her greatest desire is that her stories will immerse readers in a place and time they may know little about but will come away with an experience that exceeds their expectations.
Christina: What is your book called?
Lana: Survival Secrets
Christina: When was it released?
Lana: Sept. 23, 2025
Christina: Is it a series?
Lana: Yes (genre: biblical fiction)
The series title is The Magi’s Encounters. Survival Secrets is Book 2 in the series.
Christina: Can you share your blurb with us?
Lana:
On the run from Herod and the Nabataeans, Akilah makes a desperate decision to venture into the unforgiving Wilderness of Paran. To reach Egypt’s safety, his caravan must survive the elements while maintaining their anonymity and protecting the secrets they harbor. Bound by their shared knowledge of Yeshua, the group carries a truth powerful enough to upend empires, yet fragile enough to fracture their resolve. That’s one of many secrets that jeopardize their lives. When calamity tears one Wise Man away from the others, the group’s strength of will and newfound faith start to crumble. Farther from their goal of returning to Persia than ever before, they encounter Yeshua’s family again. Its ramifications raise the stakes for their cost of belief in the Hebrew God. Two thousand miles away, Akilah’s estranged cousin, Farzaneh, wrestles with the same as she tries to uncover secrets her husband took to his grave when he embraced the Hebrew faith. As life shifts radically for everyone, each person must risk trusting an unfathomable, sovereign God. Survival Secrets is a gripping continuation of the Magi’s journey—one that trades awe for endurance and replaces philosophical questions with costly obedience. As life shifts radically for
everyone, each person must risk trusting an unfathomable, sovereign God.
Christina: That sounds exciting! What inspired you to write this book?
Lana: I write biblical fiction because, as Christians, we can offer something this hurting world desperately needs—the Hope of Christ. In the first century, that wasn’t so obvious. Old Testament prophecies pointed to Christ. Jewish priests debated it and misinterpreted it. How much more difficult was it for foreigners to understand those prophecies? That’s where we find the Magi at the beginning of my series. I’m sure they wrestled with those writings and the unique concepts of the Jewish faith, particularly an eternal child-king. How did they reconcile that with all they’d known and practiced up until that point? As priest-scholars, they were duty-bound to uphold their country’s official religion. Going against that was preeminently dangerous. We don’t realize they risked everything to follow their convictions. But then, as now, when you sell out to God, He will test you. Survival Secrets chronicles the earliest acid tests of the Wise Men’s faith as they flee from Herod and other enemies.
So much of what we think we know about the Wise Men is tradition rather than truth. The truth is so much more exciting! I want to tell their story—to turn their 2D stained-glass images into 3D, real people—and show readers how they can relate to the Wise Men’s struggles and doubts. Who knows? It may also encourage some readers to crack open a Bible.
Christina: I love that! What’s your favorite part of your writing process?
Lana: Co-creating with God. I contribute the sweat equity; I do my homework with researching and writing, but I can’t begin to describe how many times God gently nudges me to write something a certain way, to think of a plot twist, or to retrieve a piece of research that, six months ago, I thought was interesting but not germane to the book. Suddenly, that nugget becomes crucial to the plot. Suddenly, the writing sparkles. I can’t take credit for the way things fall into place like that. It’s an immense privilege to co-create with God.
Christina: That’s a great concept: co-creating with God. Can you share any challenges you faced during the research or writing process?
Lana: All books require some amount of research to make them believable. Doing research for biblical fiction carries additional weight. First and foremost, I stay true to the biblical narrative. The Bible is good about telling what happens but is short on why. For example, what motivated the Wise Men to search foreign writings to see if anyone had chronicled the appearance of an elusive, new star? How did they link that to prophecies of Jesus’ birth? Where biblical details end, I look to world history to see how current events and cultural norms would have influenced my characters. It can take a lot of digging to find the most accurate, timely accounts. Even then, I need to be aware that “journalistic slant” is nothing new. For example, the Greeks disdained the Persians and thought they were “weak” in many respects, so first-century Greek historians didn’t necessarily write about Persians in a positive light—despite their marvelous inventions, laws, and other accomplishments.
Christina: How do you develop your characters? Do they come to you fully formed, or do they reveal themselves as you write?
Lana: Gosh, it would be great if my characters came to me fully formed! Despite crafting extensive backstories for my characters’ backstories and doing in-depth character profiles before I start writing, my characters still surprise me when I place them in different situations. For example, in New Star, the first book of The Magi’s Encounters, the character I originally thought would be the main antagonist turned out to be a scapegoat—not the main bad guy.
Christina: If you could give one piece of advice to budding creatives, what would it be?
Lana: Do your homework. Learn both the craft and business of writing. I personally find the latter harder to learn, as the publishing industry constantly changes. What works with book marketing this year may not work next year. In both arenas, be judicious where you spend your money—and bathe everything in prayer before you act!
Christina: Can you describe your writing routine?
Lana: I still have a day job—another writing career, which is very deadline-driven—so my routine for creative writing varies from day to day. The one constant is that I make myself do something for it every day—even if it’s just doing research or sketching what I want to have happen in a scene. I need uninterrupted chunks of time to write; so if I have only a half hour to devote to creative writing, I’ll jot notes of “here’s what should happen in this scene” without actually drafting it. But early in the morning, on weekends, or whenever I have a lull in my day job, I write in earnest.
Christina: What do you hope readers will take away from your book?
Lana: Survival Secrets’ dedication page hints at that answer. It says: “This book is dedicated to everyone who has ever said, ‘My problem is too big. The task is too hard. I can’t see a way through this.’”
With that as a springboard, I hope readers take away four things from this book:
- You don’t need to have everything figured out about God to trust Him.
- When you do trust Him with your life, He will lead you into a wilderness—some form of isolation—to see if you’re serious about following Him.
- No matter how desperate that looks, He will never leave you.
- Faith doesn’t travel in a straight line. Times of doubt are OK. God will see you through.
Christina: What has been the most rewarding part of your publishing journey?
Lana: Having people say my books made them appreciate the Wise Men in a new light and understanding what it might have been like for them is deeply rewarding to hear. Some readers say they’ll never think of Christmas in the same way again because now the Wise Men are real to them. Some say they understand for the first time how much peril the Wise Men were in when they defied Herod. Others said history came alive to them because of my attention to historical detail and accuracy. All those comments are gratifying beyond what I can express.
Christina: Now, let’s have some fun and get to know you better! What is your favorite snack to get your creative juices flowing?
Lana: Hot masala chai tea is my go-to.
Christina: What childhood story has stuck with you through adulthood?
Lana: A Wrinkle in Time
Christina: What book are you reading right now?
Lana: Barbara Britton’s latest book, Across the Lake: Traveling with Jesus Around the Sea of Galilee, which released January 6, 2026.
Christina: If you could have dinner with any author, living or deceased, who would it be and why?
Lana: My #1 author I’d love to talk with would be Madeleine L’engle. A Wrinkle in Time has been my all-time favorite book since I first read it in 5th or 6th grade (but I love all her books). Moreover, I admire her life and witness. I would ask her how she persevered through so much personal and professional hardship. For financial reasons, she had to write. But more than two dozen publishers turned down A Wrinkle in Time. They complained how “unusual” it was. They didn’t like its female protagonist and its “complex” ideas. She endured constant criticism from both Christians and nonChristians. Some said her books didn’t have enough of a faith-based message; others said they had too much of it. So it’s especially remarkable that she maintained, “You have to write the book that wants to be written.” And I love this quote, too: “If the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.” That’s part of her genius. Children and adults alike love her books because they can be read on multiple levels. I’d love to hear her explain how she did that.
Christina: You just won free tickets to anywhere in the world! Where are you going? And who are you taking?
Lana: It would be a toss-up between Banff (Canada) and Switzerland. Both have the most awe-inspiring mountains and scenery in the world. I’d take three BFFs with me: a fellow author who’s mentored me, my college BFF, and a dear church friend—because all three are true “2 a.m. friends.”
Christina: What upcoming writing projects are you working on?
Lana: I’m hard at work on Book 3 in The Magi’s Encounters series and am simultaneously writing Book 4 (the final book) in the series. I also have several devotional books, a split-time faith-based fictional novel, and a contemporary retelling of a biblical story in various stages of development.
Christina: And because every writer is asked this question, are you a Plotter or Pantser?
Lana: Plantser. I don’t create outlines (there’s a whole story behind why), but I do a lot of pre-writing before I start drafting. I do extensive character analyses, create mind maps to show the relationships among characters, and create a solid story arc before I write that first sentence.
Christina: Thank you so much for chatting with me, Lana! I loved your insights on writing!
If you would like to connect with Lana or learn more about her books, please visit the links below:
https://www.facebook.com/BiblicalandHistoricalFiction/