Resources by Topic: Randy's Books

In October of 2010 Randy took a trip to Albany Georgia to research the setting and filming location of the movie Courageous in order to write the novel of the same name. These are some of his pictures, video clips and memories from the trip.

The challenge is to be 100 percent true to the movie and yet still develop a compelling part of a larger storyline that’s not in the movie.

Last year I said yes to writing a novel based on the screenplay of the new movie Courageous, which is being released in theaters on September 30. The movie was done by the Kendrick brothers, Stephen and Alex, who produced Facing the Giants and Fireproof. As Fireproof centered on fire fighters and marriage, Courageous centers on police officers and fatherhood and, not surprisingly, COURAGE for men in their homes and personal lives.

Every novelist knows that movies don’t just have plots, they have themes. And in the exploration of those themes there is inevitably a message, whether or not it is carefully crafted.

Some months ago I was contacted by Time magazine reporter Tim Newcomb, who asked me a number of questions about the Courageous movie and the novel. 

I just read the Courageous novel yesterday. That's right.....all 375 pages in one day. It was incredible! The best $11 I have spent in a long while. And the best book I can remember reading. Time to apply it all now! Go get the book, or better yet, gift it to someone! -M.H.

In this audio clip, Randy Alcorn talks about his novel Safely Home, and the painting that inspired him to write it.

Recorded at the 2011 International Christian Retail Show (ICRS) in Atlanta.

One of the most frequent questions I get asked on my Facebook page is, “Will there be another Ollie Chandler story, a follow up to Deception?” 

In this under 3 minute clip, Randy talks about his favorite chapter in the book that discusses how Christ is the only answer who is bigger than the questions.

When I wrote Deception, the spiritual themes are interwoven into the central plot, the murder mystery. Ollie’s recognition that everything is not as it appears applies not only to the murder, but to the larger issues of his life.

I like reading murder mysteries—particularly the Nero Wolfe books by Rex Stout. I love Sherlock Holmes. In fact, every chapter of Deception starts with a great quote from a Holmes story. It was fun matching those with the contents of particular chapters. Many people enjoy murder mysteries, so there’s potential for a wide audience.

The main character, Ollie Chandler, is an unbeliever. He blames a God he’s not sure exists for the loss of his wife to cancer; he’s haunted by the death of another loved one; and he’s alienated from his grown daughters.

I remember various secular media interviews where they couldn’t figure out how a murder mystery could have a spiritual theme! They would say things like wow, that was an interesting story, and….that other-worldly stuff was…well, it was different, wasn’t it?