Just fired-up this blog! (August 2012)

First Entry.

I'm checking out eBlogger to see how they format things, what their pages look like, how user-friendly their software is.

I am an author of young adult fiction in the action-adventure genre.  My debut novel is Trident's Flame (2012, NavPress).

There is a Jake Sloan Adventures Facebook page at:
http://www.facebook.com/JakeSloanAdventures?bookmark_t=page

Trident’s Flame 

A Jake Sloan Adventure

Teenager Jake accompanies his father, a science professor and former CIA field officer, on a science trip to Kodiak, Alaska, when they are attacked by a ruthless agent who wants the highly classified research code-named Firehot-19.  The focus of their search is a military-grade acid produced by the plants that grow at the ocean floor near the vents of the Trident volcanoes.  The mysterious agent is willing to assassinate Jake’s father to get his hands on the classified data, even sink their ship if necessary.  What he doesn’t count on is a well-trained Christian youth with strong convictions about defending the lives of others.

Central spiritual truth communicated: 

Through God we can take valiant action, heroic, live-giving and life-saving actions (Psalm 60:12).  Even though it might be difficult to accomplish, God will help us, and will bring others to our aid along the way.

Central spiritual principles exemplified:

·     Aspire to endure hardship well, knowing that enduring hardship for others is heroic.

·     We need to act on convictions to do good for others, not merely possess those convictions.

·     Desire to do the good thing God has put in front of you; and trust in God for outcomes.

·     Lay your future in God’s hands, waiting for Him to lead, and so avoid rushing into what you want.

Short Bio:

Daniel S. Fox, Ph.D. and his wife homeschool their three children in Monterey, California, where he is also employed as a college professor.  He teaches public speaking, team-based communication, human communication theory, leadership, and communication for teachers.   Dan describes his goal as “equipping learners to speak comfortably in public, and to lead effectively in small groups, teams and organizations.” 

His heart for ministry has mostly focused on the young, or the young at heart.   His work with teens and young adults has varied over the years, from conventional church youth ministry to unconventional young adult missions training.  He has directed youth summer camps, counseled at youth retreats, spoken at missions training programs, church youth events, and homeschool conventions.  Dan also served as a boot camp team trainer for a summer missions program (International Action Ministries) for young men.  He is an active outdoorsman, fisherman and mountain climber.

Education and Training: BA, Speech Communication, San Diego State University (focus: group communication; SS: language arts and MS California teaching credentials; MS and PhD, Speech Communication (focus: leadership and instructional communication), Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.

Intercollegiate Activities:  Phi Rho Pi National Champion in Reader’s Theatre, 1988; regular competitor in collegiate forensics (debate, public speaking, oral interpretation of literature, reader‘s theatre); Student Speech Communication Association; teaching awards (SIUC).

Speaking, Teaching & Training:  Dr. Fox is available for speaking, teaching and training.  Inquiries should be made to doctarifox@yahoo.com or through NavPress. 

Past topics have included Fathering, Father as Teacher, The Home Schooling Dad, Home Schooling Explorations (Method). 

Writing topics: Writing from a Christian World View, A Writing Philosophy as Your Authorial Rudder. 

Team and Missions Training:  Preparing for Intercultural Contact, Team-Based Communication, Leading from the Front-Leading from the Heart.

Writing Experience:  Trident’s Flame is his debut novel (published by NavPress, 2012).  It is part of a larger action-adventure series, including Sanctum Threat, Force Multiplier, and Bone Breaker.  The books were inspired by Frank Peretti’s Cooper Family Adventures, written during the 80’s.  He read Peretti’s eight-book series to his kids many times, and they always wanted to know more about what happened to Jay and Lila, and asked whether Dr. Cooper ever remarried in later years.  The series discontinued, so Dan found himself thinking of ways to continue the action-adventure genre for youth that would keep God’s worldview and values in the center of the storyline.  As a result Jake Sloan was born.  And the Jake Sloan Adventures were created during family road trips when everyone had a hand in adding ideas, twists and turns, and exciting characters to the JSA world.