Interview with Traci Wooden-Carlisle and D. Tina Batten, authors of speculative fiction novel The Prayer Warrior
There is a thin line between the natural and the spiritual realm.
Ms. V., a humble servant of the Lord, has been placed on assignment at Center of Hope Christian Academy.
By day, she serves as a trusted counselor for students, giving them a safe haven to pour out their innermost feelings while providing professional and honest truth wrapped in a firm kindness and love that inevitably draws them closer to Jesus. Not to be outdone, the faculty also bends her ear from time to time.
By night, Ms. V. enters the spiritual realm and takes her place on the battlefield as one of God’s faithful prayer warriors. She wields her whispering sword, slicing through the enemy’s plans to bind the precious hearts under her charge.
Her assignment’s burden on her physical body is taxing, but can she withstand the strain and remain victorious?
Saving souls is her true mission, but at what cost?
Readers are in for a journey of spiritual intrigue and biblical insight as they experience the ramifications of each character’s life-altering decision.
Excerpt from The Prayer Warrior
The mist settling over the earth was about five inches high. It nearly obscured the ground in front of her as far as her eyes could see. She was reminded of mud-covered battlefields with little to shield one from enemy fire.
The clouds hung low, making the whole scene look like something out of an apocalyptic dream. The fallow ground before her was vast. It was a wasteland, offering only the promise that nothing would ever grow there again. The desolation could have gone on forever, except for the demonic presence that lined itself up like a dirty barrier of windows used to dim and conceal what was on the other side.
She felt them, though. She felt each and every one of the children held in bondage on the other side of that transparent demonic force. The thought brought to mind a scripture, and she looked down at the writing on the sword in her hand. She could have spent time thinking about how odd it was that she didn’t remember taking a sword with her, but there were more pressing matters, and she was happy to have the weapon to wield.
She began reading the inscribed scripture out loud, her voice ringing across the barren land slick with mud. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,”
As the words left her lips, they solidified in the atmosphere, charging toward their mark like a spear. They reached the barrier, causing it to shift and ripple but not tear.
An Interview with the Authors
-What inspired you to become a writer?
D. Tina Batten:
As a person of faith, I am inspired by the Lord. It is my destiny to be a writer. As a child, I enjoyed writing short stories. I won a few essay contests, but sports and performing arts always came first. It wasn’t until I turned my life over to the Lord when my writing skills and interest in writing truly manifested. I’ve been trying to perfect my craft ever since. I started out as a playwright, then screenwriter and now novelist. In doing so, I am fulfilling my purpose in life.
Traci Wooden-Carlisle:
At six I misdiagnosed with a reading disorder. It was right on the heels of slow speech development, so I can understand their direction of thinking. I was enrolled in an afterschool reading program from seven to nine years old, at which time they let my parents know that I was reading at the nineth grade level. Yet I was still having issues in school. The true reason turned out to be that I could see far enough to make out what was on the board to be able to read it.
So, by the time I received my first pair of glasses I was reading anything I could get my hands on and when I was grounded and forbidden to go to the library, I would write stories of my own.
–If you could visit your book’s world for a day, what one thing would you do?
D. Tina Batten:
The main character is a school counselor for high schoolers, and the faculty will also bend her ear from time to time. I would arrange an appointment with her for my own counseling session.
Traci Wooden-Carlisle:
I love my co-author’s answer and that would be one of my desires, but I would also like to enter one of her dreams and battle right beside her in the spirit world.
-It’s two in the morning. What does your protagonist reveal in confidence? (Don’t worry, we won’t tell.)
D. Tina Batten:
That she is a warrior in the army of God fighting demons on the battlefield helping to save souls.
Traci Wooden-Carlisle
That the passion driving her came from God but also the child she had to bury way too quickly.
-Which of your characters would you go out for drinks with?
D. Tina Batten:
Madison for sure. I love that character. She is spicy and tells it like it is.
Traci Wooden-Carlisle:
Madison. She is my girl. She is full of sass, and you never really know what will come out of her mouth.
-You’re in a tavern, and a dwarf challenges you to a duel. What do you do?
D. Tina Batten:
Tell him to sit down, order lunch or take a sip of something cold. He really doesn’t want any of this!
Traci Wooden-Carlisle:
I would call Ms. B and let her know we had some work to do. After I beat him, I would pray for him. Challenging strangers to duels just isn’t sustainable.
-Is there a genre you could never write? Which and why?
D. Tina Batten:
I could never write in the horror genre. It can be extremely demonic. I’m not interested in frightening people. I am interested in uplifting and encouraging people especially during hard times and providing hope in a dark situation.
Traci Wooden-Carlisle:
When I was really young. Around my early double digits, I loved thrillers. By the time I was in my thirties, I couldn’t stomach them. I would get too anxious. Though I like to build tension and suspense in my stories, I can only go so far before I scare myself. I would not be able to write horror stories. I don’t want to know if that darker side exists in me, let alone tap into it.
About the Authors
D. “Tina” Batten is a loving mother, wife, sister, daughter and Mima to her grandchildren. She is a gifted visual storyteller who is passionate about bringing encouraging messages of inspiration and hope to the world.
Tina Batten, a writer for over eighteen years of various dramatic works of performing art via stage, and film, encompasses unique ways of creating fascinating story concepts that touch the heart of most who view or read her work. She is both honored and thrilled to have teamed up with long-time friend, sister in the gospel and co-author Tracy on this phenomenal collaborative book project. With such a humble heart and desire to bring people together in love and unity, Tina Batten will continue her work as a visual storyteller spreading the good news of Jesus Christ one project after the other.
As Always, D. “Tina” Batten gives God All the Glory!
You can find her at the following social media platforms:
Traci Wooden-Carlisle began writing to publish in 2011 and enjoys writing stories that provoke thought and evoke emotions. Her desire is to draw readers into the lives of her characters and share messages of God’s love, His faithfulness and peace. The messages in her books speak to her way before they speak to her readers.
Traci lives in San Diego with her husband, David. When she isn’t writing she does some light traveling or assists people with their physical fitness, creates graphics, designs pretty things for her jewelry business and swag for authors.
You can find her on the following social media platforms.
Giveaway
Traci Wooden-Carlisle and D. Tina Batten will be awarding $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Thank you so much for hosting today and for featuring this enjoyable interview.
What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
The money for the book cover. Our cover artist Designs by Dana is amazing.
This book sounds really good. Thanks for sharing.
This looks like a very interesting book.
The book sounds intriguing. Great cover.
Sounds like a good read!
In “The Prayer Warrior,” Ms. V. serves as a counselor at Center of Hope Christian Academy during the day, offering guidance and love to students and faculty. At night, she fights battles in the spiritual realm as a faithful prayer warrior. Can she endure the strain and fulfill her mission of saving souls?