![\"Father's-Day-Author-Profile\"](\"https:\/\/sites.tyndale.com\/crazy4fiction\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2014\/06\/Fathers-Day-Author-Profile.jpg\")
<\/p>\nJune is synonymous with honoring that special man in your life: Dad. With Father\u2019s Day fast approaching (June 15), we\u2019d like to introduce you to three authors whose stories, spanning from contemporary England to ancient Rome, hit at the core of what it means to be a man.<\/p>\n
In honor of Dad, we will be giving away one copy of each book (The Advocate<\/i> by Randy Singer, Wish<\/i> by Jake Smith, and The Fight<\/i> by Luke Wordley). Just leave a comment below about a favorite memory with your dad or father figure and be entered to win one of these great novels. Winners will be chosen and contacted next Wednesday (June 11).<\/p>\n
Now let\u2019s hear from authors Randy Singer, Jake Smith, and Luke Wordley on fatherhood.<\/p>\n
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What is the best advice your father or a male mentor in your life has ever given you?<\/b><\/p>\n
RANDY SINGER<\/b><\/p>\n
My father had two pieces of advice that he hammered into my skull. He would frequently say, \u201cIf anything is worth doing, it\u2019s worth doing right.\u201d This commitment to excellence was reflected not just in what he said but the way he lived.<\/p>\n
The other saying was original to him. Whenever we had a race, he would say, \u201cStart fast, pick it up in the middle, and sprint to the end.\u201d In other words, do everything with passion and don\u2019t ever quit. And he made it clear that we should never do things for our own praise but to glorify God.<\/p>\n
Taken together, I think his advice is best summed up in Colossians 3:23: \u201cWhatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.\u201d<\/p>\n
JAKE SMITH<\/b><\/p>\n
I\u2019ve received two pieces of advice from my dad that have really made a lasting impact on me and that, in turn, I have passed on to my almost-teenage son. The first is \u201cSurround yourself with successful people.\u201d It forms a perfect environment for you, too, to succeed by infusing you with ambition\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0. and it helps keep your nose clean.<\/p>\n
The second is \u201cLife is all about choices, and your choices matter.\u201d This is probably the most important when you have to make a choice\u2014in your attitude or actions\u2014about how to react to something negative.<\/p>\n
LUKE WORDLEY<\/b><\/p>\n
My father is a practical man\u2014a farmer and a man of few words. He\u2019s also very deaf. When he does speak, his advice is generally the \u201cCheck the oil in your car\u201d type. But he has modeled great behavior and character to me. I think his gentleness, love of nature, strong work ethic, and love and care for his family have spoken to me most.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
As a father, what about your book resonates with male readers?<\/b><\/p>\n
JAKE SMITH<\/b><\/p>\n
So often we think of the father as the leader of the family, but\u00a0Wish<\/i>\u00a0shows that for a dad, there are times to lead and times to be led\u2014by your spouse, even by your kids\u2014and that you have to be both brave enough and smart enough to know the difference between those times. And then you have to, again, be brave enough and smart enough to accept it and act, either by leading or being led. Dads need motivation and encouragement too\u2014they can\u2019t only be expected to give it. I think it comes through in\u00a0Wish<\/i>\u00a0that James is both strong and weak. In his strong moments, he leads; in his weak moments, he allows himself to be led by another family member who can be strong at that time.<\/p>\n
LUKE WORDLEY<\/b><\/p>\n
The Fight<\/i>\u00a0centers on a father\/mentor relationship. It\u2019s a slightly cautionary tale, in fact, of the danger of living your hopes and dreams through your children. Thankfully, the father figure in my story comes to realize that the happiness and welfare of his \u201cson\u201d matters far, far more than the passing fame and fortune the world can sometimes offer.<\/p>\n
RANDY SINGER<\/b><\/p>\n
The Advocate\u00a0<\/i>is a book that speaks to the big issues in a man\u2019s life. What is my destiny? What cause am I willing to die for? How do I protect my family in the midst of a hostile culture and pass my legacy to my children? What is the true meaning of courage?<\/p>\n
The protagonist, Theophilus, wrestles with all of these issues in a Roman culture that is very much like ours\u2014bloodthirsty, hedonistic, and spiritually confused. How does a man stand firm when the odds are overwhelmingly stacked against him?<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
How did you spend your first Father\u2019s Day?<\/b><\/p>\n
LUKE WORDLEY<\/b><\/p>\n
It might sound strange, but until my wife brought me a present from my newborn son, it didn\u2019t occur to me that Father\u2019s Day was for me too! It had previously only been about seeing my dad. To be honest, I can\u2019t remember what we did on my first one. Tried to recover some sleep from having a newborn, I imagine!<\/p>\n
JAKE SMITH<\/b><\/p>\n
Well, with a six-month-old in the house, I think I was probably trying to catch up on some sleep!<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
What\u2019s the funniest Father\u2019s Day gift you\u2019ve ever received?<\/b><\/p>\n
JAKE SMITH<\/b><\/p>\n
It\u2019s not really a funny gift, but it\u2019s a little Easter egg I included in the book\u2014James\u2019s\u00a0America\u2019s #1 Dad<\/i>\u00a0baseball hat. My middle son, Mark, got that for me one year.<\/p>\n
RANDY SINGER<\/b><\/p>\n
My then-six-year-old daughter bought a stuffed animal (a walrus) for me because she knew I would give it to her. Is anybody surprised that this daughter is now practicing law with me?<\/b><\/p>\n
Share a father memory in the comments and be entered to win one of these three father-friendly novels. You could even give it as a gift to the father or mentor in your life. Giveaway closes Wednesday June 11th.
\n(this giveaway is for US residents only)<\/b>
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BONUS:<\/b><\/p>\n