James H. Pence

Drawing the Stories of Your Heart

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BIO:

James H. (Jim) Pence is a man of many talents. He is a published author, an accomplished singer and speaker, a performance chalk artist, and in his spare time he teaches karate, writing and art to homeschooled children. Jim and his wife Laurel also homeschooled their two children, Chris and Charlene. Jim has been called a Renaissance man, but he prefers to be known simply as a storyteller and follower of Jesus Christ.

Jim is a versatile writer, and has been published in both fiction and nonfiction. He broke into book publishing in 2001 when Osborne/McGraw-Hill published his book, How to Do Everything with HTML, a how-to book on Web authoring, written “by a non-techie for non-techies.” He followed this book later the same year with Cascading Style Sheets: A Beginner’s Guide. McGraw-Hill published a second edition of Jim’s HTML book, re-titled How to Do Everything with HTML & XHTML, in 2003.

Also a published novelist, Jim is the author of Blind Sight (Tyndale, 2003), a suspense/thriller set in the mind-control cults. Blind Sight recounts the story of how Thomas Kent, a reclusive ex-pastor, rescues two children from a cult and in the process finds his own redemption. His second novel, The Angel(Kregel, 2006), is set against the backdrop of the euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide movements. The Angel provides a chilling look at what can happen when society no longer values human life. It is also a compelling portrayal of one man’s struggle with Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Jim moved into collaboration and narrative nonfiction with Terror by Night (Co-authored with Terry Caffey, Tyndale, 2009). Terror by Night tells the painful yet compelling story of how Terry Caffey survived a horrific home invasion that left his wife and two sons dead. It also shows how God brought Terry to the point where he forgave those involved in the murders—one of whom was his own daughter. Tyndale re-released Jim’s novel, Blind Sight along with Terror by Night because of an amazing connection between Blind Sight and Mr. Caffey’s recovery after the murders of his family.

Most recently, Jim collaborated with bestselling author Stephen Arterburn on a book titled The Encounter: Sometimes God Has to Intervene (Thomas Nelson, Nov. 2011). For this book, Jim was asked to develop a novella based on two true incidents in Stephen’s life. The result is a poignant story of one man’s quest to come to grips with his past and one woman’s desperate desire for forgiveness and grace.

Also a talented chalk artist, vocalist, and speaker, Jim has shared Christ across the United States through music and art. He has appeared in venues as large as the Anaheim Convention Center and as small as a family’s living room. Jim often takes his art and music into prisons, where he is able to share the grace of Christ with an often forgotten and rejected people.

Jim graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary in 2002 with a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies with an emphasis on creative writing. He and his wife Laurel recently celebrated their thirty-first wedding anniversary. They live on six acres northeast of Dallas, Texas, and have two grown children and a granddaughter.

REVIEWS & ENDORSEMENTS:

Blind Sight – The author had me on the first page—first paragraph, actually—and never let go right up to the last word. I read it in 24 hours! Seriously, folks, if you want a really good read that’ll hold your interest from start to finish, and leave you second-guessing and blindsided at every turn, this is the book for you! (Kathi Macias, author of Deliver me from Evil.)

The Angel – This well-constructed thriller powerfully blends moral dilemmas with suspense. (Aspiring Retail)The Angel — I had a hard time putting [The Angel] down—trite phrase, but very true. The plotting was tight, the characters well-drawn, and the story line gripping, with a great ending. As a physician, I was pleased to see all the medical details accurately depicted. Although published as “Christian fiction,” this one doesn’t hit you over the head with its message—but you do get it. I want to read more by James Pence. (Richard L. Mabry, M.D., author of Diagnosis Death)

Terror by Night – I remember reading about this crime soon after it happened, wondering what exactly went wrong. Pence and Caffey do a phenomenal job of painstakingly recounting the details of the case, unpacking the emotional story in a thriller-like manner. It’s not often that I can’t put down a book, but this one kept beckoning me to turn the page well into the night. (Mary E. Demuth, author of The Muir House, Thin Places, Daisy Chain)

The Encounter – Wow. It’s 3 a.m. I considered going back to sleep, after waking up at one thirty for just a few more pages. I started reading this book this morning, well, yesterday morning, and just couldn’t put it down. I even took it to the park, a walk, and in my truck to read between appointments…. The story, simple and of itself, presents as a mystery, people story—very gripping, pulls you in, fast paced—and urges you to want to know how it will turn out. (A. Acord-Wright, blogger).

CHALK ART/MUSIC/SPEAKING:

Do you get tired of the same old? Same old topics presented in the same old way? James H. Pence breaks the mold. Combining stunning chalk drawings with his marvelous singing voice, Pence delivers emotion, substance, and hope during his shows—which will stay in your heart for a long, long time.  (James L. Rubart, bestselling author of Rooms and Book of Days).