In all honesty, I cringe when referred to as such. My hesitation has nothing to do with the worthiness of the profession…far from it! I’ve always considered writers to be wordsmiths hammering out brilliant novels or some profound work that comes from a deep need within their soul. This is not me.

My writing comes from a different need—the need to understand. For example, when reading the theological and philosophical works of C.S. Lewis, I found it difficult to understand. I considered that if I struggled with the books, then perhaps others did too. So, beginning with The Screwtape Letters, I created summary and discussion questions for each chapter. Before publishing it, I led the study at my church, refining it as I went along. I then continued the same process with The Great Divorce and The Problem of Pain. My good friend, Dr. Steve Urban, did the same with his excellent study guide for Mere Christianity.

Taking a break from Lewis, I forayed into some Christmas study guides, first publishing one on the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol and then one on my favorite movie, It’s a Wonderful Life.

My wife challenged me to create a study guide for John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get past the archaic language of the original 16th century text. I even tried some of the more modern translations, but those, too, left me confused. Again, I considered that if I found it difficult to understand, then others probably did, too. So, I spent the next year and a half rewriting the book in modern English, along with an accompanying study guide. My opus!

Bunyan wrote the Pilgrim’s Progress as a series of books that include The Pilgrim’s Progress Part 2 and The Life and Death of Mr. Badman. I have since rewritten each book and created study guides for these as well. Lately, I’ve transitioned into writing devotional books, specifically a new series around classic hymns called The Carols of Christmas.

I love waking up each morning knowing this is what God is allowing me to do. It’s been truly a blessing for me and my family. But equally so is hearing from people all over the world who tell me how God has used one of these books to affect their life in some way.

I would love to hear from you too! You can contact me by clicking here. I respond to every email.

Thanks again for taking a moment to get to know more about my books!

God bless,
Alan Vermilye