About the Book

Book: How to Kill a Giant

Author: Carol Schlorff

Genre: Middle Grade

Release Date: June 10, 2023

He lost his courage. Will meeting a real superhero help him find it?

An awful summer … Thirteen-year-old Hugo is miserable. His move to a small Pennsylvania town has brought him nothing but trouble. Ignored by his new classmates and a favorite target for the school bullies, Hugo lets fear rule his life. It’s going to be a long summer.

An unexpected twist … Hugo meets siblings Julia and Stefan, who are just as unhappy as he is. After finding a mysterious old Bible, all three are magically transported to ancient Israel, where they meet the young shepherd David, who suspects they’re spies. The trio finds themselves caught up in a strange world where danger lurks on every side.

A terrifying adventure … As Hugo and his friends navigate the perils of this weird and frightening land, Hugo must face his greatest fear—that he’s a coward. His only hope of survival is to learn the secret of David’s bravery, but will he do so in time to face his biggest test? Find out in this thrilling tale of courage, friendship, and faith.

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I received a complimentary copy of this book, and all opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author's opinions.

Author Interview

How do you weave Biblical truths into your writing?

Since my books are time-travel adventures set within Bible stories, it’s only natural that

Biblical truths are an integral part of the narrative. However, regardless of the setting, my

process for incorporating Biblical truth remains the same. I start by choosing the theme of

the book, which is really the Biblical truth I want to convey through the story. For example,

in How to Kill a Giant, the theme revolves around overcoming fear—trusting God as the

source of our courage. Once I have the theme, I write the story so that the protagonists

learn the lesson I hope to share. However, my goal is to achieve this in a way that my

writing never feels preachy but rather comes across as natural and realistic.

 Was your writing process spontaneous as it came to you or very planned and organized?

Why?

I’m a planner. I’m always making lists of things I need to do. When visiting a new city, I

prefer to have a plan for what I’ll see and do. So, when it comes to my writing, it’s no

surprise that I need to plan as well. I start by outlining the entire story.

Of course, just because I have a plan doesn’t mean I follow it exactly. The outline helps me

get started and know my direction. It’s useful when I get stuck. But as I write, I come up with

new ideas for plot twists and character growth, leading me to places I never planned. So, to

sum up, plans are helpful, but they aren’t set in stone. They’re just a helpful tool in the

creative process.

 Why did you pick this genre for your book?

I chose to write for middle-grade readers because I believe this is an important age in a

person’s life. Young people begin to think independently of their parents and may start

doubting everything they have been taught so far. I remember that when I was their age,

even though I was raised in a Christian home, I began to have many questions about

Christianity and why I should believe what I believe. Through my books, I hope to

encourage my young readers to grow in their faith, answer the questions they have, and

show them why they can trust the reliability of the Bible and, therefore, its message. If the

readers come away from my books strengthened in their faith, then my writing will have

been successful.

 How many books do you personally own?

Ha! Good question. The answer has fluctuated over the years. I’m not sure exactly, but at

my peak, I had hundreds and hundreds of books, enough to fill several large bookcases.

However, I’ve moved a lot over the course of my life, and every move has meant that I had

to get rid of some of my books, either because I didn’t want to have to lug all of them or

because I didn’t have enough space in my new place. I’m now probably down to less than

two hundred physical books, but a new development is the main reason—I mostly read

Kindle books now. I currently have 96 items on my device, including a book I’ve borrowed

using the Libby app, which allows me to borrow eBooks from my local library (for which I’m

very grateful).

 What is your next big goal as an author?

I hope to successfully launch my next book, How to Make a Miracle, the sequel to How to

Kill a Giant. It’s scheduled for release in February 2026. In How to Make a Miracle, the trio

of Hugo, Julia, and Stefan is again transported back in time into a Bible story, this time to

Aram, where they meet Namaan’s slave girl. The teens are forced to embark on a perilous

quest to accompany Namaan as he travels to Israel in the hope of being healed by the

prophet Elisha. Their survival demands courage, but true victory comes only through

forgiveness.

About the Author

Carol’s passion is to write exciting stories that encourage, inspire, and boost the reader’s faith, possibly because she has always felt like an outsider. She was born in North Africa to American parents and grew up in France. At age 15, her family’s abrupt move to Philadelphia resulted in a rough transition to American life.

After graduating from Penn State, Carol joined the Army in search of adventure. She was stationed in exotic—for her—locations like California, Arizona, and Texas.

Since then, Carol has lived in Cracow, Poland, where she teaches English and organizes language camps. She also writes a blog on faith-related topics.

Carol enjoys caring for her cat, Tabasco, watching a good murder mystery, and getting nervous while watching NFL games.

More from Carol

The idea for my book about time travel back to the Bible came to me during a church sermon on meditating on God’s Word. As soon as the outline for the story popped into my mind, I could no longer focus on what the pastor was saying, as I was too busy organizing my thoughts into the semblance of a logical plan. That day marked the beginning of a five-year journey to write and publish my first novel, How to Kill a Giant.

My motivation for writing is to demonstrate that the Bible is relevant to our lives, provides the answers we seek about life, and is far from boring. Of course, I also want my readers to have fun and stay on the edge of their seats. Growing up in a Christian home where my parents were missionaries, I still had many questions and doubts about the Bible and Christianity, especially starting in middle school. That’s why I target this age group. If my books can help my young (and older) readers grow in their faith and trust in God, then I will consider them a success.

If you asked me to summarize my book in one sentence, I would say it explores the heart of David and the courage that enabled him to fight Goliath, wrapped up in the packaging of a thrilling action and adventure story. Happy reading!