TED!KLUCK!

One of my favorite authors happens to also be my friend, as well as my partner in running an indie publishing empire and epic podcast. But you can know that my fandom is not the result of some kind of nepotism, since I was a fan of his writing first, before worming my way into his life like some sort of social deer tic.

 Anyway, Ted's writing is incredible. And he writes a ton, about divers topics. Yeah, I said divers. For example, Ted is well-known for his books Why We're Not Emergent and Why Love the Church, which are about social and theological trends in the Church, as well as books about Mike Tyson, semi-pro football, international adoption, and a Christian view of sports.

Ted's got two new books coming your way:

Everyone on my facebook feed is talking about this phenomenon. The Drop Box movie is coming back out after a successful initial run and this book is killing it on Amazon. Here's the blurb I wrote for the endorsements page:

"The Drop Box is the kind of book we all need to encounter from time to time, to sort of reboot the way we look at the people around us. Reminders of the depravity of mankind are best served like this, as appetizers for a celebration of the Redemption we have in Christ and how he continues to work through broken vessels to bring his love and mercy to every corner of this sin-cursed world. This could easily have been a book that made the reader feel helpless and insignificant in light of such an overwhelming endeavor of love; instead, it inspires us as we follow the author on a journey from San Clemente to Seoul to Sundance, to find God working in the most unexpected places, and to sacrifice our idols—trading them for a cross. After reading The Drop Box, I feel the way people must feel after a chemical peel—a little raw, but in a good way, a way that feels new and cathartic and full of hope."
                              -Zachary Bartels, Author of The Last Con and Playing Saint

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This one is coming out in August. It's very telling that Ted's writing can make me (the quintessential "I don't follow sports" guy) care—and care deeply—about athletes,their lives, and their struggles. I am greatly looking forward to this one. What a fascinating dynamic between the fans, the players as they strike, and the scabs (who Ted would never actually call "scabs.")

You can check out Ted's blog and his podcasts (yeah, he has two and yet claims not to "be on the Internet") here.

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