1) What causes Kaity’s meltdown in Chapter 9? Do you think her feelings are justified?

The oppressive heat of Sahara, their hopeless situation, and memories of life in Vogul Bay. Yes and no. Yes, because Kaity lost almost everyone she loved, the desert is miserable, and they’re all in danger from Vogul. No, because she has her husband and best friend. God has also granted them water and the orbs, so they have a reason to hope for the future.  

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2) Samantha is awakened by Someone calling her name. Then, she has an inspiring vision. What passage from the Old Testament does the first part remind you of? Has God ever revealed something to you in a dark time that gave you hope?

I specifically wrote the scene where God calls to Samantha as an echo of 1 Samuel 3. In that passage, Samuel is a boy and God calls to him three times in the night. Mistaking His voice for Eli’s, Samuel keeps bugging the priest until Eli realizes Who is actually calling to the future prophet. In Starganauts, Samantha doesn’t realize at first it’s the voice of God. When she responds, she says “I am here,” a deliberate callback to Samuel’s words, “Here I am” the third time he awakens Eli. 

Yes. Despite an inability to visualize in my mind, God granted me a glimpse of the future once. The occasion? In 2017, my husband went for 9 months without a job. He applied to over 100 places and nobody hired him. As luck would have it, I’d launched my tutoring business just before he lost his job, so I didn’t have full-time work yet. We were literally running out of money. I feared we might lose our apartment. Then God gave me a vivid daydream of us still in our apartment, years later. It filled me with hope, so I stopped worrying and trusted Him. 2 months later, my husband got a job, and we are still in the same place today. 🙌

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3) The team has their first run-in with Trylithians. What was your favorite part of this scene, and why?

I love it when Nancy transforms! I love how she fools the alien and how they go rocketing over the sand together. I like how she absolutely *owns* him, and how we get our first look at the Starganaut Forms in combat. That scene just came together so nicely, and it was a blast to write!

 

 

4) Mike collapses, and Apotheka heals his infected wound. What do you think Samantha means by saying, “Sometimes, healing carries a cost?” In the next scene, we learn that Vogul was also healed from the brink of death. How did his healing end up costing the galaxy?

Oof! This question is so loaded I could write an essay. Honestly, I get teary-eyed every time I read this scene. But I’ll say that the meaning of Samantha’s words is:  genuine healing often necessitates pain. In a physical sense, someone removing a piece of glass must first cause pain to alleviate it. Emotionally, it’s often quite painful to deal with our sin, problems, or past wounds. Yet we must face the pain so that true healing begins. 

Willum was given a second chance to live, yet he wasted it. Worse, he used it to destroy, taking the lives of billions. In this case, the mercy of the Trylithians ends up costing Earth dearly.

 

 

5) Samantha argues with James about salvation. What does this reveal about her motives? Why does Sharko have a bigger impact on him?

Winning James over to Christ is an achievement for her, not a chance to rescue someone from Hell. Her pride and desire to control drive this conversation, not compassion or genuine concern. This scene is a classic example of noble goal, wrong motivations. As Christians, we can fall into the same trap as Samantha. We can be too judgmental, or care more about numbers than souls. I wrote this scene to illustrate that idea.

Sharko has a bigger impact because of his relationship with Dudeman. He shares because he sincerely cares. He’s also gentler but more to the point in his approach, giving James a choice rather than seeking a feather in his cap.  

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And that's a wrap! Thanks for joining me for this week's questions. 😊