Interview with Kacy Barnett-Gramckow
March 14, 2007
Kacy Barnett-Gramckow has taken the time period of the Genesis flood to the Tower of Babel and turned it into a three-book series called the Genesis Trilogy. I read the first book, The Heavens Before, about a year ago and loved it. One thing I enjoyed about it was that she took a Bible character we know existed (and that’s about all we know!) and gave her a name, a history, and a story that showed how the world and people in it might have been before the flood. The following books, He Who Lifts the Sky and A Crown in the Stars, follow the family of Noah and their descendants in the new world.
The Heavens Before — Chaos will erupt as the fountains of the earth open. Only eight humans will emerge alive.
Birds of many colors flew above the flowering grasses, twittering and singing songs as varied as their feathers. Annah imaged them singing, “A human! A woman! A nothing!”
Annah has not spoken a word in the years since she witnessed her father’s brutal murder. Now a young woman, she is desperate to escape the cutthroat society that considers her mad. Then she has an unexpected encounter with a young man who is different from the rest. His name is Shem, son of Noakh.
The Heavens Before retells the enthralling biblical acount of the Great Flood — as seen through the eyes of a courageous woman. Brought face to face with an ancient evil, Annah dares to believe in the Most High, the God who is nothing more than foolish legend to the people of her settlement. In a world of astonishing beauty and appalling violence, a world unknowingly speeding toward disaster, Annah’s choice will have unforseen consequences.
He Who Lifts the Sky – They will follow anyone to get away from the Most High. But their great king has feet of clay, and he is leading them to chaos and destruction.
Keren heard her own breathing, ragged and harsh. Trying to muffle the sound, she covered her face with her hands. Be calm, she told herself. O Most High, please save me now, as You saved I’ma-Annah.
Nimr-Rada is determined to use Sharah and Keren, Shem and Annah’s great-granddaughters, in his plans to challenge the Most High. Sharah is all too willing to fill such a glorious role, but Keren will not be so easily enticed.
He Who Lifts the Skies retells the biblical account of the building of the tower of Babel. The Mighty Hunter, Great King Nimr-Rada, offers mankind freedom from the judgment of God. But Nimr-Rada’s promises of freedom 
will only bring his people enslavement to a false god, and to Nimr-Rada himself. Keren must risk death to defy the Great King and end his tyranny.
A Crown in the Stars — United in their pride, the people of the Great City built the mighty tower of the sun to challenge the very heavens.
When an act of carelessness traps Shoshannah in the city of her mother’s enemies, she wonders if she will ever see her family or her beloved Kaleb again. Meanwhile, the Most High is planning a stunning response to the Great City’s rebellion.
The bittersweet conclusion of The Genesis Trilogy, A Crown in the Stars retells the remarkable biblical story of the Tower of Babel.
Recently I was able to interview Kacy about the Genesis Trilogy.
SB: Kacy, what made you choose these particular Bible passages to write about?
KBG: Easy! Lack of stories in the market. When I initially researched the Genesis Flood, I couldn’t find any novels dealing with Noah or Genesis. Nor could I find any stories about Nimrod and the Tower of Babel. There were, however, tantalizing secular references in ancient translations referring to a great flood that complimented the Genesis accounts; I couldn’t resist.
Ironically, less than two months after I finished writing The Heavens Before, a friend loaned me a coy of Ellen Gunderson Traylor’s Noah. I was very distressed, thinking I’d wasted my time until I read Ms. Traylor’s work and realized that our storylines were quite different, though Bible-based. Noah is speculative fiction, whereas The Heavens Before takes a very traditional approach. Gilbert Morris also wrote an adverturesome Noah shortly thereafter. More recently, Douglas Hirt wrote a neat high-tech version of Noah’s story, offering yet another angle on the Genesis Flood. I’ve met Mr. Hirt at several author events and we’ve kidded eah other. His is the “guy” version of Noah’s Ark, and mine is the “gal” version. (But guys are reading my books despite the romance.)
SB: It’s always interesting to hear what initially inspired a story. What seed started the idea?
KBG: My husband and I were studying the creation/evolution debate with our sons and we enjoyed all the different science videos so often that I became fascinated with the Genesis story itself. When I started digging into my history books and ancient accounts of the Flood . . . I was hooked.
SB: What was your goal in writing the seriesf?
KBG: At first, I simply wanted to reveal Genesis and Noah’s story through the eyes of his daughter-in-law, Annah. But during my research I found some very intriguing references to the origins of goddess worship and to Babel, which led to He Who Lifts the Skies and A Crown in the Stars. I wanted readers to experience the origins of goddess worship through an orderly, logical sequence of events.
SB: You must have done a lot of research.
KBG: I love research! The six-year-old in me really adored looking at all the glowing gold and shiny rocks when I studied goldsmithing. Basket-weaving books made me want to climb the nearest willow tree to harvest branches, and the ancient recipes were equally fun. I made grain cakes, lamb, barley soups, and a few other inspirations for my family. They enjoyed most of my efforts.
DNA, however, was the most fascinating yet intangible part of my research. I couldn’t explain the DNA aspects of Genesis except to portray the effects of a diminished gene pool after the Flood. (Decreased life-spans and the emergence of different races.) When you learn how complex our “basic” genetics really are, it’s impossible to not wonder about the thoughts and ways of the Lord.
SB: Was there any interesting tidbit you learned that never made it into the books?
KBG: Oh, yes. Two, actually. First, back to the DNA. A secular scientist, Cynthia Kenyon, has published some fascinating research on the daf-2 gene and its effect on longevity. By suppressing the effects of the daf-2 gene, Dr. Kenyon was able to more than double the lifespan of the C. elegans worm in her laboratory, leading to speculation that the gene has a similar effect in humans. (Leading to pre-flood lifespans?) Readers can check the daf-2 research at home on their computers.
Another fun morsel I found during research is what I consider the Miao People’s Genesis Poem. I would have loved to find additional resources supporting this work; it would have been terrific to slide little details like this into the trilogy. If readers have any additional “outside” sources to support this epic poem, I’d enjoy hearing from you.
SB: I’m sure there are those who dislike taking Biblical stories and fictionalizing them. What is your approach to writing fiction that is still accurate to the Bible?
KBG: Above all, I want to honor the Lord and His Word. If a thought or plot doesn’t mesh with the Biblical verses then I don’t use it. The Bible is exciting enough without human embellishment, and (author paranoia kicking in here) it would be really unnerving to feel that the Lord is shaking His head at me.
SB: Would you share any reader mail that’s touched you?
KBG: I’m always delighted to hear from readers, and it’s fun to know that my books are in lands that I can only dream of visiting someday. Usually readers email one question: “Are you writing more books?” The most humbling notes I’ve received are when readers write, “I’ve started reading Genesis.” Wow! Or “Your books made me truly understand God’s grace.” Gulp. Recently, one reader made me chuckle when she echoed my own feelings after I finished writing the trilogy: “I don’t know how I can be homesick for someplace that I’ve never been.” Above all, the reader I pray for the most wrote: “I experienced abuse similar to Annah’s.” That one hurt.
SB: Do you plan to write other Biblical fiction? And what project are you working on right now?
KBG: I’ve written a number of short articles that have garnered some editorial interest, and I’ve completed one New Testament story, which is floating around in the publishing world right now. Also, my agent and I have been pondering a joint non-fiction project we’d both enjoy. In addition, there’s at least one more Old Testament story I’d love to dig into, but right now I’m booked up — no pun intended — with the dayjob and my son’s home-schooling. One more reason to enjoy summer. I’ll have more writing time!
SB: Not to mention some warmer weather! Thanks for the interview, Kacy. Is there anything you’d like to add?
KBG: To our Dear Readers: Thanks for writing; I love hearing from you! Catch my website — shared with my editor-husband — at www.gram-co-ink.com. Last but not least, Sally, thank you so much for inviting me to visit; it’s been a pleasure.
Comments
3 Responses to “Interview with Kacy Barnett-Gramckow”
Sally, may I borrow this?
Loved this trilogy…especiall “The Heavens Before”. Thanks for posting this interview, Sally. It was neat hear how these books came about. (Going to go brush up on my DNA now!). Incidently, the one thing I like most about the first book was the glimpse of how the pre-flood world may have looked. We see the beautiful world we live in…but Noah and His family…not so much. Can you just imagine how wonderful it will be when God restores his creation? Can hardly wait!
Great interview! Love the covers of those books!