Traitor
Books
Paul
Campbell
About Paul Campbell
Who I am (really)
Hi there!
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If you've found your way to this page, it probably means you've read one of my books, and loved it (or hated it, and you only came here to see what sort of drooling imbecile could possibly write such a pile of rubbish), or perhaps you're just nosy – or you feel obligated to look at this website because you are related to me in some way. You could also just be bored, but with all the things to do on the internet these days, that last one seems unlikely.
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Needless to say, you're here! And since I was forced to write these words, it seems only right that someone should also be forced to read them. How inspiring then, that you, my dear reader, are here, ready to face the challenge! I hardly imagine you to be the type of person who would force this weary task upon some other unfortunate soul. While others might shrink from their duty, you are made of different stuff, and together, we will hunt down the despicable villain who forced us both into this mess, and kill him!
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Wait. That's not the direction I intended for this to go. Perhaps I should just start at the beginning: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the... Oops, too far. Let's skip ahead a bit. Firstly, I am a Christian. Strange as it may seem, I actually believe there is a God out there who put me on this planet for a purpose other than writing up articles about myself, such as these. I also believe this God actually likes me and has
my best interest at heart, even if I think myself funnier than He does. I also believe that this God has your best interests at heart, dear reader, no matter how much or how little you think you might deserve it. In fact, you don't deserve it. The point is that this God loves us not because we deserve it, but because we so desperately need it. He sent His Son to live among us for this express purpose, and despite His Son's murder, He loves us still. This is the theme behind my stand-alone novel: The Doomed Disciple, based on the life of Judas Iscariot.
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Which brings me to my second point: I tell stories. I believe there is a power in stories which connects us. After all, the most influential man in history, Jesus Christ, told stories. Almost every sermon He preached was linked to some story, and it is His stories we remember. And so, in like manner, I tell stories. I am a novelist. I don't think there is a single novelist alive today who was forced into it by necessity. No one becomes an author because it is easy, lucrative, or the only job they could find. No, writing stories is the kind of job people do because they love it. There is power in stories.
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My love for books began very early, as I taught myself to read at the age of three or four, so my mother claims. In fact, there is not a time in my life that I have any memory of being unable to read. Whether this means I learned to read when very young, or that I simply have a bad memory, I cannot say for sure. What I do remember is that we had a tall bookcase behind our couch filled with old books and magazines, and I remember passing many hours behind that couch; reading National Geographic, Ranger Rick, Pilgrim's Progress, and even encyclopedias and dictionaries; lost in worlds which were not my own.
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As I grew older, I quickly realized that books were often better friends than friends themselves, and my downward spiral toward becoming a full-time hermit began in earnest. Unfortunately, I am still forced to keep a part-time 'regular' job to help fund my writing career, but if you buy my books, and encourage your friends to do the same, I hope to one day be promoted from part-time Hermit to full-time Curmudgeon! If that seems like an odd goal, you could be right. I was diagnosed with autism a few years ago, which certainly explained a few things. It's one thing to have your friends tell you you're weird, but quite another to have an expert confirm it.
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Not to say that being weird is a bad thing. Weird Al has made quite a good living from it, and it is quite likely that Alphonse Bertillon was autistic, as well as many other famous people throughout history. So, when it comes to society, perhaps I am a bit more 'John the Baptist' than 'Jesus the Christ'. That's nothing to lose my head over. (That was a bit of dark humor. If you missed the joke, or if it offended you, perhaps my books aren't for you.) So, where does that leave us? You may feel as if you have learned almost nothing about me, and yet any fan of Sherlock Holmes will agree that the words I've put down here tell far more about me than their literal meaning conveys. Besides, after thrusting the woeful task of reading this manic biography upon you, it would be cruel to simply fill it with unpalatable facts, and expect you to swallow the whole dry article without even a bit of comedic flavor.
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So, dear reader, whether you feel that you have learned much about me, or nothing at all, I will end this here. If this seems too disappointing, you can always contact me through the website, and ask any question you think I might be willing or able to answer. For I am not a full curmudgeon – at least not yet – and I enjoy hearing from passionate readers like you.
My Guarantee
As a reader, you deserve to know who is writing your books. In the last few years, we've seen some of our favorite TV shows, movies, and books make drastic changes to placate the shifting trends of society. Mainstream entertainment is increasingly going woke. Many modern story-tellers seem more intent on pushing new moral values rather than telling good stories. Female characters are often portrayed as faultless, never overcoming any of their toxic traits or taking any responsibility for the hardships they endure. Male characters are treated just as poorly.
It often seems as if there is a decided effort to erase the noble differences between men and women. Beloved franchises with a long history of support are seeing drastic downturns and failing ratings as they go woke, yet the trend continues. It seems the days of strong characters and heroic role models are behind us. The world of stories has been turned upside-down.
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But good stories still exist. As an author, I cannot guarantee that my stories will be perfect, but I can guarantee that I will do my best to remain true to the real history and the classic novels and timeless characters which inspire and often infiltrate my writing. I guarantee that my male characters will be masculine, my female characters will be feminine, and that even though they will be flawed, imperfect human beings, they will seek to overcome those flaws rather than celebrate them. I firmly believe that men and women are equal in value, but different in purpose, and my characters will reflect this distinctive nobility.
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I am a Christian, and though my books are not always overtly Christian, they will present Christian themes, just as J.R.R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis did. I believe the stories which have lasting value are those with Christian themes. In my stories, I guarantee that flawed people will face great evil, good will always conquer, noble sacrifices will not be futile, and heroic men and women will be victorious.
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That is my guarantee. I hope you enjoy reading my books as much as I enjoy writing them, and that you can rest easy in the knowledge that this guarantee will never change.
*If you noticed my mug, you might correctly guess that I am a big fan of The Chosen. Not only is it the biggest crowd-funded project of all time, it's also free to watch, and absolutely binge-worthy. The show is phenomenal, and if you want your very own Chosen mug like mine, you can buy it at www.thechosengifts.com.